RIDING THE 2025 BETA X-PRO 300: THE WRAP

MotoFactory · 21 февраля

For the last two weeks, we’ve been having fun. The dirt is wet in Southern California and it’s been around 70 degrees. Best of all, we have the 2025 Beta 300RR X-Pro two stroke. The “X-Pro” name is new for 2025 because Beta wanted to make sure everyone knew it wasn’t the same old thing. The core elements haven’t changed; it’s a case-reed engine with a Keihin PWK 36mm carburetor and Moto Tassinari reeds. The suspension is manufactured by Sachs and the frame is steel with a central backbone. This year the frame was redesigned with input from Beta’s motocross team. It has a larger backbone with less flex. It also has a lower seat height and a new single-spring Sachs ZF SHC fork. That fork is considerably lighter than the old one and contributes to an overall weight loss. On our scale, the bike is 233 pounds without fuel. Beta has made steady progress in the weight department over the past few years and now the 300RR X-Pro is essentially the same as the current KTM 300XC-W.

The other changes for 2025 include revalving of the Sachs shock, a bigger Nissin rear brake caliper, XTrig elastomer handlebar mounts, a coolant overflow tank and a rescue strap on the front fender. The bodywork is new this year as well and a new color scheme gives the bike a very different appearance.

The 2025 Beta 300RR X-Pro has an MSRP of $9899.

The reason we love this bike is all about the power delivery. It makes smooth, usable torque from the very, very bottom, where most four-strokes won’t even run. In the middle, it’s smooth and throaty, and on top, it’s respectable and clean. There’s no detonation, it doesn’t load up and it never misses a beat. If carburetors had always worked this well, no one would have even thought to invent fuel-injection. The map switch offers a choice between a sunshine emoji and a raincloud, but when you switch back and forth, you only notice a change in peak revs. The power characteristic down low isn’t that different. As far as the power valve adjuster, ours came set to a half-turn clockwise from flush with the case. We only mess with it a little and were’ crazy o ver the results. In either direction, it seems the motor only develops a harder hit–you just move that hit around. We eventually returned to the original setting.

Beta says the seat height is 20mm lower than last year’s model. That number might be a little overstated, but there’s no question that the new bike is a touch lower than the average dirt bike. That helps boost anyone’s confidence in tight, slow trails. Some of that height difference came out of the suspension travel, but for trail riding, no one will notice and no one will care. This is a bike with deliberately soft, cushy suspension. It’s at its best in slow, technical terrain where rocks, roots and holes are the main issue. It’s well balanced and the action is good, but it’s not made for jumps, big whoops or high speeds. We will be riding the X-Pro non-stop until the dirt dries up. The full test will appear in the May, 2025 print edition of Dirt Bike.

Pete Murray getting the Beta 300RR X-Pro laid over in hero dirt.

ABU DHABI TOMORROW

The 34th edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will start tomorrow with the prologue, and Americans Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes will once again ride for HRC Honda. With a total of 68km to complete tomorrow they’ll have a short 10km against the clock for the prologue itself. The higher they finish the better choice the riders have of choosing their start position for stage one on Sunday. The event will cover 1920km of riding across a prologue and five stages, 1189km of which is timed. This is the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship. As things stand, Brabec and Howes are in fifth and sixth with 17 and 15 points respectively.

ARLINGTON SUPERCROSS

Tomorrow the 2025 Supercross season continues in Arlington, Texas. This will be a return to action for the West-coast 250 riders who have had a couple weeks off. Here’s how those guys are looking in the points chase:

1. Julien Beaumer 87
2. Jordon Smith 85
3. Haiden Deegan 84
4. Cole Davies 72
5. Jo Shimoda 68
6. Coty Schock 63
7. Anthony Bourdon 54
8. Michael Mosiman 52
9. Garrett Marchbanks 43
10. Hunter Yoder 41
11. Ryder Difrancesco 35
12. Parker Ross 35
13. Lux Turner 33
14. TJ Albright 32
15. Cole Thompson 25
16. Jett Reynolds 22
17. Drew Adams 14
18. Gavin Towers 14
19. Dylan Walsh 14
20. Joshua Varize 12
21. Avery Long 10
22. Brad West 10
23. Marshal Weltin 9
24. Max Miller 6
25. Dominique Thury 6