Hours: 16
Mods this month: Pipe guard, frame guards, linkage guard
Mods next month: Tall seat, soft tyre
I hadn’t put the Beta Xtrainer through our standard test loop until recently, when Mitch and I hit that favourite spot of ours. You’ve probably seen it in the mag, but it’s just rocks, nothing but rocks, and I was excited to put the little mountain goat through it.
The ride confirmed that the Xtrainer is an extreme enduro weapon, which is why Tim Coleman rode one at Wildwood. Mid-way through the session Beta’s man-on-the-ground, Ben Grabham, told me to drop the tyre pressure to 9psi. That’s pinch-flat territory for most of us but Grabbo explained that the Xtrainer’s ridiculously low weight allows lower inflation.
The difference was night and day, I was getting more traction from the wider footprint and this was with the worn stocker. It’s now looking past its use-by so I’ve just fitted a new tyre that I’m excited to test.
It’s a GoldenTyre that’s a super-soft compound like a trials tyre, but still has the tread pattern of a traditional knobby. From what we’ve been told it finds so much grip people say it’s practically cheating – I’m sold! Stay tuned.
This month I fitted a carbon-fibre pipe guard and carbon-fibre frame guards from ProPower International. The pipe guard retails for $249.95 and the frame guards are $149.95. They are incredibly light and look trick! The Xtrainer’s pipe is tiny for a 300cc two-stroke so it’s not prone to serious damage but it’s not immune.
A solid hit on the side from a rock or tree stump will damage the pipe so I feel better knowing I’ve got some protection – hopefully there’ll be no little surprises.
The bike came with plastic frame guards but I got rid of them for the carbon jobs to complete the look and increase power by at least 10kW.
Also new this month is an X Link Shock Guard to protect the Xtrainer’s linkage. It replaces the factory linkage dog bones and comes ready to go with bearings already installed. It creates a smooth transition from the bashplate to the swingarm and acts like a slider so you don’t get hung up on obstacles. It retails for $299 and can be purchased here.
I’m loving the two-stroke oil-injection system although I still can’t work out exactly how much it uses because it changes every ride. What I notice is a slow-speed, techy ride will use a tiny amount of oil where a wide-open one will use far more oil for the same amount of fuel. The more revs the more oil is the best way to put it.
Digital Editor Olly Malone
