Words: Trent Maher

There’s been a lot of interest in the Beta RX 450, which has been a regular in MXGP over recent seasons and has entered AMA Supercross for the first time in 2024. Now in production trim for 2024, the RX 450 recently landed here on Australian shores and MotoOnline had the chance to put it to the test at a private facility on the North Coast of New South Wales.

The genesis of the RX model comes from Beta’s well-established RR range of off-road motorcycles, but the RX 450 is the first four-stroke motocross bike built by the Italian brand. With three years of data and testing coming from the grand prix team, the all-new RX 450 is the workings of the prototype raced across that three-year span.

Image: Supplied.

My first impression when I initially saw the Beta was that it’s a very attractive motorcycle, since the blue and red colour combo works together, tied off nicely with the blue Excel rims and the finer details that come to the forefront when you take an up-close look.

Ergonomically, it’s quite slim, which I think is something that most riders will appreciate when climbing into the saddle of a bike they’ve never ridden before. The RX 450 comes stock with a gripper seat cover that is actually really grippy, which I thought was a solid addition. The gas cap to the rear guard is flat, meaning no dip in the seat, and a centralised seating position. This kind of thing is a personal preference, but I prefer a flatter-type position, so that’s a positive for me and added to my comfort level straight off the bat.

The track we rode was a great mix of hard and slick with some watered, loamy sections, so it was a great testing location for the RX 450. Unfortunately, we only had one four-stroke to test on the day, which made it a little tough to put ample time on the bike. Still, it was a fitting opportunity to get a first impression on the highest profile Beta motocross entry yet.

Image: Supplied.

The RX 450 comes equipped with Nissin brakes front and rear, a product that we’ve seen on other brands over the years, and on the Beta the result’s no different – they produce great stopping power. They have a familiar feel and are consistent in their application, so certainly no complaints in that area.

The position of the footpegs and their height from the seat and the handlebars make for a spacious cockpit, so for a taller rider, I felt comfortable and able to move around freely and ride the way I wanted to ride. Combined with the flat seat, I felt at one with the bike pretty quickly in terms of the seating position.

Getting deeper into the test, the torque produced by this engine makes third gear easily useable and helps settle the chassis under acceleration, giving the bike a nice feel of connectivity from the throttle to the rear wheel. I found that the power delivery was very smooth and broad, making it a nice smooth ride, otherwise for other riders who are chasing that bottom-end punch, I think changing the gearing slightly to suit would be all that you’d need to do.

One pickup I did have though, was that when the engine was at higher RPMs, it seemed to get quite loud as it reached the rev limiter, just slightly louder than what I’m used to. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but was obvious in my time on the bike.

Suspension-wise, right away the KYB suspension added real comfort through the handlebars and with a few adjustments felt plush throughout the stroke. It did feel a little front-end low to me, which made it seem twitchy in the front-end when coming off throttle. Without being able to change much on the day, I didn’t have the chance to try and fix this feeling, but my opinion is that this could be fixed with some adjustments to the sag and fork height.

Image: Supplied.

Beta has also introduced an adjustable mapping switch with two map options. There’s both a wet and a dry map with traction control available on both, plus a welcome feature for me was how they found a unique way to minimise the number of buttons on the handlebar cluster by incorporating the map switch into the handlebar pad. It’s unique, but worked well.

Also of note, the 2024 Beta RX 450 production bike will come with Michelin tyres as standard in our local market, but the bike we rode was fitted with Pirelli Mid-Softs.

Overall, I would’ve loved some more time on the 2024 Beta RX 450, I feel it has a lot of adjustability and with time it would be a bike I could get completely comfortable on. Beta has really come out swinging with the RX 450 and with riders like Colt Nichols, Benny Bloss and Ben Watson racing for the factory Beta team in 2024, I’m intrigued to see what the future holds and just how big of an impact the brand can make in time.

Specifications

Engine type: 449.3 cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore/stroke: 97.0mm x 60.8mm
Transmission: Five-speed
Starter: Electric
Clutch: Hydraulic adjustable diaphragm multi-plate clutch
Traction control: Yes
Front suspension: 48mm KYB AOS closed cartridge fork, 305mm travel
Rear suspension: KYB link suspension, 300mm travel
Front brake: Nissin caliper, 260mm front disc
Rear brake: Nissin caliper, 240mm rear disc
Tires: 80/100 – 21 Michelin Starcross 6 / 110/90 – 19 Michelin Starcross 6
Weight: 104.5kg (dry)
Availability: Available now
Price: $14,495
Further information:  www.betamotor.com.au