With the sump gaurd which will be bent and under tension, take it and the bike to a workshop with a press and spend 10 minutes gently bending it back to form. Do not flex the rear bolt tabs as they will snap.
A shorter swing arm will give you a better turning circle. I doubt Caby would ever use the full lock as those boys just hop their bike around anyway. I expect he uses it as he prefers the overall balance. The older Sherco's are 35mm longer in the wheelbase than a Beta. I don't know about the other brands.
Lower footpegs will improve your balance, just jump on an old TY and see how long you can balance for.
I have had 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 and now an 06 and I feel this bike has been the biggest change to riding than any other single year. This bike is fantastic.
Disclaimer: This statement is valid until an 07 is parked in my shed.
I expect you will not see an all new Beta until 2008. They would not have spent the money on new plastic moulds for the rear mudgaurd if they would only use it one year. Plastic moulds are not cheap and to use it for one year would not make financial sense.
The plastics from 2003 and onwards will fit the 2002. You will need to also get the air filter cover part number 12-73213-0-97 and the Gasket Seal 16-75910 (2004 part numbers) plus the gaurds themselves.
