2018 Beta Evo 200 or Factory 125

[Lefebvre]

I will have the choice between the 2018 Beta Evo 200 or the 2018 Beta Evo Factory 125?

Hard choice but my age (close to 70) and my knees injuries (with permanent damage) and my weight 146 pounds in street clothes can be a reference to choose the right one plus the fact it will be a brand new adventure in Trials!  In dirt riding, I am a Novice rider who has progressed with +/- 100 hours of riding and able to ride standing up most of the time with my X Trainer. Hard choice for the Trials bike to buy, the 125 Factory  is appealing for many good reason and so is the 200. I will never attempt 6' high straight rock climb at 90* in my prognosis anyway...I mostly want it to help me get better when I will ride the Beta X Trainer. I know that I will not see much difference from my Trials practice in riding my X Trainer before a year or so...I also know the learning curve on the Beta Evo 125 or 200 will be slow and with hard work... I am watching Ryan Young videos 4 to 5 times a week (+/- 5 hours minimum per week) and other videos on Trials. Yes it will be hard work and you get back what you put in age considering... So what do you thing is this Old Man best choice considering age and knee condition? 2018 Beta Evo Factory 125 or 2018 Beta Evo 200. Thanks a million again for your help!

[micm]

The Beta 200 is a bike which is discussed quite often on TC and at trials etc between older riders especially. In Blighty they are pretty rare. If anyone has a 'road' test a link would be appreciated. The engine of the 200 is now based on the 250 not the smaller engine so it is now considered a shade more robust. The right answer, as always, is for you to try them both. The bigger engine will surely have more torque which would be helpful, but probably not enough to pull your arms out! The 'Factory' might look a shade more 'trick.'

[ridgrunr]

Recommending (or not) a bike is always a crap shoot.  Guys usually REALLY like best whatever they happen to be riding. About the only difference you'll really notice between the 125 and the 200 is that you'll need to use the clutch a LOT more on the 125.  Although the 200 should be plenty easy, the 125 will be easier to kick start.  If starting is your issue with your knees (I can relate), I can tell you that at almost 64, my 300 Beta Evo is a lot harder to start than my buddy's 250 Evo. So it only goes to figure a 125 would be easier than a 200.  The 125 will not have the grunt that a 200 will have.  While gobs of power is not a primary issue in a Trials bike, it does become an issue as you progress and become more skilled.  In time you may start to find that a 125 will start feeling a little anemic.  I assume that you know that the Betas are left side kick, while just about everything else out there are right kick.  Something to consider if you've got bad knees and have one stronger leg than the other.  If kick starting the thing is a major concern, have you considered an electric start model, such as a GAS GAS 250 Contact?  Just push the button and you're off!  It does't look near as trick as a Factory Beta, but might be just the ticket.  Just a thought.     

[dan williams]

A "Factory" just buys you a few ounces of weight saving and a bit more top end power. So with the 125 you'll have a weak low end and a peaky top without much in between. The 125s are aimed at teenagers because they have to ride 125s.  Not really what you need as an old guy new to the sport. A 200 is a nice compromise in torque at low speed without the arm ripping pull of a larger engine.

Executive summary: get the 200

[dan williams]

5 hours ago, ridgrunr said:

 I can tell you that at almost 64, my 300 Beta Evo is a lot harder to start than my buddy's 250 Evo. So it only goes to figure a 125 would be easier than a 200.

S3 makes a low compression head that helps a lot on the 300. You lose none of the grunt. The top can still be scary just not as much and the kicking is easier. Also makes the bike less finicky about octane rating.

[wheelieman14]

I rode a couple hours on my (new to me) 2015 Beta Evo 200, after spending the past year on a 2016 Evo 300 Standard model (Not SuperSmooth or Factory). I'm 58 years old with lots of motorcycling experience, but only 2.5 years experience in MotoTrials. The Evo 300 was a blast to ride, but I've had my share of injuries - because the power is so much more abrupt than the SuperSmooth model Evo 300, or a smaller displacement 125, 200 or 250. To help me improve my skills this year, I picked up the Evo 200 and so far I'm pleasantly surprised how well this bike runs and pulls my 200 lb body up some pretty steep hills. You are light enough to also enjoy the Evo Factory 125, but will not be disappointed if you go for the 200. I went up 1 tooth in the rear sprocket, thinking I would need to, but think stock 11/42 gearing is probably fine, since I could make most hits in 2nd gear.