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Gonna sell my FZ-09 and buy one of these


Cruizin

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2015 Beta 300 RR Race edition. It's like a Dirt Ducati, made in Italy.
 

 
I have decided to give up streetbikes. Not in fear, my god, part of the problem is that I'm almost fearless and doing highspeed wheelies down the freeway and other crazy shet.
 
I have lost some friends on bikes lately and miss them dearly and see their families trying to deal with the loss of them. It does make me think about my mortality, but that isn't really even the reason.
 
The straw on the camel's back occurred to me today. I spend half or even more of my time in traffic on my bike, at traffic lights watching my temp gauge crawl up to 220 and listenng to the fan coming on, riding 35 mile per hour and hoping that the idiot behind me doesn't take me out and trying to resist the urge to follow the gu in front of me that just cut me off home and beating his azz Idaho redneck style.
 
Fact is, I only like street riding when I'm doing something illegal on some twisty road and the fun always ends when cars become involved.
 
I miss the dirt. I miss the trails. And my CRF450R already is due for a $1,500 top end rebuild. Yep, $1500 just for a top end, well, done right with head rework, cylinder work and kibbilewhite valves.
 
Over the 40 years that I have been riding, my best memories involve lightweight arm ripping two strokes up in the mountains, ripping up a hill like a madman and riding 6 inch wide singletrack trails with deadly dropoffs but beautiful views.
 
I'll keep the forums, it's my passion. I can still enjoy streetbikes that way, thru you guys and gals. I'll let you deal with the traffic and cagers though.
 
I might even create a dirt board on here if any of you also ride dirt and we can share our pics and vids.
 
I'll share some pics when my beta get's here, I'm ordering it custom and they are built in Italy.
 
I'm gonna try and sell my FZ-09 locally, but if anyone is interested it has been maintained like a baby. Oil changed every two thousand miles religiously and I just put new PR-4's front and rear. M-4 exhaust, fuel controller, 7100 miles. PM if interested.
 
It's been fun on the street, but for me, it's more fun in the dirt.
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belleau1977

Wow somebody that has the same feelings myself in why I really would like to just stay off the street and stick with dirtbiking. I've been riding for 20 years and I have never been hit yet but I have had my fair share of caters out to get me. I picked up dirtbiking in Mountain Home, Idaho when I was stationed there for six years in 2004-2010. I never had dirtbike said growing up because I'm from Illinois so my life changed for the better when I landed in Idaho. To this day I want to go back and live the rest of my life in the Boise area. With dirt bikes you only have to worry about trees, rocks, and other riders as long as your a trail rider like me. I'm not a motocross guy so no jumping on my end. I feel like the bond on dirt bikes is so much stronger than you would ever get from riding with others on the road. I used to ride ever weekend even in the winter as long as the winters weren't too bad in Idaho. I got to do my first and only dirtbike race ever in Idaho also. The pics I'm posting are all from Idaho. Right now though I no longer have the ability to ride all over the state for a $10 off-road sticker like Idaho. I'm stationed in Belleville Illinois so the closest worthwhile trails are 94 miles away unlike the 30 miles I used to be from the desert and mountain trails. This is why I'm getting a new street bike since I can ride from my driveway and be on the road.
 
[attachment id=420" thumbnail="1][attachment id=419" thumbnail="1][attachment id=421" thumbnail="1]
 
 

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Good for you. respect-048.gif 
I have had a similar experience years ago. Living in (crowded) Europe, I had a Kawasaki ZR7. I was riding and minding my own business when it suddenly just didn't feel right anymore. It wasn't fear but I felt like I was being restricted by the environment I was riding in. Cars were just too close if you know what I mean. So I turned around and rode home. I sold the bike the next day and was without a bike for the next decade. Riding dirt there was not an option.
Where I live now the traffic is totally different, basically non existent as long as you're not near a bigger town or city. So I picked up riding again.
 
On another note. I visited e newly opened dealer just last week. I know the owner from one of my car shenanigans. He needed a new challenge and decided to go into the motorcycle business. He just landed a deal with Beta and they were unloading them when I was there. A spectacular machine in every way.
If road riding ever looses it's magic I'd might consider picking up one of these too although off roading in Ontario or at least where I live is probably more restricted then Idaho.
 
Here's a nice photo of the Beta:
1118.jpg
 

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That looks like fun. Out of curiosity I checked to see where people ride dirt bikes around here. Apparently there are no legal public areas to ride in my county and everyone is going to Canada. I think I will stick to street riding. Having to do an international trip every time I want to ride sounds like too much trouble.

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Wow somebody that has the same feelings myself in why I really would like to just stay off the street and stick with dirtbiking. I've been riding for 20 years and I have never been hit yet but I have had my fair share of caters out to get me. I picked up dirtbiking in Mountain Home, Idaho when I was stationed there for six years in 2004-2010. I never had dirtbike said growing up because I'm from Illinois so my life changed for the better when I landed in Idaho. To this day I want to go back and live the rest of my life in the Boise area. With dirt bikes you only have to worry about trees, rocks, and other riders as long as your a trail rider like me. I'm not a motocross guy so no jumping on my end. I feel like the bond on dirt bikes is so much stronger than you would ever get from riding with others on the road. I used to ride ever weekend even in the winter as long as the winters weren't too bad in Idaho. I got to do my first and only dirtbike race ever in Idaho also. The pics I'm posting are all from Idaho. Right now though I no longer have the ability to ride all over the state for a $10 off-road sticker like Idaho. I'm stationed in Belleville Illinois so the closest worthwhile trails are 94 miles away unlike the 30 miles I used to be from the desert and mountain trails. This is why I'm getting a new street bike since I can ride from my driveway and be on the road. 
[attachment id=420" thumbnail="1][attachment id=419" thumbnail="1][attachment thumbnail=1" id="421]
 

 
Now I know who you are! Didn't we used to talk on Thumper Talk? I used to post alot of pics in the DRZ forum.
 
Great pics above, btw. You need to change your MOS to 69B, Airforce Dirtbike Operator and request duty station of good old Mountain Home AFB again. Lol
 
 
 
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Washington has all kinds of awesome places to ride, but maybe Bellingham has alot of those places shut down by the Greenies?
This corner of the state is only slightly less loony than Seattle.  They have pretty much shut down all off road motor vehicles. I think eastern Washington is better, but that is further away than Canada. 
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Good for you. respect-048.gif  I have had a similar experience years ago. Living in (crowded) Europe, I had a Kawasaki ZR7. I was riding and minding my own business when it suddenly just didn't feel right anymore. It wasn't fear but I felt like I was being restricted by the environment I was riding in. Cars were just too close if you know what I mean. So I turned around and rode home. I sold the bike the next day and was without a bike for the next decade. Riding dirt there was not an option.
Where I live now the traffic is totally different, basically non existent as long as you're not near a bigger town or city. So I picked up riding again.
 
On another note. I visited e newly opened dealer just last week. I know the owner from one of my car shenanigans. He needed a new challenge and decided to go into the motorcycle business. He just landed a deal with Beta and they were unloading them when I was there. A spectacular machine in every way.
If road riding ever looses it's magic I'd might consider picking up one of these too although off roading in Ontario or at least where I live is probably more restricted then Idaho.
 
Here's a nice photo of the Beta:
1118.jpg

 
There was awesome riding areas when I lived in Maine, and New Hampshire and Vermont as well. How far are you from the states?
 
Do they limit alot of trails up there to foot, horse and cycle traffic only?
 
 
 
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Most government owned land here are called 'Crown Land' and it is a big No No to use anything motorized. Even ATV's are frowned upon. Snowmobiles are acceptable in the winter, but only on designated trails. The only way to hit a decent trails is to ask permission from a private land owner and they are usually not too keen on dirt bikes.
NY is about 20 minutes from where I live.

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n2shotokai
Washington has all kinds of awesome places to ride, but maybe Bellingham has alot of those places shut down by the Greenies?
This corner of the state is only slightly less loony than Seattle.  They have pretty much shut down all off road motor vehicles. I think eastern Washington is better, but that is further away than Canada. 
On the Husky forum I am on, the guys from PNW and WA specifically post some outrageously beautiful pictures of the trails there. 
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When you said that you were going to give up the street and go back to dirt, I personally had nothing to relate to since I never had the chance to ride dirt. I made sure my two sons did though and we lived close enough to good places that they could ride the shoulders of the roads to get there; True hooligans and expert riders both.
 
Watching the video of Paul on the Beta opened my eyes to how much fun I've missed and why you are so drawn to it now. WOW! What a total blast!!
Now I understand what you're talking about and can see that you're not really giving anything up...You're gaining in the intensity and being completely immersed in the experience. I can't blame you...Good idea!
 
My body is too beat up to be good at ridin' dirt anymore and there's some sweet street ridin' here, so that's where I'll be.
 

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I definitely want to eventually add some dirtbikes to my garage. My lady even expressed interest in hitting up some trails and getting muddy.
 
I can't bring myself to take her out on the streets, as a rider or a passenger. If she really wanted to, I wouldn't stop her - but she's not even too interested in that form of motorcycling anyway. It's one thing to risk my noodle, quite another entirely to drag her along.
 
One day, I probably will be a trackday/trailday type of rider. Until then I brave the streets, but you're right - motorists frankly make it miserable at times, tolerable at best.

Everything went braap.

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n2shotokai

Just an FYI, when I bought my Husky I specifically bought it since it was street legal. Here in Komifornia there are many places off limits to dirt bikes, but my street legal dirt bike gets a pass! That and getting from one area to another is not a problem either.

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The Beta 300 RR comes stock with a horn, brake and tailight (tiny but legal), speedometer/led display and even a blinker switch on the handlebars with wiring in place. Just install a mirror and I'll be street legal here in Idaho, and will consider adding blinkers since the switch and wiring are already right there. Street legal on a two stroke!
 
Sometimes it's fun to just ride straight from the garage to the closest trail.

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As a guy who races enduro off road races on a 2013 YZ450F, I understand. Keep safe and have some fun!
 
The road will always be here for you when you want to make a come back. :-)

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How is the reliability and service intervals? I vaguely remember that Beta uses KTM engines, at least in the past.

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2015 Beta 300 RR Race edition. It's like a Dirt Ducati, made in Italy. ...
I have decided to give up streetbikes. Not in fear, my god, part of the problem is that I'm almost fearless and doing highspeed wheelies down the freeway and other crazy shet.
...
 
I miss the dirt. I miss the trails. And my CRF450R already is due for a $1,500 top end rebuild. Yep, $1500 just for a top end, well, done right with head rework, cylinder work and kibbilewhite valves.
 
Over the 40 years that I have been riding, my best memories involve lightweight arm ripping two strokes up in the mountains, ripping up a hill like a madman and riding 6 inch wide singletrack trails with deadly dropoffs but beautiful views.
...
It's been fun on the street, but for me, it's more fun in the dirt.
 
I understand. :-)
 
IMG_4084.JPG
Me & my 2011 520RS on the right. 2 more Betas in the middle!
 
We even let the token Yamaha ride with us! ;-)
 
IMG_4100.JPG
 
%25255BGroup%2525204%25255D-IMG_1698_IMG_1699-2%252520images.jpg
It hard to have this kind of fun on the street! :-)
 
 
Good luck with your new Beta!
 
Catfish ...
 
 
 
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Do you have a Rekluse on the YZF? that's a hell of a bike in the single track!
yep! that auto clutch is worth every penny! I highly recommend it to anybody that has a dirt bike.  
it is a dream when you start doing hill climbs.
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belleau1977

@admin I was hoping you would catch that in my pics as far as where I came from in Idaho. Totally forgot we had chatted on good old Thumpertalk. To this day I miss my DRZ but I picked a bad time to buy it right after my deployment when my girls were seven months old at the time. Put $1,400 in mods to that bike and sold it without much added mileage also. Would get another definitely but I saw 2016 might have an updated DRZ400 coming out. The pics are from the Oreana 100 desert race, Hemmingway Butte riding area, Little Gem Cycle Park, and the gang of fools is at a cabin area off the trail on the way to Silver City my favorite place to go. I so badly want to go back to Idaho its one of the best states around. If I was back in Idaho I'd look into a KTM Enduro 690 since there are thousands of miles of mountains roads. I live next to St. Louis at Scott AFB so no luck for never ending trails anymore hence why I'm going back to the street bike world. If only there was a dirtbike operator AFSC in the Air Force I'd picked it a long time ago. Picture of my beast![attachment id=430" thumbnail="1][attachment id=429" thumbnail="1][attachment id=428" thumbnail="1]

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I know where that cabin is, not far from a fun but kinda nasty downhill section thru the trees when coming back from silver city towards Hemmingway. There used to be a natural spring there but it's dried up now.
 
 
I miss my DRZ400. Wait, did you say there is a new DRZ coming out??

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How is the reliability and service intervals? I vaguely remember that Beta uses KTM engines, at least in the past.
 
Beta ditched the KTM engines years ago. The Beta engine is very good, better than KTM in my book. Everyone I know who owns a KTM has nothing but problems and are always dumping money and time into repairs.
 
I'm going with a two stroke so the top end rebuilds are very easy and cheap, just gotta replace the piston once ina while, pretty much a 45 minute job for $250.
 
VS a Fourstroke that costs $1000-$1800 for a top end rebuild and Valves, springs, machine shop for the Cylinder.
 
The AMA and state of California pretty much banned the 2 stroke from motocross racing. So, factories stopped building them and everyone started buying four strokes. But Two strokes provide more power per cc and are so much easier and cheaper to work on. Cheaper to own, and more fun to ride as there is nothing like that powerband when it kicks in.
 
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2015 Beta 300 RR Race edition. It's like a Dirt Ducati, made in Italy. ...
I have decided to give up streetbikes. Not in fear, my god, part of the problem is that I'm almost fearless and doing highspeed wheelies down the freeway and other crazy shet.
...
 
I miss the dirt. I miss the trails. And my CRF450R already is due for a $1,500 top end rebuild. Yep, $1500 just for a top end, well, done right with head rework, cylinder work and kibbilewhite valves.
 
Over the 40 years that I have been riding, my best memories involve lightweight arm ripping two strokes up in the mountains, ripping up a hill like a madman and riding 6 inch wide singletrack trails with deadly dropoffs but beautiful views.
...
It's been fun on the street, but for me, it's more fun in the dirt.
I understand. :-) 
IMG_4084.JPG
Me & my 2011 520RS on the right. 2 more Betas in the middle!
 
We even let the token Yamaha ride with us! ;-)
 
IMG_4100.JPG
 
%25255BGroup%2525204%25255D-IMG_1698_IMG_1699-2%252520images.jpg
It hard to have this kind of fun on the street! :-)
 
 
Good luck with your new Beta!
 
Catfish ...
 
 

 
Wow, nice RS! Great pics! Where do you live, Catfish?
 
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