First impressons on the big RR480 thumper

[betajuice]

Some impressions on the Beta RS500 (or just called the RR480 down under) after two decent rides... after a pile of research this bike looks like a possible candidate for dirt riding and some adventure riding too with suitable mods. Keen to report back in a month or two with a pile of miles done.

First thing I liked was the lower seat height and lower centre of gravity which makes the bike feel user friendly.
The RR480 and RS500 suspension feels fine... the front initially felt a tad harsh but backed off the damping a little and it was much better. The rear shock felt great right out of the box.

Any issues with the Beta RR480? It's early days but the only thing that stands out is the usual pointy end of the sidestand... park in soft soil and she'll fall over if you don't put a rock or stick under the sidestand. Personally I liked the instant engine response and it was only in the nasty stuff I occasionally think it would have been nice to have that mapping switch that comes on the Racing edition to tame the beast a little when needed. So it's early days guys but really looking forward getting to know this new Beta RR480 / RS500 better.

The plastic gears for the oil pump are a dumb idea though and need replacing every 100 hours... at least! Some guys report they are quite chewed up by then. Many are swapping over the metal ones from Boano.

[betajuice]

Almost six months on the RR480 so here's a long term review. See the vid here: https://youtu.be/JhrxSogwG2k

A few months back we covered our initial impressions of Beta's big bore dirt bike, the RR480 and and its cousin the RS500 available in some countries. The big thumper has plenty of miles now so it's time for a full review.

First, a quick summary of what we liked. Like all the Beta models, the RR480 has a lower seat height that is a joy for shorter riders, and still fine for taller riders like myself as there is plenty of room between the bars, pegs and seat. The handling is a great all round combination - it's nimble in the tight stuff but has plenty of stability at speed and on the road. It has taken a few years but Beta is finally getting the Sachs suspension dialled in very nicely for the everyday rider in 2016. It could still prove soft for aggressive riders but the race model has the beefed up suspension if needed.

The engine is superb, a very flat linear power delivery that is a hallmark of all Betas and to date all the four strokes have proved to be very reliable. Despite a lot of slow technical riding in hot conditions, the radiator has only started to boil once, impressive for a big four stroke. All the thumpers are fuel injected now which has improved fuel economy and eliminated the need to rejet for altitude changes. The gearbox is very smooth, and a very wide range of ratios which is perfect for dual sport riding. And finally, Beta parts are very cheap, easily ordered online and in our experience mailed out rapidly - very handy if your dealer isn't nearby.

What didn't we like? We've mentioned it before, Beta sidestands have a pointy end that easily sinks into soft ground. It's easily fixed by screwing a little plate on the end, but it's surprising they haven't changed the design yet. And while the plastics are far cheaper compared to those of most manufacturers, they only bend to a certain point then do break, compared to say KTM plastics.

In essence, this is very similar to the results of our first impressions video and subsequent rides have only confirmed what we like about the RR480 and RS500. A highly recommended mod is a G2 Throttle Tamer, this completely eliminated that slightly snappy throttle response off idle due to the fuel injection, and made the bike even easier and smoother to ride.

In places the USA, the RS500 version is proving very popular as a dual sport bike, and is fitted with a Voyager GPS/speedo combination. Like any dirt bike, the seat is not comfortable for continued sitting but Seat Concepts do a great range of seats for long distance riding. The tank is quite small but larger options are now coming out for the Beta four stroke range.

LONG-TERM COMMENTS
I put out a call to long-term Beta owners for any minor issues they'd come across.....

Clutch can be a tad heavier than some bikes, just fit an MY14 Race slave
cylinder for AUD$64 to make it lighter.
Buy a set of 'stubby allen keys' to remove the cylinder head when checking
valve clearances, there isn't a lot of room to access the bolts.
Dual sport riding? Remember the plastic oil pump gears get replaced at 100
hours. Most owners replace these with Boano's metal aftermarket gears.
Brake side fork guard can rub on upper fork, adjust the brake hose to fix.
Check your radiator hose clamps are tight if your Beta is new, a small
number of owners reported coolant leaking on their first ride.
The fuel tank outlet is near the front of the tank, so when fuel is low the
bike can stutter on steep climbs or during wheelies - not necessarily a bad
thing as it lets you know fuel is getting low before the reserve light is on!

For anyone who loves a big bore dirt bike the Beta is well worth looking at.
And given the growing track record for reliability I would personally love to see the RS500 developed more along the lines of a light weight adventure bike, fingers crossed!

THE GOOD STUFF
Lower seat
Handling
Suspension
Linear power
Reliability
Fuel injection
Gearbox
Lack of overheating
Cheap parts

DRAWBACKS
Snappy throttle
Brittle plastics
Sidestand

[NJZoltan]

Awesome..thanks for the review. I own the smaller 350rr.

[Glenn]

Love your videos and comments. I have taken your advise and installed a G2 throttle tamer and a side stand plate (bigger foot print).

The 480 is just brilliant with easy turning in the tight, linear power and great out of the box suspension.

Keep the Gumby vids going-great job.

[hawaiidirtrider]

Love the big bores.. I'm glad you are riding this so we can see how the bike is.. Thanks!!!