’ ve gotta say , I think the new Beta RR200 is a very fine-looking machine . The largely red plastics and red frame look great and it seems very business-like . And getting down to business , this is a stripped-down racer , you get what you want and need , but there ’ s nothing superfluous . Beta has things on point with RR200 Enduro . It has all the good things that make old twostroke racers happy . There ’ s a Keihin carb , Kokusan ignition , light weight , great Sachs ZF suspension , decent ergonomics and , for some , electric start . I have to ask whether a 200cc two-stroke needs electric start ? I ’ d argue no , but then I can ’ t deny I enjoyed using it and it will be worth a few seconds if stalled out in a special test . Plus , it is kinder on my old right hip – so maybe I ’ m wrong ? And at 92.2kg ( dry ) there seems little weight penalty in having that magic starter button .

54 KIWI RIDER