Max Gerston Takes the Lead in the West Hare Scramble Series!

The 8th round of the West Hare Scramble Series took place in Jericho, Utah last Saturday. The conditions varied throughout the day. Riders faced hot humid weather, which created a course that had some packed ground that offered traction and dry sections that made it hard for the riders to see at times.

Max Gerston finished on the podium in 3th place aboard his 2018 390 RR, which put him first in the points chase. Gerston now has a six point lead with only two races left this year. The next West Hare Scramble will be held in Truckee, California on the 7th and 8th of October.

Max Gerston Commented:
'The Jericho, Utah Western Hare Scramble was nasty. High speed whoops, silt beds, and dangerous dust was the theme of the race. I stayed focused for the 100 mile beat down and was able to come out with a 3rd. I still have the points lead and look forward to the last couple rounds that are supposed to be a little more technical."

Ashburn Finishes in 5th
Round 10 on the GNCC Series took place last weekend in New Berlin, New York. The track conditions were great, and the riders battled to earn points with only three races left in the series. Ashburn was able to lead a couple laps, but after some mishaps he finished in 5th place, and is in 7th place overall for the series.

The next GNCC race will be in Mason Town, West Virginia on September 23rd.

Jordan Ashburn commented:
"I got off to one of my best starts of the year running up front for a good while. Then I made a mistake and got stuck on a hill needing some assistance to pull up to the top. I got back rolling and ended up falling and twisting my hand guard in the same lap. So I had to stop in the pits to knock it down. Then I was able to regather and have a good last few laps."

Photo by Kato

Still more new stuff!

We've had many requests for plastic swingarm protectors recently and here they are from Polisport! Not only swingarm guards for all full-size Beta enduro machines, but ignition and clutch cover guards for the 2-stroke RR and XTrainer as well. As always, there's lots more new items like LED headlights, G2 EFI Throttle Cam System, and Dubya wheel sets. Thanks for reading!

EnduroCross Highlights and Round 6 of the NEPG Series

Enduro Cross Highlights

Round 1 of the EnduroCross series kicked off last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Practice times started at 9:00 AM and races went on past 10:30 at night. A lot of riders said that the course was easy compared to what they raced last year, however there were a few difficult sections that created big problems for some of the riders.

When a rider went down, or got hung up on a section of the track, it created a traffic jam for the other riders behind them. The traffic jams allowed the riders that cleared the obstacles to increase their lead on the rest of the pack. Having everyone grouped together created a tight battle for positions and made the race super exciting to watch. 

Overall the event was a great start to the season. The riders got a taste of what is to come for the rest of the EnduroCross series, while being able to see what they can improve on for the next event.

The next event in the series will be in Reno, Nevada on September 23rd.

Max raced on his new 2018 Beta 350 four stroke for the first time this year. The Beta Factory rider finished the 1st round of the series in 5th place. 

Max Gerston Commented;
"The first round in Vegas went well. The 350RR suited the fast track perfectly but was still able to chug in the technical sections. I had a bit of a rough day program, which didn't set me up very well for the main event. However, I was able to ride to a solid 5th place. I definitely learned a lot and look forward to improving the rest of the year."

Beta Factory rider Ty Cullins won his qualifying heat that placed him in the main, but he had a few errors in the main event that landed him in 13th place for round one.  

Ty Cullins Commented;
"The night started out good with a win in the qualifier, but in the main event I went down in one of the first corners and another rider had his bike on top of mine, after that it was hard to make up time on the fast paced track. With over a month until the next race, I know I will have time to work on my speed and fitness to be ready for Reno."

Beta Factory rider Morgan Tanke was doing great on board her Beta XTrainer, but an early traffic jam on the first lap of the main event caused her to fall to the back of the pack, which she didn't recover from. Morgan came in 5th place in the women's class for the first round of the EnduroCross series.

Morgan Tanke Commented;
"I struggled a little bit in Vegas and look forward to a few weeks break, so that I can work on a few things and come out swinging in Reno!"

Round 6 of the NEPG Series

The 6th round of the National Enduro Series was held in Matthews, Indiana. The riding conditions were perfect and the event drew in spectators and racers from all all over. Drew Higgins was in 11th place for the first test, but ended up finishing in 13th for the day.

Drew Higgins Commented;
"This is one of my favorite races on the schedule, because of the dirt, and it's more enduro trail. My day started out good, I was riding good in the first test, and ended up just outside the top 10. The second test I was riding good until I had a big get off, I rode as fast as I could for the last mile to get the best time I could. The next few tests were good for me. I changed it up for test 6, and made sure I made it to the finish safe."

Photo by Adam Booth

Morgan Tanke Took the Win at the 2017 Kenda TKO!

Riders came from around the world last weekend to compete in the TKO event. Riding conditions were decent at the beginning of day one. However, the track worsened with every lap. Mud-caked-rocks and loosened terrain made it difficult for riders to navigate what were previously good lines. Crashes and falls began to take place more commonly, but the pace of the race barely slowed down, as racers battled for positions.

In the Women's class only two riders made it to the final event on Sunday; Morgan Tanke and Victoria Harcy. Morgan took 1st place in the Women's Class in Sunday's main event on board her Beta XTrainer. 

Morgan Commented:
"The TKO was nothing short of awesome! Right from the start I knew the day was going to be difficult, the slick rocky terrain was much different than what I'm usually used too.
Within 2 miles of the race course, a dumb mistake almost cut my day short. I hit a log that forced me to take an impromptu swim on the first deep creek crossing. After a couple of minutes, my XTrainer lit back up and I was on my way. 
After some tip overs and a lot of energy spent I made it to the finish in 1st! I couldn't believe how slick all of the rocks got throughout the day, it was definitely good practice for the Endurocross opener in Las Vegas!"

Gerston and Ashburn Finished 4th & 5th
The men's pro class had some close finishes between the top racers, which made for an
action packed weekend. Beta riders Max Gerston and Jordan Ashburn battled each other, and 3rd place finisher Mario Roman, for positions throughout the event. 

Jordan Ashburn Commented:
"Well, we had a pretty successful day at the TKO. Started off the hot lap with a tip over so I started the first knockout in 13th place. The first knockout I pushed hard and cleaned most of the sections and was able to finish 3rd overall. 
The second knockout race, I started off good with the lead and just continued to ride smooth and came in 3rd overall again. I started the final knockout on the front line and ran 4th pretty well the whole race till the last lap. 
I kept having troubles going up the waterfall section. And the last lap Max passed me there. I fell too many times and was completely wore out. We managed to help each other up and he beat me to the finish so we finished 4th and 5th respectively."

Photo by D Tanke Images

The 6D helmets have arrived, here are just a couple of these beauties!

Revolutionary helmet technology, suspension for your head!

Introducing Klims fastest off-road gear yet!

The latest "race" gear from Klim, available now! The XC Lite lineup is "off-road inspired" riding gear built with input from Klims top athletes and featuring the usual Klim top-of-the-line quality and features. It's also come down in price significantly compared to the 2017 XC lineup!

More new stuff!

As always, we've got tons of new products! Here are just a couple; the Cyclops H4 LED headlight conversion kit for carbureted and EFI machines. Upgrade your stock 35W bulb to an LED putting out 3800 Lumens!

Another addition is the Boano XTrainer dual fork cartridge kit. Going the BPS-K9 kit one better, this kit upgrades both compression and rebound to closed cartridge damping, as well as adding spring preload adjustability. The best upgrade for the stock fork on your XT.

Please email tom@sierrabmw.com with any questions about these items or anything else, and thanks for reading!

Propower Beta Kickstand Pad

The latest addition from Propower is their kickstand pad, available in 3 different colors and very reasonably priced! Includes a drill bit, tap, and thread lock so it's everything you need!

MotoMinded Billet Aluminum Thermostat Housing!

The MotoMinded Billet Aluminum Thermostat Housing is a replacement for the stock, plastic piece on full-size Beta enduro machines from 2011 and later. Sometimes the plastic housing can crack, leading some to go with an aftermarket hose kit that removes the thermostat but with this piece from MotoMinded you can retain the thermostat and have piece of mind. Another great piece from MotoMinded!

Jordan Ashburn Leads the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series!

Competition picked up as racers challenged each other knowing that the series is drawing to an end. Overall standings in the 2017 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series shifted last weekend. Jordan Ashburn is now leading by seven points over second place rider Steward Baylor. This is Jordan's second big win in a row after placing 1st in Round 4 of the series at Ohio.

The track conditions got pretty bad as the weekend progressed with temperatures reaching 87 degrees and an average humidity level of 67%. Over the weekend the track began to dry up making it hard for riders to keep traction while creating dust that at times was almost impossible to see through.

Jordan commented on the weekend:
"I started Saturday with a big win in the first cross test. I managed to hold the lead the rest of the day over Stew and Cory. It came down to the last test. Stew and I were really close but I was able to edge him out for the days win."

"Day two didn't start as well, the dusty grass-track was really tough to ride. I stayed constant and kept in the top 3 all day. For the final test, I was 4 seconds down from the leader and had to make a hard push to make up some ground. I ended up nudging him out by 3 seconds by days end with an overall win for the weekend."

Jordan Ashburn Places 3rd, While Nick Davis Places 4th at the Tough Like RORR Race in Pennsylvania

In the last RORR main event on July 1st and 2nd, Beta riders Jordan Ashburn and Nick Davis both put forth great effort. Jordan placed 3rd with heat times that were just a few hundredths of a second from 2nd place. Nick Davis came in a solid 4th place ending only seven seconds behind Jordan.

The course was brutal with temperatures around the mid 80's. The competitiveness was so fierce that at times only fractions of a second separated racers from one another. The track itself transitioned from dust-ridden grassy knolls and flats, to mountainous forested terrain covered in sharp-jagged rocks and boulders.

Jordan Ashburn commented:
"Tough like RORR was not to disappoint this year, the track was very technical. I got off to a good start in the top 3 before making a mistake and dropping to around 7th place. I managed to make some passes and caught up with the third and fourth place riders, and then I battled with second place for the rest of the race. On the last lap I got stuck on a hill and couldn't make the pass coming into the finish, so I finished in 3rd just a mere 8 seconds from 2nd place. "

Nick Davis stated:
"Today was tough. One of the hardest races I have ever done in my career. I got off to a good start, made a few mistakes, and fell back. But the last lap I put my head down and charged to 4th. I couldn't be happier after the tough year I have had with my injury."

Look forward to the next events; the NEPG-Round 5 on July 23rd, and Round 6 of the Full Gas Sprint Enduro on August 5th

Check out the latest from Rekluse!

Rekluse RadiusX delivers high performance at a great value, adding our TorqDrive® friction technology to our flagship automatic EXP disk, all within an OEM clutch footprint.

Featured Technology
-EXP (auto clutch)
-TorqDrive® (clutch pack)

Features and Benefits
-Prevents engine stalls
-Increased power transfer over OEM
-On the fly external adjustment
-TorqDrive clutch pack provides longer clutch life with less adjustment over time
-Boosts rider confidence in all types of terrain
-Standard clutch lever function with full override

Announcing the Beta Suspension System!

Have your suspension components serviced or upgraded by the same people that handle the Beta Factory Team riders machines! Everything from regular service to the full-blown Factory Pro upgrade, nobody knows your Sachs components better!

Happy Independence Day from your friends at Sierra BMW & Beta!

Hopefully yours includes dancing with an Italian princess in addition to the usual festivities! Bell wants to help celebrate with reduced pricing on select Moto-9 colors and Fastway helps leave some beer money in your pocket by lowering the price on their linkage guard. There's also lots of new stuff as always; the XTrainer BPS-K9 kit, Ohlins components, Renthal Intellilevers, the X-3 SR from Sidi, Metzeler MC360s, a great little luggage rack and much more.

motosupply.com betamotorcycle.com

Max Gerston Takes his 1st win at Mt. Baker West Hare Scramble!

Last weekend was packed with action in the West Hare Scramble. Max Gerston took his first ever victory allowing him to take the series points lead.

A small heat wave hit Bellingham, WA on Saturday with highs reaching over 90 degrees. The heated air helped dry up the weathered ridden track that was impacted by a storm the previous week. The mixture of heat and wet ground made for a grueling race that lasted over two and a half hours.

Max held the lead the entire race, putting a two minute gap between him and second place finisher Joey Fiasconaro by the third lap. Max later told us "After a bad start, I was able to set a good pace and put some distance between me and my competitors as I knew they would be charging hard."

After the race Max said,  "It feels good to get that monkey off my back and I want to keep the ball rolling for the rest of the year."

About 2,800 miles away in Snowshoe, West Virginia a battle for the 8th round of GNCC took place. The track conditions at the event were almost perfect with a rain storm that past through a week before the race, and the temperature at around 75 degrees. However, there were some sections thick with mud that made the track a little brutal to ride.

Jordan Ashburn stated,"I started in the second row 10 secs behind the first row. I made a couple mistakes the first lap picking bad lines. I worked all day trying to recover from that, and I feel like I could have been on the podium. "Jordan ended up finishing in fourth place in the XC1 class coming from 10th place in lap one.

With the points he earned from getting 4th place at Snowshoe, Jordan is seated 5th place in the overall points standing, which is only 3 points ahead of 6th place Trevor Bollinger. With such a tight points gap the next few races will be exciting to watch as the season end closes in.

At the same event Beta USA rider Nick Davis placed 8th, while his teammate Drew Higgins placed 12th in the XC2 250 Pro class. Nick was running in 5th place when his rear brake pedal snapped off making him stop for a quick pit. "The team got it changed fast and got me back out there. I came from 12th and ended up in 8th, and just made the top 20 over all."

Photo by Kato

Check out the Rust magazine review of the 2018 Beta lineup!

As always, Jonathan Bentman at Rust is on the gas with the first 2018 Beta ride review of the year, check it out!

https://rustsports.s3.amazonaws.com/BETASpecial2018.pdf

motosupply.com betamotorcycle.com
@Sierra BMW @betausa
#betagangnv #betamotor #sierrabmw #motosupply #motorcycle #dirtbike #2stroke #4stroke

Beta race team news!

Jordan Ashburn takes 1st place at Full Gas Sprint Enduro!
The races in Uhrichsville, Ohio last weekend started off with almost perfect weather conditions. Competition was fierce and the pace of each race amplified by each day. The gap between 1st place rider Jordan Ashburn and 2nd place rider Steward Baylor narrowed as the weather conditions worsened. 

Rider Jordan Ashburn stated; "My goal for the weekend was to put my head down and minimize mistakes. I couldn't have done it without all the support from my team."

Nick Davis Takes 1st place in the 4th Round of the East Hare Scramble Championship Series, while Kyle McDonal took 2nd!
Nick Davis pulls off a win after returning from a recent leg injury. His conditioning and practice seems to be paying off, while he prepares to return back to the GNCC series.
Kyle McDonal ends the race in second place, but is leading the AMA East Hare Scramble Championship Series in points. 

Justin Wallis Takes 8th place in the WORCS Race event at Glen Helen Raceway.
The scorching heat wave was expected to be too much for the riders last weekend at Glen Helen. The races had to be rescheduled for an earlier time than originally anticipated, while shortening the race time to an hour and a half. 
Wallis is currently sitting in 9th place overall for the WORCS Pro MC series.

Beta USA's Rodney Smith has been promoted to head up the Beta USA race department. The AMA Hall of Famer and five-time GNCC champion has been working for Beta for the last 12 months as a rider coach and now will take over as the race team manager. 

Beta USA's President Tim Pilg comments, "It has been a huge benefit to our team ever since Rodney came aboard full time last season. His approach to racing matches our goals for the team so it made perfect sense to have him take over the team manager position."

Smith is looking forward to developing the team and more, "I'm very excited to have this opportunity to run the Beta USA race team! I've been working & coaching the riders this year and now Beta has asked me to manage the team. I'm very excited to bring my experience I've learned over the years as a racer and champion as well as being inducted in the AMA hall of fame! I've had the chance to see & learn from my past managers, including Mike Webb, and now I'm looking forward to being able run my own team & to further give our racers the knowledge & experience to win some more championships for my riders, Beta, & myself."

Beta's GNCC pilot Jordan Ashburn had this to say, "Being able to work with Rodney Smith is a true privilege. He is a former GNCC champion with lots of knowledge. I'm really excited for him to take charge of the Beta race team and help us achieve our goals."

Smith will also work with EnduroX rider's Max Gerston, Ty Cullins, and Morgan Tanke as the EnduroX season begins in Las Vegas on August 19th along with the other team members.

Photo by Shan Moore

2018 RR-S Street Legal Off Road - Lighter weight, new clutch, and more!

The new 2018 Beta RR-S Dual Sport models have been updated significantly to continue the reputation as being the most rideable motorcycles on the market. Beginning in 2017, the new RR-S line combined the performance of the 4 stroke off road RR model with the street license plate of the RS to form a dual sport model that is capable of everything from a casual cow trail ride to a competitive Hare Scramble or Enduro. The RR-S full size range continues their reputation of offering the most "Rideability" with four different displacements to cater to all riders including 350, 390, 430, and 500cc.

A whopping 8.7 lbs. has been reduced from all four models for 2018. Along with this weight savings, a new clutch system has been developed for smoother operation and less drag. A new slimmer clutch cover has been added to compliment the new clutch.

A new shifting star wheel and detent system has been added to eliminate any mis-shifts while offering a smoother transition between gears. The electric start system has been improved to the extent that a back up starter (and the weight that goes with it) is no longer needed. The Beta engineer's however left the engine cases alone for those who wish to purchase the back up kick start system as an option.

The RR-S models also receive many chassis updates to improve handling including a new frame with more rigidity, new front fork slider to further reduce friction, new rear shock settings, and new turn signals that are more durable. The thermostat design has also been updated for more durability as well.

All these updates are finished off with new graphics. Prices are the same as 2017 with no increase!

Engine:
-All New clutch: A total overhaul has developed a more compact and lighter weight clutch that improves its feel, precision, and stability as operating temperatures change. This new system provides more progression in clutch feel that allows for better control overall, making the tough lines even more graceful. Smaller, more compact clutch cover has been installed.
-Elimination of the kick-start: the incredible work put into making the electric starter more reliable has allowed the kick-start lever to be removed, significantly reducing weight. Given the engine design, a kick-start can still be ordered as an option.
-New gear change system: updated star wheel and detent mechanism improves the precision of the transmission eliminating any possible uncertainties when shifting gears.

Chassis:
-New Chassis The front-end has been completely redesigned enabling an increase in the flexural and torsional rigidity characteristics compared to previous versions and with a notable reduction in weight thanks to an improved structural layout. This generates a consistent improvement in handling and riding precision.
-Fork with a new slider: though also lighter in weight, this was developed to increase rigidity and reduce friction. Settings have been specifically calibrated to suit the demands of the new chassis.
-Stronger, better designed turn signals
-Improved thermostat for improved durability
-New rear shock settings: adapted for the demands of the 2018 version chassis.
-Takasago Excel rims: with a new black finish specifically designed for Beta. 
-New colors and graphics: stunning white plastic with red frame sets the bike apart from the competition.

Standard features of the RR-S Models:
-Trail Tech Voyager GPS with navigation, engine & outside temperature, ability to download trail routes, hours, mileage, trip meter, and much more.
-Fuel injected, dual overhead cam 4-stroke engine
-Cooling fan kit
-Off-road Michelin tires offer excellent traction in all conditions
-Plastic skid plate and hand guards
-Full linkage rear suspension
-Quiet muffler w/spark arrestor
-Off-Road-spec engine and suspension package
-Fold down mirrors for trails
-Tool storage behind left side number plate
-Low, 36.6" seat height with built in grab handles
-Available to order through Beta's BYOB custom program with more than 400 accessories to choose from.