May 2026 31
Hi ng the start bu on, I was immediately surprised
by how quiet this big-bore, four-stroke is. The ex-
haust note reminds me of an XR 250 or something
similar. I knew that meant she was gonna be sweet
in the woods for our loca on. Yes, we s ll live by
the old saying "Less sound equals more ground."
We had a new secret tes ng spot to give the 430
Race a shakedown, and that put the icing on the
cake for me. I scouted the spot the weekend before
and knew we'd be in for a treat with rough, flowy,
fast stuff along with a few beau ful river crossings.
Just perfect stuff!
As soon as we got going down the powerline and
started playing around, I knew the 430 Race was a
trail cheater bike. With a grin from ear to ear, we entered
the woods. Me, my son Beau Jr., our photographer, Paul
Bickford, and your editor, Papa Kurt all ripped to the
grass turn track to put the 430 Race through its paces
and man alive, did it impress!
The 2026 Beta 430 Race is super, super smooth, electric
like precision smooth! Do not be fooled by the big bore
430. She is as mid as a deer but just as agile, making
her a surgical instrument for any trail ride, and almost all
riders! Fresh out of the box a er a good hour on this bike
in the one rut turn track, hammering down powerlines
and high-speed wheelies through long puddles, oh I can't
wait to put this bike through its paces once again. Old,
young, weak, strong, this bike is for you!
-Beau
