Beta Rev 4t ... 2008 model test.... Heath's views

Steve saunders invited me to one of his very successful corporate days to have a play on the new Beta rev4t .. Steve gives companies the chance to send some of their employees over to him for a taster in trials. In exchange for some photos of this weeks students I had custody of the Rev4t all day.. bargain!!

First I will comment on the looks.... bloody lovely. They have stuck with the black and red but with some nice graphics to freshen up the style. This year the front mudguard is red with a single Rev 4t log on the back side, and the tank decals have their own 4 stroke logo added. The frame side stickers also help to complete the look. On the rear mudguard you get 2 flashes towards the back telling you it is a rev 4t. It has the same black satin bars as the 2008 rev3 which do look so much nicer than last years grey colour.
The other chnage that you notice fairly quickly if you have ridden a 2007 model is that the hot start lever has moved from the bars down to the inlet manifold area... much better as last years could be prone to damage on a fall. According to the factory bumph the suspension has been tweaked a little internaly and of course you can see those very nice black centred wheel rims. The clutch cover is now a 5 bolt fixing and is the same colour as the rest of the engine.

Just standing on the bike gives us Beta riders a nice familier feel... the same as the Rev3. Although the Rev 4t is a kilo or two heavier than the 2 stroke model it really doesn't feel it even when moving it about to load up or park etc.... and there is a rumour that a full Akropovic exhaust system may be coming that will knock 1.5kg's off the weight....

... right then, ready for the off. First thing is to find the choke!! Not very easy when you don't know where it is. In the picture to the left it is the black round thing almost in the middle of the image... but that picture was taken laying on the floor! Once you know it is there you will find it by feel. Pull it out and one or two kicks is all it takes to set the very quiet motor purring. Now then, if you don't want to look a dick in front of a 10 times British Champion I suggest you make sure the choke is pushed all the back in after 10 seconds of it running... not ride around for 5 minutes thinking you had pushed it in and feeling that if this is the way the bike runs, it's crap!!! It has 3 positions, in, half and fully on. I had pushed it in but only to the half way position and the bike stalled everytime I shut the throttle, and was really lumpy. A shout from Steve put me right, accompanied by a hand gesture that used to mean that you would go blind if you did it too much !!!

Ahh, that's better, smooth isn't the word.  When using no throttle to play on the flat it sounds like a little sewing machine, only giving a slightly harsher bark when you blip or wack the throttle open. Even on full chat it isn't anything like a 4rt noise wise, just slightly deeper than standard.
Whilst the riders were having a lunch break I popped into the woods for a proper play on some steep banks and made myself a few sections. First thing I noticed was how much you could use first... or second.  Hard to tell which you are in until first runs out of revs. Now, I am a confirmed 2 stroke rider. The only 4 strokes I ever owned were a TL125 Honda in the 70's and an RTL250 in 1985, both of which I didn't keep that long. So it was very strange riding this bike in sections. It took me 15 minutes to realise that I was using the clutch all the time when I shouldn't have been. Leave it alone for a bit and all of a sudden I could let the bike just pull me anywhere. It picks up very cleanly even when you roll the thottle off up a climb and then just tickle it over some roots and into a turn, no cough or jerky pickup. I was surprised again at how little engine breaking this bike has... I say again because I rode the first version last year and thought the same, especially after having a brief ride on a 4rt which did have that "throw the weight forward" feel when you throttled off.....

.. For the first time in years I left the clutch out and used engine breaking to help on a very rooty and damp descent, it is far more controlled. I tried a nasty downhill turn on the steep bank that required me to hop the rear wheel down and then turn back up the climb, even when facing steeply downhill stationary getting ready for the hop the bike was ticking over lovely and as soon as I landed the rear it picked up cleanly and plodded me over the roots. I was caught out a couple of times on a long climb by feeling that I had run out of revs and turning off and bottling out. First time was wrong gear choice, thought I was in 2nd instead of 1st, the last was riding it wrong. I did the buzz it up 2 stroke style... when I managed to talk my brain into letting the bike find it's own way at much lower revs it made it to the top no worries. I have seen Steve ride very long and steep climbs on what appears to be tickover on last years Rev 4t, even turning or repositioning the bike on the way up and then being able to continue on his way..... we all know he is the master of throttle control but the bike still has to run correctly to do it.

Twice during the day I had trouble restarting the bike... but once again it was down to my crap method. I used the throttle as I kicked, I discovered after much kicking that it seemed to like being kicked with no or very little throttle. There is a hot start lever provided for when it may be needed.... now situated on the inlet manifold as can be seen in this photo on the right. I am not an experienced enough 4 stroke rider to know when this is used so didn't play!! Of course, the kickstart was on the wrong side for me...!!! Right hand side. OK for most riders that don't have rev3's I suppose.

It goes without saying that the brakes worked perfectly and also the clutch is not snatchy like some other 4 strokes... very smooth on the uptake if you need to use it. We rode some nice rocky stream sections during the day and it was just nice to leave it all alone and let the bike ride over everything on tickover ... but if you need to touch it to save a line then it was very progressive. Then again, if you want to dump it to launch it will also do that very well... just like the Rev3 in fact....

The chassis feel and supension ride is basically the same as the rev3 I rode last week.... very plush. Soaking up the rocky river bed rides and also any drops or clumsily ridden branches or step-ups I attempted.

Big question is would I buy one.... the answer is no!!! But only because I am in love with the 2008 Rev3. The chances are I would lose less points on the Rev 4t in club sections because of the easy ride and grip it can find, it's just that I am too much of a 2 stroke rider and like the punch they have. Some can adapt very quickly, just don't think I am one of them.
The other thing is the extra thousand pounds in cost. But that aside this is a lovely bike and very easy to ride. At no time did i feel like it was going to take over, but given the correct technique, it will do anything that I would be expected to ride in a club or open to centre event. Certainly a perfect bike for the southern type sections.

I believe the latest batch of Beta's to arrive in the country have included some Rev 4t's so give your local dealer a call or John Lampkin via the link below...