.... Updated at the bottom with thoughts after an hours ride at the BVM test day now that Mods have been carried out.

The first batch of 2009 Beta Evo's landed in the UK this week and Steve Saunders gave me a call to ask if i fancied a days play on it... errm, took about a nano second to answer that one! My 2008 Rev3 has not been used a massive amount as I have had an injury and lately have been playing on BikeTrials again. This means that I can't warrent a new bike for a while so this will be my chance to have a day on an 09 bike.
Right then, first I have to say that I and many others weren't convinced by the look of the new bike from the launch photos. It appeared to have bits sticking out and look half finished and look almost too modern... I have to report how much better it looks in real life. All those gaps, black plastic guards and shiney bits all seem to come together in 3 dimension. The graphics on the back mudguard are nice and shiney and appear very tough. They help to break up what is the largest and widest bit of the bike. Bizarly when I stood on the footrests for the first time and looked down at the seat/mudguard underneath I thought I had stepped onto a Monetsa 315..!! The frame and front end is so thin that the back appears wide, and the red and black graphics just reminded me of the 315. The other thing I noticed was how far down I could see. No frame in the way, I could see straight down to the sump plate! If the black plastic shrouds weren't there I could have seen the edge of the Barrel, that is how thin the frame is. The frame is higher at the front than my Rev3 and it gives the engine department a very deep feel... looking down onto the top of the sump plate seemed a long way and gave the impression that the sump is very low. Looking at the spec list it has the same ground clearence as the Rev3 but the footrests sit 15mm lower.

After watching Steve ride a few muddy turns and climbs I could see that the best way to ride the bike in these conditions was to allow the engine to pull gently and the bike just gripped away. I tried the same on my bike and couldn't pull it off, having to go back to a bit more clutch work and using a higher gear to achieve the same result. Even with the flywheel weight off this bike doesn't light up the back tyre as quickly as my bike, the feel of riding it in the muddy stuff was simular to riding Steve's last 300 Rev 4t.. ride it on the throttle with the knowledge that there is loads more power there if you need it. It could have been because the engine is only 3 days old but there is a certain amount of flywheel effect or engine breaking. It could also be because they have an extra weight inside somewhere... I have no idea at this stage.
I blasted the bike up the steep, long hill climb in the woods and on the first attempt came to a halt just short of the top as I rolled the throttle off to go over a big root and the bike basically stopped forward motion!! Second time I flew up no worries. I believe when the engine free's off a bit this engine breaking feeling will become less.
The rear suspension certainly made it easier to hop the back off the ground... moving or stationary. Something I completely forgot to do was have a look to see what sort of bearings are in the linkage. Those of us that have had GasGas' in the past know what can happen when you use a pressure washer around this area and don't service them enough. The bike was set up much harder than I am used too, but once again I believe that will change anyway as things settle in.
All through the day I couldn't get rid of the feeling of the heavy front end so I parked it up next to mine and tried lifting the bike at various points... when I did that the Evo was easier to pick up at either end so I gather it was purely setup and maybe some different dimensions somewhere along the line. (just realised i have answered my own questions about this... the footrests are lower than the rev3 and that may well explain the shift in front/rear feel).
As with all modern bikes the controls all worked perfectly and it was nice to see that the rear master cylinder can be got at easier. To look at the left hand engine casing looks very simular to the rev3 but the right hand side is much neater, and I didn't get anywhere near it with my size 10's whilst using the back brake. Another neat touch is the angled chain tensioner pad. Much like the aftermarket ones that have been around lately it is cut away to prevent rocks from smacking into the front outer edge and ripping it off.
There is a nice rocky stream bed at this location and the bike tracked very well over all the hidden holes and rocks in the water, I never had the feeling of being pinged offline and when I got to the bank or step out of the stream it just shot up and out no worries. You can flex your legs and get the back to kick out and up if you want but otherwise it keeps itself on the ground when you want it to. I found the gears to be a bit "longer" than my bike and was able to use 1st and 2nd for almost everything all day where I used 3rd on mine alot.

So, in my untrained hands, the Evo has proved to as different to ride as it is different to look at. I believe the new styling is an acquired taste that does look better in the flesh than on paper or lcd screen, and the new feel to the engine and chassis will make it a very good bike for all levels not just those at the top or bottom of the scale. This machine is a 290 and it never felt like it was going to take over, unlike some of the earlier 270's could. It did make my 2008 270 feel a bit raw as it was smoother all the way through the power curve. I actually still prefer the way my bike delivers the power, but then I don't care too much for mud riding and I am used to mine! The new rear suspension hasn't lost any of the Beta tracking ability but comes with the advantage of being easier to hop around and of course the whole bike is lighter in weight and grip hasn't suffered, as it pulled up and around some very nasty rooty and rocky climbs with ease.
I reckon the Evo would look stunning in white mudguards with black graphics, and possibly make it look even smaller... next year perhaps!!
Be interesting to ride it again in a couple of months time to see how it has "worn in"