Beta has added a new bike to the line-up for 2025. The 450RC falls into the “closed-course cross-country” category, which includes bikes like the KTM 450XC-F, the Honda CRF450RX, the Yamaha YZ450FX and the Kawasaki KX450X. Each manufacturer changes the formula slightly, but all are closely related to motocross bikes from the same maker. The idea is to serve off-road racers who might otherwise be forced into a full-blooded motocross bike in events like WORCS and the National Grand Prix Championship.
The bike that spawned the 450RC is the Beta 450RX that was introduced last year. It’s the basis for the Supercross program with Benny Bloss and Mitchell Oldenburg. Of all the manufacturers offering these bikes, Beta’s approach is to make the fewest changes between MX and off-road. They probably didn’t want to compete with off-road bikes that are already in the Beta line up, like the 480RR and 430RR Race Editions. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the array of similar bikes offered by Beta.
There are only three significant differences between the motocross model and the new RC. The fuel capacity is greater; the new bike uses the 2.4 gallon tank from the RR line instead of the 1.8 gallon MX tank. It also has an 18-inch rear wheel with a 140/80-17 MaxxEnduro tire. Hand guards come as standard equipment and that’s about all. The engine mapping and suspension valving are straight out of the motocross bike. So is the five-speed gearbox. There’s no kickstand and the price is exactly the same as that of the MX bike: $10,999. Zane Roberts is the current National Hare & Hound champion and he rides a Beta. As of right now, he’s riding a modified 480RR, but that’s mostly because race teams are reluctant to change when something works. His bike is already something of an RR/RC hybrid.
We have two days of riding on the 450RC so far and, not surprisingly, it reminds us of the 450RX. That’s a bike that we really enjoyed when we tested it last year. I raced it myself a number of times at Glen Helen’s tight Arroyo track where it was a natural fit because of its quick steering and strong mid-range. This bike handles exactly like that one. You can check out what we thought of the 2024 Beta 450RX here. You would think the transition to an off-road environment would be easy for a company like Beta because it has a long history doing so well in those settings. For the most part, that’s correct. Handling-wise, we think the bike is perfect. We love the sharp steering and the relative stability. It’s a lighter bike than the 480RR by around 8 pounds, and that certainly doesn’t hurt.
The big question that anyone will have to answer is “how off-road does it have to be?” Several races in the NGPC series have extended motocross tracks, and some have real single track. By using the same suspension as the motocross version, the RC is perfect for the more MX oriented courses. The bike is soft compared to most full-fledged motocross bikes and that works decently at places like Blythe and Delono, where the speeds are fairly high and the whoops can be enormous. At Glen Helen, on the other hand, the bike is too stiff for the rocky trails that make up the back sections. This is a problem that off-road riders are very familiar with. It’s impossible for Beta to know which kind of track you prefer, so they simply backed away and let the end user set up the bike as needed.
A more difficult problem is the MX style mapping. On a motocross course, most riders don’t dip into low-speed range below 10mph very often, so you might not notice that the 450 has a tendency to flame out. In extended low-speed off-road sections, the 450RC can stall without warning, and that can be frustrating. The traction control or mild map don’t seem to help. If you ride at slow speeds it also can overheat quickly, although that issue can be handled with the optional radiator fan from the Beta accessory department.
We like the bike so much that we will attempt to find remedies for these issues. Obviously lower gearing is first on the list. We will have a full test in the June, 2025 print edition of Dirt Bike.
WHO’S RIDING WHAT?
The GNCC guys tabulated a breakdown of the bikes entered at the last round, which was a mudfest outside of the Talladega Speedway. It wasn’t surprising that KTM and Yamaha were represented the best. It’s interesting that if you combine KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas, Austrian bikes comprised almost two-thirds of the field.
GLEN HELEN SIX-HOUR
The 3Bros 6-hours of Glen Helen took place last weekend and it was a record-breaking turnout with over 200 team entries and 600 riders. Dalton Shirey and Sam Pretscherer took home first overall on a team put together by the Husqvarna test department. Team Dirt Bike was in force at the event. Mark Tilley rode (and won) the Industry class with Ty Renshaw. His son Austin Tilley rode with Matthew Yarnell and Dakota Ramos in the 65cc class. They won. Test riders Carson Tryon, Kodiak Lehman and Harlem Nelson took home the 125–250 INT/EXP-class win. Gary Jones, Pete Vetrano and I rode the 60+ expert class and won. Yay team!
BIRMINGHAM SUPERCROSS
After a week off, Monster Energy Supercross will visit Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL.
Here’s how you can follow along with all of Saturday’s racing action:
Within the US
Race Day Live
1:30 p.m. ET: Peacock
Race
7 p.m. ET: Peacock, SiriusXM, Telemundo Deportes
Outside the US
Race Day Live
5:30 p.m. GMT: SuperMotocross VideoPass
Race
11 p.m. GMT: SuperMotocross VideoPass
See you next week!