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Founded in 1905, Beta Motorcycles builds its bikes at its Rignano sull’Arno factory near Florence, Italy. The company was originally named Società Giuseppe Bianchi and started off building bicycles by hand. A shift in the Italian transport market in the late 1940s inspired a change, prompting Beta’s transition to building motorcycles by fitting engines to its bicycles. The brand is still family owned and operated and runs a medium-sized manufacturing plant where workers run organized, quality-controlled lines that check parts, test engines, and verify final assembly. 

Each Beta motorcycle is also handmade in certain areas with the use of modern equipment. At the factory, a new bike rolls off the line about every 7 to 11 minutes. The brand focuses on off-road models, including trials, enduro, motocross, and dual-sport bikes, which have been its primary objective for over 50 years. The Bianchi family continues to run the day-to-day operations, maintaining the vision and direction of the brand.

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Unlike the big brands that lean on robot assembly lines, Beta has stayed true to its artisanal roots, using innovative engineering to build motorcycles with a personal touch. Roughly 20,000 units leave the factory each year, each built by technicians who run the bikes through rigorous quality control measures to ensure standards are met. The brand’s technologies feel more dialed in for riders thanks to a lightweight molybdenum-steel main frame paired with an aluminum rear subframe on RX Enduro models like the 350 2T — with an optional kit available for other bikes — a setup that sharpens handling and helps take the sting out of rider fatigue.

Beta also designs its engines at its own facilities, which gives it full control over performance, a move that shows in the RR series. On the world stage, especially in trials, that approach seems to have made all the difference, with Beta machines taking multiple world championships. Fusing old-school craftsmanship with purpose-built technology has enabled the company to establish an enthusiastic fan base.

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Beta is a classic dirt bike brand that helped pave the way for modern off-road motorcycles. It strategically targets this specialized market, which is reflected in its price, averaging between $8,000 and $11,500 (before destination fee). Despite having Italian roots, the brand has a strong presence worldwide, with its motorcycles sold through a large network of motorcycle dealerships in main distribution hubs across North America, Europe, and Australia. The company’s lineup is built around its core niche on off-road riding, with its best-sellers and most recognized models being the previously mentioned RR series of enduro bikes and its championship-winning trials bikes. 

These models are known for their powerful, in-house-designed engines and advanced features, including an electric start and the benefits of a fuel injection system. Specific models like the RR Enduro 2T series, RR X-Pro, Race Edition, and Xtrainer 300, also have the Beta Progressive Valve (BPV) System, a feature that allows riders to adjust the engine’s power delivery for optimal performance in demanding off-road riding. Beta motorcycles are priced competitively within the off-road segment, which adds to the brand’s appeal and allows it to maintain a strong market presence without needing to compete on a mass-production scale.