The Ark was Betamotor’s sport scooter, produced from 1996 to 2014. Its lines borrowed from the cross bikes the Florentine firm was known for, and its equipment was unusually generous for a 50 cc moped.
Beta Ark at a glance
| Maker | Betamotor, Rignano sull’Arno, Florence |
|---|---|
| Production | 1996-2014 |
| Type | sport scooter, 50 cc moped |
| Engine | Minarelli horizontal two-stroke |
| Emissions | Euro 2 |
| Forks | Marzocchi |
| Brakes | disc front and rear; drum rear on the cheaper version |
| Cooling | liquid; air-cooled version with drum rear brake |
| Suspension | adjustable Paioli gas shock |
| Exhaust | Giannelli Sprint, homologated for 49 cc |
| Colours | orange and black classic scheme, nine available |
The Ark has its own article on Italian Wikipedia.
History of the Beta Ark
Cross styling for the road
The Ark arrived in 1996 as a sporting scooter whose bodywork recalled the motocross machines of the Rignano sull’Arno factory. It was the scooter Beta used as its example when the company described moving beyond off-road bikes into scooters in the 1990s.
Equipment
Beta did not economise on the Ark’s specification. It used a horizontal Minarelli two-stroke approved to Euro 2, Marzocchi forks, disc brakes at both ends, liquid cooling, an adjustable Paioli gas shock absorber and a Giannelli Sprint exhaust homologated for the 49 cc engine. The cheaper version made do with a rear drum brake and air cooling.
Versions and colours
The classic colour scheme was orange and black, but nine colours were offered over the years. Beta’s model list records a long series of Ark versions, among them the AC and LC Razor, Factory, One, Paddock and Tribe, all 50 cc two-strokes, together with a KTM-branded Ark.
On the road and off it
The Ark was designed as a road moped, but it could be ordered with lightly knobbly tyres suited to off-road use. Two features that counted against it as a road scooter, the height of the seat and the rear-set handlebar, turned out to be assets in scootercross, where the Ark became one of the most competitive machines in the class. Production ran until 2014.
Design and features
- Motocross-inspired design: bodywork that recalled Beta’s cross bikes.
- Generous cycle parts: Marzocchi forks, disc brakes and an adjustable Paioli shock on a 50 cc moped.
- Liquid cooling: with an air-cooled alternative at the bottom of the range.
- Scootercross ability: high seat and rear-set bars made it a favourite in the discipline.
- Many versions: Razor, Factory, One, Paddock and Tribe, in nine colours.
Beta Ark versions
- Ark AC: air-cooled, with a rear drum brake.
- Ark LC: liquid-cooled, with disc brakes front and rear.
- Razor, Factory, One, Paddock, Tribe: the named versions in Beta’s model list.
- KTM Ark: a KTM-branded version of the same scooter.
The Ark was Beta’s road scooter beside the off-road range, from the Beta RR to the Beta Alp; the urban four-stroke is the Beta M4. More machines are in the Beta collection.
Video: Beta ark Stage
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Beta Ark, Italian Wikipedia: engine, equipment, colours, scootercross
- Beta Motor, Italian Wikipedia: Ark version list, place in the range
