The Beta TR was the first family of trials motorcycles from Betamotor. It began with the twinshock TR240 in 1983, moved to monoshock suspension with the TR32 and TR33, and reached its best-known form in the TR34 before the TR35 ended the line in 1991.
Beta TR at a glance
| Maker | Betamotor, Rignano sull’Arno, Florence |
|---|---|
| Production | 1983-1991 |
| Type | observed trials |
| First model | TR240, 1983-1984 |
| TR240 engine | 125 and 200 cc, mostly reed valve |
| Suspension | twinshock, then monoshock from the TR32 |
| TR34 | 1986-1989, 125 to 260 cc |
| TR35 | 1989-1991, air-cooled |
| Use | trials competition |
The TR models are listed in the trials section of the English Wikipedia article on Beta; there is no separate article on the model.
History of the Beta TR
A company turning to the dirt
Beta had built bicycles from 1904 and motorcycles from 1948, and through the 1950s and 1960s it concentrated on two-stroke street bikes. Motocross came in the late 1960s with the 100 cc XC-100 of 1967, and in 1972 the factory moved from Florence to Rignano sull’Arno, where there was room for off-road test tracks. Entry into the trials market followed in 1980, with the two-stroke trials bikes that made the company’s name in the discipline.
The TR240 and the monoshock models
The TR240 of 1983 and 1984 was the first trials model, with twinshock suspension and 125 and 200 cc engines, most of them using reed valve induction. The TR32 of 1984 and 1985 was air-cooled and used a monoshock, and it was produced in parallel with the twinshock model on the same engine. The TR33 followed in 1985 and 1986.
The TR34
The TR34, built from 1986 to 1989, was the most successful of the family, with its striped paintwork and engines from 125 to 260 cc. It is the model most often associated with Beta’s early trials years and the one that survives in the greatest numbers today.
The TR35 and the end of the line
The air-cooled TR35 series of 1989 to 1991 closed the TR generation. Beta went on to the water-cooled Zero of 1989 to 1992, the Synt, the SuperTrial, the Gara and the Techno, and in the 1990s and 2000s collected thirteen trials world titles, outdoor and indoor, with riders including Jordi Tarrés and Dougie Lampkin.
Design and features
- Beta’s first trials bike: the TR240 opened a discipline that became the company’s speciality.
- Two suspension generations: twinshock on the TR240, monoshock from the TR32 onwards.
- Air-cooled engines: 125 and 200 cc at first, up to 260 cc in the TR34.
- The TR34: the successful model with striped paintwork, built from 1986 to 1989.
Beta TR versions
- TR240 (1983-1984): twinshock, 125 and 200 cc.
- TR32 (1984-1985): air-cooled monoshock, sold alongside the twinshock model.
- TR33 (1985-1986): the next monoshock model.
- TR34 (1986-1989): the successful model, 125 to 260 cc.
- TR35 (1989-1991): the final air-cooled series.
The TR was followed by the water-cooled models and eventually by the Beta Rev-3 and Beta Evo; the children’s line is covered with the Beta Minitrial. More machines are in the Beta collection.
Video: BETA TR EN PLAYAS DE NECOCHEA
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Beta (motorcycle manufacturer), English Wikipedia: TR models, dates, capacities
- Beta Motor, Italian Wikipedia: company history, world titles
