The Torture Test - 2009 Beta 540 RX Prototype

This is the first of the five bikes that I rode, and to be honest I didn't think it would be any kind of a bike at all. I did however feel quite comfortable sitting on it. I started out on a tight section of the trail and to my surprise it was doing everything I wanted it to do. Keep in mind that this was a very slow section of trail. As the trail opened up a bit I got a chance to move around more on the bike. Only to discover that as you move back on the seat you start to feel the frame under your butt. That's not really what you want to be feeling on a brand new bike. I thought. "What's this going to feel like after a few months of use?" As I made my way out onto the track for a little moto, I was haunted by the feel of the frame under the seat again. Other than the seat issue, the Beta is not a bad ride.
Dana Berg

Beta's 540 is a very interesting machine with a great (KTM RFS) motor that I'm already very familiar with and fond of and excellent trail handling. With this much torque on hand, who needs an auto-clutch? The seat felt like a loaf of Wonder Bread, and it wasn't flat enough from the rear to the front (felt like you were sitting "in" the bike). This may have actually helped for railing turns in the really tight stuff, but it made the transition from sitting to standing difficult. On the moto track the Beta had a very nervous front end. Despite being fitted with a 50mm Marzocchi fork in place of the stock 45mm, the fork felt undersized for a bike this powerful - it deflected significantly under side-loading (like jumps in turns) and I never felt all that comfortable at speed.
Nate Evans: 6'1"/215 lb./Vet A

The Beta 540 has a great motor that is strong from mid-top. The low-rpm response was a little sluggish feeling, and that made the bike feel heavy in tight conditions. The fork was way too soft with the shock riding too high in the back. On flat corners this bike would grab and bite with lots of traction. Still, I felt a little weird on the bike.
Kris Keefer 6'0"/175/Pro

I've been a fan of the KTM RFS engine since I find rode the factory prototypes in the Czech Republic. On my first ride I was thinking that either the version in the Beta is the best ever or I just forgot how much I liked the 525. Oops, 540, I guess that would explain the magic motor. There is vibration, and enough has been said about the seat, but this is a solid, strong and effective big-bore four-stroke.
Karel Kramer: 6'1"/225 lb./B rider

If you liked the KTM 525 but have become lost with KTM's newer motors, then the Beta might just be what you are looking for. It has more of the big bike chug and a torque feel that works it way through the bike, more like an XR600 than a hyper 450cc MXer. For sure it was better as the speeds increased. The chassis works well with the engine and it is like a really good older style KTM SX. And it has a shock linkage for all those out there that would like a KTM with a linkage! But the one thing I really liked about the Beta was how it looked and the fact that it is very unique. But in being different it is playing with a very proven and durable set of parts.
-Jimmy Lewis 5'10"/185 lb./Vet Pro.