Honda Reflex And Beta Trekking

Honda Reflex and Beta Trekking:

Exactly the same but entirely different.

IT’S RATHER ODD, REALLY. THE HONDA REFLEX AND the Moto Beta Trekking are two very similar motorcycles. Both fit into a very small category you might call trials/trailbikes—in fact, in this country, these two bikes are the trials/trailbike category. And yet, anyone who would buy one of these bikes probably wouldn’t even consider the other. They’re meant for two completely different riders.

Honda’s Reflex is a street-legal dual-purpose machine that, in appearance, at least, is a trials bike more than anything else. But the idea wasn’t to persuade trials riders to go trail riding; there just aren’t enough people so inclined to make such a concept worthwhile. Instead, Honda sees the Reflex as an entrylevel bike meant to introduce newcomers to all as-

pects of motorcycling, from neighborhood commuting and errand-running to backwoods exploration. The trials-bike configuration was chosen because its low seat and small overall size is quite unintimidating. Of course, those attributes also extract a severe toll in comfort. If the trip is very long, the Reflex makes for a fairly cramped ride.

While the strategy behind the Reflex is new to Honda, the bike itself isn’t, having been introduced as a domestic Japanese model in 1983. And the Reflex’s ancestory can be traced all the way back to the TL 125, a dedicated trials bike sold in the U.S. from 1973 to 1976. Mechanically, the Reflex has practically nothing in common with that original TL; but the same basic 194cc, two-valve, four-stroke motor in the Reflex has seen considerable service in other machines over the years, including the XR200R trailbike and the ATC200SX three-wheeler.

Conversely, the Trekking has a fairly short history. In late 1983, Moto Beta introduced a single-shock, 239cc, two-stroke model called the TR32, a pure trials machine that was good enough to send other trialsbike manufacturers scrambling to develop their own single-shockers. This year, Beta developed the more trail-oriented Trekking by starting with the TR32, then giving it taller overall gearing, replacing the TR32’s Corte Cosso shock with a Marzocchi unit, bolting on a larger seat, moving the footpegs slightly forward, and adding a spare fuel tank and all the accouterments needed to make the bike street-legal in Europe. The Trekking is not legal for on-road use in this country, however, primarly because of our stringent emissions requirements. But it is a very special trailbike nonetheless.

It’s not surprising, then, considering the divergent backgrounds of these two machines, that they are aimed at completely different riders. The Beta, for example, could be a championship-caliber trials machine with just a change in its gearing. And you pay a price for that potential; the Beta’s list price is $2499. The Honda, on the other hand, retails for just $ 1499 and is mainly a kicks-and-giggles machine. It’s ironic, then, that the Reflex looks so much like a serious trials bike; and it’s no wonder that Honda is concerned that the bike’s appearance may stand between the Reflex and its intended audience.

So don’t be confused by appearance. Place the Beta and the Reflex side by side and they seem very similar. But remember, you won’t see the biggest difference between these two bikes in their appearance, specifications or dimensions. The biggest difference is in their riders. —Ron Lawson