Specialization in off-road (1970s & 1980s)
In the 1970s, Beta made the strategic decision to turn away from the mass market for road motorcycles and specialize in off-road sports.
From around 1972/73, Beta launched its own line of engines for sporting use so that it would no longer be dependent on suppliers.
- Focus on trials: In the 1980s, Beta became the dominant force in trials racing.
- Legends: Riders such as Jordi Tarrés won a string of world championship titles on Beta (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991). The Beta Zero model (with the first aluminum bridge frame in trials) set new technological standards.
- The most famous names in motocross who were successful on a Beta were American Jim Pomeroy, Belgian Gilbert De Roover, and Italian Ivano Bessone. Fifteen-time Italian motocross champion Corrado Maddii began his racing career in 1977 on a Beta 125RC.
- However, the focus on trials meant that in the early 1980s, development in enduro and motocross lagged noticeably behind the competition. The first 125cc MX model with water cooling, for example, did not appear until 1981 and was not a real new development, but merely a cylinder variant. The aluminum swingarm did not appear until 1982.
Engine collaborations
Beta used Morini engines primarily when it came to cost-effective large-scale production technology for the "utility" sector or special children's vehicles:
- Beta mopeds (1970s/1980s) and children's motocross bikes (Bambino) sometimes used Franco Morini engines.
- In the early 1990s, Beta began using the air-cooled engines of the Suzuki DR series for its new concepts. Between 2000 and 2015, Suzuki engines were at the heart of the popular Alp series (Alp 200 and Alp 4.0). With the introduction of the Euro 4 emissions standard, the last models with the old Suzuki designs were phased out. Instead, these engines are now produced with a Chinese partner.
- The KTM phase (2004–2009): When Beta re-entered the sporty enduro market (hard enduro), they used KTM's proven RFS engines. This gave the brand an enormous boost in terms of quality and image.
Independence and the modern era (from around 2010)
The most important step in the company's recent history was the move away from third-party engines. Since 2010, Beta has been building most of its own 4-stroke and 2-stroke engines in Rignano sull'Arno (near Florence).