INTERVIEW: BETA AUSTRALIA'S TOM MENDEY

Transmoto’s John Prutti caught up with Tom Mendey – head of marketing at Beta Australia – at the recent 2026 Beta RX launch to talk big-bore two-strokes, the thinking behind the all-new 350cc model, and why Beta is going all-in on motocross development. If you haven’t already done so, you can check out Prutti’s first impressions as he hit the track on the all-new RX250 and RX350 2T, and Beta’s flagship four-stroke RX450.

Prutti: We’re out here at the 2026 RX launch. My first question comes from a marketing perspective: the 350 two-stroke – is it a marketing ploy, or something Beta’s been wanting to develop for a while? We saw it with Casey Stoner last year and it felt like it shook things up, especially with the big-bore two-stroke class being pretty quiet. Talk me through it.

Mendey: Beta is a company that likes to surprise people. There are a couple of models in our line-up that some of the other competitors don’t do. As a brand, Beta is very good at finding a niche and rolling with it. It’s one of their strong points. They’ll put something into development, play around with it, then bring it to production and catch a few people off guard. For example, there isn’t many people doing carburetted two-strokes any more. It’s a big point of difference for us. When you look at anyone doing anything bigger than a 300 two-stroke, there’s really no one else doing it in mass production. So to come out with a mass-produced, carburetted 350 two-stroke motocross bike is super-exciting for us. It was in the pipeline before the whole Casey Stoner thing. Having him ride it at EICMA definitely amplified the attention, but the project was already underway.

Prutti: It also feels like this strengthens Beta’s commitment to motocross overall. With updates to the 450 and new models coming through, it doesn’t feel like you’re just dipping a toe into the RX scene; it feels like you’re going all in.

Mendey: Historically, Beta has been very strong in motocross, especially in Europe in the early days. More recently, we’ve been known globally for enduro and trials, but motocross is making a real comeback for Beta. There are a lot of mechanics and engineers at Beta who ride motocross themselves. They’ve been involved in MXGP with the 450 for a long time, and our supercross team is going from strength to strength in the US. Motocross is definitely a growing segment for Beta, and one they’re heavily investing in. You look at the new range – revised 450, a new 250 motor, the new 350 – so they are pushing boundaries. This isn’t a segment they’re dabbling in; it’s one they’re committed to.

Prutti: I bought a 2025-model RX450 after testing one last year and loved it. The main feedback seemed to be that riders wanted a bit more performance. It looks like Beta just went, ‘Alright, let’s fix that’ and turned it around within 12 months, which is pretty impressive.

Mendey: That’s very much Beta’s philosophy. Rideability has always been at the core, making bikes that work for top-level riders but are still manageable for everyday riders. But with the 450, if you want to compete at the highest levels of motocross and be competitive, it needs to be up there in terms of power. For 2026, they really revisited that. There’s a new head, intake, exhaust, updated maps, and a new counter-balancer. It puts out significantly more power, with less vibration and directly addresses feedback from higher-level riders who wanted more torque down low versus previous years. Beta is still a family-owned business. They’re smaller than some of the big players, but big enough to compete – and the upside of that is they genuinely listen to customers and dealers worldwide.

Prutti: It’s a fine line between rideability and performance, but with the 450 it feels like you’ve said, ‘A 450 needs to be a fire-breather!’.

Mendey: Exactly. We’ve seen the dyno results before and after, it’s a completely different bike now from a power perspective. From the feedback we’ve had today, I think they’ve nailed the brief. It still feels like a Beta, it still handles really well and is approachable for riders of all levels, but now it can compete with the fastest 450s on the market. Hats off to Beta for making those changes.

Prutti: Beautiful. Thanks for your time, Tom.