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Alta Redshift MX Second Impressions
- Thread starter Butch
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Just so this isn't all just talk, when do you want to ride it? Hollister, Carnegie or Metcalf, my schedule is pretty flexible.
Welllll....I'd pick Carnegie, but I probably shouldn't ride it. The last thing I need right now is to lust after a $15k bike. Should do another barf-b-que out there (or Metcalf/Hollister), last one was much funsies. 
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Lunch Box
Useful idiot
Welllll....I'd pick Carnegie, but I probably shouldn't ride it. The last thing I need right now is to lust after a $15k bike. Should do another barf-b-que out there (or Metcalf/Hollister), last one was much funsies.
Yeah, but next time we will ride more.
byke, you really do need to check this thing out. Maybe in a few years I'll be able to justify buying one. Hopefully, they'll have a street legal dirt version by then, too.
Hammerstime
New member
Butch,
I talked to Yarnell the other day and he was very impressed with it.
I talked to Yarnell the other day and he was very impressed with it.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Pretty much the first impression everyone has. The thing is after you ride it a few hours you like it even more.
My KTM is pretty barbaric after riding the Alta.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Alta Mud Ride
My brother and I went to Hollister today. It was quite wet, so Adobe and Renz were closed. Rick was on my '00 KTM250MXC, me on the Alta.
We headed Lake Road up to High Road and the sandy stuff. Most of this was pretty darn good except some corners without good drainage. I thought we would do Suzie's and then Peat's.
Suzie's was challenging, but I was able to steer around the deep mud. It was like mashed potatoes, a foot deep. My brother soon was not within earshot, so I turned around and eased my way back to find him struggling to get up a pitch in the trail.
Then some other folks came up the trail. The first guy made it up to my spot and stopped. His other buddies struggled with the same section Rick was in, one of them dropping his bike into the muck.
Not having a kick stand, I could only sit on my bike and watch the carnage. Everyone was helping one another (myself excepted) and Rick soon joined me, albeit breathing heavily.
We went back to the truck for a break, then I headed out again, doing much of the same stuff at a quicker pace. Pretty big fun.
Comparing the electric Alta to other bikes is a bit like comparing two and four stroke dirt bikes. It is quite a different power delivery than either. Again, I think the electric drive makes for a much more enjoyable riding experience.
The range issue... I ride 34 miles in two hours, in much muck, which is a pretty big power suck. I ran the battery charge indicator to almost nothing, but figured, hey, it is downhill to the truck...
Today, I wished for more range. I have put 294 miles on the bike. Today is the first time the range has curtailed my riding.
My brother and I went to Hollister today. It was quite wet, so Adobe and Renz were closed. Rick was on my '00 KTM250MXC, me on the Alta.
We headed Lake Road up to High Road and the sandy stuff. Most of this was pretty darn good except some corners without good drainage. I thought we would do Suzie's and then Peat's.
Suzie's was challenging, but I was able to steer around the deep mud. It was like mashed potatoes, a foot deep. My brother soon was not within earshot, so I turned around and eased my way back to find him struggling to get up a pitch in the trail.
Then some other folks came up the trail. The first guy made it up to my spot and stopped. His other buddies struggled with the same section Rick was in, one of them dropping his bike into the muck.
Not having a kick stand, I could only sit on my bike and watch the carnage. Everyone was helping one another (myself excepted) and Rick soon joined me, albeit breathing heavily.
We went back to the truck for a break, then I headed out again, doing much of the same stuff at a quicker pace. Pretty big fun.
Comparing the electric Alta to other bikes is a bit like comparing two and four stroke dirt bikes. It is quite a different power delivery than either. Again, I think the electric drive makes for a much more enjoyable riding experience.
The range issue... I ride 34 miles in two hours, in much muck, which is a pretty big power suck. I ran the battery charge indicator to almost nothing, but figured, hey, it is downhill to the truck...
Today, I wished for more range. I have put 294 miles on the bike. Today is the first time the range has curtailed my riding.
Attachments
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Pretty much if I get to ride with you guys and you are not scary, I'll let you ride the Alta. It is silly easy to ride, so on anything less than Troll, it is pretty much a pice of cake to negotiate the terrain. I'll pick a place where you can't hurt anything...
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Hollister today, 12.28.16 I rode with Marc, one of the Alta founders. Big fun. Renz and Adobe were closed, but Troll trail is always open, and that is where the Redshift really shines.
Lodge Climb, Peet's, Suzies, Sage, Fremont, Troll (we kinda got lost in there), Toyon, Petes again, Jay, Donnybrook or something.
34.1 miles, a little more than two hours riding, used almost all the battery.
Big fun. What a great motorcycle.
Oh, we looked at 100 dollar hill. Nasty.
Lodge Climb, Peet's, Suzies, Sage, Fremont, Troll (we kinda got lost in there), Toyon, Petes again, Jay, Donnybrook or something.
34.1 miles, a little more than two hours riding, used almost all the battery.
Big fun. What a great motorcycle.
Oh, we looked at 100 dollar hill. Nasty.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Carnegie Tuesday 1/17, 35 miles, 2.5 hours, most the battery (blinky mode).
I'm gonna get a rear handbrake for this thing; that would be a huge control upgrade for me, with my wooden foot and all.
I'm gonna get a rear handbrake for this thing; that would be a huge control upgrade for me, with my wooden foot and all.
ohio
Active member
I've got the prototype left hand rear brake on my personal Redshift, and especially because I'm a crossover DH MTBer, it was a total game changer for me. I instantly went from being a hang-on-and-try-to-point-it-in-the-right-direction descender to being an aggressive, weight-forward descender.
It is oddly taking me a little work to get used to the "moto-style" left hand rear. I didn't have a problem with brain mapping on the foot brake, but having two hand brakes tells my muscle memory "bicycle".
HadesOmega
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2008
- Location
- San Jose
- Moto(s)
- Empulse TT (RIP),
ZR7 (Sold), DR650, KLR650, 750 Turbo, Light Bee MX, KLX140L
Super Cub
Redshift SM
- Name
- Merlin
That's a good thing because he likes to take his bikes for a swim haha.
Wow cool so it's an electric MX dirtbike? I've never ridden an electric dirtbike before must be fun, I had a lotta fun on my electric bike and I test rode a Zero DS but no dirt for it.
I'd love to do a ride review on it
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LTJ
Member
Hi Butch,
the Alta really has my interest at the moment, especially riding with my son. Seems like I spend a day prepping bikes, next day riding, and another day washing and cleaning gear and bikes, plus maintenance. This bike sounds like a dream, like maintaining a mountain bike, but even easier.
Have you bought a generator to charge the bike during a lunch break? I'm thinking that might work for me to get the range I want. It would have to be a 240V which is a bit bulkier than one of those sweet Honda generators that are just a bit bigger than a gas can.
Have you tried the bike and Penny Pines, Forest Hill, Stonyford, Pie Pie, CC, or any other place than Hollister or by your house?
the Alta really has my interest at the moment, especially riding with my son. Seems like I spend a day prepping bikes, next day riding, and another day washing and cleaning gear and bikes, plus maintenance. This bike sounds like a dream, like maintaining a mountain bike, but even easier.
Have you bought a generator to charge the bike during a lunch break? I'm thinking that might work for me to get the range I want. It would have to be a 240V which is a bit bulkier than one of those sweet Honda generators that are just a bit bigger than a gas can.
Have you tried the bike and Penny Pines, Forest Hill, Stonyford, Pie Pie, CC, or any other place than Hollister or by your house?
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530 Black Dream, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Hollister, Metcalf and the wilds of east San Jose are my only opportunities so far. I'm gonna bring it to StonyBARF 8, so we'll see how that works out. I have a generator lined up; I better get that secured. I rode it yesterday for an hour and a half, 15 miles, indicated half battery used. Test rides for you guys on the Davis Flat Tuning Loop would be good.
And yes, it is less maintenance than a mountion bike. I've got almost 500 miles on it since Halloween. Edit: I've lubed and tighened the chain. And adjusted the air pressure in the tyres. I've kinda washed it twice. That is all.
And yes, it is less maintenance than a mountion bike. I've got almost 500 miles on it since Halloween. Edit: I've lubed and tighened the chain. And adjusted the air pressure in the tyres. I've kinda washed it twice. That is all.
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ohio
Active member
For our factory setup, we charge two bikes at a time at 3000W (2 hour full recharge) each from a Yamaha 7000W generator (which is a monster, but actually way smaller than the Honda equiv), which I can highly recommend along with the Hondas. We're testing out cheaper options from Lifan and Harbor Freight, and while our chargers have had no problem handling the "dirtier" waveform from those, we don't have enough time on them yet to recommend them.
Also of note is that, because there are so many 240V plug standards (the Yamaha uses an L6-30 I think, and the Lifan uses a 14-30 I think), we ship the charger with a 110V 3 prong NEMA 5-15 (standard 110V US outlet). However, it is fully compatible with 240V in the US and just requires a plug swap (by a licensed electrician, of course) once you know exactly which standard you're using.