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Alta Redshift MX Second Impressions

Pelon said:
Are you gonna have this at StonyBARF? :)
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My Alta Redshift, which I more appropriately call Shiftless, will be at StonyBARF 8, with test rides available on the Tuning Loop to anyone who buys me a drink.
 
For StonyBARF8 I brought Shiftless so I could share. As it turned out, I did not share very much, because by comparison, other bikes are pretty harsh to ride. I did bring my 2001 KTM 250MXC so I had something to ride when I had run out of electrons.

Everyone who sees the Redshift wants to look more closely and has questions. It is really funny when you rail past a bunch of stopped dudes, you could see the silence grab their attention. Heads would turn following (Jackson was riding it at the time) and you could see them thinking WTF?

The most common question is "how long does it last?" For me, 140 pound, moderate pace guy, it seems to be about 3 hours and 35 miles on the tight twisty stuff I like. There are a lot of variables. Elevation changes, acceleration rates, speed, mud, weight, etcetera.

I rode about three hours each of Friday Saturday and Sunday. Then I would switch to my KTM and put the Alta on the charger. ICE is bloody uncivilized by comparison, especially wandering around the enchanted forest that is much of Stonyford… gas powered is so noisy, full of vibration and the power delivery just lurches…

I kept track of mileage, because I like to, and yeah, you have to pay attention to range at Stony.

Friday: 26.6 miles, 1/3 of the charge remaining
Saturday: 35.5, 1/8 remaining, blinky low charge warning
Sunday: 30.9, 1/4 charge remaining

I rode the whole weekend with nary a dab. Seriously, I ride standing up, and on Sunday when I had to put my foot down to catch myself, I realized that was the first time all weekend that I needed to do that. I also rode the KTM a bunch, and actually fell down when I stalled it in a tight corner dip thing.

I love this bike. I should buy a second so I can alternate when I run low on electrons…
 
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I owe a big THANK YOU to Butch. Not just for letting me ride the Alta for a few min at Stony, but for lending me his KTM as well (my KX shat the bed early on Friday, should be an easy fix, just not a trail repair, and not the point of this post...).

We were out on 36/35/33/43 area at the top of potato hill. Extraordinarily frustrating to follow him on a two stroke. He'd come to a dam near stop, assess the obstacle, and ride on. Meanwhile, I'm behind him slipping the clutch to keep the revs where I needed them :laughing.

So Butch says, "wanna try it?" I hesitate... I too don't need a $15k bike to lust after... After the first 30 seconds, I no longer look to the clutch and shift lever. It felt so natural, so simple, so pleasant to ride without the need for all those other variables we've come to expect on a gas-powered bike. For those that don't know this area of stony very well, the trails I mentioned were single track (some double track) with more of an emphasis on flow versus ultra-tight. It was a pleasure to ride and to his point, made the two stroke feel crude and abrupt in comparison.

I rode in mode 4 - which I believe to be the most powerful? I weigh 3/2 what Butch weighs, so I needed all the help I could get. The bike was largely under-sprung for someone my weight, but to no fault of the bike's. This thing is worth every bit of the sticker price. Thanks again, Butch :twofinger
 
100 Days, 1000 miles, something like that...

I just reached 1000 miles last weekend. I've had to adjust the chain, twice. I installed handguards (actually, my brother did it for me), and adjusted the tire pressure a lot. Ten minutes of maintenence.

I actually started riding Shiftless in November, so that's like 160 days. I've only ridden the KTM a couple of times, because I like Shiftless so much better.
 
Funny connection, Oliver that works for Alta motors is a trials' rider and was up at last weekend's event. Got to talk to him a little about the bikes, he knew you Butch...Good to hear you're still enjoying the bike.
 
I went to visit Alta and got to test ride a sumo version. I have a KTM500 sumo so had a reference to compare with. What an amazing bike! The torque it has is crazy, the throttle response is very smooth, hell, I was even impressed with regen braking, good enough to get some braking energy back, yet nothing that will make you feel you'll lose the rear. I would really like to try one on dirt now. I used to have a KTM200 with a rekluse clutch, I bet the Alta bike can outperform that... :thumbup :ride
 
Mario, let me know when you want to meet me at Metcalf and you can ride mine. It is really fun on Snake, Fingers and Gresome Gary.

Hollister is kinda sucky right now. Lots of happy poison oak.
 
Eric the Frenchman and I rode Hollister yesterday. Fenceline is closed, but we rode most the Renz, Peet's, Jay, Suzies, Sage...

32.6 miles, a bit more than two hours. I had about 1/3 of the charge remaining, Eric was in blinky mode, where the battery level indicator flashes, before the bike goes into limp mode. Eric rides quite a bit faster than I do.

Also... 1000 miles, pretty moderate tyre wear. I'll probablly get a couple hundred more out of the rear, though the ground might be pretty hard for the next few months.
 
TM Racing vs Alta Comparison

Just got back from a couple hours at Metcalf. Did the usual; Horseshoe, Gruesome Gary, Chaparral, Big Manzanita, Snake, Valley View, Fingers etc. This the singletrack gig that I have been riding frequently on Shiftless, the electric Alta.

Today I rode my 2001, TM Racing 250 two stroke that i have not been on in more than a year due to the underwater adventure at Stony. It has a new crankshaft and hence new engine. What a great motorcycle. Gobs of horsepower and torque, and very light weight. The TM is a freaking awesome motorcycle.

Despite the TM weighing 30 pounds less than the Alta, it didn't feel any lighter in the tight stuff. This really surprised me. With gobs of horsepower and torque at zero RPM, Shiftless is sooooo easy to ride. The Alta is a freaking awesome motorcycle.
 
Yesterday I rode Hollister in the dust. 42.7 miles, battery indicator went into "blinky" mode that says find your way back to the truck. Probably 2 1/2 hours. i had just about enough.

Edit: just about all of this in the Renz. Fenceline is still closed, as is Tiger. I guess I did everything else two or three times.
 
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Alta gets nekkid in "Playboy"

How Alta Motors Is Building The Tesla Of Motorcycles

".....The immediate relationship with the bike is one of excitement because it looks and feels like a dirtbike. There’s always a little concern because there’s no clutch, no shifting and no noise. But I’ve never put anybody on the bike and had them come in and be disappointed. The noise of a motorcycle is wonderful but at the same time it’s a huge distraction. Suddenly [on the Redshift], you’re pulling up to a stop light and hearing people’s conversations as they cross the street or the radio in the car next to you. The same goes in the dirt or the trails. It’s very much like a mountain bike experience. Suddenly you’re talking to your friends as you’re riding in the woods or sneaking up on wildlife. That’s a really incredible experience....."


http://www.playboy.com/articles/alt...n=email_6_19_17&bxid=59132bf356cf607b1d8b4dd6
 
budman said:
Very cool story..! :thumbup
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oh, I'm full of em.....er, it.....something.....hey, you know!


I'm volunteering Sat 8am-noon in Souvenir Store @ Laguna Seca SBK -
come on by, I'll share my zero% discount with ya
 
Less than 1/3 of the power of my Zero FX. Lighter, but still....
 
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