My 2017 Alta Redshift MX...

GrapeApe wrote:

An Alta would open up so many more riding opportunities for me, can't wait to get one. I wish they had a mini for my kid...

An Alta would open up so many more riding opportunities for me, can't wait to get one. I wish they had a mini for my kid as well.

2T42 wrote:

Speak with your outlet

DoctorJD wrote:

Yes. This is it.

ben990 wrote:

Well, last week the Alta Motors Northeast Sales Manager emailed me, saying that Alta finally had two dealers signed up in the Northeast. He also said...

Well, last week the Alta Motors Northeast Sales Manager emailed me, saying that Alta finally had two dealers signed up in the Northeast. He also said my option was to wait until a dealer was set up in Western NY, or did I want one of the bikes that was being delivered to Town and Country Cycle Center in New Jersey?

I was a little hesitant, as I wasn't sure I wanted to be on the bleeding edge of technology, but I decided to pull the trigger. I checked, and Town and Country Cycle Center was 4.5 hours from me, not too bad. A couple phone calls later, and I was good to go for Thursday. I left the house Thursday morning at 5am, got to the dealer at 9:30am, and I was headed home by 10:15am with my brand new Alta!


Me (on the left) at the dealership with my new Alta.

On a side note, Town and Country Cycle Center is a great dealer. I have never seen a dealer with so many mx and offroad motorcycles in stock. I came close to leaving not only with an Alta but a 2017 KTM FE 450 SXF...

It was funny, when I was talking to the sales manager, he gave me a small box with a quick start guide and a few tools in it. I said that it wasn't quite the same as the KTM briefcase, and he reaches under his desk and brings out hard exterior lockable briefcase that has the Alta charger in it. Oops, nevermind!


The Alta briefcase - heavy duty!

I also like it that the dealer worker who explained the Alta to me was a serious racer, a pro MXer and AA offroad guy. I have bought MX bikes at dealers before where I know more about the bike than they do, and I point stuff out to them.

So, hats off to Town and Country Cycle Center fro being a great dealership, and I now consider them one of my sponsors, after throwing in 2 t-shirts and bike numbers. I will add them to my current sponsor list, which includes:

[insert sound of ocean waves here...]

I get home, and ride the Alta up and down the driveway. Holy Shih Tzu this thing is impressive! I put my race number on it, and then ride it over to my friend's practice track, which is next door. We are out in the country, but we have had some noise issues over the years. Several years ago We fought the town, and since then there is an agreement in place where we can ride Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-7pm), and Saturdays (1-3pm). Ridiculous but we have adhered to it.


Numbered up.


OK, back to the Alta. Damn, this thing rips! It is the coolest thing to come out of a corner and roll the throttle on. Traction is unbelievable and it literally pulls forever. Like all of the reviews, the only noises you hear are the tires scrubbing on the ground, the engine motor whining a little bit, and the suspension topping out here and there. It feels heavy getting it off the stand, but when you ride it the heaviness goes away. I was doing jumps I normally do on my 2016 YZ450F with no problem right away.

I let two of my friends try it, and they were both very impressed. One of them is an A-level mx/hare scramble guy, and he said he wouldn't hesitate to race it as is. He loved the handling and the power. I rode his 2017 KTM 350 SXF while he rode the Alta, and I thought the Alta was more responsive and felt lighter! His 350 felt like a tank and seemed tall.

So, the next day is Friday, and I decide to do a moto at 10:30am in the morning, because, well, I now can! I did it on my own track, which is a slower, tight, technical track, with a lot of hills. I did a 37 minute moto, and the Alta worked great! And no one knew I was out there, which was the best part. I also wanted to see what the battery life was, because I was planning on racing it on Sunday! I used a little more that half the battery for my 37 minute moto.

I did some errands, and then Friday evening, I decide to get in another moto, just because I now can! I did another 35 minutes or so, and I am still deeply in love with this bike!

OK, Saturday comes around, and normally I would take it off because of the race on Sunday, and just get the bikes ready, but I can't help it; I want to ride the Alta and do some lap-time comparisons. I ride my 2014 KTM 300 XC-W over to my friend's track, and bust out 3 laps, while I get timed. I then ride home, grab the Alta, and do the same thing. I am about 1 second faster per lap on the Alta! And a lot quieter!

OK, now it is time to get ready for the race on Sunday. It is the Palmyra XO race, which is a take-off on the JDay races. You have two 30 minute motos on a course that is half moto and half flowing woods. I decided to do one class on the Alta and one class on the KTM, so I could compare the two under race conditions.

I washed the KTM, changed the oil, cleaned the air filter, and then it was ready. With the Alta, I washed it, and then I just stared at it, wondering what do next. Oil? Nope. Filter? Nope. So I put a couple stickers on it and called it ready.

Sunday came, and so did the rain. It rained, and then rained, and then rained some more. It rained steadily from the time I got there, 8am, until the time I left, around 1pm. But, as they say, there is no such thing as bad weather; just bad attitudes. Well, my attitude was getting to be poor.


Rain day, I mean race day.


I signed up for +35B. I am 51 years old, and I was originally planning on racing +35B and the +50 class in the afternoon, but the weather put a damper on that. The turnout was very light because of the rain; 3 +35 A riders, 6 +35B riders, and maybe 10 +35C riders.

I did my first moto on the Alta. It is a dead engine start. The starter points his flag at everyone, then drops it to the ground, and then raises it, and everyone starts their bike and goes. The magic-button KTM guys usually get off the line pretty well, but of course I got the holeshot! I led for a little, and then hesitated going into a woods section and got passed. I then had a brain fade on my second lap, going the long (and wrong) way, avoiding an endurocross-like section, that was pretty easy. It literally added about 1-2 minutes to my lap time, which is hard to make up in a 25-30 minute race!

All in all, the Alta is very competitive as-is, and I am beyond happy with it. A lot of people checked it out at the race, and everyone was impressed. I have a whole bunch of bikes and this one impresses me the most, and puts the biggest smile on my face. It makes me want to ride almost every day, and now I can.

More to follow, as I plan on racing MX with it this Sunday, after putting several motos on it during the week!

mark911 wrote:

Wow, that's a nice case for the charger. All I got when I bought mine was a little two page "get started" guide. No swag, no...

Wow, that's a nice case for the charger. All I got when I bought mine was a little two page "get started" guide. No swag, no case, nothing. For that kind of money you'd think we get a tee shirt, hat, jersey or something!

Anyway, when you get more comfortable going fast you'll want to revalve the forks and shock, they're very soft stock (damping wise, not spring rate). Make sure you pull the rear subsection off (4 bolts) after any wet ride or washing as mine fills with water. Just tilt if forward and the water finds its way out. Just a quirk of the "composite" construction. I need to figure out where to drill some more vent holes but you'd think Alta would have fixed this already (note, there are a couple of holes but they don't seem to work very well). There's a few other quirky things but you'll figure it out soon.

Good luck, we Alta owners need to stick together as there aren't many of us out there right now!

nytsmaC wrote:

Curious, is it hard to judge speed for timing jumps when you don't have gears and engine sound to go by? And what is charging time...

Curious, is it hard to judge speed for timing jumps when you don't have gears and engine sound to go by?

And what is charging time? My usual practice track we run 20 minute sessions and then you're off for 40 mins while beginners and minis get their turn. You can put a couple of hours on the bike, sounds like the battery is good for a out 1hr for MX use. How would this work, short of bringing a 2nd bike?

ben990 wrote:

Well, last week the Alta Motors Northeast Sales Manager emailed me, saying that Alta finally had two dealers signed up in the Northeast. He also said...

Well, last week the Alta Motors Northeast Sales Manager emailed me, saying that Alta finally had two dealers signed up in the Northeast. He also said my option was to wait until a dealer was set up in Western NY, or did I want one of the bikes that was being delivered to Town and Country Cycle Center in New Jersey?

I was a little hesitant, as I wasn't sure I wanted to be on the bleeding edge of technology, but I decided to pull the trigger. I checked, and Town and Country Cycle Center was 4.5 hours from me, not too bad. A couple phone calls later, and I was good to go for Thursday. I left the house Thursday morning at 5am, got to the dealer at 9:30am, and I was headed home by 10:15am with my brand new Alta!


Me (on the left) at the dealership with my new Alta.

On a side note, Town and Country Cycle Center is a great dealer. I have never seen a dealer with so many mx and offroad motorcycles in stock. I came close to leaving not only with an Alta but a 2017 KTM FE 450 SXF...

It was funny, when I was talking to the sales manager, he gave me a small box with a quick start guide and a few tools in it. I said that it wasn't quite the same as the KTM briefcase, and he reaches under his desk and brings out hard exterior lockable briefcase that has the Alta charger in it. Oops, nevermind!


The Alta briefcase - heavy duty!

I also like it that the dealer worker who explained the Alta to me was a serious racer, a pro MXer and AA offroad guy. I have bought MX bikes at dealers before where I know more about the bike than they do, and I point stuff out to them.

So, hats off to Town and Country Cycle Center fro being a great dealership, and I now consider them one of my sponsors, after throwing in 2 t-shirts and bike numbers. I will add them to my current sponsor list, which includes:

[insert sound of ocean waves here...]

I get home, and ride the Alta up and down the driveway. Holy Shih Tzu this thing is impressive! I put my race number on it, and then ride it over to my friend's practice track, which is next door. We are out in the country, but we have had some noise issues over the years. Several years ago We fought the town, and since then there is an agreement in place where we can ride Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-7pm), and Saturdays (1-3pm). Ridiculous but we have adhered to it.


Numbered up.


OK, back to the Alta. Damn, this thing rips! It is the coolest thing to come out of a corner and roll the throttle on. Traction is unbelievable and it literally pulls forever. Like all of the reviews, the only noises you hear are the tires scrubbing on the ground, the engine motor whining a little bit, and the suspension topping out here and there. It feels heavy getting it off the stand, but when you ride it the heaviness goes away. I was doing jumps I normally do on my 2016 YZ450F with no problem right away.

I let two of my friends try it, and they were both very impressed. One of them is an A-level mx/hare scramble guy, and he said he wouldn't hesitate to race it as is. He loved the handling and the power. I rode his 2017 KTM 350 SXF while he rode the Alta, and I thought the Alta was more responsive and felt lighter! His 350 felt like a tank and seemed tall.

So, the next day is Friday, and I decide to do a moto at 10:30am in the morning, because, well, I now can! I did it on my own track, which is a slower, tight, technical track, with a lot of hills. I did a 37 minute moto, and the Alta worked great! And no one knew I was out there, which was the best part. I also wanted to see what the battery life was, because I was planning on racing it on Sunday! I used a little more that half the battery for my 37 minute moto.

I did some errands, and then Friday evening, I decide to get in another moto, just because I now can! I did another 35 minutes or so, and I am still deeply in love with this bike!

OK, Saturday comes around, and normally I would take it off because of the race on Sunday, and just get the bikes ready, but I can't help it; I want to ride the Alta and do some lap-time comparisons. I ride my 2014 KTM 300 XC-W over to my friend's track, and bust out 3 laps, while I get timed. I then ride home, grab the Alta, and do the same thing. I am about 1 second faster per lap on the Alta! And a lot quieter!

OK, now it is time to get ready for the race on Sunday. It is the Palmyra XO race, which is a take-off on the JDay races. You have two 30 minute motos on a course that is half moto and half flowing woods. I decided to do one class on the Alta and one class on the KTM, so I could compare the two under race conditions.

I washed the KTM, changed the oil, cleaned the air filter, and then it was ready. With the Alta, I washed it, and then I just stared at it, wondering what do next. Oil? Nope. Filter? Nope. So I put a couple stickers on it and called it ready.

Sunday came, and so did the rain. It rained, and then rained, and then rained some more. It rained steadily from the time I got there, 8am, until the time I left, around 1pm. But, as they say, there is no such thing as bad weather; just bad attitudes. Well, my attitude was getting to be poor.


Rain day, I mean race day.


I signed up for +35B. I am 51 years old, and I was originally planning on racing +35B and the +50 class in the afternoon, but the weather put a damper on that. The turnout was very light because of the rain; 3 +35 A riders, 6 +35B riders, and maybe 10 +35C riders.

I did my first moto on the Alta. It is a dead engine start. The starter points his flag at everyone, then drops it to the ground, and then raises it, and everyone starts their bike and goes. The magic-button KTM guys usually get off the line pretty well, but of course I got the holeshot! I led for a little, and then hesitated going into a woods section and got passed. I then had a brain fade on my second lap, going the long (and wrong) way, avoiding an endurocross-like section, that was pretty easy. It literally added about 1-2 minutes to my lap time, which is hard to make up in a 25-30 minute race!

All in all, the Alta is very competitive as-is, and I am beyond happy with it. A lot of people checked it out at the race, and everyone was impressed. I have a whole bunch of bikes and this one impresses me the most, and puts the biggest smile on my face. It makes me want to ride almost every day, and now I can.

More to follow, as I plan on racing MX with it this Sunday, after putting several motos on it during the week!

RangerLee wrote:

This was a great write up, I have been thinking about the Alta alot not to the point of pulling the trigger on one but have...

This was a great write up, I have been thinking about the Alta alot not to the point of pulling the trigger on one but have been interested in how they hold up in XC and moto.

Question, how much HP do the majority of the 250 mx bikes put out now? I am not talking stock of course, as on the Alta site they list the bike as putting out 40HP and with the MX map, "Power is restricted to that of an equivalent 250 4-stroke"

I thought most racers are putting out more than 40HP in the current 250f's, is that correct?


I look forward to your moto update.

Motofinne wrote:

Very good report on the bike! I would love to try one someday, but i guess we in Europe wont see those bikes for a couple...

Very good report on the bike!

I would love to try one someday, but i guess we in Europe wont see those bikes for a couple of years?

Motofinne wrote:

Very good report on the bike! I would love to try one someday, but i guess we in Europe wont see those bikes for a couple...

Very good report on the bike!

I would love to try one someday, but i guess we in Europe wont see those bikes for a couple of years?

Sandwarrior752 wrote:

https://electrocross.nl/wanroij/ No Alta bikes here, but these guys rent out electro bikes to ride on their indoor & outdoor "tracks". (in Netherlands) I'll probly go there...

https://electrocross.nl/wanroij/

No Alta bikes here, but these guys rent out electro bikes to ride on their indoor & outdoor "tracks". (in Netherlands)

I'll probly go there somewhere this summer, as i'd really love to try a electric bike in general!

ben990 wrote:

WooHoo! I was the king of Vital for a day! :laugh: I liked reading all of the comments, and here are my replies: I too was...

WooHoo! I was the king of Vital for a day!

I liked reading all of the comments, and here are my replies:

I too was skeptical of electric bikes, but this thing has removed all skepticism. Several years ago, I had a Zero Motorcycle rep bring out a demo bike, and a bunch of us rode it. I think it had a price tag of about 9K, While fun, it was not competitive, and seemed more like a motorized downhill mountain bike. This thing is not only on par with modern mx bikes, but better in a lot of ways. This bike has also opened up so many riding opportunities for me, and I can now ride out of the garage ANYTIME!

I paid $14,995 plus $475 for freight/shipping charge OTD, but as I mentioned in my original post, I also got 2 t-shirts and bike numbers! I know, pricey, but I think over time, the cost of ownership will line up with that of a 250/450. There is a one year warranty on the bike, except for the normal wear stuff, like brakes, chain and sprockets, grips, ...

The charge time from 0 to full is about 2.5 hours. At the track, I will use either my motorhome generator or a portable generator to charge the bike between motos.

There are 4 maps accessible through the computer on the handlebars. Map 1 is a tight trail mode map, and is soft. Map 2 is restricted to the performance of a 250F. Map 3 is an aggressive map, and map 4 is an over-clocked map. I have experimented a little with all 4, and I think I prefer map 3. Map 4 uses up the battery the quickest, and I think I read someplace that someone went for 5 hours on map 1. What is cool is that you can switch maps on the fly; you could start a race using map 4, and then switch to a different map later on, using the up or down arrows on the left side of the handlebars. It also gives your left hand (clutch side) something to do!

mark911, feel free to thank me when you get your case!

As far as jumping this thing, I was able to get used to it pretty quickly. If you come up short, you feel the weight of the machine, but then again, I am 6' 1" tall and weigh 215 pounds, so most bikes I ride need heavier springs anyways.

The Alta suits my riding style; I am a vet intermediate, and I raced KX500's for years, and my current race bike is a 2016 Yamaha YZ450F. On the 500's and the YZ450, I start in 2nd, and then shift to 3rd, and usually navigate the whole track in 3rd. On the Alta, I start in, well, uh, um, I guess I push the engine button and just go! The thing never bogs, and the amount of power available feels perfect whatever opening the throttle is at. I feel like my cornering is faster and smoother. It almost reminds me of coming out of a corner on my KX500 in 3rd; you roll the throttle on from a low RPM and it accelerates super hard and you rocket out of the corner, but unlike the KX500, it is ultra-smooth and you don't have to back off because it gets violent. Jump for show, and corner for dough, right? This thing will make you corner better.

The only short-term changes/upgrades I plan for this bike are some suspension tweaking (first play with compression/rebound settings, and then maybe heavier springs if needed) and I want to either sharpen the stock foot pegs or replace them with aftermarket pegs, as the stock ones aren't very aggressive. I believe modern Yamaha foot pegs will slip right on.

I did hear that KTM is coming out with an electric version of their Freeride trail bike, and that the price tag was going to be around $16K.

fasterfaster (Marc, CEO of Alta), it is great that you check out this message board. Feel free to send me an Alta sticker and I will include you on my list of sponsors!

Here is my planned Alta ride schedule for the week:

Practice moto Tuesday (today) - my personal track
Practice moto Wednesday- my personal track
Practice moto Thursday - friend's track
Practice moto Friday- my personal track
Motocross race Sunday - Pavilion, NY

Just because I can!!!

Micahdogg wrote:

That is awesome. Alta needs to do a demo day somewhere. I am so curious to see what its like.

Johnny Depp wrote:

This thread delivers! Dead engine start holeshots are a given with the Alta! I am not a buyer for now, but this thing is absolutely on...

This thread delivers! Dead engine start holeshots are a given with the Alta!

I am not a buyer for now, but this thing is absolutely on the radar. I realize that most talk about bringing the cost down, but as a Vet intermediate myself I feel like if your gonna be a bear, be a grizzly. I would love to see the Cone Valve fork option with spring choices for special order with a left hand rear brake. Custom built to order. I know it seems like a lot of money, but have you priced a Harley lately? It's just another $100 a month or so...

jasonward73 wrote:

Just the idea of washing it off and lubing the chain when finished riding is worth the $5k premium to me. The thought of no more...

Just the idea of washing it off and lubing the chain when finished riding is worth the $5k premium to me.

The thought of no more oil changes and air filter cleanings ever again sounds like heaven.

The only issue is having to drag a generator around with me. I don't do the overnight camping thing when racing hare scrambles so I don't have access to a generator and I'm not putting a gas fume emitting generator inside my Tesla Model X P100D. I carry my current bike on a moto rack (no trailer). This really creates a dilemma for me. I really want one.

Gotta see if it can do a full 2hr hare scramble at Vet A rider speed.

Jason

fasterfaster wrote:

Hi all, this is Marc, CEO at Alta. In case you've ever wondered whether industry folks read these boards, they do... or at least, WE do...

Hi all, this is Marc, CEO at Alta. In case you've ever wondered whether industry folks read these boards, they do... or at least, WE do. Ben990, I have to let you know that your post and the follow-up comments that it prompted not only made my day, but they had the whole team here in California cheering and grinning ear to ear. It's hard to convey in words how much it means to us to have customers compete on and love the bike. Thank you.

Mark911, we also are reading, and really appreciate, the critiques. On the charger case, drop a note to info@altamotors.co or talk to the dealer where you bought it and we can set you up. Those weren't yet available when the rest of the bike was and we weren't about to hold up shipments over the box the parts come in, but we can get one to you now. The rest of the feedback goes straight to our R&D team. Keep it coming, whether here or directly to us at that same email address.