My 2017 Alta Redshift MX...

mxtech1 wrote:

Hi Marc,

How can I invest in Alta Motors?

Micahdogg wrote:

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

seth505 wrote:

There's request a demo on bottom of their website, worth trying.

https://www.altamotors.co/#the-future-of-fast

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

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

EastFlorida wrote:

Not at your speed Jason!!! That's what is holding me back as well... Battery life...

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.

mnomis484 wrote:

One thing i was always curious about: When you "rev" the alta in the air, wouldnt the gyro effect be huge and make you do like...

One thing i was always curious about:

When you "rev" the alta in the air, wouldnt the gyro effect be huge and make you do like a "half" backflip? I mean it would be like if you shifted up to 5th in the air and held it wide open
Of course this could also be a huge advantage if you hit a kicker and it throws you forward in the air

F150Motocrosser wrote:

You sir are a pioneer. Great write up. Can't help but feel like this post is a official beginning of a new era of sorts. Let...

You sir are a pioneer. Great write up.

Can't help but feel like this post is a official beginning of a new era of sorts. Let the Alta sightings begin...

2T42 wrote:

Speak with your outlet

DoctorJD wrote:

Yes. This is it.

2T42 wrote:

Speak with your outlet

DoctorJD wrote:

Yes. This is it.

kzizok wrote:

220, not 110!

LocomotiveBreath wrote:

220, 221, whatever it takes!

BB366 wrote:

Hi Marc, what is the distribution strategy for the bike? Any chance they will be shipping to Australia anytime soon. Great write up Ben990. I can...

Hi Marc, what is the distribution strategy for the bike? Any chance they will be shipping to Australia anytime soon.

Great write up Ben990.

I can see so many more opportunities to throw a leg over a bike without pissing people off with noise. So looking forward to the future of dirt bike riding.

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.

mxtech1 wrote:

Hi Marc,

How can I invest in Alta Motors?

tingo wrote:

Marc, Any chance of getting you to do an AMA here on Vital? Lot of questions already flowing your way. I'd be curious to know what...

Marc,

Any chance of getting you to do an AMA here on Vital? Lot of questions already flowing your way. I'd be curious to know what the pricing goal is for a few years out, if that's something you can even share.

fasterfaster wrote:

Ha, appreciate the enthusiasm. Coincidentally, the latest window for that [url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-06/california-motorcycle-maker-raises-27-million-for-electric-bike]closed today[/url]. The most exciting part for me is that Bob Fox put money into us...

Ha, appreciate the enthusiasm. Coincidentally, the latest window for that closed today. The most exciting part for me is that Bob Fox put money into us. Such an amazing guy. I couldn't ask for a better mentor and advisor.

If we keep doing what we set out to do, there should be more opportunities in the future.

Chad McCan wrote:

They aren't a public company. They are a private company with venture backing. VC's raise funds from individual investors, then they choose which companies to invest...

They aren't a public company. They are a private company with venture backing. VC's raise funds from individual investors, then they choose which companies to invest in. You're not likely to be able to invest directly in Alta, although this would be a good place to keep your eye on - https://angel.co/alta-motors

FYI they just closed a Series B round for $27 million today. They may have a couple more rounds before an IPO or exit, but the amount of money you'll need to have in order to participate in that round is going to be enormous. Save your pennies and invest in plenty of other syndicates to get your feet wet. You'll need a lot of money and experience in order to be on the invite list.

Fourth_Floor wrote:

One day..........I will have one of these.

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!