Posts
9554
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
SD, CA
US
Fantasy
1722nd
Edited Date/Time
11/22/2017 8:23am
Pretty cool to get on one and try it around a track.
My quick review:
Power: Really good and torquey, probably in ballpark of a strong 250f (more grunt)
Chassis: Everything felt comfy and ergos were great as I first sat on the bike. Yes, no shifter or clutch is weird at first!
Brakes: Great, think KTM brembo setup
Traction: Very very good, it's so weird going into a very slow/tight corner and not needing to shift or use a clutch, it just powers out with awesome torque. Tracking through rough/bumpy straights was very good as well.
What I didn't like:
Pegs: they just don't have any bite on the teeth
Suspension: While it was very settled in corners and sweepers, it was a bit under damped and just felt springy. Didn't play with the clickers, they could have been backed way off.
https://youtu.be/6QMXtzRFNqE
Trail riding
https://youtu.be/1o08CCAhBig
My quick review:
Power: Really good and torquey, probably in ballpark of a strong 250f (more grunt)
Chassis: Everything felt comfy and ergos were great as I first sat on the bike. Yes, no shifter or clutch is weird at first!
Brakes: Great, think KTM brembo setup
Traction: Very very good, it's so weird going into a very slow/tight corner and not needing to shift or use a clutch, it just powers out with awesome torque. Tracking through rough/bumpy straights was very good as well.
What I didn't like:
Pegs: they just don't have any bite on the teeth
Suspension: While it was very settled in corners and sweepers, it was a bit under damped and just felt springy. Didn't play with the clickers, they could have been backed way off.
https://youtu.be/6QMXtzRFNqE
Trail riding
https://youtu.be/1o08CCAhBig
The Shop
Video was a good showcase.
As far as being on the track with other bikes and riders of various sizes and skill levels, is there any concern for safety both for you and everyone else? I know when a faster rider is coming up onto me I can hear their bike and have a sense of where they are. Did you have trouble with the slower riders or catch yourself in sketchy situations trying to get around people?
Honestly I have more sketchy moments on my 125 while I'm trying to carve outside lines and people just constantly swerve over on me. Maybe if I took a lot more outside lines on the Alta it would be sketchier since you can't hear it.
But man, the four strokes are so loud, I could see where an electric bike surprising them. Surprises and MX don't usually go together well.
And even though I couldn't see myself realistically riding and maintaining an ALTA as my go-to bike........I have to admit that this is single handedly the most interesting bike to me in 2016. If I could ride any bike today, it would be the ALTA, no doubt in my mind. This thing has my interest more than any of the other manufacturers.
It really is a different experience, I really want to try one in the woods/single track and just haul ass on trails without noise echoing off of everything, would be pretty cool.
Pit Row
Just put up a trail riding video in the original post as well, it was super fun trail riding the thing!
Now if can just do something about those pajamas you're wearing....
Is it comparable or close to anything?
On straights where you want to wheelie through chop, it feels like a regular mx bike with being able to lighten the front over whatever is coming at you. Again, with no need for RPM management through, just wick the throttle as needed and slightly change position on the bike.
In addition, a new style could emerge that would greatly reduce (or eliminate) the need of front brake dragging in ruts , etc.
Like on my 125 where I'm shifting all the time, I tend to sit down in a bunch of spots on the track so I can get more positive shifts or grip properly while fanning the clutch and you're never worrying about that on the electric.
One thing you said, has stuck with me. It was in reference to the comment about liking the complexity of riding (I think we all do, but may not know it). Ive never really thought about it but that makes total sense. We all involved with this sport because we enjoy the rush. That rush is fight or flight, literally, through the release of epinephrine (Adreneline). So that can be a good thing or bad thing. The complexity of unconcious actions can "quiet" the mind to allow it to make the surge of epi work for us. In other words, your mind has something productive to concentrate on which allows us to harness the good side if the surge. Kind of like if you see people with tourettes and how it goes away when riding, etc.
Your point makes total sense and is valid. So, I think learning new repetitive tasks would be very important to continue to harness the epi flow to your (or anyone's) advantage. I don't know what the new tasks are, but standing more in turns shows that different things will emerge.
I know, Im a nerd but fascinated by this whole thing.
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