My 2017 Alta Redshift MX...

6/10/2017 1:42pm
Ive ridden the KTM Freeride E and d'you know what I really loved??
The 'hand' rear brake!

Are Alta missing a trick by not having one?
zehn wrote:
Should be easy enough to alter, no?
I think it's mentioned on their website that it's easy and they make a kit maybe?
xr70
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La crescenta, CA US
6/10/2017 2:25pm
MotoSeat wrote:
Well we now have Ribbed seat covers for the ALTA. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/06/09/199547/s1200_ALTA.jpg[/img]
Well we now have Ribbed seat covers for the ALTA.



mark911 wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/06/09/199562/s1200_image.jpg[/img]


I think I see this bike in milestone yesterday?
fasterfaster
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Location
San Francisco, CA US
6/10/2017 7:57pm Edited Date/Time 6/12/2017 1:39pm
mark911 wrote:
Was out testing my Alta today and was getting a bit of head shake. I typically try and tighten up the steering bearings before I do...
Was out testing my Alta today and was getting a bit of head shake. I typically try and tighten up the steering bearings before I do anything else. To my surprise, adjustable/offset steering stem! Hummmmmmm. Looks like it's in the"least trail" setting stock. Well, that could be the problem depending on the stock clamp offset which is not published. I'll have to measure it unless Alta reads this and can tell me what the clamp offset is?


Yup triples are adjustable. I feel dumb for not knowing the specifics, and am checking with the team. I know early testing was with an 18mm/22mm...
Yup triples are adjustable. I feel dumb for not knowing the specifics, and am checking with the team. I know early testing was with an 18mm/22mm but there were tweaks to suspension and handling right up until release so I'm not certain of the final. Will circle back with an edit next week.
mark911 wrote:
I think the fork lug offset is 35mm (large dia axle lug). Combined with 22mm of clamp offset (assuming your memory is still correct) the total...
I think the fork lug offset is 35mm (large dia axle lug). Combined with 22mm of clamp offset (assuming your memory is still correct) the total is 57mm. That's about 4mm more than what I've been comfortable with in the past (and could be tuned out with the 18/22 stem. Coincidence? What did your testing program tell you about the two setting? I see you've listed the rake at 22 degrees but I think it must be a misprint.
Just got the (edited and re-corrected) correct info... It's 18mm/22mm, with it set at 22mm off the production line.
6/10/2017 8:59pm
Today is the day that opinion has shifted. The Alta is here to stay. I honestly plan for my next bike to be an Alta. I'm...
Today is the day that opinion has shifted. The Alta is here to stay. I honestly plan for my next bike to be an Alta. I'm a few years left on my 250 sx but when she's completely paid for..... Alta it will be.
Me too, Electric is the future.

The Shop

ben990
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Honeoye Falls, NY US
6/11/2017 3:54pm
Had an awesome race day on the Alta. My son made this from footage he shot today.



Full race report coming tomorrow. I love this thing!

mark911
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Location
Ashville, OH US
6/11/2017 4:12pm
Yup triples are adjustable. I feel dumb for not knowing the specifics, and am checking with the team. I know early testing was with an 18mm/22mm...
Yup triples are adjustable. I feel dumb for not knowing the specifics, and am checking with the team. I know early testing was with an 18mm/22mm but there were tweaks to suspension and handling right up until release so I'm not certain of the final. Will circle back with an edit next week.
mark911 wrote:
I think the fork lug offset is 35mm (large dia axle lug). Combined with 22mm of clamp offset (assuming your memory is still correct) the total...
I think the fork lug offset is 35mm (large dia axle lug). Combined with 22mm of clamp offset (assuming your memory is still correct) the total is 57mm. That's about 4mm more than what I've been comfortable with in the past (and could be tuned out with the 18/22 stem. Coincidence? What did your testing program tell you about the two setting? I see you've listed the rake at 22 degrees but I think it must be a misprint.
Just got the (edited and re-corrected) correct info... It's 18mm/22mm, with it set at 22mm off the production line.
Marc,
Mine measure 18/22. Is there a design change my bike didn't get? Thanks, Mark.
smoothies862
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OH US
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745th
6/11/2017 4:59pm
cool for noise issues etc. local riding,trails.
i never want a pro sx or national all electric. its like watching tv with no sound
any issues with someone not hearing you coming? woods or mx.
Hut
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WA US
6/11/2017 7:00pm
I just read the op. Great write up! Thanks for sharing.
Johnny Depp
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Buda, TX US
6/11/2017 8:03pm
ben990 wrote:
Had an awesome race day on the Alta. My son made this from footage he shot today. [embed]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fgoEaY6V5HE[/embed] Full race report coming tomorrow. I love this...
Had an awesome race day on the Alta. My son made this from footage he shot today.



Full race report coming tomorrow. I love this thing!

Damn, Good job Ben! Props to you and your son for getting the video up so fast. Looks like you had a great day and can't wait to read the rest.

Stumbled upon the following video of Bret Peterson doing the hillclimb on the Alta. I'm not sure what I saw, but it looks like he not only cleared the hill on the race course, but kept on going all the way up the mountain and laid tracks where there were no trails. Damn these bikes are bizarre.
ben990
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Honeoye Falls, NY US
6/12/2017 6:10am Edited Date/Time 6/12/2017 11:14am
So Sunday was race day at Pavilion MX Park in upstate NY for me. It was a beautiful day, but a little on the hot side, mid 80's. I signed up for 3 classes; Sr. B, +40 Masters, and +50. I brought the 2017 Alta Redshift MX and the 2016 Yamaha YZ450F, so I could do a race-day comparison of the two.

It had been a couple months since I had done a mx race, and man, is it so much more intense than just pounding out laps on a practice track. I was a bundle of nervous energy, wound tight, on a new bike wondering how it would perform.

Gentlemen (and ladies), the Alta is legit! I loved it in a race setting, and for me it worked better than the YZ450F. This track is fast, has a lot of hills, and it got rough! I did 5 of my 6 motos, skipping my last +40 moto, as I was beat, and it was the last one of the day. I did 2 motos on the YZ450F and practice and 3 motos on the Alta Redshift.

The Alta corners like it is on rails. As I mentioned before, it is smoother and I make less mistakes in the corners, and you feel totally hooked up. I can choose lines easier on it too. The YZ450F, not known for its turning prowess, kinda goes where it wants to go. The Alta lets me choose, and then I feel like I get through the corner pretty fast ... for a slightly overweight 51 year old who sits down too much. :-)

The Alta is just as fast, if not faster, on the starts compared to the YZ450F. On the YZ450F, I start in 2nd, and then shift to 3rd as soon as possible, and I usually get a good start. On the Alta, I put the map setting on 4, and then I just twist the throttle and it will go from 0 mph to what seems like 80 mph going into the first corner. A couple corners in I use the down-arrow switch on the left hand side to switch to map setting 3, my preferred map setting to navigate the track. In my first moto on the Alta, I didn't switch to map setting 3 right away, and the power caught me off guard, and I almost looped it over a jump!

In my mind, here are what the map settings are equivalent to:

Map 1: Honda XR200
Map 2: 250 4-stroke
Map 3: 450 4-stroke
Map 4: KX500 beast mode

Suspension-wise, the Alta worked great. It soaked up the braking and acceleration bumps well, and I did all of the bigger jumps I would do on any other bike.

I almost had the holeshot in my 2nd +50 moto, but I had to back off because of another rider, and ended up in 2nd after a couple corners. I went 4-4 for 4th overall, out of 15 riders.


2017 Alta Redshift MX: $15,000
Gate fee: $10
Class fees: $65

Winning a 4th place plaque in +50 on the Alta in my first MX race on it? Priceless.




PRM31
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Northern, VA US
6/12/2017 6:39am
Thanks for your write up! Purely out of curiosity, do you have a comparison of lap times? In my own case, I feel about as fast on my RM144 as a bigger bike, and definitely better after a few laps! I'm 50 and not in riding shape so the lighter weight and easier power helps me over the long run.
burn1986
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6/12/2017 7:18am
cwtoyota wrote:
I spent a little time at Hangtown talking to the girl promoting Alta in the vendor area. It's an interesting bike. Would you be willing to...
I spent a little time at Hangtown talking to the girl promoting Alta in the vendor area. It's an interesting bike.
Would you be willing to do a quick test with a bathroom scale?

1) Put the scale on a motorcycle stand, milk crate or bucket.
2) Measure the height from the floor to the scale.
3) Lean the bike over so that the end of the handlebar is pushing down on the scale.

I've done this with a few different bikes. It's interesting to see where the weight is at (high or low).
The height of the handlebar from the ground (at ride height) and a bunch of other factors have a part to play, but I've seen a direct correlation to the weight you feel when you ride.

For example, my YZ125 was the lightest leaned over weight I've tested and was substantially lighter than anything else.

I had a '14 YZ450F for a little while and although it was 25 pounds heavier than my two smoke YZ250, it had only a little more weight on the handlebar when you leaned it onto that scale.

The heaviest bike I've checked was my buddy's 2013 KX450F with A-Kit spring forks. On the track, that '13 felt a LOT heavier than the YZ450F and it showed in this simple scale test.
Good interesting points
ben990
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Honeoye Falls, NY US
6/12/2017 7:25am
PRM31 wrote:
Thanks for your write up! Purely out of curiosity, do you have a comparison of lap times? In my own case, I feel about as fast...
Thanks for your write up! Purely out of curiosity, do you have a comparison of lap times? In my own case, I feel about as fast on my RM144 as a bigger bike, and definitely better after a few laps! I'm 50 and not in riding shape so the lighter weight and easier power helps me over the long run.
I didn't get lap times at the mx race, but I think I was faster on the Alta, based upon my own accord and also where other riders finished around me in the different classes I raced.

At a practice track last week, I was slightly faster on the Alta, by about a second to second and a half per lap. Specific lap times for this are in an earlier post in this thread.





cappelmans
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Utrecht NL
6/12/2017 7:52am
Did the lower frame tubes received an update? The lower frame tubes in this image look less bulky to me. Am I right?

PRM31
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6/12/2017 8:40am
PRM31 wrote:
Thanks for your write up! Purely out of curiosity, do you have a comparison of lap times? In my own case, I feel about as fast...
Thanks for your write up! Purely out of curiosity, do you have a comparison of lap times? In my own case, I feel about as fast on my RM144 as a bigger bike, and definitely better after a few laps! I'm 50 and not in riding shape so the lighter weight and easier power helps me over the long run.
ben990 wrote:
I didn't get lap times at the mx race, but I think I was faster on the Alta, based upon my own accord and also where...
I didn't get lap times at the mx race, but I think I was faster on the Alta, based upon my own accord and also where other riders finished around me in the different classes I raced.

At a practice track last week, I was slightly faster on the Alta, by about a second to second and a half per lap. Specific lap times for this are in an earlier post in this thread.





I missed the lap times post, thanks!

If a couple Alta's were racing each other you could really yell at the other rider!! A whole new level of mind games.
Johnny Depp
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6/12/2017 9:22am
Thanks for the race report Ben! More great stuff on the Alta. Any idea how many moto's and practice you might have been able to get out of the Alta? I assume it could go long enough until you were whipped?
fasterfaster
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San Francisco, CA US
6/12/2017 1:41pm
mark911 wrote:
Marc,
Mine measure 18/22. Is there a design change my bike didn't get? Thanks, Mark.
Sorry, you're right. It IS the 18mm/22mm that I had thought at first. Got our wires crossed trying to get the info with folks scattered over the weekend.

Confirming that it's 18mm / 22mm. The stock setting is 22mm, so you can add trail by flipping the stem.
tp4
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KS US
6/12/2017 3:20pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2017 7:21am
hmmm..
sandman768
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Saratoga Springs, NY US
6/12/2017 3:44pm
Great informative write up on these bikes.......only going to get better with more r&d and people buying & racing them...how about a pro MX team for r&d......
markit
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Bogalusa, LA US
6/13/2017 5:51am
tp4 wrote:
hmmm..
Thanks captain obvious.
Stanuc
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Allen, TX US
6/13/2017 12:02pm
I'd pay $15K if she came with it.



Polski934
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Berkley, MI US
6/13/2017 1:27pm
This thread is the all-time worst for people quoting the long posts....

After filtering through that, it is a great write-up of first hand experience. I hope they continue to evolve, and soon tracks are everywhere.
ben990
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394
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Honeoye Falls, NY US
6/18/2017 1:32pm
I had another race on the Alta yesterday, the Skaneateles Ski Hill GP. It was two 30 minute motos on the ski hill, with the first moto at 10am, and the second one at 11:30am. They were also offering an uphill drag race afterwards.


Fueling up between motos

I signed up for the ultra-competitive 46-55 year old B class, and I went 2-3 for 3rd overall. My efforts were good enough for a plaque in the GP race, and my uphill drag racing efforts on my 1986 Honda CR500 earned me a medallion and a t-shirt. I definitely had the two coolest bikes at the event!


The fruits of my GP and hill climbing labor

And check out the card my son gave me for Father's Day this morning.


True love

I still love the Alta! 167.3 miles on it so far, and it still runs runs perfectly. It pulls as hard or harder on the uphills as anything else, and is as smooth as butter in the corners. It was also pretty cool to be able to hear spectators say "What is that?!" and "That is cool!" as I came through the scoring area, because of the lack of noise.

I also had a guy on the line before the start of the second moto ask me if I was the guy posting about the Alta on Vital, which was interesting! He liked the thread, so I said I would write about this race. Here you go, fellow GP competitor!

And today I did a 30 minute moto on the track behind my house, just because I can!
Johnny Depp
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Buda, TX US
6/19/2017 1:34pm
ben990 wrote:
I had another race on the Alta yesterday, the Skaneateles Ski Hill GP. It was two 30 minute motos on the ski hill, with the first...
I had another race on the Alta yesterday, the Skaneateles Ski Hill GP. It was two 30 minute motos on the ski hill, with the first moto at 10am, and the second one at 11:30am. They were also offering an uphill drag race afterwards.


Fueling up between motos

I signed up for the ultra-competitive 46-55 year old B class, and I went 2-3 for 3rd overall. My efforts were good enough for a plaque in the GP race, and my uphill drag racing efforts on my 1986 Honda CR500 earned me a medallion and a t-shirt. I definitely had the two coolest bikes at the event!


The fruits of my GP and hill climbing labor

And check out the card my son gave me for Father's Day this morning.


True love

I still love the Alta! 167.3 miles on it so far, and it still runs runs perfectly. It pulls as hard or harder on the uphills as anything else, and is as smooth as butter in the corners. It was also pretty cool to be able to hear spectators say "What is that?!" and "That is cool!" as I came through the scoring area, because of the lack of noise.

I also had a guy on the line before the start of the second moto ask me if I was the guy posting about the Alta on Vital, which was interesting! He liked the thread, so I said I would write about this race. Here you go, fellow GP competitor!

And today I did a 30 minute moto on the track behind my house, just because I can!
Another great ride report Ben, and no we are not tired of them!

I am left with the thought why didn't you run the Alta in the hillclimb, I understand they kick ass in them?
Then comes the thought, hmm, not enough juice in the battery, and to run multiple classes and get lots of track time requires 2 bikes for you since it appears you can outlast an Alta battery? Either way you took the Cool Trophy too!
early
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6/19/2017 1:38pm
Another great ride report Ben, and no we are not tired of them! I am left with the thought why didn't you run the Alta in...
Another great ride report Ben, and no we are not tired of them!

I am left with the thought why didn't you run the Alta in the hillclimb, I understand they kick ass in them?
Then comes the thought, hmm, not enough juice in the battery, and to run multiple classes and get lots of track time requires 2 bikes for you since it appears you can outlast an Alta battery? Either way you took the Cool Trophy too!
I saw a video of a guy hillclimbing an Alta where he said it was kind of tricky since there is no clutch to help modulate the power.
Red141
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Columbus, OH US
6/19/2017 1:40pm
Keep the reports coming! LOL that you still need to bring gas.... for the generator.
Johnny Depp
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Buda, TX US
6/19/2017 2:02pm Edited Date/Time 6/19/2017 2:04pm

Johnny Depp wrote:

Another great ride report Ben, and no we are not tired of them!

I am left with the thought why didn't you run the Alta in the hillclimb, I understand they kick ass in them?
Then comes the thought, hmm, not enough juice in the battery, and to run multiple classes and get lots of track time requires 2 bikes for you since it appears you can outlast an Alta battery? Either way you took the Cool Trophy too!

"I saw a video of a guy hillclimbing an Alta where he said it was kind of tricky since there is no clutch to help modulate the power."

After that he said it takes a little bit of getting used to but I am absolutely blown away by this thing, and then proceeded to go well past the finish of the climb up the hill making new tracks all the way to the top!

mjr119
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US
6/19/2017 2:08pm Edited Date/Time 6/19/2017 2:08pm
Alta needs to give you a marketing allowance. This is really making me want one! Or at least making me want to try one out.

Thanks for taking the time to report.
6/21/2017 10:16pm
After reading this, I was at my kids indoor soccer game and all I could think about is how great of an indoor Motocross park the building would make.

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