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Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
I'm not aware of any major advances in switching or power transistors so inverter hardware tech is pretty rote. Maybe a couple % more efficiency might be possible. Modulating algorithms and software is constantly evolving, however, but again it's all still based on the same hardware configuration so only a re-flash should be necessary.
The new cells probably enable the performance increase while still staying within Alta's reliability and durability standards. I'm pretty certain the old pack could support the new higher "R" requirements for discharge rate but the life of the pack would suffer and Alta wouldn't warrantee them. Most advanced (FAST) riders would probably get some thermal limiting as well. I'm not that fast.
Frankly, I'd rather have an option for a 40hp/120 ft/lb pack with 2/3 the 2017 range but 20lbs lighter. Still waiting on that one!
The Shop
No dealers anywhere in the Midwest!
I’ve said this many times. I was on the front lines battling neighbors and a township that hated dirtbike noise. We lost. These bikes open my home track here in Michigan to unlimited riding without bothering anyone ever again.
I personally dont care about the environmental part of a electric bike- its the elimination of noise so I can build a moto track around the house.
Patiently waiting...
-Over the last year Alta has hired Regional Sales Managers to set up the dealer network around the country. The last region was the North Central. Alta recently hired a rep there, so look for dealers to start popping up in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana etc...soon.
-I have done hundreds of demo's and the lack of sound is never an issue for the rider. The people that think the lack of sound is weird, are spectators. However, there is a sound, just a quiet different sound.
-The founders did not create the bike to be "green". They created it to have an easier way to go fast on a dirt bike and one that comes with an ease of ownership and zero engine maintenance.
Either way, I love the 17 I have and the upgrades to the MXR are just icing on the cake. I can't see my fleet not having at least an electric bike or two, or three for the rest of my riding days.
My Alta changed all that. I can now ride anytime I want, on my own track in the woods behind my house. I did a 30 minute moto earlier this afternoon in 15 degree weather, well, just because I can, and I didn't feel like driving to the gym for a workout. Nobody knew I was out there.
The lack of noise was easy to get used to and you can focus more on other things. You hear the rear tire scrubbing and trying to grip, and you can adjust your right wrist accordingly. You can also focus more on line choice and braking points than on a gas bike.
In addition to being able to ride whenever I want, I have a very competitive MX bike that has 80 hours on it with no engine maintainence in sight. Try that on your 250F and let me know how that works out for you. It is a holeshot machine ( I won A $50 holeshot award on it last year at a local MX race) and it works great in local motocross, with my 220v generator charging it up between motos.
I have a whole bunch of bikes, but I have the most fun on the Alta.
BTW, I am 52 years old, vet intermediate MXer.
Super competitive electric mx bikes aren't just disruptive for dealers, but downstream in engine hop-up companies, pipe sales, clutches, ect as well.
Since Alta is no more, I seriously considered a freeride-e but that bike looks pretty weak overall.
Being able to ride moto in my backyard without people immediately complaining about noise is a huge plus.
Pit Row
https://xemx1.com/
They know its the future and are working on it...
Lets face it, battery technology (at least the tech commercially available today and in the near future at relatively economical cost) simply won't support the kind of range that most off-road racers require. Yes, there could be work-arounds like fast change hot swappable packs, but that would require multiple packs adding thousands of dollars to an already expensive bottom line. So, unless you have money to burn that automatically limits the "competitiveness" to shorter events like motocross.
Focusing on motocross only, to be truly "competitive" would mean being able to finish a 30 minute moto plus two laps with a National Caliber rider in the most harsh conditions. Again, current battery technology simply isn't advanced enough to accomplish this and still have the bike relatively weight competitive. The Alta's battery pack was/is the most advanced design seen to date and it can't even accomplish the above with a fast A rider in a local 20 minute race.
Now, if the target demographic is vets and C/B riders in local MX events held under ideal conditions then sure, a properly designed electric bike (like the Alta but maybe 20lb lighter) can surely be "competitive".
Unless some mfg has invested multiple millions of dollars secretly developing some new cell design that none of the major cell producers (Sony, LG, Panasonic, etc) or hundreds of research labs around the world haven't thought of and then made that new technology commercially economical viable I just don't see an electric being truly competitive for some time.
Mark as you said, battery swap is the only way forward at this time. Even for moto the batteries are too hot for the 2nd moto and a swap would be mandatory.
I had dangled the question with current solutions in a thread, https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Back-to-the-Future-E-Bik…
If there is no modification to the race format, we will be waiting a LONG time for E-bikes at the pro level.
However, since typical ambient temperatures are only a handful of degrees lower than the safe operating temps of most Li-Ion cells the only solution on hotter days is to "pre-cool" the pack to sub-ambient (45-50F) temp using a water cooler or "chiller" as shown. This allows much more thermal headroom and you can fast charge immediately after a moto without worrying about adding even more heat to an already hot pack. Chilling as shown can reduce a charging hot pack to the level required in about an hour, just about the same time as it takes to charge.
Although my research and development for an effective battery pack thermal management system is still under test (I've also tried total emersion using specially formulated dielectric fluid, forced air, etc) this design shows the most promise. However, a good chiller like the one shown can run over a thousand dollars and even with dry break fluid connections the process is a bit cumbersome. Depending on the availability of electricity and/or the capacity of your charging generator you might need a second source of power.
All this extra effort/cost and the pack capacity/range will now be the limiting factor. As mentioned, 20 minutes under a good A rider on a more or less hardpacked track with minimal elevation changes is all I'd expect.
You can see more details on my instagram @maxvonauto
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