Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/818175
2017 ALTA REDSHIFT MX FIRST TEST P120 filters or changing oil. The Redshift MX weighs in at 261 pounds, which is about 25-30 pounds more than the current crop of 250 four-stroke MX bikes. But you honestly don't feel that weight when riding the bike. That's because you don't have a lot of moving engine parts or flywheel effect, and the weight is distributed well. As good as the Alta is on the track, it has one serious draw- back that all battery-operated "anything" has and that is dura- tion (usually the lack thereof) and corresponding recharging time. In its current configuration, the Redshift MX battery pack will last a little over 30 minutes on a motocross track or up to two hours of lower intensity trail riding. The biggest limiting fac- tor that remains is the charging time. If you happen to have a 220 outlet available (not com- mon out at the track, trails or via a portable generator), it will take about 2.5 hours to re-charge a fully depleted battery. And if you use a 110 outlet, it will take about four hours. That time is reduced if it is not fully depleted and we were able to enjoy a full day of riding broken up by some breaks for food/water and battery re- charging. So is the Alta Redshift MX the Tesla of the two-wheel dirt bike world? As far as power goes, the Alta feels plenty fast. It is not up to the task of crushing all of the current gas-powered 450s in a drag race, but Josh Hill did prove that it can compete with a 250 motocross bike with a com- petitive showing at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm event late last year. The retired pro managed to beat Kyle Cunningham, a current top-10 250 supercross rider, in the first round and set com- petitive times. Just like the Tesla automobile, the Alta Redshift MX is a very refined product that already has some advantages over gas-powered vehicles and with the rate of battery develop- ment, we are probably not far off from the day that the weight and charging limitations are a thing of the past. CN ALTA REDSHIFT MX ($14,995) MOTOR: ....... Water-cooled, high-speed PMAC MAX RPM: ......................................... 14,000 rpm TORQUE: ................................................... 120 lb-ft POWER:........................................40 horsepower TRANSMISSION: ....................................... 1-speed ELECTRONICS: ....................Alta-Digital, 4 maps GEAR RATIO: .................................................. 3.5:1 TOP SPEED: ............................................. 65 mph BATTERY TYPE: ...........Waterproof Li-Ion 350v BATTERY CAPACITY: ........................... 5.8 kW/h BATTERY DURATION: ....3 hrs of continuous use BATTERY LIFECYCLES: ......................... 1000 hrs BATTERY CHARGER: ..............................Offboard STARTER: ................ 3-step sequence with key REHCARGE TIME: ....2.5 hrs (240v) / 4 hrs (120v) FRAME: .................... Forged/welded aluminum FRONT SUSPENSION: ...WP 4CS, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: ........... WP 5018, link-type FRONT BRAKE: ..........Single, Brembo 2-piston, 260mm rotor REAR BRAKE: ..............Brembo Single, 1-piston, 240mm rotor FRONT WHEEL: .................... Warp 9 Elite, 21-in. REAR WHEEL: ...................... Warp 9 Elite, 19-in. TIRES: .................Bridgestone Battlecross X30 SWINGARM: ..............Permanent Mold Casting WEIGHT (claimed): ................................. 267 lbs. SEAT HEIGHT: ...............................................37 in. RAKE: ................................................................ 22° TRAIL: .......................................Adjustable offset S P E C I F I C A T I O N S A fully charged battery will get you through a 30-minute moto, but you might miss the second moto while waiting for it to re-charge.