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/953622
experienced this first hand dur- ing our test day. And that 90-min- ute charge time requires a 220 plug or high-output generator. So the bike may be very quiet on the track but you will likely be listening to a generator running while you sit around waiting for it to charge up. And you may need to include the cost of a genera- tor in that total cost of ownership calculation as well as plan for the space to transport it to the track. And ironically, you will still need to stop at the gas station for fuel for that generator. A slower, less aggressive rider will get a lot more time out of the battery and riding trails on the number 1 or 2 maps also dramati- cally increase the ride time and that may be enough for many. But any aggressive riding will likely leave you looking for more juice to get a full day in. If you are fortunate enough to have a large yard or property to ride on, the charging issues may be resolved but most of us still ride at public tracks. Just like a gas bike, you still have to monitor "fuel" consump- tion when you're out riding, there is no limp-home mode when you run out of juice on the Alta, just like there is none on a gas motocross bike. You do, how- ever, have a digital meter on the handlebars to keep you informed. The Alta Redshift MXR is by far the best electric powered motorcycle produced to date and if you look at the rate of improvement in battery technol- ogy and performance over just the last year, it may not be long before those range and charg- ing limitations are no longer an issue. And the recent an- nouncement of Harley-Davidson becoming and equity investor in Alta and a collaborator on elec- tric technology could accelerate that development. CN VOL. 55 ISSUE 10 MARCH 13, 2018 P85 2018 ALTA REDSHIFT MXR ($11,995) MOTOR: .......................High Speed PMAC TORQUE: ..........................................42 lb-ft HORSEPOWER: ....................................... 50 TRANSMISSION: ............................1 speed GEAR RATIO: .......................................3.5:1 FINAL DRIVE: ...................................12/53T BATTERY: ........... Waterproof Li-Ion 350v CAPACITY: ..... 5.8kW or 3.3kW Offboard RECHARGE TIME: ................1.5 hrs (240v) ELECTRONICS: ...... Alta-Digital w/4 maps FRAME: ...................................... Aluminum FRONT SUSPENSION: ........... WP AER 48, fully adjustable fork REAR SUSPENSION: .... WP 2018 Alta spec, fully adjustable, single shock FRONT BRAKE: ...........Brembo two piston 260mm rotor REAR BRAKE: .........Brembo single piston 240mm rotor TIRES: .................. Dunlop Geomax MX3S SEAT HEIGHT: ................................ 37.5 in. WHEELBASE: ..................................58.6 in. RAKE: ..................................................... 27° OFFSET: ............................................ 2.2 in. CURB WEIGHT (CLAIMED): ..........259 lbs. S P E C I F I C A T I O N S Alta's philosophy is that they don't want to make just the best electric motocross bike but the best motocross bike. They've come a long way in a short time.