Cycle News Staff | May 6, 2017
An electric bike that is all about performance.
Did you know that the quickest production car currently available is a Tesla Model S (P100D w/Ludicrous option)? The all-electric sedan tops the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, Bugatti Chiron and a host of “super cars” from Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini, Audi and McLaren. It is this kind of performance that drove Alta founders, Derek Dorresteyn and Jeff Sand to choose to create a new electric motorcycle.
The electric-powered Alta Redshift MX is a remarkably capable motocrosser.
Dorresteyn and Sand, two friends that have a background in motorcycle riding and industrial design, created Alta in 2010. Living in California’s tech rich Silicon Valley, the same area that Tesla was born, exposed them to the capabilities of electric powerplants. They wanted to create a better motorcycle, not just a quieter, more eco-friendly motorcycle, and determined that could be accomplished with a battery-powered electric motor.
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Photography by Taku Nagami and Alta
And the goal for Alta is not to create a few “one-off” electric bikes. The company has been built up to design, develop and manufacturer state-of-the-art motorcycles that happen to have an electric powerplant. Alta is currently producing two models—Redshift MX and Redshift SM (Supermoto)—and has over 50 employees with their own in-house software lab, battery lab, machine shop, R&D department and EOL (End Of Line) testing to ensure that each component can withstand rigorous use in all environments. The bikes are produced at their Brisbane, California, facility and the end result are beautiful motorcycles that perform just as well, at least the Redshift MX, which we tested here.
The build quality is immediately apparent on the Alta. The CNC-machined aluminum-forged mainframe is constructed with the motor and controller nicely integrated. And the subframe is a two-piece plastic unit that helps make up for some of the weight penalty of the battery. It looks like a standard motorcycle with a huge battery pack where the engine would normally be. That battery pack is developed in-house using 18650 lithium-ion cells that provide two to three times the amount of energy per weight found on commercially available battery cells. The motor is a water-cooled 14,000-rpm brushless design that delivers a consistent, linear 40 horsepower, in the range of a current 250 four-stroke MX bike. And just as important as the battery, the controller is a water-cooled design that integrates into the whole unit and uses the upper frame rails for cooling.
Built in California, the Alta Redshift MX sells for over $14,000 but has little operating expenses. Plastic is courtesy of Acerbis.
Alta has spent countless hours developing the controller and optional maps, which dictates the connection between the throttle and rear wheel, engine braking (which also re-charges the battery), traction control and indirectly impacts the battery range. The bike comes standard with four different maps, two are more track oriented hi-performance settings and two that are mellower, and provide more control in technical, low traction conditions.
Sitting on the bike feels normal except for the lack of a clutch lever. Instead, you will find the map switch on the left side where the kill switch would normally be. The maps can be changed on the fly. And in the center, you will find a monitor that displays your speed, distance, current battery charge and a green glow when the bike is “live”.
There is no lack of power, which can be tailored to your liking via four engine modes.
So how about the ride? We got the opportunity to spend a full day on the Redshift MX at a private facility in Florida that included a motocross track, several miles of single-track trails and an EnduroCross track. Fortunately, the Alta team did not try to “redesign the wheel” when it came to the basic chassis design and suspension components. They stuck with what has already been proven to work with current production bikes (leaning heavily on a CRF250R in terms of geometry). The WP forks and shock are similar to what you would find on a KTM and the Brembo brakes are very solid. There is no clutch lever or shifter, which feels a little strange for about five minutes and then you completely forget about that and realize it allows you to focus on riding. The lack of engine noise makes the chain slap, spinning tire and wind noise your best indicators of speed and you quickly become accustomed to that as well.
The 40-horsepower Alta weighs nearly 270 pounds, but no moving engine parts makes it feel about as light as a regular gas-powered four-stroke MXer.
On the motocross track, we found it easy to get comfortable on the Redshift MX quickly and jump any obstacles that we would do on a traditional bike. Whoops, ruts and turns also felt very natural. The most aggressive map setting provides plenty of power to clear obstacles or lift the front wheel when necessary. We did find that it loses just a little bit of snap after the battery dips below 75 percent of full charge.
The standard suspension settings are aimed at “vet” riders rather than an intermediate to expert racer, so it was a little soft if you came up short or over-jumped an obstacle. So just like a standard bike, most serious racers will find it necessary to modify the suspension to their taste.
On the trails and especially the challenging EnduroCross obstacles, the Redshift MX really shines. The lack of a shifter allows you to evenly weight both pegs and you don’t have to worry about being in the right gear or stalling the motor. The number-two map provides enough power to wheelie over obstacles but the softer power allows for better traction in the slippery conditions. Kurt Nicoll, a former top GP racer and now vet MX and AMA Vet EnduroCross Champion used an Alta to win the vet class at the 2016 Phoenix EnduroCross and he actually “shifted” between maps each lap, using the softer map for better traction on the rocks and the more aggressive map for the straights.
Stuff you need to know is right in front of you.
One of the riders that joined us was a self-described beginner and he found the Alta to be much easier to ride than a traditional bike since he did not need to think about the clutch or shifting. At the current price of $14,995, this is out of the realm of a beginner bike for most people but it shows the ease of ride ability. And although that price is well above even the most expensive current MX bikes, it is not so bad when you factor in fuel and maintenance cost. This motor requires no maintenance. And speaking of maintenance, nobody will miss cleaning air 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 drawback that all battery-operated “anything” have and that is duration (usually the lack thereof) and corresponding recharging time.
The Alta has already proven itself in EnduroCross.
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 factor that remains is the charging time. If you happen to have a 220 outlet available (not common 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 recharging.
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.
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 competitive 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 competitive times. Just like the Tesla automobile, the Alta Redshift MX is a very well-refined product that already has some advantages over gas-powered vehicles and with the rate of battery development, we are probably not far off from the day that the weight and charging limitations are a thing of the past. CN
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SPECIFICATIONS: Alta Redshift MX ($14,995)
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MOTOR:
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Water-cooled, high-speed PMAC
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MAX RPM:
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14,000 rpm
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TORQUE:
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120 ft.-lbs
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POWER:
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40 horsepower
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TRANSMISSION:
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1-speed
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ELECTRONICS:
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Alta-Digital, 4 maps
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GEAR RATIO:
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3.5:1
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TOP SPEED:
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65 mph
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BATTERY TYPE:
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Waterproof Li-Ion 350v
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BATTERY CAPACITY:
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5.8kWh
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BATTERY DURATION:
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3 hrs of continuous use
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BATTERY LIFECYCLES:
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1000 hrs
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BATTERY CHARGER:
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Offboard
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STARTER:
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3-step sequence with key
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REHCARGE TIME:
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2.5 hrs (240v) / 4 hrs (120v)
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FRAME:
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Forged/welded aluminum
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FRONT SUSPENSION:
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WP 4CS, fully adjustable
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REAR SUSPENSION:
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WP 5018, link-type
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FRONT BRAKE:
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Single, Brembo 2-piston, 260mm rotor
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REAR BRAKE:
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Brembo Single, 1-piston, 240mm rotor
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FRONT WHEEL:
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Warp 9 Elite, 21-in.
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REAR WHEEL:
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Warp 9 Elite, 19-in.
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TIRES:
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Bridgestone Battlecross X30
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SWINGARM:
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Permanent Mold Casting
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WEIGHT (claimed):
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267 lbs.
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SEAT HEIGHT:
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37 in.
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RAKE:
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22°
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TRAIL:
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Adjustable offset
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