Posts
394
Joined
10/20/2011
Location
Honeoye Falls, NY
US
Edited Date/Time
4/19/2018 4:32pm
So I thought I would come up with a long haul update on my 2017 Alta Redshift MX. This past Thursday I took it to my local Alta dealer, Motovate, who recently became an Alta dealer. They had some Alta tech guys there training them, and I had my bike's software updated. They pulled off the seat, hooked up a laptop with a cable to a port on the bike, and in about 5 minutes my bike was upgraded - now it is better than new!
I can now see the hours I have put on the bike, the mappings were slightly tweaked, and I think they said that my battery charge would last longer before it goes into conservation mode. I think the Alta engineers were pretty conservative with this sort of thing at first, but now that the bike is released and people are putting time on the bike they are backing off on stuff.
Eventually you will be able to program the motor to behave exactly like you want, regarding traction, hit, engine braking, and more. I would guess that it will continue to come with built-in maps, but you could add your own. I think it would be cool to have some predefined maps that simulate other bikes; 85/125/250/500 two-stroke maps, and 250/350/450 four-stroke maps. Maybe they could get it where I could compare a KTM 450 like map to a Yamaha YZ450 like map!
I have owned it for a little over 3 months, and I have ridden the snot out of it. I ride 3-5 times a week now, more than I ever have in my life, and I have 50.5 hours and 636 miles on it. And it runs like the day I bought it ... or maybe even a little better now!
50 hours and counting!
I have replaced the grips, gone through a couple sets of tires, and put heavier suspension springs on it. I gave her a treat today too - I dressed her up with some new white plastic and graphics. She is now loaded in the trailer waiting for me to take her to Cato NY tomorrow for some motocross racing.
Before - stock plastic and graphics
After - dressed up and looking pretty for the ball
I can now see the hours I have put on the bike, the mappings were slightly tweaked, and I think they said that my battery charge would last longer before it goes into conservation mode. I think the Alta engineers were pretty conservative with this sort of thing at first, but now that the bike is released and people are putting time on the bike they are backing off on stuff.
Eventually you will be able to program the motor to behave exactly like you want, regarding traction, hit, engine braking, and more. I would guess that it will continue to come with built-in maps, but you could add your own. I think it would be cool to have some predefined maps that simulate other bikes; 85/125/250/500 two-stroke maps, and 250/350/450 four-stroke maps. Maybe they could get it where I could compare a KTM 450 like map to a Yamaha YZ450 like map!
I have owned it for a little over 3 months, and I have ridden the snot out of it. I ride 3-5 times a week now, more than I ever have in my life, and I have 50.5 hours and 636 miles on it. And it runs like the day I bought it ... or maybe even a little better now!
50 hours and counting!
I have replaced the grips, gone through a couple sets of tires, and put heavier suspension springs on it. I gave her a treat today too - I dressed her up with some new white plastic and graphics. She is now loaded in the trailer waiting for me to take her to Cato NY tomorrow for some motocross racing.
Before - stock plastic and graphics
After - dressed up and looking pretty for the ball
The Shop
Thats gonna be a no from me, dawg
I am aware that an electric motor does not have a powerband......just wondering about the fun factor and possibly making it funner......Imagine giving it half throttle to spool the motor up.......then dumping the "clutch" ?????
The look is certainly different, it's that way when things are new no one likes them because it is a change from the norm. As time goes by the other stuff looks old and the new looks proper. I'm in the auto business and I see it year after year with new models, especially truck styling rejection, right now people are hating on the new Ford's, because they are the newest.
How has the spring change felt for you?
I love the idea of riding more frequently, don't we all. I notice you haven't been posting as much, when the rest of us are on the interweb at the end of a day you are riding without having to load up the truck and drive. Priceless.
it'll probably be my next bike…hoping for a slight decrease in price & increase in battery duration.
.....Says the guy with the username abomination ha ha
Pit Row
I'm in the suburbs of Atlanta. Our riding spots have basically vanished in the last 10 years. Thank God for Highland Park Resort still existing.
I have several areas that I could ride, within a reasonable distance, on an electric bike.
I had the chance to test one out at milestone for the first time. The bike is such a blast to ride and I'd easily be competitive on it with some tweaks. I had two complaints. First, the suspension on the test bike I rode was crap. The 4cs forks are garbage, and the shock was just ok. If they go with the AER 48 the bike will be much better. Second, there was a lot of "play" in the throttle on all 3 of the demo bikes I rode. One time I laid the bike over in a turn because I was expecting that instant reaction of power from a minute twist of my hand (that instant reaction you get from a cable throttle that's properly adjusted) , but there was an excess amount of play, just like a very loosely adjusted cable throttle on our gas bikes.
The power is amazing. The bike just pulls and pulls and pulls, the kind of power that puts a smile on your face. Map 2 is enough for most riders put there. Map 4 is just ludicrous, tire spinning power that probably wouldn't be necessary. I don't see why you would want to mimic the torque curve of a gas bike because the best thing about an electric motor is that instant, smooth power. There is a literal linear connection between throttle % and power output with the electric motor.
Here's a clip during one of my sillier sessions: https://www.instagram.com/p/BY3eA4jgk2t/
Does the engine require any new parts over time or is it fairly maintenance free?
There is no clutch or gears.
There is a kill button on the right side of the handlebars, and a key on the left hand side of the bike. The display flashes when the throttle is live when you are stopped or going less than 3 mph, to, well, let you know it is live.
This thing is a blast to ride, and as I have said before, I can ride it right out of my workshop and on the track in the woods behind my house, at any time of the day, because no one can hear me. I have raced it in several races and it is very competitive. I have ridden more in the last 3 months I have owned this bike than at any other time in my life, except for maybe when I was about 9 years old and my parents gave me a 1974 Honda XR75 for Christmas - I rode the wheels off of that bike!
Spring change? I put heavier springs on it, both front and rear, and it works way better for me, a 220 pound 51 year old B rider. I can charge harder now with more confidence. With the stock suspension, it seemed good at some tracks, while at others it held me back some. I still don't "send it" on some jumps, but that is more the self-preservation side of me, not the bike.
Top speed? I don't know, but way fast enough for any motocross or GP race I have done. The display does show you MPH, but when I get going fast I don't feel comfortable looking down to see how fast I am going. Maybe this week I will do a speed run on smooth pavement for my own curiosity.
Maintenance? None, beyond the normal consumables, such a tires and grips because I tip over occasionally. Once the riding season ends here, I will replace the chain and sprockets, and put on new brake pads, and grease some stuff, but besides that, there is no real maintenance. I have read that there is a small amount of oil in the gearbox that you need to replace after 500 hours, and that the battery is good for 1000 charges. Based upon this, and how much I ride the bike, I might have to replace the oil in 7-8 years, and the battery in 10 years! :-)
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