Alta Motors Proves Everyone Wrong About Capability of Electric Bikes
Alta Motors is gaining speed on Zero Motrocycles with their lightweight electric motorcycles, especially their flagship Redshift that is doing some serious damage to gas-powered bikes on the race tracks.
(Image: Crunchbase)
Home for former BRD Motorcycles is Silicon Valley, the leading hub and start-up ecosystem for venture capital firms, with neighbours like Apple, Facebook, Google, Netflix, eBay, and Google. With the air of innovation hovering around the southern part of the San Fransisco Bay Area, it is no wonder these great minds think alike, equally successful in finance and creativity.
Two years ago, the company managed to raise over US$17 million of funds, including from Tesla co-founders Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard in a $4.5 million Series A.
(Image: Autoevolution)
Alta’s founders, friends Derek Dorresteyn and Jeff Sand, said that they never set out to make an electric motorcycle, but to make a bike that would make riders of all skill levels better. They further explained, “After considering every angle of available technology, we realized that an electric motor would perform best.” With the rider having total control with linear and immediate power delivery, the Alta team designed the rest of the components around the battery after deciding on an electric power source.
Batteries and electric vehicle technology has progressed at incredible rates in recent years, they said, although people still do not believe that an electric motorcycle can go against a gas-powered bike.
However, this has been disproven soon enough.
(Image: Motorcycle.com)
At the Geneva Supercross, Alta Motors made history with British 26-year-old Josh Hill as he mounted the company’s Redshift MX and won against “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) Ricky Carmichael with an overall 3-2. This was the first time in the world of motorcycle racing that an all-electric bike competed, and won, against a gas bike on a supercross track. Even more astonishing is the fact that the Redshift MX that Hill rode was an outsourced, year-old stock that he had to swap in his own suspension.
“We designed, manufactured and raced a bike we thought could challenge the best incumbents,” said CEO of Alta Motors, Marc Fernigstein, “and are so grateful to have Josh Hill as an early adopter make electric bike history and prove us right.”The Redshift actually comes in three models: the street-legal Redshift SM, trail-ready motocross, Redshift MX, and supermoto Redshift EX. A new addition to the family, a street tracker called the Redshift ST, a lowered subframe and sear as well as flat track wheels. The ST model was exhibited at the One Moto Show early this year in Portland, Oregon.
Redshift EX
Redshift MX
Redshift SM
Redshift ST
Quite recently, Alta announced that they have signed Ty Tremaine, renowned professional rider in the Enducross field, to compete with their Redshift EX in endure events.
Young Tremaine said that after he saw pros like Josh Hill and Kurt Nicoll race Alta’s bikes, “I was intrigued but sceptical. It wasn’t until testing the bike that I became truly impressed with how well it handled and the potential for racing.”
Alluding to his high ambitions just like many other riders, he said “he decision to sign with Alta was easy.”
Tremaine would be racing in the 2018 Endurocross series, Kenda AMA Tennessee Knockout and other sprint endure events across North America aboard the Redshift EX.
“We’re also very excited to share the Redshift platform with Ty Tremaine,” Fernigstein said, “to see what we can do together in 2018.”