![]() “It’s a performance statement, and the potential is really broad.” “This is just the beginning,” the Alta Motors CEO told me. ![]() It’s hard to believe that anything this fun could be street legal! Beginners should be able to hop on and do slow figure eights without worrying about stalling, and those who want to kick things up at the track or on back roads should thoroughly enjoy themselves. I learned to ride on a Suzuki 250 many years ago, and I wish I had this bike back then. Hooked on that electric feelingįenigstein, a more experienced rider than myself, weaved in and out of traffic, but I had little trouble keeping up. ![]() Being that this was a supermoto, I could also see myself hopping curbs, though I refrained from doing so. On one wide open street, I got the front wheel up and I’m certain that passersby heard me whooping with joy inside my helmet. After dialing up the throttle map to level two, I did feel a difference in the powerband and engine braking. Traffic kept most of the Redshift’s power bottled up, but during brief clearings, I was able to push it. Pedestrians as well as other motorists were asking if the bikes were electric. One construction worker strode out into the middle of the street to discuss the bikes. Hot dog vendors, employees on their lunch breaks, and tourists stopped what they were doing to stare. In a city of millions who have seen it all, that’s no easy feat. Our bikes drew attention at every red light. The power is always there, and it came in handy when an errant bus drifted into my lane and I had to goose the throttle to speed past it. A gear reduction of 3.5:1 delivers 122 lb-ft at the counter shaft from zero rpm. The 30 kW Redshift motor weighs just 15 lbs and puts out 40 horsepower and 34 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel. When I did hit bumps in the road, the supermoto absorbed the impact nicely. It was remarkably easy to steer the 275-pound bike around potholes, people, aggressive cabbies, and ubiquitous NYC dogs. Now I had moving and stationary obstacles to deal with. We turned off the highway and headed into the heart of the city. It was a unique sound, though I think the low volume would take some getting used to. I could hear the gearset meshing in the 14,000-rpm water-cooled motor and I could hear the chain. My first impressions included, “Damn, that’s fast,” and, “Damn, that’s quiet.” It wasn’t completely silent, however. We turned onto the highway and I gunned the throttle. ![]() It’s remarkably easy to steer the bike around potholes, people, and aggressive cabbies Low speed maneuvering is key for these types of bikes, and according to Fenigstein, you can keep both feet on the pegs at a pace slower than walking speed. The SM - short for supermoto - is lightweight and narrow, making it easy to ride. It cuts a striking profile, but form follows function. The Redshift SM is one of the company’s first products, and it makes a bold statement. It was then I got my first glimpse at the Redshift SM. My eyes were immediately drawn to the exotic metal, which included offerings from Japan, Germany, and the U.S., but after a few minutes, Alta Motors CEO and co-founder Marc Fenigstein glided in on a red and white bike. I walked into the Classic Car Club in Manhattan, where floor-to-ceiling garage doors opened to views of the Hudson River. The Redshift SM can do it all just don’t forget a backup batteryĪs a lifelong gearhead with an aversion to change, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received an invitation from Alta Motors to try out one of their electric motorcycles.
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