Hare Scramble

[WoodsWeapon]

Today I hare scrambled my 17 Redshift MX. I started with a 100% full battery, minus a 200 foot ride to the start area, and race +40A. With a dead engine start, it of course ripped the holeshot easily. At 1 hour 21 minutes I was stuck on the side of the trail without any power left at all. However when I looked at the screen, it was in map 3. I intended to keep it in 2 and was pretty sure I could make the end, but somehow, at some point, it got switched into 3. Our races are 1 1/2 hours to the leader, so Ill have to try again.

 

[snydes]

So close! I can see the need for some way to lock in a particular map for racing. Too easy to accidentally bump it into the wrong map and too hard to see the map number on the display in a race situation.

 

[Philip]

With a dead engine start, it of course ripped the holeshot easily.

I laughed so hard when I read this!

 

[Philip]

Yes, we definitely need a bigger map indicator on the display. I can't really slow down and lean in during the race to read it. That one digit is too small. It should be at least as big as the speedometer. BIGGER than the speedometer on the MX and MXR models, who needs a speedometer on these anyway.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

There was a photographer there, hopefully he got pictures of it. I talked to the promoter afterwards and he said I was around the barrel, about 100 yds away before half of my line was even running. We both expected protests and complaining, but it never happened. Probably because I didnt beat anybody.

 

[Philip]

There is a weekly "Iron Man" 1-hour hare scramble-type race at one of the tracks in the northern Ohio. Once a month though, it is 1.5 hours long. A friend with an MXR entered and rode it in Map 1 for an hour and 15 minutes. I should try it too, but not when it is 1.5 hours long. They also have a start with the engine off, LOL!

 

[allesad]

FYI, you can ride the Alta with no mode switch. Set the bike in the mode you want then remove the switch. You'll be locked into that mode. Mine is setup that way, it works. Or, just gorilla tape the switch so it won't move.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

Interesting. Switch removal sounds like the plan of attack next time.

 

[Oded]

How do you accidently push the map buttons? Just move it towards the center of the handle bar or something..

 

[snydes]

Interesting. Switch removal sounds like the plan of attack next time.

The most convenient thing then would be to just leave it on the bars, disconnect it, and then plug it back in after the race. Great piece of advice @allesad !

 

[Philip]

Our backflipper probably now wishes he had removed or disconnected that map switch.

 

[snydes]

Our backflipper probably now wishes he had removed or disconnected that map switch.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

Im guessing one of the times I laid it down, yaeh that happens often to woods racers, and picked it up I must have hit it.
Moving it inward on the bars isnt much of an option due to them being tapered.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

Epic holeshot.

 

[Oded]

Moving it inward on the bars isnt much of an option due to them being tapered.

You can also rotate the buttons console, so they face down. Less chance of them being accidently pressed.

 

[WoodsWeapon]

Theres a few things Ill try moving forward. I just didnt think it was gonna happen so didnt bother worrying about it until now. I dont recall ever hitting the estart on my ktm by mistake, or the kill switch, so didnt give this much thought.

 

[unplggdd]

I'm new to the forum but anyone have a guess on whether or not the MXR under the same exact conditions would last longer? If so, any guess on how much longer.

I REALLY wanna pull the trigger on the MXR but have no evidence confirming that it'll go a full 2hrs in hare scramble conditions.

I'm a Senior A rider. 225lbs with gear. Racing the Florida Trail Riders series.

 

[bluefxstc]

I have an EX so temper what I say with that, but it depends on how much you twist your right wrist. The battery packs are the same size on all the bikes. The MXR has a pack and map programming that can deliver more current that the standard pack which makes it quicker to accelerate, but also means you can drain the pack faster. Under the "same exact conditions" meaning weight, speed, acceleration, vertical, sand, mud, hard pack..., the performance of all the models will be about the same. Since the motor and gearbox is the same in all the bikes (I believe) the amount of energy required to do any particular thing, accelerate, distance, climb..., is about the same. In a lab setting the EX, because of lights, will be minimally lower, but lights account for less than 50W per hour so out of a 5,800 W pack that is really small, basically insignificant.

 

[unplggdd]

Great info. I thought the battery was able to last a bit longer on the MXR for some reason.

 

[bluefxstc]

Not to my knowledge, but not an Alta expert. A watt is basically the potential to do work, so absent a change in the efficiency of the drive train, electronics, motor or gearbox, 5.8kw of energy does that much work regardless of the source. Alta states that the MXR pack can deliver more power, but that is instantaneous delivery, not over all quantity. That results in faster acceleration but not more range, though if you use the watts in acceleration you don't have them for range. Given that the drive train on the bike probably has an efficiency of 85-95% ( 100% educated guess) not much to gain there, so if we want increased range, we have to wait for better batteries. More power (watts) in the same package or weight.