Well I have had about 10 hours on the new MXR. First thing to say is I love it! I have had quite a few KTM 350’s 4t’s and 250’s 2t’s. Currently on 17’ 250xc will be keeping. And would pick the Alta as my weapon of choice everytime. If it weren’t for the range. We had a club event this past weekend that was a great setting to test the Alta’s range. We had some loops we were riding to see who could ride the loops twice and get the closest times without time keeping gear. We call it the “best guess”. My plan was to ride a reasonable pace and see if I could do the 2 laps without charging. Well that did not happen. I rode very conservatively till about 14 miles the loop was 18 total. At 14 miles I was a hair over 1/2 battery probably 14.5mph average speed. Was a mixture of tight single track, flowing single track and some gravel road transfer sections. I did not go crazy on the roads just putted them. At 15miles one of the guys I like to ride with went by me. Well so much for battery watching and 14.5mph. Went probably 17-18mph last 3 miles chasing my friend. Was funny he never looked back and I was right on his rear wheel. Well when I got to the truck after the first lap I was at 1/4 battery. So I used 1/4 battery in 3.5miles running at my more favorite pace. Amazing to me the difference in power needed between 14.5 and 17mph. Oh yes all in mode 1. Not a lot of wheel spin either was concentrating on that even at the higher speed.
So what to do? I brought a Honda 2000 generator and the new fast charger. I had a cord setup to feed 120v to it and had planned to charge for exactly one hour. Which I tested at home to give me about 1/4 battery back. So I did that and after an hour I was back to 1/2 battery. My kid and a few of my fellow club members that I like to ride with had already started their second laps. I knew I would maybe make the 18miles with 1/2 battery but it would be in the area where the dash turns red and the battery indicator is empty. Still haven’t run it all the way to dead yet. Well going the speed needed to stretch the 1/2 to 18miles again didn’t seem that much fun. I had already learned what i needed to. So I rode the 8mile short course which was part of the same 18mile course but most of the good tight stuff and really no road sections. I figured I could just go as fast as I wanted with 1/2 battery and make it. And I did. Probably averaged around 17mph never looked at the battery indicator not even once. Got to the truck with a sliver of battery like as low as it shows blinking. And that’s pretty much every ride when I push it and ride hard. Doesn’t matter terrain or mode. One hour is what you get trail/enduro style riding. There will be some battery left but you will be in find the truck mode.
So in conclusion I have enjoyed everything about the new Alta. The fit and finish, the suspension, the new riding style I have with it.
Basically everything but the battery life. You are constantly worrying about it. So I will only use the Alta as designed on motocross tracks. I do a few a year. And play rides around my house that aren’t very long. But all of the off-road events we do it won’t work at. Maybe some of the sprint enduros could work if the loops are short enough and you have a 220v generator and enough time between loops.
Oh well I love it still, will be dual-sporting it for short trips to the store. Since no vibration it is actually awesome on the tarmac as well. Way better than the 500exc I use to have. I’m hoping someday for 15kwh battery at same weight and size. Then the 250 can go.
So what to do? I brought a Honda 2000 generator and the new fast charger. I had a cord setup to feed 120v to it and had planned to charge for exactly one hour. Which I tested at home to give me about 1/4 battery back. So I did that and after an hour I was back to 1/2 battery. My kid and a few of my fellow club members that I like to ride with had already started their second laps. I knew I would maybe make the 18miles with 1/2 battery but it would be in the area where the dash turns red and the battery indicator is empty. Still haven’t run it all the way to dead yet. Well going the speed needed to stretch the 1/2 to 18miles again didn’t seem that much fun. I had already learned what i needed to. So I rode the 8mile short course which was part of the same 18mile course but most of the good tight stuff and really no road sections. I figured I could just go as fast as I wanted with 1/2 battery and make it. And I did. Probably averaged around 17mph never looked at the battery indicator not even once. Got to the truck with a sliver of battery like as low as it shows blinking. And that’s pretty much every ride when I push it and ride hard. Doesn’t matter terrain or mode. One hour is what you get trail/enduro style riding. There will be some battery left but you will be in find the truck mode.
So in conclusion I have enjoyed everything about the new Alta. The fit and finish, the suspension, the new riding style I have with it.
Basically everything but the battery life. You are constantly worrying about it. So I will only use the Alta as designed on motocross tracks. I do a few a year. And play rides around my house that aren’t very long. But all of the off-road events we do it won’t work at. Maybe some of the sprint enduros could work if the loops are short enough and you have a 220v generator and enough time between loops.
Oh well I love it still, will be dual-sporting it for short trips to the store. Since no vibration it is actually awesome on the tarmac as well. Way better than the 500exc I use to have. I’m hoping someday for 15kwh battery at same weight and size. Then the 250 can go.
