flintpunk
Well-known member
- Likes
- 46
- Location
- Flint, Michigan
Hi,
I'm Alex, I'm from Michigan and I just bought my first Alta. It's a 2018 MXR that I bought from a good friend. The bike only has 300 miles on it, came with the fast charger, and I gave $7700 for it all...seemed like a decent price. I'm 52 and come from a LONG background of racing. I've been at this since I was 8. I took a few years off before I could get my hips replaced but I've been back at it solidly for the last 10. Last year I won the state championship in 200B enduro on my YZ125. I like racing MX, Hare Scrambles, Enduro, and Sprint Enduros.
I live in the country outside of Flint, Michigan and for the past 24 years I've had a 1.6 mile practice course which includes natural terrain grass track, flowing woods, A-loop woods, and motocross sections. Recently, I've had a neighbor that complained to the township about the noise from my track. Early this season, I confronted him, told him I was a reasonable person and that he should have come to me with his concerns before going to the authorities. He agreed and we came to the agreement that when the noise got to be too much for him, he would come over to the trackside and wave us off. Seemed reasonable. More recently, I found out that he's been asking other neighbors about their feelings on the track. It seems like he's really trying to shut me down, so when my friend told me he was selling his Alta, I jumped on it. It seems like the perfect solution.
Yesterday morning I went out for an hour and put my first time on the bike. I am in love! This bike is revolutionary in much the same way that my first Husaberg back in 1993 was. When I first rode the Husaberg, I knew it was a game changer. The 230 pound, 60 horsepower 4-stroke that could run with a CR500 was going to make 4-strokes viable for competition. At the time, the only REAL 4-strokes were the Honda XRs and the KTM LC4s. They were both heavy and not competitive in a 2-stroke world. The Alta is the first of its kind and it will be a game changer too. I predict once the Japanese are on board, the sport will again change.
Being that I am predominantly and endurance racer, the Alta has its limitations with respect to battery availability, swap time, and life. However, I MAY be able to compete in the District 14 Sprint Enduro Series if I charge between tests and run in Mode 1. Yesterday's practice session was done mostly in Mode 1 just to see how feasible this would be. As it turns out, Mode 1 feels very similar to racing my 125 and if I can get the run time I'm looking for, I think the bike will work.
I'm blown away by the quality and performance of the Alta. I will definitely keep it around for a while! It's incredible how much you can focus on your form while riding it. I know this bike will make me a better rider. I'm a rider that's extremely hard on back brakes in the tight woods. The regenerative "engine braking" in Mode 1 really helps me with that! In the tight woods, I noticed that I was braking much more by chopping the throttle and using the front. I use the same technique on my trials bike because it has a TON of compression braking.
I'm really disappointed that Alta didn't survive its financial woes. The potential of this bike is very clear. It would have been nice to see them take the next step to more cost effective and quickly changed batteries, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what the Japanese manufacturers come up with. Until then, I'm going to ride this bike to death! It's an amazing machine!
I'm excited to be a member of this group. Thanks for having me!
Alex Mangani, #245
Owner, Impact Cycle Sports
Flint, Michigan USA
I'm Alex, I'm from Michigan and I just bought my first Alta. It's a 2018 MXR that I bought from a good friend. The bike only has 300 miles on it, came with the fast charger, and I gave $7700 for it all...seemed like a decent price. I'm 52 and come from a LONG background of racing. I've been at this since I was 8. I took a few years off before I could get my hips replaced but I've been back at it solidly for the last 10. Last year I won the state championship in 200B enduro on my YZ125. I like racing MX, Hare Scrambles, Enduro, and Sprint Enduros.
I live in the country outside of Flint, Michigan and for the past 24 years I've had a 1.6 mile practice course which includes natural terrain grass track, flowing woods, A-loop woods, and motocross sections. Recently, I've had a neighbor that complained to the township about the noise from my track. Early this season, I confronted him, told him I was a reasonable person and that he should have come to me with his concerns before going to the authorities. He agreed and we came to the agreement that when the noise got to be too much for him, he would come over to the trackside and wave us off. Seemed reasonable. More recently, I found out that he's been asking other neighbors about their feelings on the track. It seems like he's really trying to shut me down, so when my friend told me he was selling his Alta, I jumped on it. It seems like the perfect solution.
Yesterday morning I went out for an hour and put my first time on the bike. I am in love! This bike is revolutionary in much the same way that my first Husaberg back in 1993 was. When I first rode the Husaberg, I knew it was a game changer. The 230 pound, 60 horsepower 4-stroke that could run with a CR500 was going to make 4-strokes viable for competition. At the time, the only REAL 4-strokes were the Honda XRs and the KTM LC4s. They were both heavy and not competitive in a 2-stroke world. The Alta is the first of its kind and it will be a game changer too. I predict once the Japanese are on board, the sport will again change.
Being that I am predominantly and endurance racer, the Alta has its limitations with respect to battery availability, swap time, and life. However, I MAY be able to compete in the District 14 Sprint Enduro Series if I charge between tests and run in Mode 1. Yesterday's practice session was done mostly in Mode 1 just to see how feasible this would be. As it turns out, Mode 1 feels very similar to racing my 125 and if I can get the run time I'm looking for, I think the bike will work.
I'm blown away by the quality and performance of the Alta. I will definitely keep it around for a while! It's incredible how much you can focus on your form while riding it. I know this bike will make me a better rider. I'm a rider that's extremely hard on back brakes in the tight woods. The regenerative "engine braking" in Mode 1 really helps me with that! In the tight woods, I noticed that I was braking much more by chopping the throttle and using the front. I use the same technique on my trials bike because it has a TON of compression braking.
I'm really disappointed that Alta didn't survive its financial woes. The potential of this bike is very clear. It would have been nice to see them take the next step to more cost effective and quickly changed batteries, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what the Japanese manufacturers come up with. Until then, I'm going to ride this bike to death! It's an amazing machine!
I'm excited to be a member of this group. Thanks for having me!
Alex Mangani, #245
Owner, Impact Cycle Sports
Flint, Michigan USA
