New MX-R

[rayivers]

Great forum! Thanks much to Oded for the heads-up about it.

I just got my MX-R last week, from Hudson Valley MC in Ossining, NY. They're a very helpful and can-do dealership; based on my experiences so far, I'd recommend them highly.

I haven't taken the bike out yet, but I test-rode a '17 MX a while back and was very impressed. I've extensively modified my Zero and it works pretty well in the dirt now, but the Alta was in a league by itself.

I've been riding since '69, raced on & off till the early 80's.

Ray (Ivers)

 

[snydes]

Welcome Ray!
I’m supposed to be getting my MXR next week. I also did a demo in a ‘17 MX and was sold on them after that. Can’t wait to hear from more owners on how they like them.

Steve

 

[rayivers]

Thanks! I've been waiting for an electric MX bike like this since at least '07, so cool to finally have one.

Ray

 

[Oded]

Ray is an electric pro. His modification to the Zero FX are second to none.
I am just glad he didn't opt for the KTM Freeride E before the Redshift came out

 

[rayivers]

Aww shucks, Oded - thanks a bunch, seriously (you've been mighty busy doing mods yourself!). I'm glad I did most of the Zero stuff and it was a great learning experience, but nowadays I'll just recommend getting an Alta instead. +1 on the Freeride E (though if the price dropped significantly, it might make a good starter bike for younger and/or smaller riders).

Ray

 

[snydes]

I’m thinking KTM isn’t real happy with Alta at the moment.

 

[rayivers]

As long as the mod subject came up :^) here's a link to most of mine at the EMF site, in case any might be of interest to Alta owners:

'14 Zero FX mods

Ray

 

[Philip]

Welcome to the Alta Owners Forum, Ray!

As long as the mod subject came up :^) here's a link to most of mine at the EMF site, in case any might be of interest to Alta owners:

'14 Zero FX mods

Ray

WOW! LOL! That is an impressive list of mods on your Zero. But I see all of them (other than the throttle) are for things that are mechanical, not electrical. This makes me feel so grateful that I do not need to do all this work on my Alta.

 

[Philip]

Ray, do you think you could figure out a shorter throttle for the Alta? The stock throttle seems a bit long, it needs frequent re-gripping, and my right wrist gets tired at MX tracks too early.

 

[snydes]

As long as the mod subject came up :^) here's a link to most of mine at the EMF site, in case any might be of interest to Alta owners:

'14 Zero FX mods

Ray

Wow, that is quite a list of upgrades! Thanks for sharing!

 

[rayivers]

Thanks to all! It's great to be here, and I really appreciate the comments about the mods. Converting a Zero FX to dirt-only has been true job security.

This makes me feel so grateful that I do not need to do all this work on my Alta.

I feel the same! My Zero's been a lot of fun and it finally works OK in the dirt, but I spent so much time doing things I shouldn't have needed to (get decent suspension & stopping power, multiple bearing issues, playing 'web detective' to find OEM-equivalent parts, etc.) it'll be such a joy to just charge and ride.

Does anyone know the Alta throttle specs? The '14 Zero throttles (OEM Magura & Domino aftermarket) both use a 5Kohm linear-ish potentiometer, whose taper can be adjusted a bit with external resistances (or ideally replaced with an anti-log 5K, which will come on much quicker in the first part of the rotation). Later Zeros use Hall-effect throttle circuits, which I'm not familiar enough with to modify without a schematic or at least a wiring diagram (Zero provides an owner's manual, but nearly all technical info is dealer-only).

Ray

 

[Philip]

I think Alta is a black box for now. We would have to disassemble and reverse-engineer things.

I will poke the throttle with a multimeter next time I dig into the bike deep enough to reach its connectors.

Another option is to ask Alta. They still have engineers doing Tech support, so they will give clues.

 

[rayivers]

It would be great if there were replacement gearsets available for the throttle housing, like the cable cams in high-end ICE throttles. A one-tooth pinion change would probably make a huge difference in response (maybe even too much). I wonder if Alta dealers can now create/upload new throttle maps? Zero's currently working out the bugs of updating firmware via smartphone, guess it's just a matter of time before Alta does it too.

Ray

 

[Oded]

Unlike Zero, Alta are very responsive to customers questions.
They reply quickly with great detail.

 

[snydes]

Lets hope that continues!

 

[rayivers]

Philip, re the throttle - the MX-R's is quite large in diameter, one of the biggest I've seen (way bigger than the Magura & Domino electric throttles). The OD is larger than the Alta switch unit or grip ODs, with a bevel on the grip side. It looks different from the '17 MX throttle, at least in the pics I've seen, and turns about 65° total (a little less than the Domino). Perhaps it might be an upgrade for your bike.

Ray

 

[Philip]

I just compared the throttles on my old MX and my new MXR. They appear to be the same. Measured the angular travel -- exactly the same.

What I am hoping for is that, with 25% more available power, the end result will be that the MXR throttle will feel 25% quicker.

 

[rayivers]

Thanks for that info! I have a spare throttle on order, I'll check it out with a meter when it arrives. Maybe it'll work on my Zero.

On a side note... for those looking for MX-R type acceleration from their MX who can sacrifice some top end, 11/53 sprockets will give 578 ft/lbs torque & @ 65mph max speed, while 10/53 (or 5.3:1 if 10T n/a) would give 636 / 58 (MX-R is @ 650 / 70, MX is 530 / 70). Renthal's 292-520-11P F sprocket should fit.

Ray

 

[Philip]

On a side note... for those looking for MX-R type acceleration from their MX who can sacrifice some top end, 11/53 sprockets will give 578 ft/lbs torque & @ 65mph max speed, while 10/53 (or 5.3:1 if 10T n/a) would give 636 / 58 (MX-R is @ 650 / 70, MX is 530 / 70). Renthal's 292-520-11P F sprocket should fit.

Cool! Thank you for the idea and for the part numbers!

I did notice that the top speed of 70mph on my MX is a bit ridiculous. I have never exceeded 45mph at a motocross track. But I did not know 11-tooth front sprockets were available for purchase! What about 10-tooth sprockets?

If I try a 10-tooth sprocket on my MXR, it will feel like a 60hp bike up to 58mph, LOL!

 

[rayivers]

Sure, no problem at all!

I couldn't find a 10T sprocket online I was certain would fit, and was also unable to find a photo of a 292-520-11P (they are available, though). I did find a 292-520-13P pic (below):



Based on the above, I don't think 3 teeth could be removed from this sprocket and still leave adequate support, especially when worn (as they quickly will be). I could be wrong, though - I'll keep looking.

Ray