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Just a few months since its first motorcycle, the Redshift, became available to the US market, Alta Motors is set to roll out a new concept model. Inspired by flat track machines, the Street Tracker is conceived as a road-legal battery-powered motorcycle built around the Redshift platform.
Californian startup Alta Motors spent six years setting up a production facility, organizing a dealer network, and developing its first model from the ground up ahead of its market launch in 2016. The Redshift is a lightweight electric off-road motorcycle available in a motocross (MX) and a street-legal supermoto (SM) version.
The American company builds the motorcycle's engine, frame and battery cases in-house, as well as all the electronic gear tasked with controlling the motor's 40 hp (29.8 kW) power and 122 lb-ft (165 Nm) torque output. These are complemented by equipment outsourced from industry leading brands, like WP suspensions and Brembo brakes.
Is there a market for silent motorcycles?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Sunday April 09 2017, @07:27AM (2 children)
So: I don't see silent as a problem. Cars are soundproof enough that you generally don't hear other vehicles anyway. The problem is a different one.
I don't ride a motorcycle, but I have commuted by bicycle quite a lot. While some motorists were a problem, even as a bicyclist I have to say that the biggest danger to bicyclists is: bicyclists doing stupid things, like squeezing between or alongside cars, where drivers have no reason to expect them.
Motorcyclists do the same things, only at higher speeds. "White lining", for example, is a stupid idea, because lane-changing cars aren't expecting it. When traffic is stopped at a traffic light, whipping around the traffic and pulling up in front of the first car: if the light turns green at the wrong moment, or "right turn on red" is legal, that can go very wrong. Just because a motorcycle (or bicycle) is narrow is no excuse not to occupy and use lanes normally.
Silent motorcycles? Yes please. Same for cars - requiring noisemakers is no different from requiring people with bells to walk in front of the first automobiles. Noise is also pollution.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday April 09 2017, @11:22AM
Well, Bradley, I used to think very much the same as you, regarding "filtering". In California and most of Europe, it is legal, and expected. As a rule, the motorcycle should keep it's speed within about 20 mph of traffic, and he is totally responsible for moving safely through traffic. It works well. I do it, to some extent, my kid grew up with the idea, and he just does it without any special consideration.
But, you're right. I've seen it go horribly wrong. I watched a bike zip right past me on my bike, he misjudged the clearance between two cars, caught his big D-ring engine protector and flipped it. He got off lightly - the girl on the back skidded down the road a ways on her face. That one happened on Sunrise Highway on Long Island, I think it was the fourth accident I attended after getting my EMT diploma. Ugly.
(Score: 2) by dry on Monday April 10 2017, @02:04AM
There's something to say about noise. When I used to ride a bicycle, I listened as much as looked for traffic. Now that I drive, I have a rural driveway on a somewhat blind corner, I always roll the window down so I can hear a car/truck coming, especially if it is speeding. It helps. Last year I had an idiot pass me on the left as I initiated a left turn (and yes I was signalling and the signal worked when I checked after finishing the turn), would have been a nasty accident with my door t-boned if I hadn't heard him.