Alta Motors teases electric street tracker — commuting can be loads of fun

By Bruce Brown January 29, 2017

The small world of serious all-electric motorcycles may gain a new citizen and it could be one of the sweetest yet. San Francisco-based Alta Motors told Autoblog the company is bringing a street tracker Redshift ST concept bike at The One Moto Show in Portland, Oregon in early February.

A street tracker is a street-legal version of a flat track racer, a relatively lightweight, powerful, low-slung motorcycle designed for racing on oval dirt tracks – which traditionally means sliding sideways (going counter-clockwise) around the track as fast as you can for four laps. Alta Motors launched the company’s first two models, the $15,000 RedShift MX (motocross) and $15,500 street-legal version Redshift SM (supermoto), in August. If Alta brings the ST to market, the lightweight electric’s appeal could be significantly broader.

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The ST concept has a lowered frame that brings the seat height to 31.5 inches. That height means most adults will be able to sit comfortably at stop signs and stoplights. The MX’s and SM’s 37-inch and 35.5-inch seat heights, respectively, can literally be a stretch for some riders. When Digital Trends tested the Redshift SM, the 5-foot-10 reviewer couldn’t put his feet flat on the ground when in the saddle.

Alta hasn’t released the ST’s battery power or drivetrain specifications. If the company sticks with the setup used with the MX and SM, with a 5.8kWh battery pack and a 40 hp motor with 120 ft-lbs of torque, the range will still be about 50 miles and it will top out at around 80 mph. Like other electric vehicles, however, the RedShift’s acceleration with 28 ft-lbs of instant torque from a standing start will surprise first-time drivers and riders, especially because it’s all so quiet.

Alta isn’t talking price or making a commitment to actually take the sweet street bike into production. If production does get the green flag, however, the ST won’t be available before 2018, Alta told Autoblog. The price will likely be about the same as the other models, however, so guessing $15,500, like the RedShift SM, could be close to the mark.

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