- Redshift SM – Alta Motorcycles
Range: 60 Miles
Source: Alta Motors
Alta has two offerings. The Redshift MX is for offroading and the Redshift SM is meant for fun on the streets. Both use the same electric engine, and both share a lot of the same parts, but they differ in their roles and performance greatly. The Redshift SM is born and bred for the streets. It’s probably best suited to someone who lives in a city and is unable to commute using public transportation. This is an environmentally and fun way to get from place to place in that situation.
It’s true that the electric engine only produces 40 horsepower. But there’s something about riding a bike closer to the edge of what it can produce that feels kind of special. It’s difficult to get an 180 horsepower superbike to every really test itself, but with something like the Redshift SM, you can get it to the point where it’s straining at the edge of its power. The top speed is 80 miles per hour, so it is certainly within reach of a driver.
Source: Alta Motors
The charge time on the Redshift SM is kind of disappointing. Charging such a small engine from a level 2 charger takes 6 hours! Considering some of the bikes on this list take ½ or ⅓ of the time, that’s not great. Considering other bikes offer quick charge options that can bring charging time down to 30 minutes, it’s especially disappointing. The electric battery is exposed in the design of the motorcycle but is waterproof to any reasonable degree. Don’t go driving it off of a bridge and into a lake. Otherwise, it should be able to handle any situation.
The price of the Redshift SM comes in at around $15,495. This is pretty reasonable for what it is. It’s a solid city bike that will let you get around to your commute or your errands. So long as you’re not planning any long weekend excursions, then you are looking pretty good!
