The short answer
Alta Motors is gone, and has been since 18 October 2018. It is not on hiatus, not being revived, not sold under a new name. If you are asking whether you can buy an Alta electric dirt bike today, the answer is: only used, only with no factory support of any kind, and only if you understand what that means.
But Alta is worth more than a one-line "no," because its bikes were genuinely great and its collapse is one of the most instructive stories in electric off-road. Alta did not fail because its product was bad. It failed because its money ran out — weeks after a partner walked, while it was still taking race podiums. That distinction matters, and it is the reason this page exists.
What Alta built
Alta — founded as BRD Motorcycles in 2010, renamed Alta Motors in 2014 — made the Redshift, and for a few years it was the most competitive electric motocross bike on the planet. The company had real pedigree behind it: Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard sat on its advisory board, and the bikes raced credibly against gas machines rather than in a novelty class.
The 2018 line, at its launch prices:
| Redshift MX | Redshift MXR | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 launch MSRP | $10,995 | $11,995 |
| Power | 42 hp | 50 hp |
| Weight | 265 lb | 259 lb |
| Seat height | 37 in | 37.5 in |
| Top speed | 65 mph | 65 mph |
Those are 2018 prices for a company that no longer exists. They are a historical record, not a current market value, and you should never treat them as what an Alta is "worth" today — a used price is set entirely by condition and battery health now, not by a defunct MSRP. The full range ran Redshift MX, MXR, EX, EXR and SM; a street-legal SMR was registered with regulators but never shipped, and the Redshift ST was a 2017 prototype only.
Why it failed — the part worth learning from
The cause is unambiguous, and it is a money story, not a machine story.
- March 2018 — Harley-Davidson announces an investment in Alta. This was the validation that was supposed to fund the jump to real production volume.
- ~September 2018 — Harley breaks off the deal, roughly six months in, and instead announces its own Silicon Valley EV R&D facility.
- October 2018 — the fallback collapses. Negotiations with BRP (the Ski-Doo / Can-Am parent) for a cash injection do not close.
- 18 October 2018 — Alta suspends operations, cites financial difficulties, and lets its staff go. It had taken a podium at Reno EnduroCross just weeks earlier.
- Early 2019 — BRP buys Alta's assets and patents out of the wreckage, and states plainly that it does not intend to revive the brand.
Alta bet its runway on Harley, and Harley walked. When the validation money evaporated and the backup didn't materialise, a company that was still winning races had no path to its next round and folded within weeks. It is one of the clearest cases in the industry of a funding failure rather than a product failure — and a reminder that in a capital-hungry business, the best bike in the room does not always survive the boardroom.
So can you still buy one?
Yes — used, and only with clear eyes. The bikes are still out there, still ridden, and still loved by the people who own them. But understand exactly what you are and are not getting:
- No warranty. There is no company to honour one.
- No factory parts. BRP owns the patents and is not selling Redshift spares. Consumables and repairs depend on a small owner community and third-party specialists.
- The battery is the whole risk. Alta's pack and proprietary electronics are the components most likely to fail and the hardest to replace. A used Alta with a healthy, documented battery is a very different purchase from a cheap one that needs cells — and telling them apart takes real diligence. Our used electric dirt bike guide covers how to check battery health before you buy.
Treat a used Alta as an enthusiast project, bought by someone who wants that specific bike and accepts the support risk — not as a practical daily rider you can lean on. For most people asking the question, the honest advice is to admire the Redshift and buy something you can still get parts for.
What to buy instead — the bikes that carried the idea forward
Alta proved a competitive electric motocross bike was possible. The companies still standing built on that proof:
- Stark Varg — the purpose-built electric race 450 Alta was reaching toward, now in production and supported.
- Sur-Ron Storm Bee — a full-size electric moto with the deep parts and dealer network Alta never got to build.
- Dust Moto Hightail — an American-made full-size machine, the closest current spiritual successor to Alta's ambition.
The bottom line
What happened to Alta Motors? It built the best electric dirt bikes of its moment and ran out of money in October 2018, weeks after Harley-Davidson walked away and while it was still on race podiums. BRP owns the remains and will not revive the brand. You can still buy a used Redshift, and it can still be a wonderful bike — but with no warranty, no factory parts, and the battery as an ever-present risk, it is a purchase for enthusiasts who want that bike, not for anyone who needs a machine they can service and rely on. The idea Alta proved is alive and for sale — it just wears a Stark, Sur-Ron or Dust Moto badge now.
VoltRipper is independent — we do not sell any bike, and we assign no VoltRipper Score to Alta, which no longer manufactures. All Alta prices above are 2018 launch figures for a defunct company, recorded as history and not as current market values. Affiliate disclosure is included on monetized pages.
FAQ
Does Alta Motors still make electric dirt bikes?
No. Alta Motors suspended operations on 18 October 2018 and never resumed. BRP acquired its assets, including patents, out of the wreckage in early 2019 and explicitly said it would not revive the brand. There is no manufacturer, no warranty, and no factory parts channel. Alta is a historical company, not a current option.
What happened to Alta Motors?
Alta bet its runway on a Harley-Davidson investment announced in March 2018. Harley broke off the deal about six months later and redirected to its own in-house EV effort. A fallback cash injection from BRP did not close, and Alta folded within weeks — while still taking race podiums. It was a funding failure, not a product failure, which is exactly why the story is worth telling.
Can you still buy an Alta Redshift?
Only used, and only with real caution. The bikes were genuinely excellent — the 2018 Redshift MX and MXR — but there is no factory warranty, no official parts supply, and no manufacturer support of any kind. Batteries and proprietary electronics are the risk: if something fails, you are relying on a small owner community and third-party specialists, not a dealer. Treat any used Alta as an enthusiast project, not a daily rider.
How much did an Alta Redshift cost?
At launch in 2018, the Redshift MX was $10,995 and the more powerful MXR was $11,995. Those are 2018 prices for a company that no longer exists — they are not a current market value. Used prices today are set entirely by condition, battery health and the owner market, and a running example with a healthy battery is worth far more than a cheap one that needs cells.