Tag Archives: Curtiss Motorcycles

This handcrafted all-electric cruise motorcycle is the Tesla of the bike world!

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Vintage bikes never lose their charm, and when a brand has managed to survive more than a century, there’s a lot of unrivaled history associated with the bike building process. Curtiss Motorcycles shares that very domineering legacy with its heritage going back to its founder, Glenn Curtiss, who started his motorcycle building dream back in 1902. Formerly under Confederate Motors, the Alabama-based motorcycle manufacturer has history on its side when in 1907, Glenn broke the world record, clocking a speed of 136.6 mph on his classic V8 motorcycle.

That very influence honed by the sublime design and powertrain drives the Curtiss Motorcycles’ design language’ the One all-electric motorbike. Deciding to infuse electric motorcycles’ DNA into the brand, they embarked on taking up all-electric motorcycle manufacturing in 2017 in collaboration with Zero Motorcycles. The One results from that amalgam – making it the logical progression in the brand’s last 115 years. According to the design team at Curtiss Motorcycles, “we seek understanding of what the ancients got right, what they got wrong, and what they did not yet know. To this end, an appreciation and sensitivity to the past, without a prostration to it, carries a responsibility to innovate.” To make it memorable, only 15 such limited edition bikes will be made under the Founder’s Edition for a price tag of $115,000 –with deliveries beginning this summer. Consequently, the motorbike’s standard version will also be made, limited to only 100 units each year and costing $81,000 each.

The bike is a speed demon at its heart even though it is an electric motorcycle other than the obvious charming looks. Thanks to the central power axis and the concentric belt direct final drive, the axial flux motor’s power (120hp) is instantaneously delivered to the wheels. That means quick acceleration no matter what speed the bike is at. Curtiss Motorcycles offers an effortless, smooth, noiseless, and comfortable ride courtesy of the controlled suspension having optimum springing and damping for any bumpy roads. At 425 pounds, it is one of the lightest machines with a low center of gravity for peak handling and maneuvering. Clearly, the One has an undeniable cool design matched with a performance that only a few cruise bikes can match, making it a one to add to your bike collection!

Designer: Curtiss Motorcycles

1907’s world’s fastest motorbike gets the revamp of the century

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A hundred and eleven years after their founder Glenn Curtiss developed his legendary land-speed record-breaking V8 bike in 1907, the people at Curtiss Motorcycles (formerly known as Confederate Motorcycles before they rebranded their image) redesigned it for the modern age. Called the Hera, this absolute stunner of an e-bike is all set to make its debut in 2020, and these are the first production-ready images.

The Hera bases itself almost entirely on the layout of the original V8, but replaces the V8 engine with an 8-piece battery pack arranged in the V formation, with an E-twin motor right beneath the seat. The design is also obviously 2020-appropriate, with a neat Oreo color-scheme (that’s designer-lingo for black and white) and with looks that could kill. I’d just personally be worried about the white battery pack at the base which would get dusty immediately after its first ride. However, we’ve still got till 2020 for the Hera to premiere so maybe we’ll see some changes then!

Designer: Curtiss Motorcycles

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The all-electric Hot Rod God!

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Designed with some rather unbeatable specs and an aesthetic that I can only describe as unusual, the Zeus from Curtiss Bikes is well worthy of the title of the “Most Innovative Motorcycle of the Year” given to it by the Quail Motorcycle Gathering.

The Zeus is an all-powerful, all-electric hot rod concept prototype with an estimated output of around 170 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque, which could make it one of the most powerful e-Bikes to ever roll of the line if it hits production. This is achieved by the fact that the bike uses two electric motors to drive a single shaft, something the company calls e-twin technology.

As powerful as the electric bike may be, it is, however, the aesthetic that grabbed my eye, with its redistribution of bulk and its use of basic geometry that one fails to notice at first glance, given how stunning the bike looks. Keeping things bottom heavy, the bike comes with all the mass near one’s feet as the area where one would expect a fuel tank, remains relatively empty. Even the seat itself is a slim horizontal member, ending well before the rear wheel which sports a monoshock suspension.

According to the makers, the Curtiss Motorcycle Company, Zeus represents the first of many all-electric American hot rod motorcycles the company plans to introduce over the next several years. Owing to its conceptual prototype status, details are scant at this point, but if the final model looks anything like the concept prototype before us, it’s surely an eye-catcher!

Designer: Curtiss Motorcycle Company

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