“Bespoke” is a term that gets thrown around liberally in the automotive and motorcycle industry. Used to describe everything from factory accessories to truly custom Rolls-Royce interiors, it’s easy to feel burned by the term, as true originality is sometimes lacking. In the case of Curtiss Motorcycles, however, its first (exorbitantly priced) model certainly looks the part.
The brand is calling it The 1 and it is aimed at luxury buyers with stylish aspirations. And it’s battery electric with a 217-hp axial flux motor, though Curtiss says this wasn’t just for performance reasons. In fact, the choice to go electric appears to complement the radical design and luxury aspects of The 1. With 120 miles of highway range, this isn’t exactly a road-trip-ready adventure bike, but it’s enough to make a leisurely round trip.
The company is claiming to be the “Tesla of Motorcycles,” partially due to its electric construction but also because of its projected customer base, which it calls the “smallest viable audience.” It’s also claiming that The 1 is marking a few historic firsts in the motorcycling industry.
Specifically, Curtiss says The 1 is the first motorcycle built with perfectly centered construction; the first to be made with precision-machined aircraft-grade billet aluminum and titanium; first to feature a full immersion, liquid-cooled battery pack; and the first to use a proprietary battery/radiator/backbone singularity.
Some of these claims can be disproven, given that brands like Warwick Moto and Indian startup Matter both claim to have previously produced a liquid-cooled battery motorcycle. Even so, the style of The 1 is uber cool and reminiscent of a drag bike mixed with Tron.
The history of Curtiss Motorcycles goes back to 1902, though it was most recently re-formed in 2016. Based in Leeds, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, the company is looking for investments at the moment, signaling that bikes like this are relatively expensive to hand-build.
“Curtiss is offering motorcycle and EV enthusiasts a unique opportunity to own a piece of the company and join us on our journey as the world’s leading electric motorcycle brand,” said Matt Chambers, CEO of Curtiss Motorcycle Co. “The electric motorcycle industry is poised for huge growth, and we are proud to be leading the charge.”
Brace yourself for the price: $120,000. Production will be limited to 120 motorcycles. In this rarefied air, these seem ready for the Quail Motorcycle Gathering.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 street parked in his South Brooklyn community.
