Michael Crider
You have a surprisingly wide array of choices if you want an all-electric motorcycle. It makes sense: the super-light, super-efficient design is already primed to maximize the benefits of electric over gas. But so far those choices have been limited to less comfy sport bikes and similar. Curtiss is changing that with the eye-catching One, a long, low cruiser bike.
With a frame that both emphasizes its electric guts and harkens back to early 20th century motorcycle design, the Curtiss One is visually stunning. The only thing more shocking is the price tag: it’ll cost you $115,000 to get in on the first 15-piece “Founders Edition” limited run, more than ten times the price of a base model Zero S. If you can wait for the 2022 run of 100 units, it’ll “only” cost you $81,000.
The bike’s frame is built around a 399-volt central power unit, placed where the base of the engine would go on a gas bike. It’ll output the equivalent of 217 horsepower, though it’s limited to 89 kilowatts (120 horsepower) for the sake of not laminating the rider to the nearest wall. The battery isn’t exposed: it has its own “crumple zone” of protection in case of said crash.
Other innovations include a super-slim design for comfy riding, a completely enclosed belt drive for reduced maintenance, fully-adjustable suspension, and a 425-pound weight—considerably less than the average Harley.
Curtiss doesn’t seem interested in sharing the range of this monster, but honestly, if you can afford it then you can afford to pay someone to drive behind you with a trailer full of batteries. Even if you’ll never be in the Curtiss target market, you can try out the different color and hardware combinations on the online builder. Just try to resist the urge to press the $30,000 “reserve” button.
