These Are the ‘Tesla of Motorcycles’—Allegedly

“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.