In 2017, Confederate Motorcycles made the dramatic change of renaming themselves to Curtiss. Then they made an even bigger change: they announced that they were switching from gigantic V-Twin engines (did you see Adam’s Sunday Ride video of his time on a Confederate P51 Combat Fighter?) to electric motorcycles.
Their prototype to show the world what they had in store was the Zeus, a concept that was awarded the “Innovation Award” at the 2018 Quail Motorcycle Gathering. A Curtiss Zeus Prototype at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Photo by Paulo Rosas.
The prototypes were created to launch the brand and help build excitement for their initial fundraising efforts to build “a unique electric packaging platform of the future.” The platform has since evolved into a model called the “ONE“, however this prototype marks an interesting transitional point in the brand’s history as it blends some new features with certain design elements from their Confederate days.
Please note that this is a non-running prototype built for display purposes only. The internals of the battery pack and motor are empty as specifications had not been finalized at that time.
With that said, the prototype still shows off several high-end components that were in the plan, such as a 6061-T6 aluminum chassis, fully adjustable girder front suspension with Race Tech shock, Kineo wheels, and Beringer 4D floating cast iron brakes with radially mounted calipers.
It has been on display since it was at the Petersen, and it remains in excellent cosmetic condition except for surface rust on the chain.
The tires date codes are 2817 and 3717.
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Curtiss is offered on a Bill of Sale.
Have any Curtiss stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the comments!
Continental US: Haul Bikes will ship anything sold through Iconic for $750 (this went up on 5/12 due to increases in gas costs) in the Continental US, and Iconic will handle the paperwork on your behalf. You do not need to crate your bike or drain the gas/disconnect the battery if you go with Haul Bikes. We are glad to work with the shipper of your choice as well, but you will have to arrange it.
Please note:
spares/extras will have to be shipped separately via FedEx or similar.
the fee includes $15,000 of insurance with a $500 deductible. Additional insurance can be purchased at a cost of $50 per additional $5,000 of value.
