Australian Motorcycle News - June 21, 2018

The Curtiss prototype

handles sweeping

turns and tighter

S-bends brilliantly

Dash on the prototype is an iPad that would

be easy to steal if left on the bike. Curtiss

needs to fit a more practical permanent TFT

screen before the Zeus goes into production.

RaceTech G3 monoshock rear

suspension is fully adjustable and

proved remarkably well set up for the

big, heavy bike and massive rear tyre.

Two electric motors on a single

shaft offer a combined output of

127kW and 393Nm, and are fed by

14.4kWh high-energy battery packs

Development dash

Impressive ride

Twin electric motors

WHO?

THEFORMERMAKERof unique V-twin hardware

haschangeditsnameandabandonedtheuseof

internalcombustionenginesinitsproducts.The

company–todaybasedinBirmingham,Alabama,

having been expelled from its former New Orleans

homebyHurricaneKatrinain2005–isheaded

byfounderMattChambersaspresidentandCEO.

ItwasrenamedCurtissMotorcyclesafterthe

legendary American motorcycling and aviation

pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss (1878-1930),

whosemostnotableachievementontwowheels

was a World Land Speed Record of 136.36mph

(219.45km/h)setinJanuary1907atOrmondBeach,

Florida on a 40bhp 4410cc V8-powered motorcycle

hedesignedandbuilthimself.Hismotorcycle

speed record was unbeaten for 23 years.

AT A

GLANCE