- Business
- Curtiss Motorcycles Company, Inc. (CMOT) designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells handcrafted luxury electric street motorcycles targeted at high-net-worth individuals primarily in the United States. The company offers its flagship model, The 1, an ultra-luxury electric motorcycle featuring advanced axial flux motors, modular swappable battery packs with liquid cooling, a monocoque aluminum frame, and customizable heirloom-grade finishes starting at approximately $120,000; it also provides related apparel, accessories, and maintenance services through its website. Founded in 1991 by H. Matthew Chambers as Confederate Motors and rebranded to Curtiss Motorcycles in 2018 to honor aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, the company is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with prior operations in Louisiana and a manufacturing focus shift to electric propulsion via a partnership with Zero Motorcycles.
Curtiss Motorcycles operates in the premium electric motorcycle segment, emphasizing sustainable American luxury and heirloom-quality engineering for discerning collectors and enthusiasts. Its products incorporate bespoke innovations such as center-line drive shafts, triple-load path billet machining, and upgradeable components for generational use. The company conducts global sales but centers assembly and design in the U.S., serving a niche market unaffected by mainstream economic cycles.
In recent developments, Curtiss Motorcycles secured significant intellectual property rights enhancements and launched a new equity crowdfunding round on Wefunder in 2024, raising over $692,000 initially and approaching $1.8 million total from more than 750 investors, with 20% of The 1 inventory pre-sold. The firm completed its transition to all-electric models, discontinuing gasoline production with the limited-run Warhawk (35 units) as the final internal combustion offering based on the P51 Combat Fighter. Additionally, Combat Motors LLC acquired the former Confederate brand IP in 2018, allowing Curtiss to focus exclusively on electric luxury motorcycles amid strategic expansions in production and sustainability initiatives.