On December 14, 2022, Curtiss Motorcycle Company announced “An American Legacy Restoration,” its new investment plan to raise $8.33 million via its “direct-to-investor stock-selling campaign,” which is more frequently referred to in present time as crowdfunding. An electric motorcycle company taking such action isn’t unusual.
What sets this one apart is that the company is also offering a total of seven of its pre-production prototypes of the Curtiss 1, for investors who commit to a certain level of funding. Investors at all levels receive stock in the company, with time-based bonus shares awarded at certain levels. However, in order to reach prototype-eligible funding, investors must commit $200,000 or more.
From that point, six of the individual prototypes are available at various tiers. The seventh tier—which is $3,300,000—entitles a single investor to receive all seven prototypes. Since there’s only one of each of the prototype machines, however, fulfillment of that level is entirely dependent on no other investor already throwing their money in on one of the less expensive, single-prototype tiers.
Gallery: Curtiss Motorcycles The One
Here’s the breakdown of the Curtiss prototypes being offered at various tiers of investment:
| Investment Amount | Prototype Motorcycle Perk | Notes |
| $200,000 | 2018 Zeus Concept Prototype #03 (red, non-operational) | Built for brand launch display. Third of three Zeus concept prototypes. |
| $300,000 | 2018 Zeus Concept Prototype #01 (black, partially-operational) | Winner of “Most Innovative Motorcycle” at the 2018 Quail Motorcycle Gathering |
| $500,000 | Curtiss 1 Alpha Prototype #03 (blue/black, non-operational) | Used for parts fitment validation and in promotional materials |
| $1,000,000 | Curtiss 1 Alpha Prototype #02 (red/black, operational) | Used for tuning, testing, and in promotional materials |
| $1,000,000 | Curtiss 1 Alpha Prototype #01 (white/raw, operational) | Used for tuning/testing/in promotional materials, including Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation. |
| $1,000,000 | Curtiss 1 Pre-Production Prototype #01 (black, non-operational) | Currently featured in the Petersen Automotive Museum’s Electric Revolutionaries exhibit. |
| $3,300,000 | All six previously listed prototypes, plus the Curtiss 1 Beta Prototype #01 (black, operational) | Used for tuning, final programming, and journalist road testing. |
Curtiss says that it’s already received over $2.7 million in pre-sale orders for The 1, with “an additional 1,200 qualified buyers [who] have expressed interest in joining them.” While most other electric motorcycle startups are focused on building transportation for the masses, Curtiss is positioning itself as a purely luxury offering—but one that also insists that it’s future-proof because of things like its modular and proprietary battery.
We’re RideApart, not InvestApart—so we’re neither qualified to give investing advice, nor would we want to do so. If you’re at all interested in this or any other potential investment, you should probably consult with an investment expert who has your best interests in mind before you commit to anything. Since there’s only one of each machine, each of these prototypes will be available strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. What will the production machines be like? Well, that likely depends on how this campaign goes.
