The Mind-Blowing Curtiss Zeus E-Bike Is More Powerful Than Ever

This futuristic speed demon is packing 217 electrified horses.

Curtiss Motorcycle Co. just unleashed the most powerful and best-looking version of its futuristic new e-bike yet. 

The company formerly known as Confederate is racing forward with a redesign of the Zeus dubbed the “Zeus Radial V8.”

It presumably still boasts the “world’s first E-Twin,” but looks more like a contemporary moto thanks to a mock V8 that harks to a classic. 

Autoblog has further details: 

When building out the next-gen Zeus, Curtiss Motorcycles looked to its namesake for inspiration and modeled the powertrain after Glenn Curtiss’ 1907 V8 motorcycle. Curtiss notes this was the motorcycle that set the world speed record of the time with a 136 mph reading.

To achieve the V-shape of the gasoline motorcycle engine, Curtiss designer Jordan Cornille created eight cylindrical battery packs. They stick out of a central terminal and flare out from the center of the motorcycle.

The open design also helps with simpler battery cooling. Curtiss claims battery capacity to be 16.8 kWh at 399V but makes no mention of any charging specs.

That badass, blacked-out shell has also been lost in favor of a skeletal titanium frame—whether that’s an aesthetic improvement is up for debate. But the most exciting part about the new Zeus is its potential performance. 

Curtiss has once again upped the output to a face-melting 217 horsepower. How that will translate to the pavement is a mystery—the old 190-hp iteration had a blistering zero-to-62 mph time of 2.1 seconds, so the Zeus Radial V8 could easily be in sub-two territory. 

The only bad news is the $15,000 price hike. You’ll have to buck up $75,000 to get this electrified speed demon when production starts in 2020. Hopefully Curtiss can deliver.