THE Curtiss Hades was one of the most interesting looking bikes of 2020, electrically powered or not! It’s phallically styled battery system drew confused and sometimes hilarious responses from most readers, and it seems that Curtiss has taken note and given the bike back a little bit of modesty!
The tweaks to the bike’s styling are no doubt the result of the mechanical engineers at the factory reigning in the creative minds of the team that penned the original machine, the net result is a more restrained and slightly more conservative motorcycle than before!
The bike retains its cool looking girder front end, and the rear suspension still functions as it did before, albeit with the rear shock now mounted above the swingarm pivot – as opposed to hidden with the frame of the machine. Pone of the big talking points of the bike was its steam-punk-style battery container that hung below the main frame of the bike. The latest drawings of the bike now show it being supported by small braces that anchor the (no doubt weighty) container to the upper frame of the bike. The battery also now wears large billet plates on either side of the bike, carry some of the battery’s weight on the chunky electric motor mounting plate.
Any potential owners of the bike will also be able to choose between a short to long-wheelbase version. They can either opt for a short wheelbase model, with a rake of 27°, or long-wheelbase version, with a rake of 31°.
To try and get the order books filled as quickly as possible, Curtiss has also dropped the price of the Hades and is now asking $60,000 for one in standard trim. While that’s a whopping $15,000 off the original estimated price of the machine, it still puts it right up there as one of the most expensive motorcycles you can buy today. Electrically powered or not. As an extra sweetener, any customers who put down the minimum $1,500 deposit before Feb 20th will also get a $3,000 carbon fibre suspension upgrade for free. Wahoo…
