With Hades’ unveiling, the man behind the machine was also revealed as none other than legendary designer JT Nesbitt.
Curtiss Motorcycles recently unveiled the latest addition to its growing electric motorcycle lineup Hades. With Hades’ unveiling, the man behind the machine was also revealed as none other than legendary designer JT Nesbitt. According to Curtiss CEO Matt Chambers, Nesbitt joined the company’s design team this time last year. In that time, Nesbitt set out to design and develop a unique expression of two-wheeled minimalism from his studio in New Orleans.
Perhaps best known for his groundbreaking Confederate Wraith and renowned second-generation Confederate Hellcat motorcycles, Nesbitt’s designs do stand out. Nesbitt’s charge to harness and express dark energy through his Hades motorcycle culminates in a machine that is unmistakably his.
Nesbitt works in parallel with fellow Curtiss designer Jordan Cornille. While the two designers work on projects independently, the inevitable cross-pollination of ideas results in creative work greater than the sum of its parts.
Nesbitt discussed his Hades, saying, “We have a deep and abiding respect for materials. Our goal with Hades is to build the least wasteful machine possible. This not only applies to how the motorcycle operates, but also how it is constructed. Most of the parts on the machine serve more than one purpose. Like Miles Davis, we’re playing the fewest possible notes to convey the emotion. That’s minimalism.”
Hades’ power comes from a single horizontal battery vault that channels current through a proprietary controller and motor package. While Hades’ powertrain is still being optimized, Curtiss estimates power output of 217HP and 199 Nm of immediate torque.
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Battery capacity is projected to be 16.8 kWh at 399V. When it enters production in 2020, the Curtiss Hades motorcycle will sell for $75,000 USD.
Nesbitt continued, “Our ambition is to create the world’s best motorcycles—not the world’s best electric motorcycles. The fact that ours are electric is secondary. If we’re doing our job the right way, it shouldn’t matter what makes it go down the road.”
The company recently launched an equity crowdfunding campaign through WeFunder to accelerate production of its innovative battery-electric motorcycles. Curtiss CEO and Chairman Matt Chambers said, “We’re grateful for the 150+ visionaries that have joined us so far as we lead the growing premium all-electric motorcycle market.”
