Beschreibung:

‘The core of our passion is rugged individualism.’ – Confederate Motor Company. With their unique blend of off-the-wall styling, advanced technology and Grand Prix-quality components, Confederate’s products emphatically back their maker’s claim. Founded in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by trial lawyer Matt Chambers, Confederate Motor Company set out to create motorcycles ‘utilising a holistic, avant-garde process for celebrating the art of rebellion’. It is an approach that has given Confederate a public profile out of all proportion to its relatively small size. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Bruce Springsteen and King Abdullah II of Jordan all own Confederate motorcycles, and in 2007 the B120 Wraith and F131 Hellcat took 1st and 2nd places in the production manufacturer class at the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building Show in Sturgis, Dakota. But this passionate young company isn’t just about show: only last month a Confederate Wraith set a new speed record of 166.459mph in the A-PF up-to-2,000cc pushrod and un-faired class at Bonneville Salt Flats, shattering the old mark of 141mph. At one time though, the company’s continued existence looked far from certain. On 29th August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the south eastern United States, devastating the area and destroying the Confederate factory. Unable to find any suitable facility locally, Confederate relocated near the world’s greatest collection of motorcycles at the prestigious Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama where production of the Hellcat and Wraith models resumed early in 2006. Unlike the ultra-radical Wraith, the Hellcat models utilise a conventional welded tubular frame, albeit one optimised for torsional stiffness with the aim of keeping the steering head properly aligned with the swinging arm pivot at all times. Unusually, Confederate chose to make the engine a stressed part of the chassis structure and were awarded an engineering patent for the mounting design. Although not a new idea, the swinging arm pivot is concentric with the gearbox output shaft, while – somewhat bizarrely – the exhaust system is routed through the arm’s right-hand leg. Confederate are renowned for their ‘no-expense-spared’ approach to motorcycle design and this is reflected in the choice of running gear: Marzocchi usd forks, Penske shocks, ISR six-pot radial front brake calipers and Blackstone carbon fibre wheels all being part of the package. Like the Wraith, the Hellcat is powered by a Harley-esque 45-degree v-twin engine (a ‘radial twin’ in Confederate parlance) that uses a balancer shaft to reduce vibration to the level of a 90-degree vee. Displacing 131ci (2,147cc), the Hellcat unit delivers 145bhp at the rear wheel via belt primary drive and a five-speed gearbox. The Hellcat Combat model is a limited edition variant of the second and final Hellcat series, featuring hand-ported and polished cylinder heads, increased compression ratio, special camshafts and a re-tuned intake system, contributing to a 12% gain in rear wheel horsepower and a 4% increase in torque. Altered suspension compression and rebound damping rates make for superior handling, enhanced feedback and increased rider control, while a new sports seat and Combat-specific finish completes the machine. ‘The result is an exotic balance of power and beauty’ according to Confederate, and few would disagree. Offered for sale by the official UK importer, this new and unregistered Hellcat Combat represents an exciting opportunity to acquire one of the most exclusive motorcycles of modern times at a significant saving over the list price of £50,000.