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. Building on the Hellcat’s success, Confederate next developed the even more radical Wraith, with increased luxury, reduced weight, more extreme lean angles, superior front-to-rear weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity as engineering goals. Like the Hellcat, the Wraith 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 1,967cc, the Wraith unit delivers 125bhp at the rear wheel via belt primary drive and a five-speed gearbox, but it’s the cycle parts that make this machine something special. Taking functional minimalism to a new level, the aircraft-inspired Wraith chassis – ‘frame’ doesn’t do it justice – consists of a carbon fibre spine complemented by aluminium bulkheads sandwiching the engine. The fuel tank is located under the motor, Buell-style, while the front suspension eschews conventional telescopic forks in favour of a blade-type girder arrangement. There’s a single-sided, monoshock-suspended, aluminium swinging arm at the rear. Confirming Confederate’s commitment to using only the best components regardless of cost, the brakes are FD four-pots at the front with a Brembo two-piston caliper at the rear, while the wheels are lightweight Marchesinis. In Confederate’s own words: ‘The result is improved handling response and the smoothest riding motorcycle on the planet.’ Although initial studies had commenced in 1999, the Wraith project lay dormant until April 2003 when work began on the prototypes. Taking inspiration from the board-track racers of pre-WWI days, Confederate’s aim was, quite simply, to create ‘the world’s most luxurious, sporting two-wheeled device.’ They would appear to have succeeded if the cost is anything to go by: the Wraith’s UK list price is £52,560, making it considerably more expensive than a Ducati Desmosedici RR! Only 250 Wraiths will be made, which makes the Desmosedici, all 1,500 of which have been sold, seem like a volume-production model. Offered for sale by the official UK importer, this new and unregistered Confederate Wraith represents an exciting opportunity to acquire one of the most strikingly different motorcycles of modern times at a significant saving over the list price.