The F6F Hellcat fighter plane was the original inspiration for the bikes in the Hellcat series. Confederate Motorcycles
The F6F Hellcat fighter plane was the original inspiration for the bikes in the Hellcat series.
The latest in the series is the Hellcat Speedster. Confederate Motorcycles
The latest in the series is the Hellcat Speedster.
The Speedster will sell for $65,000 and be limited to a production run of 65 units. Confederate Motorcycles
The Speedster will sell for $65,000 and be limited to a production run of 65 units.
The bike was designed by South African Pierre Terblanche, formerly of Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and Norton. Confederate Motorcycles
The bike was designed by South African Pierre Terblanche, formerly of Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and Norton.
Confederate saves weight with the carbon fiber fuel tank, heat shield, chain guard, and seat pan. Confederate Motorcycles
Confederate saves weight with the carbon fiber fuel tank, heat shield, chain guard, and seat pan.
The enormous rear wheel measures 8" by 18" and made of carbon fiber. Confederate Motorcycles
The enormous rear wheel measures 8" by 18" and made of carbon fiber.
Its 2163-CC the-twin engine makes 121 bhp and 140 lb-ft of torque. Confederate Motorcycles
Its 2163-CC the-twin engine makes 121 bhp and 140 lb-ft of torque.
Confederate is taking orders, starting with a $10,000 reservation payment. Confederate Motorcycles
Confederate is taking orders, starting with a $10,000 reservation payment.
Birmingham, Alabama-based Confederate Motorcycles has been building fast, outrageously designed, limited run motorcycles for over two decades, and its creations have been by turns brilliant and insane. Their latest, the $65,000 X132 Hellcat Speedster, looks destined for the first pile. It’s a made-in-the-USA cruiser so gorgeous and powerful, you may be able to forgive its excess in price.
The Hellcat Speedster is the latest in Confederate’s Hellcat series, which it’s been building since the early 2000s. The original inspiration for these motorcycles was the World War II-era F6F Hellcat fighter plane, whose simple, high-quality design helped the Americans win in the Pacific.
Previous Confederate projects include the Renaissance Fighter, a $110,000 art project with a comically large girder fork holding the front wheel, and the slightly more civilized $72,000 X132 Hellcat Combat, which hit 172.2 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
The Hellcat Speedster’s super-rigid powertrain casing is CNC-machined from two blocks of aircraft-grade billet aluminum, chosen for strength and precision. The resulting structure is strong, but weighs in at just 40 pounds. Power comes from an engine Confederate calls the X132 Copperhead, a gratuitously huge 2163-cc V-twin. It produces 121 bhp, hardly the most you can get on two wheels, but it delivers 140 pound-feet of torque. Combine that with a close-ratio five-speed transmission that makes sure that muscle is always ready to spin the rear tire, and you’ve got a very quick bike. Confederate won’t give an official top speed, but since the Speedster is an upgraded version of the X132 Hellcat that hit 181 mph, expect it to be quite high.
The bike was designed by a legend of the industry, South African Pierre Terblanche, who has employers like Moto Guzzi and Norton on his résumé. While at Ducati, Terblanche gave the world three seminal beauties: the Supermono, the 999, and the Hypermotard. For the Hellcat Speedster, he kept up Confederate’s tradition of blending old and new. While hand-welding and whopping engines are well-established tricks for making great bikes, Terblanche tried out something newer by using carbon fiber for the 18-inch wheels, fenders, heat shield, chain guard, and seat pan. The three-gallon fuel tank, underneath its matte clear coat, is carbon fiber, too. Those materials help keep the overall weight to a modest 500 pounds. The tachometer is analog, while the speedometer’s digital, and the riding position is cruiser-classic, with pulled back handlebars and forward-mounted foot controls.
Confederate is making only 65 Hellcat Speedsters—you can get your name on the list for a $10,000 reservation fee.
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