The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Confederate C3 X132 Hellcat

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Confederate C3 X132 Hellcat
Confederate C3 X132 Hellcat

Confederate is accepting orders for their new C3 X132 Hellcat, the latest incarnation in their line up sporting the well known Hellcat name. Their website has a lot of computer generated images of the bike, which will be available in 2 versions, a Fighter series with a steeper 23.5 degree rake and 61.5 inch wheelbase plus the Roadster series, with a more relaxed 30 degree rake and 64.5 inch wheelbase. Both are powered by an S&S built X132 Copperhead 132 Cubic inch 56° Square-Twin, a Confederate specified variation of the S&S X-Wedge. Torque is a prodigious 145 foot pounds, enough to roll on from just about anywhere in the rev range with, what should be, very satisfactory results. The bikes weighs in at 475 pounds.

Confederate C3 X132 Hellcat
Confederate C3 X132 Hellcat

Though S&S builds a six speed to go with the X-Wedge, Confederate has their own proprietary 5 speed transmission for use on the Hellcat’s Copperhead.

Confederate C3 X132 Copperhead Square Twin
Confederate C3 X132 Copperhead Square Twin

It’s hard to judge what the finished bike will look like based on these computer images which, quite likely, do not do it justice. Though I’m not a fan of the short flat seat, that’s one of those things that may look a lot better when we see the real thing. Actually, these images, overall, are difficult to evaluate. It’s one of those bikes I really want to like, based on the specs, I’m just not yet sure from what we can see.

Deposits of $2250 are required against a purchase price of $45,000. Deliveries are planned to begin in the second quarter of 2011.

Thanks for the tip, Doc!

Link: Confederate Motorcycles

Comments

  1. I really really like the hugger with integrated license plate.

    What is meant by “square-twin” engine? How is that different than a v-twin. Does that have anything to do with the dual crank ariel square fours? Probably not. It looks like one crank.

  2. I’ve been a fan of the Hellcat series for years and aspire to own one someday. I like the styling of the earlier Hellcats, but agree with the article in that I’ll reserve opinion on the CX3 variant until I see it in the flesh.

    Great news to hear that a new ‘Cat is coming!

  4. The transmission is still a separate piece, it’s just really well integrated. I think the seat is stupid. Last thing I want is to hit the throttle and fly off the back. If the front attachment point of the seat was lowered a little to give it a nice upkick at the back, I’d be okay with it.

  6. I’m not a fan of seeing tiny little tool paths as a surface finish, especially when you’re paying dearly for machine time.
    Too much programmer and not enough machinist.
    Get in, get out, get done and save your customer some money!
    You folks like that?

  8. personally i find it really ugly, and i’m not a fan of big vibrators for powerplants,and the price , well there would be a helluva lot of other great bikes i would spend it on first.

  9. Boy, these guys have been watching too much Anime…

    Does this “thing” transform into a large, standing, machine-gun firing robot?

  10. @Boog

    Nah, not for $45k: maybe next years one for $145k ?

    Wouldnt you want just a little bum stop on the seat: something with that much power and torque, you’d think youd want some sort of positive stop before your gentlemans region impacted the rear hugger/mudguard……

  12. Very Industrial looking. Looks like the whole bike was machined from billet Aluminum, not that it is a bad thing. But I agree with Greybeard, cutter marks? For the price tag, they could have invested in some Scotchbrite pads and took the machine marks off the Aluminum. Considering the theme of the bike, more clear Polycarbonate covers to show the mechanical action would fit on this style.

  14. @JR,

    I think square twin refers to the bore and stroke being the same, i.e. 4 inch bore and 4 inch stroke.

  15. That’s the fugliest thing I’ve ever seen anyone try to charge money for. What a complete waste of a cool engine.

  16. Hedious at best and even that’s a gift! The small rear wheel looks all kookie on this beastly billet montster.

    The tool marks tell me that this might just be a prototype set of cases to show what they have in mind but might not actually be a production product yet. Still in the “Let’s see how many deposits we can muster up” stage. If it’s more than two, they’ll build an entire protype bike, if they don’t get any, they’ll add more billet parts or maybe not build it.

    The side profile reminds me of a buffalo with polio. Why worry about an attractive, flowing design when you can just stack billet parts on top of billet parts on top of billet parts?

    I

  17. I agree with most of the above, though to be fair, the seat does look as if it can be adjusted for tilt, on those rails, with the knobs…

  18. I wonder who would buy a bike like this. – I can’t see anyone doing a trip on it, or using it going to work every day. It has an extreme sportbike seating position, but no fairing for higher speeds. It’s a cafe racer, you could show up at the local Harley water hole and let everybody know that your bike is more powerful and twice as expensive but quite impractical. The looks also are very specific, I don’t think it appeals to a lot of people. And who has 45K for a bike like this these days? You could get a Harley plus a BMW and actually use those bikes.
    If there’d be a bike show 500 miles away you’d put this beauty on your truck and take it there.
    If I wanted something exquisite with a powerful american V twin I’d get the Roehr 1250, featured right here on the kneeslider. A faired sport bike with a supercharged V-Rod engine making 180 horses, makes more sense to me.

  20. Nice looking bike but totaly unfunctional.Solo riding to the local bar or starbucks is about its limit.All that posing and then no where to put a girlfriend.

  21. I don’t know much about these bikes but I quite like the front two thirds, there is a nice near symmetry to the engine which has an aero feel to it. Speaking of aero the tank graphics look like something from a iron curtain airline in 1960, very bright white future of the common man sort of Khrushchev era!

  22. Either Confederates get to you or they don’t. They do for me. Perhaps not for you but Mercedes produced less than a thousand 300SL’s in 4 years My Wraiths are louzy as everyday bikes, just like a Countach or a Ford GT is a terrible car but you buy neither to ride or drive everyday and a rubber strap Casio watch actually keeps better time than a Rolex.

    I do agree with comments about the seat(s). A rear kick up is needed and the “long” seat is too long. Earlier proposals included a Britishesque solo like on an M20 BSA that looked good but appears to have not made the cut.

    The tool marks (actually ball mill lines that you would not even feel with your finger) have zero to do with the “machinist” (the old guy who looks like me a runs the South Bend 10″ Toolrom) and are consistent with the industrial genre that Confederates have always had. I like them and they can be seen on Matt’s products from the earliest models where they actually cnc’d their own levers . As Im certain previous posters know, they can be a bit more minimized by diminishing step over, or a complete additional orthoginal pass both of which would greatly increase machine time and add nothing to functionality and many like the look …sort of like unpainted carbon fibre.

  25. I was a big fan of the looks of the original Hellcat but this one is not doing it for me. I called up a shot of the old one for comparison. The original had sinewy curves whereas this on just looks too industrial for my tastes. Of course, it’s not like buying it was an option not matter what it looked like. 😉

  26. Its a bit of an Ugly Duckling but I like all the parts used in it (engine et al)
    But as Eric Morecombe might have said..’ I;m using all the right parts but NOT necessarily in the right order”..

    Have just seen (a photo) of David Beckham on his Confederate and he looked a bit of a dick I’m afraid – its how the bike fits you or how you fit the bike

  27. PS
    A square engine – with same stroke and bore – has always been good for motorcycle engines
    The S&S 4 x 4 is nice and smooth, BMW had one years ago (the R80 I think, then they ruined it by boring it out to 900cc)
    And isn’t one of the Victory engines also a 4 x 4?

  28. OMFG! This bike looks TOTALLY killer in my personal opinion. Yes, I do have to agree that it appears to be highly impractical, but, if I wanted practicality, I would buy a Subaru stationwagon. It’s got a stance that screams “KILL!” and power to match. Confederate Motors markets bikes for a small segment of the riding population who just happen to crave such thigs. My only problem is I will never afford one unless I get lucky and win the Powerball lol.