One of the things I love about old bikes is the detailing. Even simple oil lines and brackets are often beautifully crafted, even if they leak or quickly corrode… But with modern bikes, so much is molded from cheap plastic, or hidden behind overstyled panels. Sure, it all works, but where’s the art? Well, apparently, Confederate has been collecting all the art and putting it into their range of handmade, boutique motorcycles, like the XR132 Hellcat.
Even if you’re not particularly into the whole drag-bike aesthetic, standing ten feet away, it’s hard not to be blown away by the close-in details, like the machined-from-aluminum engine case and the little window that lets you see the cam belt spinning away, like some enormous, thundering Swiss watch.
That engine isn’t simply a warmed-over Harley Twin-Cam and, at $65,000 new, it’d better not be. It’s a 56°, 2163cc, perfectly-square unit by S&S, mated to a rugged 5-speed gearbox that puts 121hp and 140 ft/lbs to a balloon-like 240-section rear tire. The rest of the specifications are pure bike-porn with Berringer brakes, BST wheels, WP suspension, all topped off with a MotoGadget gauge to keep an eye on things.
From the original eBay listing: 2014 Confederate Hellcat XR132 for Sale
The Hellcat 3 is a turning point in the history of the world’s most exotic bespoke manufacturer… because this is a bike that has been transformed from raw iconic hand made custom to sophisticated, drivable, maintainable, hand made custom by the genius and perfectionism of ex Ducati legend of the 90s, Pierre Terblanche who took over the role of head designer at Confederate between and 2012-2014 and who personally oversaw the build of this particular machine to make sure it was within the best of the company tolerances.
Boasting the legendary 2.2 S&S vee twin mill, the Hellcat now features useable geometry and an adjustable swing arm, plus a thousand other improvements and innovations over its predecessor which now take the pain out of ownership.
It’s interesting to note that the original listing shows the price in pounds sterling, so it makes one wonder: is the bike in Birmingham, Alabama, or Birmingham, England? It doesn’t really matter, since we’re all likely just looky-loos, here to talk about how we’d never spend our money on such an overpriced toy. But honestly, if I had all the money in the world, I probably would own something like this, because why the hell not. Although it’d more likely be the Hellcat’s stablemate, the Wraith, since it’s even weirder-looking…
With a Buy It Now Price of $49,500 this is a seriously top-shelf machine for riders with a whole lot of disposable income, but also know a good bargain when they see it… It’s the kind of luxury motorcycle that is basically pointless, festooned with impossibly trick, high-performance bits that are basically unnecessary, given the bike’s likely uses: it’d never be your day-to-day bike, it’s lousy for track days, you can’t take a passenger, and you certainly can’t tour on it. Although anyone with enough cash to splash on a Hellcat could probably also afford to hire a chase van to follow along with your camping gear, espresso-maker, portable hot tub, and masseuse.
It’s a bike to own for no other reason than “because you can.” To paraphrase Mad Max’s Night Rider, the Hellcat is a “fuel-injected suicide machine, it’s a rocker, it’s a roller, it’s an out-of-controller…”
-tad
Not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when I think “rare sportsbike”. I think you missed the mark with this one.
I realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but from here that thing is ugly all day long.
Sport what? What the hell happened to this site? I would rather look at a clapped out h1, or RD, or anything other than this cobbed together piece of shizzle…
Agree on both points made by JR.
Same here!
LOve it, Drag racing is sport as well!
Beautiful machine work and construction. Apparently the chassis is well designed. But the bike as a whole looks like something in a Mad Max movie. I just don’t understand it.
Nope not a sportbike but cool none the less. What S&S does with the air cooled v-twin is awesome. If I had one larger diameter wire wheels and a smaller tank would be in order. Could not imagine having 1/10 the the skill needed to produce this.
I’m on board with the whole bike, but the seat looks like a local upholstery job (and a poor one, at that) done on a banana bicycle seat. Clearly out of place on a bike of this caliber. But other than that detail, I give it a thumbs up!
Don’t worry guys, we won’t post up bikes like this too often, since it isn’t what most of us think of when we picture a “sportbike.” Although I don’t agree that it’s “cobbled together.” Perhaps the styling is questionable and it may LOOK cobbled together, but my understanding is that the quality is pretty top-notch. I’ve actually seen one in person and the detailing is incredible, even if the overall style is trying a bit too hard.
Hmmmmmm. Wire wheels? That might really suit this bike. Maybe some of those new Kineo wheels, like on the MV Agusta Brutale Dragster RR.
I don’t get the styling. It’s not drag racer, try to launch hard on that half skateboard, and you find yourself slowing down the rear wheel with your family jewels…
the rest… shed industry fabrication combined with parts bin compiling and third tier design students. At best
Nope.