Southern Comfort
SOUTHERN COMFORT
HELLCAT: A DIFFERENT KIND OF V-TWIN CRUISER
THESE DAYS, IT'S THE CULMINATION OF COOL TO RIDE an American-built Big Twin. They're so hip, in fact, that king-of-cruisers Harley-Davidson can't keep up with the demand for its bikes. This has spawned a growing number of Harley-clone builders. One such company, Louisiana's Confederate Motorcycles, is set to launch its jet-black Hellcat muscle-cruiser. We had an opportunity recently to sample a pre-production prototype and speak with Confederate President Matt Chambers.
Actually, the Hellcat is less a Harley-Davidson clone and more a variation on a theme. It holds few classic H-D cues other than its switchgear and S&S-built Harleylookalike engine. “The chassis itself owes a lot to basic British design,” says Chambers of the Hellcat’s notfor-everyone styling, which borrows from Brough, Vincent and Triumph. “We like the idea of doing something that’s unique and different, particularly with our first model.” The Hellcat is to be the first of a planned solo-seat “Cavalry” series. “It fits the Cavalry guys,” Chambers explains. “They all led from the front and, obviously, they weren’t carrying women around with them.”
At this point, Confederate Motorcycles (231 1 Christian St., Baton Rouge, LA 70808; 504/383-8663)
lacks the resources to manufacture
its own motor, hence the 93-cubic-inch (1524cc) S&S V-Twin powering the Hellcat. Blueprinted and balanced,
the hand-built engine features a 9.8:1 compression ratio, mild cams and an S&S carburetor.
Running on pump gas, the Hellcat made 81 horsepower at 6000 rpm and a staggering 102 foot-pounds of torque at 3400 rpm on Cycle World's rearwheel dynomometer.
A capable, flex-free chassis is needed to
harness that kind of power, and the Hellcat’s frame features a massive, 3-inch backbone and 2-inch
downtube. An ultra-rigid, milled-from-solidaluminum primary case ties the engine and gearbox to the swingarm pivot on the left side, while an outboard bearing support links countershaft and swingarm pivot on the right. The engine is solid-mounted in the frame, making the entire powertrain a semi-stressed member. Such rigidity has allowed use of a belt primary drive, rather than a chain, offering the benefits of shock absorption, low maintenance and
longevity. The gearbox is a Sputhe four-speed case modified by Confederate to accept an Andrews five-speed gearset and right-side output-shaft.
Astute observers may detect a certain resemblance to a Pro Stock dragbike, but the Hellcat is intended as an everyday street ride. Pull the choke lever and bump the start button, and the engine instantly springs to life and warms quickly. Heavy-duty clutch springs, a necessity due to the powerplant’s high torque output, give the left forearm a good workout. Engage low gear and ease out the hydraulically actuated clutch; the engine’s pulse is tangible as pistons churn through their ground-pounding power strokes. Trotting along at a parking-lot pace makes for a fairly herky-jerky ride until the throttle is opened a bit, allowing the engine to breathe and catch stride around 1500 rpm. Power delivery then becomes seamless, with crisp throttle response and stumble-free carburetion up to full gallop.
Shifting action is moderate with an indexed feel and minimal drivetrain lash. Shift-lever travel is fairly short and without slop, no small feat considering the complexity of the Hellcat's left-to-right shift linkage. Transmission ratios are nicely spaced, with overall gearing in fifth well suited to 70-mph freeway cruising. Top speed, claims Chambers, is in excess of 130 mph.
With the engine's torque output never dipping below 80 foot-pounds from 2000-5000 rpm, your left foot doesn't see much action. Plodding along in fourth gear is ideal for boulevard and backroad alike, offering a broad speed range and increased roll-on performance over top gear.
While the level of engine vibration seeping through the bars, seat and pegs seems about on par with your typical Softail Harley, the chassis trembles vigorously from head-totail, causing the Hellcat to shed fasteners like a Persian losing its winter coat. A broken taillight filament encountered early on was but a sign of things to come. Before our week with the Hellcat was over, the entire taillight assembly had fallen off, as had the drive-chain roller. The ignition-coil screws and the left-footrest mounting bolt were also well on their way to jumping ship until we applied a bit of persuasive torque.
“Fundamentally, the best thing would be if we could get that motor to run smoother,” says Chambers, suggesting reduced stroke as a possible solution. Ideally. Confederate will find a way to quell the Fiellcat's bad vibes without resorting to rubber engine-mounting, which would sacrifice some of the bike’s superb chassis rigidity.
Fitted with top-shelf suspension, wheels and tires, the Hellcat is one of the best-handling Big Twin customs we’ve ever ridden. The wide bar makes for light steering, while the chassis provides good cornering stability. The braced cantilever swingarm with twin, fully adjustable WP shocks delivers 5.25 inches of travel-nearly twice that of many customs. The riding position is sort of sport-cruiser, with a slight forward cant to the torso and feet well forward.
“By design, we’re going to be small,” says Chambers, who plans to build 135 Hellcats, each selling for S25,000. “The goal for the company is not to make a lot of bikes, but to find a certain niche in the market with people who really want to ride and can appreciate this level of hand-craftsmanship and attention to structure as opposed to simply the cosmetic aspects.”
Confederate seems to be merely a shake, rattle and roll away from delivering such a product. -Don Canet
