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Driving report Confederate Wraith B 120

Ghost Round

We don’t know why it’s called that. Because the Wraith has nothing eerie apart from its name. And the lap on one of the most beautiful streets in California made for lively impressions.

The Confederate Wraith, many feared, would end up on the rubbish heap of history before it was even finished. Conceived and begun in the highly creative atmosphere of New Orleans, its development experienced a radical break when Hurricane Katrina razed the Confederate premises on August 29, 2005. But the only American motorcycle manufacturer south of the Mason-Dixon line? the historical border between the northern and southern states ?? moved to Birmingham, Alabama and resumed work. Now the Wraith, which is only called "Ghost" and fortunately has not remained one, has reached the pre-production stage; production starts in March of this year.

Because he had to deliver a Hellcat to a prominent customer in Hollywood, chief engineer Brian Case took the pre-production copy of the one fine winter day W.raith on the trip to test a little on the famous Mulholland Highway, an ingeniously designed roller coaster with alternating curves. And to meet some potential customers at the rock store biker hangout there. I’m not one of them, don’t have $ 55,000 left, but I was allowed to drive the Wraith extensively on this occasion.

Like the prototype from before the hurricane, it represents a fascinating combination of fundamentalist simplicity with highly exclusive materials. In contrast to this, it has matured from the design study to a real motorcycle. Far smoother and less strenuous. She swings easily and fairly quickly through the curves of the Mulholland Highway; The chief engineer, who absolutely wanted to drive in the Hellcat of his celebrity customer, seems a bit worn out when he arrives at the lunch stop, a long way behind the handy Wraith.

In terms of motor skills, she has made enormous progress. Instead of annoying with constant shaking like the 1490 V2 of the prototype, the new 1971 JIMS engine is appealing thanks to two balance shafts with almost vibration-free running. Even if it is turned up to over 4000 revs in the individual gear steps and the sharp cams ensure performance very efficiently. For those who are not that familiar with the tuning scene in the USA: JIMS is a well-known manufacturer of tuning parts, the 120 cubic inch engine is basically a big twin from Harley with the type code B for "balancer shafts". It is also licensed by Harley. Except that practically nothing remains of the original. Tea housing is cast and machined with thicker walls especially for JIMS, because otherwise the cylinder with a 104.8 millimeter bore would not be able to be accommodated. It is therefore clear that the pistons are also special parts, as is the crankshaft with a stroke of 114.3 millimeters. This continues from the valve train to the 51 Keihin carburetor from the Screaming Eagle range.

The stable housing also creates the conditions for screwing the gear housing milled by Confederate directly to the motor instead of mounting it as a separate unit, as with the Hellcat. The primary drive takes place via an external toothed belt. The result is a stable motor-gear unit which, thanks to the smooth running of the engine, can in turn be rigidly bolted to the frame as a load-bearing part. This increases the rigidity of the minimalist chassis construction.

The Langhuber develops 121 hp at 6200 rpm, revs energetically high and still delivers ample torque at low speeds. 169.5 Nm at 3750 rpm, to be precise. You have already seen fat road kings who, fired by such a unit, put themselves on the rear wheel with a twist of the throttle grip. The 1971 model has even less trouble with the light Wraith, which weighs just 182 kilograms without gasoline. 3000 rpm in last gear corresponds to a comfortable 70 miles per hour (112.6 km / h), the maximum torque is very close, and you can imagine that the Wraith with long legs can reach 120 miles per hour (193 km / h) marched off. Provided that the driver manages to stay behind the wide tubular handlebar when the headwind hurricane storms on him.

Because there is still work to be done in terms of seating position. The footrests are located far back so that the driver’s left foot does not get caught in the toothed belt of the primary drive, which is currently still open. The production motorcycles will get a cover, but even if the notches are moved forward, you have to stretch quite a bit to reach the curved handlebars. In addition, it sits at an awkward angle. To flatter, narrower temple would be better. And a seat that doesn‘t exactly defy the hunched position dictated by the handlebars and rests with all that it has to offer in terms of upholstery material. Not to mention the painful experience of jumping into the saddle in a relaxed and dynamic way.

The small, compact Wraith with its sporty figure is a real challenge. May your unusual "architecture" with the backbone frame made of carbon attract so many looks? it was not built as a show object, but to be driven. And snappy. What is most impressive is how stable it remains in an inclined position, completely unaffected by bumps or longitudinal grooves. The parallelogram fork with Penske strut and carbon struts offers fantastic feedback. The driver feels every single wave and yet hovers over it as if it had been ironed out by magic. Despite a rear shock absorber that feels like it’s fitted with a spring that is a little too hard. Here it pays off that the center of gravity has been lowered by moving the fuel tank under the engine. And that the contour of the Metzeler Sportec M3 in the dimensions 120/70 and 180/55 ZR 17 fits the Wraith perfectly.

Most older motorcycles with parallelogram forks need a steering damper, the Wraith doesn’t. It is a state-of-the-art device that works as one would expect in the 21st century. It’s fun to watch the two mighty carbon fiber carriers as they bounce up and down in the staccato of the bumps. And anyone who threatens to miss the next bend out of sheer amazement shouldn’t be surprised at the anti-dive effect of the front suspension when they pull the lever in shock and bite the FD brake calipers properly.

Until the start of production, Confederate wants to increase the tank volume from the current ten liters. A smaller battery should create the space for this. The oil cooler is also reduced in size. "It’s a lot of overkill for a three-quarters of a gallon," says Brian Case. “And then we’ll have everything together to start production. We’ll build one motorcycle a week until June, after which we’ll increase to two. ”But only if the finish doesn’t suffer in the details.

Technical data Confederate Wraith B 120 – Technical data Confederate Wraith B 120

Engine: air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 45-degree V-engine, two balance shafts, one overhead, chain-driven camshaft each, two valves per cylinder, flat slide carburetor, Ø 51 mm, five-speed gearbox, chain drive.
Bore x stroke 104.8 x 114.3 mm
Cubic capacity 1971 cm3
Compression ratio 10.0: 1
Rated output 90.2 kW (121 hp) at 6200 rpm
Max. Torque 170 Nm at 3750 rpm
Chassis: Central tubular frame made of carbon with screwed-on aluminum plates, parallelogram fork made of carbon with central spring strut, adjustable spring base, compression and rebound damping, single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base, compression and rebound damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, Four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 220 mm, two-piston fixed calipers.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17

Dimensions and weights: wheelbase 1562 mm, steering head angle 63.0 degrees, caster 98 mm, suspension travel k. A., seat height 787 mm, weight without petrol 182 kg, tank capacity 10 liters.

Price 55,000 US dollars (43,000 euros)
Info www.confederate.com

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