| Author |
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M2me
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 01:30 am: | 
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Like try telling my wife how she should more optimally load the dishwasher for instance. Satan incarnate I tell ya. An evil bike? No thanks.
What does a dishwasher and your wife have to do with evil? You want to really see evil? Forget the dishwasher. Just tell your wife that you're buying a $65,000 motorcycle. You and Satan will be on a first name basis. I guarantee it! |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 07:05 pm: |
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I'm of the opinion that thing looks too long and thrown together from a series of parts catalogues. Lacks styling and class.
I wish I could afford the delights of a Confederate Hellcat, but jeez the Wraith looks ugly weird and not in a good way.
Yeah I've not seen a Wraith in the flesh but have seen a couple of Hellcats and they really are the 'proddy' custom of choice for me.
That said, I'm curious as to how most of these wide rear tyred customs handle because isn't it the practice of these builders including Confederate to mount the motor off-set to the right somewhat to get chain clearance?
Rocket |
Buells Rule!
(Dyna in disguise)
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 07:22 pm: |
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The confederates are right side drive so it solves the problem of having to move the drivetrain over.
I see the Ecosse bike also utilizes the same thing. |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 08:22 pm: |
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Yep I know they're right side drive Dyna but I meant because of the width of the rear tyre on some customs the motor has to fit further across to the right in the frame to accommodate the wide rear tyres? The drive doesn't line up otherwise.
Surely this has a detrimental affect to the handling as the weight of the motor won't be centralised in the frame?
Rocket |
Phillyblast
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 08:29 pm: |
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Sean,
Just picked up a copy of Motorcyclist with a review of the Wraith - I gather from the write-up they didn't have to offset the motor, instead switching it to right hand side drive. But they mentioned that the Confederate pushes the front tire a bit - going to a 180 rear tire solves the problem, but everyone wants the fat rear, so . . . |
Buells Rule!
(Dyna in disguise)
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 08:33 pm: |
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Dont know how those bikes handle but I know I wasnt too impressed with the Victory Hammer & its 240 rear tire. Looks cool but handling was very odd & slow. |
Blake
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 09:10 pm: |
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"Forget the dishwasher. Just tell your wife that you're buying a $65,000 motorcycle. You and Satan will be on a first name basis. I guarantee it!" Ain't that the truth!
Maybe I was thinking of the Hellcat. The one that uses the swingarm as the tailpipe. Very cleanly integrated. Not much to ride though I'm sure, at least at a sporting motorcycle in the twisties. Just interesting in the same way as any oddity in the world is interesting.
Okay, it was an observation, a grossly overgeneralized observation framed by personal commentary and emotional conjecture.
And it sure was a whiny observation. |
Cataract2
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 10:03 pm: |
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What does a dishwasher and your wife have to do with evil? You want to really see evil? Forget the dishwasher. Just tell your wife that you're buying a $65,000 motorcycle. You and Satan will be on a first name basis. I guarantee it!
Something tells me you wouldn't even make it that far to meet Satan. Because she would destroy your soul. |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 10:07 pm: |
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Ah Blake that is the Hellcat. I'd read the odd summary, not road test, that found them pretty favourable handlers. Would love to hear the opinions of someone who owns one though as I always thought that the Hellcat was not just about show but go too. 130 inch motor right? I'd want them to handle if I built them.
As for the drive side Dyna \ Dave - I thought the S&S Merch etc derived motors were right side drive anyway?
Rocket |
Timbo
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 10:34 pm: |
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***Caution***
My personal thoughts/impressions of the Wraith, based on watching the Confederate team race at Bonneville in September of 2004.
When I first saw the Wraith, I was VERY interested. It looked totally cool, Just sitting there, with all kinds of high tech innovations.
However, it didn't look very aero with that bodywork behind the front end resembling an air brake, but I figured it's not THAT big, and it sure looks studly, so maybe it can push it just fine.
I also wondered how that front end would react if hit with a crosswind of any strength at speed. Those things looked like airfoils, but hey, I'm not ridin' it.
I really wanted to watch this thing unleashed and screaming down the course. What can I say, they looked fast, looked confident and were getting tons of attention from the press and other participants.
Remember when I said "it looked totally cool just sittin' there"?
Well, then I saw their rider on it at speed and my opinion changed instantly. It looked very awkward, almost comical. Then their speeds were announced and I was even less impressed. I don't think they broke 125 mph the entire event. Maybe they got it to go faster, I'm not sure, but I don't think so, I lost interest.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Oh well, it DID look cool, til I saw someone ridin' it. |
Blake
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 11:22 pm: |
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LOL!!!
Timbo, SOOOO TRUE!!! LOL!!! That just ain't right.  |
Tom_b
| | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 11:46 pm: |
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The Wraith is not the confedrate I would be interested in it would be the 2004 or 05 Hellcat. How do those work in the real world, they look great.There was an article in Iron Works about this bike at bonneville, it didn't seem too imopressive. I saw an article about some guy named Tim Horton that seemed more impressive. I think it said 200 mph plus on a buell. Rock on tim. The article did say they were having a hard time with traction due to the wet conditions.
(Message edited by Tom B on March 29, 2005) |
Phillyblast
| | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 06:59 am: |
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Please, guys. Let's try to withhold judgment, regardless how we feel. As long as the monkey and the football are happy together . . . |
Jerseyguy
| | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 08:24 am: |
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I sat on a Hellcat at a show and really liked it. It was truly different and it felt right to me - not too unlike my XB. The Wraith is another story. I will applaud Confederate for outside the box thinking though. Who knows, they might hit on something worthwhile one day. |
Road_thing
| | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 09:26 am: |
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Jeez, a $100,000 bike and somebody's 3rd grader paints the numbers on the plates for them...
My Confederate ownership experience was not a happy one. Nuff said...
rt |
Buellriderm2
| | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 06:22 pm: |
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Man that racing Wraith is pretty sweet,
Good to see that new Badweb sponsor Revolution Performance helped out with that fine racing effort!! (see decal on the bodywork/fairing/mechanical lingerie?)
Pretty good, <125mph out of what I'm assuming is 124"+ motor. Badwebber Ray German's 500cc Blast has almost got that covered. Bravo, bravo, encore, encore!! |
Jerseyguy
| | Posted on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 07:02 pm: |
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Here is a shot of the Hellcat that I took last summer at a chopper show I worked at.
 |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 - 06:10 am: |
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Let's be clear. A Wraith is not a Hellcat. As far as I'm concerned the Wraith is the ugliest thing on two wheels but the Hellcat is one of the most stunning! Perhaps this is the way Confederate wanted it 
Buellrider, it's all old hat to those of us that want to move on.
Rocket |
Buellriderm2
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 - 01:01 pm: |
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Rocket,
I could take your words as rightious, but you and I both know you hold a grudge just as well as anyone. And your venom has always been based on much lower stakes, so keep the word from on high to yourself. I speak for myself as a friend betrayed who's had food taken off his child's table over the matter, so don't pretend to understand the gravity of the situation. |
Rocketman
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 - 08:51 pm: |
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Man that Hellcat looks mean!
Rocket |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - 12:32 am: |
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Justin,
It's old hat to those of us who want to move on.
Okay?  |
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