Future Force | The Confederate Motors P51 Fighter Combat
Confederate Motors P51 Fighter Combat
Photo: John Zamora
Confederate Motors founder Matthew Chambers has never been one to be shy on bold designs. And to say that the looks of any of the Birmingham, Alabama-based Confederate Motors motorcycles are wild is a true understatement.
Since 1991 the world has seen several variants of the Hellcat and Wraith models and now Confederate Motors has launched the second generation of the P51 Fighter Combat model you see here. From its unconventional front end to its solid carbon-fiber rear wheel, this mix of TIG-welded tubing and bolt-together billet aluminum is an amazing feat of engineering and a piece of gasoline-fed functional art.
Solid Carbon Fiber rear wheel
Photo: John Zamora
The P51 Fighter Combat’s bodylines are very industrial yet somehow streamlined. This is due in part to the backbone of the bike, which integrates both the CNC-machined 6061 T6 aluminum airbox and downdraft intake (complete with viewing porthole) to the front of the clear-windowed fuel tank. The back of the fuel tank also acts as the pivot for the bike’s rear swingarm as well as a mount for the carbon-fiber and leather-appointed seat. It’s a genius design indeed.
Up front the P51 Fighter Combat has a double wishbone monoshock sprung five-axis machined leading link girder fork that is just as well enough at home hanging in Los Angeles’ MOMA than banging out miles on Mulholland Drive.
Fuel tank
Photo: John Zamora
All this killer componentry and awe-inspiring design doesn’t really mean a thing if this machine doesn’t perform, and we can tell you that it indeed does. It’s S&S X-Wedge-based powerplant provides more than 200 ponies of neck-breaking horsepower, and it delivers more than a pound-foot of torque for every 3 pounds of its less-than-500-pound mass.
We all know that having all of that horsepower is great, but if you don’t have a good suspension and some mega brakes for this beast of an engine it is all for naught. This is why Confederate contacted Race Tech in Corona, California, for its superbike-like monoshock remote reservoir suspension and Beringer brakes for its supreme stopping power.
2016 S&S 132ci X-Wedge Motor
Photo: John Zamora
I was fortunate enough to ride this very bike for a few days before we shot it for the magazine. I can tell you that it is a true muscle bike with gobs of power but with some very prolific performance to back it up. It rides easy and is well balanced at low speeds, but the P51 Fighter Combat will practically tear your head off when running through the gears at wide-open throttle. The looks of this bike do not convey how well it does while canyon carving. After only a small initial suspension adjustment it ate up every one of the 100-plus miles of twisty roads I took it on.
In short, the P51 Fighter Combat is both a beefy beast and a total joy to ride under all the conditions and situations I took it through.
Confederate Seat
Photo: John Zamora
The bike, as you can imagine, is an attention getter with everyone at traffic intersections gawking like you just teleported this cycle through some sort of wormhole from the future. And quick gas stops now turn into hour-long Q&A sessions about every aspect of this “crazy-ass” (as it was referred more than one time) motorcycle. But all this attention comes with the territory when riding such a radical machine. And many of the owners of these bikes will appreciate that.
There will only be a limited amount of 61 P51 Fighter Combat models made in 2016. Thirty-one of them will be “blonde” or raw of the aluminum model you see here, and 30 of them will be black anodized and coated.
At the retail sum of a hair under $125,000, ownership of this bike is mainly restricted to a clientele of the rich and famous with owners of past generations of Confederate bikes ranging from big business tycoons to movie, sports, and rock stars, such as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Steven Tyler, Ryan Reynolds, Eddie Van Halen, and some guy who kicks a ball around named David Beckham.
Confederate/Race Tech Frontend
Photo: John Zamora
If you believe that due to the price of these vehicles there are a ton of spots on the waiting list left to buy a P51 Fighter Combat, you might just want to think again, as we are sure that at the time this issue of Hot Bike goes to press they just might well be sold out for the year.
In this world of motorcycling, somebody has to be the most radical, and somebody also has to command a high price tag for being as such. We are just glad it’s the Confederate P51 Fighter Combat and that it’s a made-in-the-USA machine built with American hands, know-how, perseverance, respect, and style.
Model Leanna Decker on Confederate Motors P51 Fighter Combat
Photo: John Zamora
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Confederate Motors P51 Fighter Combat
Photo: John Zamora
Confederate Motors Swingarm
Photo: John Zamora
Model Leanna Decker on Confederate Motors P51 Fighter Combat
Photo: John Zamora
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Owner | Matt Chambers |
| Shop | Confederate Motor Co. |
| Shop Phone | (205) 324-9888 |
| Website | confederate.com |
| Year/Make/Model | 2016/Confederate/P51 Fighter Combat |
| Fabrication | Confederate |
| Build Time | 1000-plus hours |
| Engine | |
| Year/Type/Size | 2016/S&S/132ci |
| Builder | S&S |
| Cases | S&S |
| Cylinders | S&S |
| Heads | Kaase Racing |
| Rocker Boxes | Confederate |
| Cams | S&S |
| Throttle Body | Confederate |
| Air Cleaner | Confederate |
| EFI Controller | S&S |
| Exhaust | Confederate |
| Transmission | |
| Year/Type | 2015/5-speed |
| Gears | Andrews |
| Clutch | Bandit |
| Primary Drive | Bandit |
| Frame | |
| Year/Type | 2016/Confederate |
| Rake | 27º |
| Suspension | |
| Frontend | Confederate/Race Tech |
| Swingarm | Confederate |
| Rear Shock | Race Tech |
| Wheels, Tires, and Brakes | |
| Front | |
| Builder/Size | BST/19 x 3.00 |
| Tire/Size | Pirelli/120 x 70 x 19 |
| Calipers | Beringer |
| Rotors | Beringer |
| Rear | |
| Builder/Size | BST/17 x 7.00 |
| Tire/Size | Pirelli/240 x 45 x 17 |
| Caliper | Beringer |
| Rotor | Bernger |
| Sprocket | Sprocket Specialist |
| Finish/Paint | |
| Manufacturer | Confederate |
| Colors | Raw Aluminum |
| Accessories | |
| Front Fender | Confederate |
| Rear Fender | Confederate |
| Gas Tank | Confederate |
| Dash | Moto Gadget |
| Gauges | Moto Gadget |
| Handlebars | Confederate |
| Grips | Rizoma |
| Mirrors | Rizoma |
| Hand Controls | Beringer |
| Foot Controls | Rizoma |
| Pegs | Confederate |
| Headlight | Confederate |
| Taillight | Confederate |
| Turn Signals | Rizoma |
| License Mount | Confederate |
| Seat | Confederate |
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