This may be the last ever
Confederate, but it’s one hell
of a way to exit the stage
- Bells & whistles
With clear engine cases offering the
mainstream an insight into the otherwise
secret world of internal mechanical
wonderment, and on-trend neon red
highlights set among matte grey, it
isn’t surprising to learn American
clothing designer Ralph Lauren has
used Confederate bikes to decorate
the window displays of its company’s
flagship stores in New York. Between
its all-American muscle, its extravagant
design and its dark and stealthy attitude,
Chambers’ creations truly are two-
wheeled status symbols. - Bare necessities
There’s a delightful contrast between
the menacing mechanical monstrosity
that is the Confederate FA-13 Combat
Bomber and the simplistic, somewhat
dainty, execution of the instruments and
kill switch employed on the machine. The
small, single black-faced analogue tacho
offers the barest of essential information;
rpm, speed in a digital readout, fuel level
and a neutral light. As for the kill switch
mounted on the right-hand switch block,
Cathcart refers to it as being both tiny
and delicate, two words one would never
associate with an FA-13 Combat Bomber. - That front end
The girder-style front end is one of the
earliest forms of motorcycle suspension,
but one which is still both relevant and
effective. Just as John Britten developed
his own version of a girder-style fork for
his iconic V1000 superbike, Confederate
offers a unique yet highly efficient version
on the Combat Bomber. But where the late
Kiwi bike builder opted for a construction
of Kevlar and carbon-fibre to suspend
the Britten, Chambers and his crew have
machined the C-Bomb’s Girder-style front
end from solid aluminium. The result is
gorgeous, intuitive and functional.
The devil’s in the detail
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