Confederate reviews

I walked around a corner of Ocean Blvd. Daytona,my first day at Bike Week 2000, and there it was straight ahead of me; my dream bike. An America GT in black with bright yellow wheels.Love at first sight,a Confederate convert at first ride!! What a ride! I still get the same thrill every time I fire her up.Mine is an S&S 113ci not the Merch 120 and from the reports I've read on the 120 I am glad I have the 113.It has gobs and gobs of torque as well as BHP. I have only a guess as to the top speed because the speedo goes to 120 and I can almost do that in 4th gear! Cornering ability is limited only by ground clearance.So far in one year of ownership I have had no problems to speak of except a leak in the gas tank. It turns heads everywhere we go,i.e.;I pull into the HD demo parking lot at Daytona International Speedway and never got away from the bike. I had four people around me before I got shutdown and the crowd continued for the next hour one would ask questions or just look and listen and two more would come over. I never made it into the HD area!That scene is repeated nearly everywhere I go with my Baby which is part of why I love her so... and the 10.9 1/4 miles at 123 mph!She is so sexy too!! It is to bad Matt didn't have the doe ray me to see his dream all the way through, but maybe the new majority stock holder will. Show less

'Love the bikes; look is unique, performance is beyond many riders' skill level - definitely not for the novice, and very rare (there are only about 400 in private hands). BUT.. the company is in knots internally (an ongoing hostile takeover attempt the current board of directors has withheld operating funding for some time, warranty issues are (and have been) delayed. Bulk of warranty issues are related to failure to properly break in these large displacement, performance enhanced motors. Almost all other problems are linked to pilot error (inflated sense of skill), and/or ignored routine maintenance. It is unlikely the company will survive in its current form. Show less

What a nightmare!!! Tried to buy one and the dealership I went to acted as though they did not want to sell me a Confederate, could not answer questions and looked downright cross-eyed at me when I asked prices. Told them I was interested in one silver Hellcat that was on the floor to sell and was told that they could not sell it to me. Huh? Started joining club boards to speak with other owners and felt like I was in a bad "B" movie. There are way too many owners out there owning Confederates with little or no miles on them that are not running and Confederate cannot honor any warranties because they even admit that they are close to bankruptcy. I admire their motorcycles, but I will do it from afar and I hope all those current owners reach some satisfaction with the Confederates, because as of now they simply own $25K to $30K art pieces! P.S. Called and spoke with the factory who lied to me and when confronted with theirs lies became incredibility rude. This motorcycle company is all but gone, but do not take my word for it call the factory, join the club boards and talk to owners. All the owners I spoke with gladly gave me an earful. Oh, and about getting to ride one...forget it, I was told that you either have to buy one before you can ride it and that the Confederate speaks for itself. Sounded pretty daft to me. They do not have a zero star rating or I would have chosen it. Show less

This can be a really long story, so I'll make it short. I want to be sure that people investigate what they're getting into before purchasing a Confederate. I bought a new 2000 Confederado. Less than 300 miles later it had a complete breakdown. Clutch, brakes, electrical system, and motor were shot. Confederate "approved" the bike for warranty work but WILL NOT send any parts or pay my local shop for labor. I am stuck in the worst position imaginable. I have spoken with many people at Confederate, including Matt Chambers, and all they do is blame their problems on someone else. I have owned the bike for 3 months, 2 1/2 months it has been in the shop waiting for Confederate to own up to their warranty. I have been lied to, no one will return my calls, and now it is turning into a legal battle. Matt Chambers tries to compare Confederate Motorcycles to the early days of Ferrari, but in my experience they do not even stack up to the early days of VW. In fact, I have owned several AMF shovelheads that were much more reliable than my $25,000 Confederado, and Harley will still help you out when you take your bike to the shop. I honestly cannot put my experience with Confederate in words. It is a total letdown that has left me stranded with a (very expensive) broken bike, a stack of bills, and frustration that I've never experienced before. I would warn anyone looking into purchasing a Confederate. Show less

Recently purchased a Confederate Crazyhorse/Confederado directly from the factory in Abita Springs. They put the best of both together for a one of a kind bike. TP 107 with a 230 rear and a carbor fiber teardrop tank...plus all the extra goodies only Confederate can deliver. And deliver it does. Gets you from point A to B in a hurry and looking good. It makes the Harley clones want to cry. Matt Chambers and Bill Sweatman can put it together for you...if you have some cash. But its only money and who really wants a Harley? Show less

In January 2001, I took delivery of a new, special-order black Hellcat with the 120 cubic-inch Merch motor, one-off "vintage-style" handlebars, HSR/45 Mikuni carburetor, and other features which are not standard (neither was the price "standard"). It is difficult to explain what this bloody thing is like to ride. At full throttle, the acceleration is so intense that the pilot is literally suspended from the handlebars like a flag in a high wind. Handling, braking, and shifting are flawless, but the bike wants to run right out from under your ass! The six grand extra for the "performance version" of that awesome 120-inch (1966 cc) Merch is an expenditure only for the totally power-mad enthuasist (I plead "guilty".), and I'd cheerfully spend it again! Yeeeeeeee-Hawwww!! May the South truly rise again at the hands of men like Matt Chambers, Bill Sweetman and the other "southern gentlemen" in Abita Springs, Louisiana. The Confederate is a quality piece of work, and if you simply must "whack" Jap sportbikes light-to-light on an American-made V-twin, this is your ONLY option! Show less

I work at a multi-line dealership. We had a 1999 America GT come in on consignment (estate sale, the deceased owner's entire car & bike collection was sold piecemeal). All the salesmen and a bunch of techs found excuses to ride it pending sale. It was sporting less than 1K miles, 120ci and it was fast as hell! I considered buying it myself, but my indecision and delay... well, I blew it - it sold in six days to a well known actor/collector. And now I find out that the 120ci option isn't even available in the GT any more. It was the finest example of v-twin chassis engineering we'd ever seen - the torque of a monster v-twin in the chassis and suspension of a sportbike. It could smoke almost anything we had on the floor - OK, maybe not the Hayabusa, but it was more comfortable and alot more fun - especially with the ladies. Now I'm keeping my options and my eyes open. It probably won't get ridden much now, since it went back into a collection, damn it. Show less

This bike is the most outstanding American motorcycle in production today. I've owned and ridden quite a few. There's nothing more to be said except this bike is truly superior and faster than hell with the 120ci or the 113ci Show less

They are giving test rides on Confederates in Sturgis. OH MY GAWD! I loved the Hellcat. Its fast, light, and handles like no Harley I've ever ridden. I just made an appointment to talk to my bank. I was so impressed I ordered one without checking about financing first (duh!). It turns out these are real easy to finance (banks love them as collateral). I strongly recommend the test ride - but only if you can afford it (they are not cheap) because after the ride you will definitely want one. Show less

I bought a 2000 model GT with 2100 miles from the original owner who let his wife ride it, lost control, jumped a curb and spit her off. Only her pride was hurt, and "it was the bike's fault". Wheels had to be replaced, minor right side cosmetic repairs, and I found out later it hadn't been broken in right. The 120"-Merch motor started smoking and making some noise. The factory replaced the entire motor at no cost and I wasn't even the original owner - and it was out of the warranty period. Now that is good service. I have about 1200 miles on the new 120"-Merch with very careful break in and no problems. I got a great deal from the original owner, who told me he was going to order a new Hellcat for himself, and his wife would not be allowed near it. I told him to follow the break in procedure this time, and to call me if she bent this one. Show less