The X132 is the third generation of the Hellcat model from boutique manufacturer, Confederate Motorcycles. According to Confederate founder and CEO, Matt Chambers, it’s the most significant Hellcat to date. “This is our 911 moment,” Chambers says referring to Porsche’s iconic and eternal 911 sports car. “We have achieved with the X132 Hellcat a foundation that isn’t simply this year’s girl.”
Chambers’ statement implies that from the Hellcat’s new powerplant an assortment of models can be produced which gives the engine design a lengthy shelf life. Sharing this common format also creates a familial line of models, instead of one-off designs with no recognizable indication of Confederate heritage.
Confederate’s Unit V-Twin
For the unfamiliar, unit construction refers to a motorcycle’s engine and transmission sharing a common casing. Prior to becoming the standard by which most motorcycle engines are constructed — ushered in by the Japanese manufacturers during the ’60s and ’70s — motorcycle engines featured separate (non-unit) engine and transmission cases. Harley-Davidson and the custom cruiser crowd still largely abide by the non-unit format.
The new unit engine is the center point of strength in the 2012 Hellcat’s chassis.
A unit engine is structurally stronger, less flexible and is more tightly packaged. With enough strength and the right design, the frame becomes nearly superfluous — a’ la Ducati Panigale. Confederate is breaking from the custom cruiser mainstay by using a new unit V-Twin engine co-developed by S&S and has taken the design a step further by incorporating the swingarm pivot into the rear of the case.
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