Recently, Bike Urious colleagues echoed a Confederate America GT 1999 put up for sale in Fayetteville, Georgia and advertised in one of the forum sections of the ADV Rider website. The captain of this ship, addicted to everything that goes beyond the boring conventions of the sector, came up with the idea of doing a detailed article on the unit in question for our regular “Dream Bikes for Sale” section.
What was our surprise that in order to view the advertisement itself you must be registered in the aforementioned forum; “our joy in a well”…. So here is a server attending to the request of the aforementioned who, at the order of “It doesn’t matter Jorge, do something about the model that is really interesting and striking” He commissioned me to write an article about this peculiar mount with a marked Yankee DNA.
Confederate America GT: A unique blend of concepts
Confederate Motors, founded in April 1991 by Matt Chambersa lawyer by profession and a lover of motorcycles and design by vocation, began his journey within the two-wheeled sector under a very clear motto: “Intelligent design through true American inspiration”. It took several years and different prototypes until the brand launched its first series model, the 1994 Hellcat.
Four years after that, this America GT would arrive, a mount halfway between a Custom, a Macho-Bike and a Street Fighter that seemed more like a successful preparation by a renowned customizer than a production motorcycle itself. In fact, the brand carried out most of its processes by hand, so its models could be considered almost like a customization job on a common platform.
After its launch in June 1998, the specialized publication Motorcycle Cruiser said of it: “Awesome! That was the word that came to mind when we first saw the Confederate America GT. In fact, we heard the motorcycle first. A roar as the engine started in the depths of our five-story underground garage echoed through the concrete and steel of the building, as the bike ascended the four ramps to our floor.”
In the technical section, the America GT had a 1,861 cc air-cooled 45-degree V-twin S&S engine, associated with a 5-speed Andrews gearbox and capable of generating more than 100 HP of power to the rear wheel. Assembled on a strong DOM carbon steel tubular chassis, one of its main sections had the peculiarity of fulfilling the function of an oil tank.
For the suspension, the brand used an inverted front fork (a very unconventional element in a motorcycle of this type) and a rear central monoshock anchored semi-horizontally. Other truly striking details of the America GT are, for example, the 17-inch Dymag magnesium wheels shod on the rear axle with a huge Pirelli in size 200/50 ZR 17.
Likewise, the braking equipment, signed by Brembo, had little or nothing to do with those mounted on a custom motorcycle of the time. Not even today do we find models that have a double front disc powered in this case by six-piston calipers. As you can imagine, a motorcycle like this, with a declared weight of 227 kilos, was not developed solely to ride and be exhibited.
The magnitude of the set made us know that we were facing a “bad beast”, capable of offering performance far above what anyone expects from a custom frame with a “certain sporty halo”. Motorcycle Cruiser defined the concept perfectly when they stated:
“Go hard and hold on tight! Remember, this bike offers similar power and torque to a stock Valkyrie and weighs 84kg less in the wet. The America GT loves to accelerate”. However, it wasn’t all virtues, as the America GT also had some truly unforgivable flaws for a motorcycle of its price. For example, the enormous vibrations coming from its huge engine.
Also a speedometer that is imprecise and difficult to read depending on the circumstances. To top off this list of technical misfortunes we had the fact that, when completely filling the gas tank, once running it leaked out through the gasket of the cap, splashing the right side of the bike and the rider’s leg… That is why when Confederate announced the official price of its American GT, $29,995about 4,650,000 pesetas at the exchange rate in 1998, more than one saw little future for the model.
Currently we can find units for sale below $10,000, as is the case of the one announced on the ADV Rider forum, the same one that we cannot access. In addition, it has some improvements and modifications that make it even more special and striking. Something, on the other hand, almost unnecessary taking into account the characteristic aura that the Yankee firm’s motorcycles have.
