Looks awesome, reads like crap




The Wraith B120, from Confederate Motorcycles...

We codified the business case for the Wraith in early 1999. Conceived as a counterpoint to the golden era of the 1930's, which inspired beginning design work on the Hellcat, we chose the pre-16 era of motoring and the courageous free spirited nature of the board track racer as our inspirational starting point.

Holistic evolution of efforts made to evolve the radial aircraft architecture of our V twin powerplant through the Wraith's chassis platform architecture was mandated. Perfected balance of proportion and evolutionary brand gestalt were referenced. Greater manufacturing efficiency, fewer parts and fewer vendors were specified.

The project lay dormant until April 2003. The business case was rewritten. As Brough Superior, Vincent and Crocker most connected emotionally to the Hellcat, the Pierce would illuminate what the Wraith could be; Quite simply, the world's most luxurious, sporting two-wheeled device.

Oookayyy. Personally, I prefer the Hellcat. Either way, let's hope the ride is more supple and balanced than the brochure copy.

PS: It's old news if you're a bike-nut like my brother, but did you ever wonder what happened to the motorcycle factories on the dreary side of the Iron Curtain after World War II?

Nothing. They kept cranking out the same bike, same frozen-in-time BMW design for 40 years. Here's a good look at AWO (Awto Welo) -- which, until relatively recently, were freshly manufactured antiques. Leaky, cranky and ball-breaking. A purists dream.