Curtiss Motorcycles, previously Confederate Motors, is an American manufacturer of exotic street

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. It was founded in 1991 by trial lawyer H. Matthew Chambers, as an initiative seeking "enlightened design through true American inspiration." In 2017 the company announced plans to rename itself to Curtiss Motorcycles and switch to all-electric motorcycles with a partnership with

Zero Motorcycles 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usuall ...

. The Warhawk will be the final and only gasoline motorcycle under the Curtiss brand. It is based on their P51 Fighter, with a limited run of 35 bikes. On March 29, 2018, Combat Motors LLC purchased the intellectual property rights for the Confederate brand and designs and continues to make gasoline motorcycles.

History

Pre-production 1 Confederate P120 Fighter at the 2009 Seattle International Motorcycle Show 3

The company opened in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

in 1991, and after a brief move to San Francisco, California, the next year, moved to a prototype shop in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, in 1993. The company's first motorcycle rolled off the production line there on November 11, 1994. Over 500 first generation Hellcat models were built from 1996 to 2001. After going bankrupt in 2001, Confederate recovered in 2003 and produced a second generation of Hellcats, about 75 total. After the severe factory damage in August 2005 by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

interrupted production, Confederate moved its corporate headquarters and assembly operations to a building in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Production resumed after the reorganization and move in early 2006, with an announcement in May of their $5 million expansion plans for production of a third, more affordable, model. Confederate Motor Co. sold 37 bikes in 2008 and anticipated the sale of 30 bikes in 2009, due to the

recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...

. Even though Confederate's buyers are too rich to be affected by the economic downturn, company founder Matt Chambers said during the recession, "it was very fashionable to not be buying a high-end luxury product like ours." In 2013 the company moved to a larger facility in Birmingham. Confederate produced 130 G3 Hellcats. Confederate has launched a G2 Fighter and has plans to launch a G2 Wraith. At the August 2017

Quail Motorcycle Gathering The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is a motorcycle rally and Concours d'Elegance held annually since 2009 at Carmel, California. Quail participants show bikes, and 100 of them ride the California Highway Patrol motor unit escorted 112 mile Quail Ride a ...

, Confederate's President Matt Chambers said the Confederate name would be changed to Curtiss, and the company would switch to electric motorcycles in partnership with established electric bike maker

. The new model is to be a high-powered

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

called the Hercules, made in Zero's California facility, not the Birmingham, Alabama Confederate Motorcycle factory. Chambers said that the Civil War connotations of the Confederate name had cost the company business, and they "missed out on branding opportunities" because of it. The Curtiss Motorcycles name is a reference to aviation and motorcycle pioneer

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early ...

. Chambers had defended the Confederate name and motto, "Art of Rebellion", as recently as June 2017, saying "the rebellion we're talking about is cerebral and spiritual and inside of you", connected with the ideas of

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

E. E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...

, and Southern principles Chambers is proud of, not their "unprincipled application", adding that he is "glad the South lost" the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Motorcycles

Confederate produced the G1 Hellcat from 1999 - 2001. The G2 Hellcat was produced from 2002 to 2007. The Wraith was produced was 2007 to 2009 and the Fighter from 2009 to 2011. The G3 Hellcat was produced until being sold out in the fourth quarter of 2015. In 2007, the $92,000 B120 Wraith and F131 Hellcat took first and second place respectively in the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building show at the

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, and the surrounding Black Hills region of the United States. It began in 1938 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and was originally held for stunts a ...

, in the production manufacturer category. In late 2015, entered production of the G2 P51 Combat Fighter, this models frame is produced from a solid billet block of aluminum, creating an aluminum monocoque frame, of which 61 examples will be made, selling for $119,500. Confederate has plans to launch a G2 Wraith and a G3 Hellcat. In August 2017 Confederate announced a limited edition FA-13 Combat Bomber model based on the G2 P51 Combat Fighter. This models 56-degree air cooled V-twin engine has claimed specifications of @ 5,100 rpm and @ 2,000 rpm and a wet weight of , with a top speed of In 2018, the Warhawk model based on their P51 Fighter will be the last and final gas-powered motorcycle, only 35 bikes will be produced.

Current models

* The 1

References

External links

*
Confederate Motor Company announces relocation...
Retrieved 20070617
alabama.gov: Governor Riley Celebrates First Production Motorcycle Made in Alabama
Retrieved 20070617

NYT Handlebars column * Beeler, Jense
Pierre Terblanche Leaves Confederate for Royal Enfield
(November 14, 2014. ''Asphalt and Rubber'' {{USA motorcycle manufacturers Companies based in Birmingham, Alabama Motorcycle builders Pierre Terblanche Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1991 1991 establishments in Alabama Manufacturing companies based in Alabama