X

Wraith gives new meaning to industrial

Confederate Motors shows off the B120 Wraith motorcycle at the New York auto show.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
See full bio
Wayne Cunningham

B120 Wraith
The B120 Wraith uses carbon fiber forks with integrated LED headlights. Sarah Tew/CNET

Crotch rockets with bright farings may dominate the motorcycle world, but Confederate Motors takes a different direction. Opting for an ultraindustrial design, the company uses raw carbon fiber and unpolished aluminum to build its motorcycles. The latest example, on display at the 2009 New York auto show, is the B120 Wraith, a nasty-looking piece of work.

The three and a half gallon fuel tank is also the backbone of the bike, a thick aluminum tube welded to short, horizontal tubes, affording the kind of structural support that only a pipe can give. Carbon fiber front forks have a unique mono-shock on the steering column. Headlights are a row of LEDs integrated into the front of the forks. The wheels are also made from carbon fiber, and the brakes are from Brembo. The V-style engine puts out 125 horsepower and 130 foot-pounds of torque.

B120 Wraith
The Wraith has a unique industrial design using aluminum and carbon fiber. Sarah Tew/CNET

Confederate Motors only plans to build 250 of the B120 Wraith, making it a rare bike to see on the road.