Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1237845
CURTISS P40 WARHAWK FINAL EDITION R I D E R E V I E W P62 completes development of the Hades, Chambers has celebrated the return of the Curtiss brand to the marketplace with a final farewell to the kind of motorcycles his company has been build- ing for the last quarter- century. And he also pays homage to the man responsible for in- venting their format in the first place. This explains the creation of the Curtiss P40 Warhawk (named like all Chambers' products after a WW2 military aircraft), which made its debut in 2018. Since then, 13 examples have been built and delivered for $105,000 each, and now the Birmingham factory is assembling a further Final Edition se- ries of seven such bikes, at the much-reduced price of $75,000 each. "After that, we will no longer build any more motorcycles which need a spark to light the motor," says Matt Chambers. "Our factory will be 100 per- cent devoted to manufacturing electric products." The Curtiss Warhawk follows the same overall design format as the final run of Confederate motor- cycles, which ended with another 13-model run, the FA-13 Bomber Combat built in 2016-2018, retailing for $155,000 each. BOMBER BRANDING FOR THE WARHAWK Its Bomber genesis means the Warhawk is built around a similar seven-inch (178mm) diameter fuse- lage comprising its spine frame, its component parts CNC-machined from solid 6061-T6 aluminum billet, then duly bolted together to create a monocoque chassis holding the V-twin motor, which is rigidly mounted as a fully-stressed frame component. It's a true monocoque because it indeed also comprises the fuel tank, carrying four gallons of gas in a receptacle within the fuselage, which extends downwards under the seat. There are five sight glasses incorporated in the chassis, with the upper trio allowing you to peer into the airbox incorporated into its upper section, while the lower pair lets you monitor the level in the fuel cell. Imagine the leg- endary Isle of Man TT-winning John Player Norton racer's aluminum monocoque chassis, but CNC- machined from solid billet and then bolted togeth- er, rather than fabricated via a TIG-welder, as the Norton was. That's what the Warhawk represents, albeit carrying a very different kind of twin-cylinder OHV pushrod engine than the Norton's relatively puny 75-bhp 750cc parallel-twin motor. Like previous Confederate models, the Warhawk is powered by an air/oil-cooled 2163cc triple- camshaft S&S X-Wedge OHV 56.25° V-twin motor with two valves per cylinder, a forged one-piece crank and hefty flywheels. The engine's architec- ture was tailored explicitly for this motorcycle by Wisconsin-based company S&S, with its crank- cases also carved from solid 6061 aluminum billet, and featuring dedicated attachment points to suit the Warhawk's monocoque frame design. (Right) Mission control for the P40. Minimal, tough, angry. Just like the rest of the bike. (Below) Yes, quadruple front brake discs are fitted to the Warhawk.