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/658612
VOL. 53 ISSUE 12 MARCH 29, 2016 P85 sive 240/45-ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II. This didn't heavy up the steering as much as I expected, especially compared to the G1 Fighter or the Speedster, and I surprised myself by using much more of the tire than I'd ever done before on other bikes fitted with such a wide hoop, with the inevitable chicken strips much narrower than usual. THIS THING MOTORS Firing up the X-Wedge power- plant used to take a little while on the Speedster and other bikes fitted with it. No more: thumb the starter button and it cranks immediately to life first time, every time. That's because S&S has fitted it with its Easy Start cams, which reduce crank- ing compression via an innova- tive feature. The Fighter's engine bursts into life with a satisfyingly meaty peal of thunder from the exhaust canister beneath the engine, settling to a 900 rpm idle that's quite devoid of the clackety rattles and shakes of other American air-cooled V-twins, and it's also relatively quiet in terms of decibels, too. Really, the whole bike exudes quality and represents a decisive step up in terms of togetherness and finish than the previous Fighter— this new P51 version no longer feels like a collection of parts, but a more homogeneous, more refined whole. In spite of the fact that S&S declines to fit any vibration- sapping counterblancers, and the engine is rigidly mounted in the frame, the X-Wedge motor is improbably smooth by air-cooled American V-twin standards, with zero undue vibration at any revs in spite of being solid-mounted for extra chassis stiffness. Thanks to the more refined response delivered by the Delphi EFI now fitted to replace the G1 Fighter's carbs, it'll pull cleanly rpm, and you're best shifting up at 4000 rpm as shown on the bike's only instrument, a large black-faced Motogadget ana- logue tacho behind the steer- ing head that's very cafe racer, containing a small digital panel showing road speed and the fuel level, with a red ignition light, green N-for-Neutral, and—that's all. Doing so will let you surf that so-strong torque curve, but you must remember that while 3000 rpm in top/fifth gear is already 100 mph, it takes you very little time to get there thanks to those substantial reserves of muscle. Though the surprisingly light-action hydraulically oper- ated Bandit clutch (surprising, because of all the torque it has to handle) barely needs to be troubled accelerating out of even the tightest turn from little more than walking pace, you're best off keeping the revs dialed up above 1800 rpm to avoid any trace of transmission snatch. But there's acres of torque from there on up to the 5200 rpm power peak, where the triple- camshaft 2136cc motor delivers 145 bhp at the rear wheel, 25 bhp more than in the X-Wedge motor's initial Confederate ap- plication in the Speedster. The shift action of the five- speed Confederate gearbox is quite positive, swapping ratios smoothly except from second to first, when there's a clunk each time you go through neutral while shifting down. However, with so much torque on tap, two "WE WANTED A BIKE THAT FLICKS THE FINGER AT THE ESTABLISHED ORDER…" off idle with acres of grunt and very satisfying acceleration. Engine mapping is ideal, without so fierce a throttle response that it becomes snatchy, and wheel- ies aren't an issue because of the long wheelbase. The impres- sive acceleration comes thanks to the huge amount of torque on tap at almost any engine speed, which peaks at just 2000 rpm but holds hard and strong all the way through to the 5800 rpm rev limiter, which you have no busi- ness ever remotely approaching. The X-Wedge motor's happy zone is between 1500-3500