Good film. I trust your Oscar acceptance speech is going to be less embarrassing than that Benedict Cucumber blokes?


Andy

[QUOTE "No I have not test rode a new CCM, my nearest dealer is currently 86 Miles away! (i live in the midlands just off the M1) do the factory send out a mechanic everytime it needs a service etc like Mclaren do?
When the oppurtunity arises I will happily test ride a CCM, hell if they want me to they can send me a bike and I will try it for a month and give an honest review."


Have you ever bought anything in your life where you get to try it for a month?!

I live in the midlands also but I thought how lucky I was that the factory where they're made is only up the road from me

One of them glass half full half numpty things I guess

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have fun with your helmet!

The only thing that depreciates faster than a CCM is fresh fish.

Sent from my G7-L01 using Tapatalk

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

The thing is though. It doesn't ride better than a DRZ400. Better fuel economy due to fuel injection is all I can see. I can't see any reason for buying one as there are two bikes in every category which are better and half the price. CCM had a chance to provide something everyone had been crying out for for years. Instead they obviously interviewed some idiots in front of Starbucks and built something which is a bit pointless which no one is going to want to shell out for.

Unless their strategy is just to sell it as 'something different' to people with deep pockets for a few years.


Why can't someone make a Japanese 500-650CC Single cylinder bike with a steel frame, simple electrics and fuel injection. Good suspension with good wheels, a comfortable seat, good lights and a small cockpit with a realistic screen.

Imagine a lightweight 660 Tenere with good suspension ??

Or a KTM 690 adventure which you could trust not to be a headache.

Surely the market is out there for someone. These bikes were super popular in the 80's and 90's even in their basic form.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Yea, CCM's market research obviously aimed towards high end of RTW travelers. I'm sure guys like Colebatch, Pyndon (Lyndon Poskett) and a handful of other royal family members love the CCM, and can afford it.

These wanna-be Dakar racers ride to Mongolia like it's a rally. To each his own. Pyndon & Colebatch are both skilled fabricators and designers, both their business's are spin offs from their travel adventure fame created on the internet.

Both have legions of Leg Humper followers on ADV Rider. Pyndon and Colebatch fabricate modified BMW's and KTM 690's that end up costing in the £20,000 range. (New Sibirsky Extreme bike build | Adventure Rider)

So, the CCM is reasonable by comparison. Colebatch builds bikes for himself, Pyndon sells to actual Dakar racers and well off "enthusiasts".

Whomever CCM consulted for inspiration/knowledge ... IMO, they've aimed at a rather limited, affluent group. Many young travelers starting out would want something cheap as chips, don't care if it's of race pedigree. They don't even care if it breaks down. All part of the adventure and all. Most aren't rally racers.

But I'm not sure anyone could build a bike in Britain for much less than CCM has, using quality components. After all, so much of what we see today is made in either Thailand, Korea or China. It may say Made In Japan, but the Japanese now source TONS of parts from China and produce many models in Thailand and Korea.

It's true the CCM motor wears a BMW badge, but is originally a Rotax design that has always been manufactured in Taiwan by Kymco. Kymco make Excellent products.

Obviously, with BMW's abrupt cancellation of the 450 race bike, Kymco/BMW were left with possibly thousands of 450 engines stuck in a warehouse somewhere. I would love to hear insiders story on this and what sort of deal CCM got on the Engines. Pennies on the pound?

But the rest of the bike is NOT going to be cheap. Can't be. No way can a tiny producer match costs/volumes and selling prices with big manufacturers.

So YES ... the CCM is expensive. But I understand why and don't believe they are ripping anyone off ... and probably just treading water at this point. I hope they survive!

What's worrisome is the limited scope/focus of the GP450 as it seems a bit limited as a versatile overall world travel machine.

Yes, I think you've hit on it there.

It's possible Honda will come out with a "CRF450L" or some such ... or Yamaha a "WR450R", but both would no doubt need lots of Mods to make good travel bikes. The Japanese will never produce a "ready to go" RTW type travel bike.
It would always need mods.

As of now, most end up making their own version of the above using an old tech bike like my DR650 or a XR650L, KLR or XT600 or 660. Not so bad really.
It's a cheap way to go and plenty of good donor bikes around.

DRZ400S is a good example. For a couple grand in mods its nearly as good as a KTM or CCM ... and probably more reliable down the road.

To be fair, Lyndon is an actual Dakar racer. His best result was a stage 9th in the 2013 Dakar. On top of that a 1st place overall in the Mongolia rally and a 2nd overall in the Baja Rally.

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Belgium to Nordkapp via Iran | Discover Overland | Destination World

Not to take cred from Lyndon ... reference is more to the buyers of such bikes who are NOT actual racers ... and for all we know won't go beyond Starbuck's.

46th place in the 2013 Dakar rally is certainly impressive. No question a great rider. Great finish in the Baja rally too getting 2nd behind Hengeveld (former Team Honda Hero, multiple Baja 1000 winner, now at retirement age)
I wonder if Lyndon will enter the Baja 1000? (the real Baja race!)

Big entry fee for that rally ($2,100). He must have generous sponsors.

Point is, Lyndon's meticulously prepped KTM racers as a travel bike is not for everyone ... not for me, even if I could afford it ... all that Dakar stuff just looks silly ... unless you ARE a racer going racing! (road book, GPS holder, multiple tanks) Overkill IMO.
But it's a big world! All kinds hit the road, from guys doing "NO budget" trips on a 100cc Postie bike ... to Trust Fund kits going Carte Blanche. There's room for everyone. My favorite guys ride around in a $400K UniMog campers ... they always have cold on board!

There's an interesting thread on AdvRider from a British guy riding the US TAT (Trans America Trail) on a GP450. He sounds an average sort of rider rather than an off road god, and talks honestly about some of the problems he encountered.

I was one of the many that CCM spoke to as part of their market research. One of my suggestions (and maybe from others as well) was the stealth tool tube which ended up as the rather expensive false silencer. One suggestion of mine which wasn't acted upon was a wider ratio gearbox and minkyhead from ABR has done some work changing internal ratios.

I did have a test ride eventually but it was a bit disorganised, the accompanying 'guide' rider didn't know the area, so it was on tarmac with the exception of a couple of hundred metres down a lane. So I ended up buying a second KTM 690 Enduro which has proved ultra reliable.

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Alternately, when you rely on focus groups and other market research you get a new Honda AT.
I've just posted the link to the Honda marketing hype here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...6-8#post518208

Shucks, here it is:
Honda Worldwide | October 16, 2015 "16YM HONDA CRF1000L Africa Twin"


The GP450 should do pretty well when the testers get around to writing a comparison of it with the CRF1000L in place of the CRF250L.

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Dave

But then came Starbucks and ruined it for everyone.

Best bet now is the WR300R.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

Both me and my girlfriend are looking for new adventure bikes, and not being tall means that our choice is a little limited, the advice that we have been getting was to keep the weight down.

Last week I visited the Bolton CCM factory and went for a day test ride with Darren Soothill, we rode everything, motorways, country roads and off road gravel, mud, rocks the lot. Other than mountain biking, I had no prior off road experience and was somewhat nervous about the prospect.

With Darrens excellent mentoring and the exceptional ease of handing, the CCM 450 was amazing, it grips the road surface whatever the condition, the lightness makes handling easy. With lots of power you can get out of anything. I was astonished at what I could do as a complete novice on this bike, its like mountain push-biking with an engine.

I was so impressed that I ordered two new bikes.

Now I need to sell the camper van to finance both bikes, still keeping the wheel count the same.

Welcome to the gang, great light bikes.

Charles

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Charles CCM450, BMW R90/6, BMW R50
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...a/027_27-1.jpg

Anyone with an eye on what CCM plans are will know that the GP450 model is discontinued, the 450 cc engine being killed off by the EU emissions regulations.

CCM have announced that the GP450 will be replaced with a new model of around 600cc (a GP600??) with an engine that likely will come from Italy (same one that is to be fitted in the SWM bike)..

Meanwhile, CCM will not stand idle: Here's their recently announced Spitfire - a limited production run starting in the Autumn (that's "the Fall" to some of you).

http://www.ccm-motorcycles.com/_incl...es_Updated.pdf
This style of machine is quite the rage for some people and the Spitfire should keep the CCM employees busy until the GP600 is on the assembly line.

the Spit reminds me of my G650X Country.

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Dave

Seems that I will have to look for second hand GP 450....
greets trolik

Take a look at uk Ebay, usually a selection for sale at prices between £5500 and £7000, chose a later bike......

I’m hoping that the Gp600 will be showcased at this years NEC bike show in a couple of weeks time, but it maybe that they are are spending too much time and energy fabricating baubles for the hipster generation.

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Charles CCM450, BMW R90/6, BMW R50
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...a/027_27-1.jpg