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  • Motorcycle Live

    Went to Motorcycle live at Birmingham yesterday. Great day out with some fab bikes on show. A fine showing by Norton, Triumph and Brough. Their bikes manufactured abroad but still bringing jobs and revenue into the country. Other british 'skunkwork' manufacturers evident too (using Chinese engines and frames but designed in the UK) . It struck me that innovative design is something the Uk is getting quite good at regarding motorcycles and have to say some of the large japanese manufactures seem to be playing catch-up. My favourite bikes were the CCM's - utilising a foreign engine but the frame is designed and built in this country. The chap at the stand said all alloted bikes were sold and 9 orders on the first day - Yea!, could this be the start of something big for for our motorcycle industry

  • #2
    I've seen pics of the CCM Scrambler, but to me it does not seem to be road legal. or to my eyes, nothing but a collection of unrelated parts. Now if they were to build a classic style trail bike similar to the bike they made a few years back......

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    • #3
      I had a good look at them at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and a long chat with their man on the stand. There is no doubt they are form over function, and probably not road legal. Aimed at a certain market for whom riding a decent distance would not be on the agenda!

      Your suggestion Brian would be much better!

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      • #4
        Oh c'mon guys, I'm getting those 'Bah humbug, not like that when I was young vibes'. You will be saying next that its design probably affects the weather. Its designed by Ex CCM engineers and with over 200 built and BIKE magazine putting it into the top ten... (you are joking it about it being road legal aren't you??). I like to support both old and new British bike ideas. Its really important in my opinion that we do, its the younger generation that will keep the older bikes on the road one day!! The 'classic' trail bike based on the Suzuki unit they built a few years back was a resounding flop - the public does vote with its feet. So saying all that, my TE has nothing to worry about and is not going to be replaced any time soon
        Last edited by MarkM; 22/11/2017, 11:38 PM.

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        • #5
          I assume this is the bike you are refering to
          Attached Files

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          • #6
            Indeed, yes its unorthadox I know but sometimes you have to break the mould in my opinion - interestingly one of Norton's off road offerings next year looks very similar. Its really not a new concept - foreign engines in British build frames. Think I'm in a minority in liking it though

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            • #7
              The problem I had with the Trail Bike they made a few years back was that they put a water-cooled motor in it and it needed a huge radiator that was extremely vulnerable. I could live with the new Tenere, stylish without looking as if it were designed by someone on pot!

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              • #8
                Went to the show yesterday with son and grandson. Grandson has, after jumping through innumerable hoops, now got his full-power licence. Sadly his granddad can't afford to buy him the R1 he wants for Christmas...

                Excellent and interesting show and, surprisingly, not that crowded.

                Not been to a modern bike show for a few years so a bit out of touch - quite surprised at how the look of new bikes has gone all "raptor".

                I found the KTM stand the most intriguing - for a young company they're showing a great deal of imagination and now have a terrific - and "different" range. Their MotoGP bike is quite something.

                Of the "brit" bikes: Norton - take your pick so long as it's a Commando, AJS - didn't see a stand for them, Brough Superior - ridiculous thing trying to look like an SS100. Why? What a waste of time, Triumph - fully fledged manufacturer with an excellent model range. I quite fancy a Speed Triple... They were also running up their Moto2 engine - it sounds brilliant!
                Last edited by Colin Sparrow; 25/11/2017, 03:15 PM.
                Colin Sparrow

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                • #9
                  I don't think KTM are a young company Colin, well certainly not the original company, 1934. Marmite bikes, love or hate the styling, but performance wise, fantastic. My only criticism is the seat height, always too high, still they always put a smile on your face.

                  Last edited by tony; 25/11/2017, 04:43 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by tony View Post
                    I don't think KTM are a young company Colin, well certainly not the original company, 1934. Marmite bikes, love or hate the styling, but performance wise, fantastic. My only criticism is the seat height, always too high, still they always put a smile on your face.
                    Fair comment. I think I was alluding to their comparatively recent emergence as a mainstream manufacturer. The modern company started in 1992.

                    I've had a go on my grandson's RC390 sports bike and thought it was great. Good power to weight ratio and nice handling. Seat height on that fine for me; never tried one of their off-roaders.
                    Last edited by Colin Sparrow; 26/11/2017, 09:08 AM.
                    Colin Sparrow

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                    • #11
                      Pics & review of KTM 'Duke' 390 https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocia...est-and-review
                      Access to engine looks difficult behind that 'girder' frame. Strange that they have chose an odd capacity (actually 373cc) as it does not fall into a UK road fund licence band (bikes over 250cc are all in the higher taxation bracket) For that reason the old British 350cc capacity was never popular, as you could put a 500 or 650 on the road for same tax.
                      Last edited by John Wakefield; 26/11/2017, 09:22 AM.

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                      • #12
                        Mark. Don't get me wrong regarding the CCM, I spent a long time looking at the 3 options, Scrambler, Flat Tracker & Cafe Racer. They are finely engineered, with some excellent detail on them, and I did like the look of them. However, as presented, they were not road legal. Once you add a large and ugly rear light and number plate bracket, a front mudguard which meets regulations, a silencer which meets regulations etc etc, they tend to lose the visual line and form which is evident without them. Maybe at Motorcycle Live they presented them with the road equipment fitted?

                        I would be happy to have one in my garage, to have a quick blast on occasionally. I am sure any of them would be great fun to ride, at least for short distances! The reality is that for the money, and the use it would get, I won't be buying one. Good luck to CCM though, and I am glad to see they are selling well.

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                        • #13
                          Manufacturing motorcycles by making the frame and using an Off-The-Shelf engine? That sounds familiar. Amongst many others, wasn't there a company in the Southend-on-Sea area that used to do something like that ?

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by IanCordes View Post
                            Mark. Don't get me wrong regarding the CCM, I spent a long time looking at the 3 options, Scrambler, Flat Tracker & Cafe Racer. They are finely engineered, with some excellent detail on them, and I did like the look of them. However, as presented, they were not road legal. Once you add a large and ugly rear light and number plate bracket, a front mudguard which meets regulations, a silencer which meets regulations etc etc, they tend to lose the visual line and form which is evident without them. Maybe at Motorcycle Live they presented them with the road equipment fitted?

                            I would be happy to have one in my garage, to have a quick blast on occasionally. I am sure any of them would be great fun to ride, at least for short distances! The reality is that for the money, and the use it would get, I won't be buying one. Good luck to CCM though, and I am glad to see they are selling well.
                            Yes agreed Ian, £9.5k is a lot to pay for a weekend toy, even if it is a CCM.
                            I would concur with the others - the KTM is a great mid-weight bike and for half the price it is better value. Its me rattling my buy british tin. There are murmurs that Triumph will be bringing out a new mid-weight bike in the near future - possibly 'the new tiger cub'. When I asked the chap on the Triumph stand about it at Motorcycle live he said that he hadn't heard anything (there again I guess he would say that wouldn't he)

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                            • #15
                              The mention that a small Triumph is being considered seems to have hit the Press in India, as I saw some comment a few months ago that 1 cylinder from one of their triples might make a suitable entry-level machine. Problem as I see it is that it will need to be built abroad to keep the price down. Taking into consideration that KTM and BMW both do that, maybe it's not such a wild idea.

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