SIXth / CCM

CCM MOTORCYCLES’ SIXth OF THE VERY BEST
BRITISH FAMILY BIKE BUILDERS LAUNCH THE MOST PERSONALISABLE SPITFIRE TO DATE


Limited edition of 300 individually numbered machines
Handmade in Bolton, England
The most personalisable Spitfire to date
Optional tank colours include Metallic Oxblood Red,
British Racing Green and Pearl White
Choice of Black or Clear Billet Aluminium Anodizing
Bespoke selection of saddle covers & colours
19” Spoked Wheels (Optional forged alloys also available)
Fat bars
High strength steel trellis frame, Tig welded by hand
Underslung Dual Exhaust System
Brembo Performance Brake System
Prices from £9995 OTR (UK)



Humble Beginnings

CCM Motorcycles prepare to celebrate their Golden Jubilee, however back in the late 1960’s, keen motorcyclist Alan Clews just loved to ride. During the week, he would use his bike to get to work at the family newsagents then, when the weekend arrived, he would compete in trials and scramble events with some success.

In order to be the best, he approached BSA to secure a works machine but when he was refused, he set about building himself the best competition bike he could in his shed. He would never get to ride that bike as other keen riders clamoured for that and subsequent bike builds.
The seeds of Clews Competition Machines had been sewn, and CCM Motorcycles as it would become more widely known, went on to compete at the highest level internationally in motorcycle sport.
A new direction

As a niche manufacturer, finding the right distribution was always going to be an issue, so CCM took the decision to take their bikes direct which allowed customer and builder to communicate; customers could see their bikes being built and CCM could get really useful feedback from their customers. The biggest concern for the customer was if they lived in farthest corners of the UK, how would they get service and warranty support?

Well, if tyre retailers could fit a car with new rubber on the driveway, then why couldn’t bikes be serviced at home or place of work? CCM set about recruiting a crack team of former MX Grand Prix mechanics and they now cover the whole of mainland UK in their mobile workshops.

A taste of adventure

In 2014, CCM launched their ground-breaking lightweight adventure bike, the GP450. It was so radically different to the big capacity machines that dominated the market that it took a while for riders to appreciate its potential as a global explorer. however once people recognized its potential as a “go anywhere” machine, the bike gained a loyal following and they continue to carry budding explorers on their adventures. 

Sadly, it was the introduction of new emission regulations that put paid to the super lightweight machine, and whilst a replacement was being sought, CCM would need a stop-gap model. Serendipitously, the workshop team were discussing what they’d like to build in their sheds at home over the Friday morning bacon sandwich. CCM’s chief designer was present and was inspired by what he heard and took these creative seeds back to his CAD machine. CCM had found their “stop-gap” model but little did they know where this would lead them.

Spitfire – Birth of a legend

This new bike was a two wheeled revolution, at a time when motorcycles were becoming bigger, heavier, their designs cluttered with plastic boxes and trims and increasingly more complex with multiple ECU’s and sensors.

The Spitfire was a breath of fresh air as it featured a stunning hand-built artisan trellis frame, which endowed the machine with a simple, uncluttered form; it was motorcycling at its purest.

With a sub-140kg kerb weight, the powerful Brembo brakes could haul the bike up without the need for ABS and, being certified via the UK’s MSVA scheme, the bikes could breathe freely through a direct intake and out again via a pair of stunning sidewinder pipes. Beautifully detailed CNC machined components would add the finishing touches.

This bike wasn’t practical by any means - no weather protection, luggage, or pillion seat – its sole purpose was to make you smile, a bike to ride for riding’s sake. Such was the success of that limited run stop-gap, that all of the 150 individually numbered bikes sold in less than 7 days, changing course for CCM and introducing a whole new band of followers and, more importantly, hundreds of passionate and well-heeled new customers.

Scrambler

How do you follow a bike like the Spitfire? With a modern retro take on the classic scrambler, a bike that not only looked cool but had real off-road ability too. The 2-seat variant wouldn’t look out of place racing across Baja California in “On Any Sunday” and in fact was one of only a handful of bikes that finished the grueling Scram Africa challenge in 2018.

Café Racer

No British bike builder worth their salt would omit a Café Racer from their line up and it was therefore the obvious choice for the CCM design team, the Spitfire platform already stripped back and ready for some styling detail. The design team added a pair of machined clip-on bars, CNC-machined foot-controls, a hand-stitched leather saddle and carbon-fibre rear cowl, to create a bike that looked right at home at the Ace Café, The Goodwood Revival and The Bike Shed.

FT6 Flat Tracker

Cashing in on CCM’s racing heritage, the FT6 would coincide rather conveniently with the 10-year anniversary of the brand’s British and European championship win in 2008 with Marco Belli at the helm. The FT6 was a stunning hybrid of classic American short track style allied to latest gen carbon fibre panels, CNC-machined ancillaries and twin LED projector lamps. Oh, and those twin offside pipes were a vision in stainless steel.

- CCM-motorcycles.com