CCM GP450 Adventure
I went to the factory in Bolton the other day with a friend who was considering buying one of these machines (as moral support). We went out for a test ride, had a tour of the unit. Chatted to the Tech co-ordinator / designer and had a nice cup of tea.
The Ride
Three bikes were available. One standard, one lowered, one set up for a 95K+ rider. I started on the standard bike which had done less than 50 miles. The engine and gearbox were understandably tight and neutral was a little tricky to find. The ride quality was excellent. All controls fell to hand. Riding position was ideal sitting and standing, gear lever a little high, but that’s adjustable. I rode this for about 40 minutes on a variety of roads including some easy green lanes (farm tracks with mud, deep potholes uneven surface etc.) and B roads. All roads were fun and the bike was very secure on the lanes using the Dunlop Trailmax tyres. Reasonably enthusiastic riding on the tarmac was also secure. We swapped over bikes so I had the 95k+ one as this was well run in. Having experienced the run in engine, my friend wanted to see how the standard setup was. I’m 75K and 5’ 6”. On the standard bike I could get the balls of both feet on the ground. The higher sprung bike got me on tip toes. This was fine as it’s a light bike and I’m used to my own tallish green lane bike. The riding position was less good on this one for me. In reality the bars needed adjusting to get things in place. The motor and gearbox were much more flexible and it was also fun to ride if a little harsh (suspension wise) as I needed many more pies for its setup. I just preferred the riding position of the standard bike. We spent another 40 minutes or so, maybe more, on these bikes. This included some town and dual carriageway riding. The bike is geared so 30mph is just on the cusp of 4th and 5th gear which is a bit frustrating, best just to leave it in 4th round town. The bike pulled easily up to an indicated 70mph and felt comfortable. It would pull away easily in 2nd gear so some sprocket experimentation may be possible if you are not intending doing any steep off road stuff. Weather protection was quite good for such a small screen. This is no motorway munching superbike though. It’ll do the job, but smaller roads are its home territory, which is fine by me.
The Bike
This is a well put together piece of kit. The frame is a work of art. It was lovely having the chance to see bikes in various stages of assembly and being able to ask technical questions which were answered in full. I believe the motor has a racing heritage. This was discussed re longevity. In short it was designed to be thrashed at up to 12,000 rpm. Peak power is now at around 7,000 rpm. A different life from its original design spec. Experiments had been done to see if it would benefit from a greater oil capacity. This was not needed.
Various extras and bolt on goodies are available of course.
My conclusion
I liked it, my friend bought one. If I was in the market for a lightweight, go most places bike with a decent range this would be around the top of my list. It’s easy to manage, would be easy to pick up; I’d feel happy riding it on green lanes significantly harder than those encountered. I’d do continental touring on it, although it’s not suitable for a pillion in my opinion. However, I’d avoid motorways, which I do anyway. I wouldn’t opt for their soft luggage, I’d use metal stuff or maybe Kriega or the AdventureSpec Magadan ones, which are far more robust that the ones supplied. It fills a hole in the market. If you have no intention of doing the odd dirt or rocky trail then you would probably be better with a different tool. If you want the flexibility this offers then other bikes which have the capability tend to lack the comfort and the range. By the time that is sorted the price difference is less offensive. I wish them luck.
http://www.ccm-motorcycles.com/gp450.asp#.VOYaJfmsV8E