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Remember when enduro bikes were made in the UK? anybikebought take a trip down memory lane and take a look at some of the CCM range from a forgotten era.
CCM the bike make that have made more comebacks than westlife. We go back to the old skool and look at some of the CCM models that this british based company made.
Once majored on big-bore machines (using rotax motors but switched to using Suzuki 644 and 400cc engines after rotax engines began to dwindle in 2002. CCM changed. Go back a good few years ago now and instead of concentrating on producing middleweight and big-bore enduro/sm/trail machines they were more focused on re badging Chinese built bikes and taking their (not for sale) YZ450F- engined MXer racing. Bikers are relatively tough, but a lack of attention to detail lets them down and the company have previously issued a number of rectification notices on the bikes - check the work's been done when buying used.
C26, 350/604 Enduro: (up to '98) air cooled four-stroke belt driven single overhead cam,348/597cc, single, electric start. The original modern CCM, in endurotrim only (with an optional road legal kit). Came with a choice of 50mm or 45mm Mazrzocchi front forks. 350 version has a smaller 34mm carb.
604/640E Sport: (1998-2002) 598cc air cooled, belt driven, single overhead cam, 4 stroke, electric start, rotax single. CCM's first real street-bike with enclosed fairing/tank design. Chassis same as other Rotax models and had a whole range of factory options available , including hard luggage! Wasn't popular,so few around. Bound to be cheap if you can find one.
604RS Roadster: (2000-2002) 598cc air cooled, belt driven, single overhead cam, 4 stroke, electric start, rotax single. CCM's first real street-bike with enclosed fairing/tank design. Chassis same as other Rotax models and had a whole range of factory options availblie , including hard luggage! Wasn't popular,so few around. Bound to be cheap if you can find one.
644DS: (2002-on) air- oil cooled, single overhead cam, four valve, single, electric start. Featured the old Suzuki Freewind lump. Similar to the 604 only much more refined with a smoother engine. WP suspension front and rear. Good on the dirt considering its size and weight. Also built as supermoto or available with both sets of wheels. No longer in production. Desperate dans bike...
404DS: (late 2003-2007) water-cooled, four-stroke, four valve, double overhead cam, single, electric start, 5-speed,. Looked good, in a parts bin kinda way (CRF rad panels,husky headlight, YZ- esque rear-en etc). Uses the Aussie spec DR-Z enduro lump slotted into a decent chassis, with WP suspension and other quality components - its the bike the DR-Z should have been. Sadly some details let it down, such as the wide take and patchy build quality. Enduro model featured more suspension travel and loftier seat height. Supermoto version featured usual SM-spec running gear. Dirt biking's MG Rover!
450DS: (2008-on) Water-cooled, four stroke,four valve. double overhead cam, single, electric start. Essentially the same bike as above only using what appeared to be a Gas Gas 450 lump! Came ready for the trail but styling leaves a lot to be desired. Uninspiring.
SR40 (2007) Water-cooled, four-stroke, four valve, double overhead cam, single, electric star, five speed, Alongside their cafe racer (no really!) and FT35 is this twin shock scrambler. Uses the DR-Z lump in a retro-ish chassis with right-way-up forks, alloy tank (complete with rubber knee pads) and twin Hagon shocks. Sadly, the bespoke parts can't prevent it from looking like the parts bin special that it is. Some people have no shame.
R35/45 (2006-on) Modded 404 supermoto with R30-esque streetmoto styling. Details include cast alloy KTM-style swingarm,digi clocks and metallic bodywork. R45 (2008-on) is 450 version.
FT35 Flat Tracker (2006-on) 398cc liquid-cooled, four valve, double overhead cam, four stroke, counter balance shaft, electric start, Inspired by American flat-track bike though slightly misses the mark as it's clear that much of the bike comes from parts already on the stock room shelves.
FT710: 710cc Suzuki,motored, road-going 'flat-tracker' cringingly nicknamed the 'sledgehammer' by the factory...Styling as FT35
R30 Supermoto/R30M: (2001-2002) 598cc, air-cooled,belt-driven, single overhead cam, four stroke, electric start, Rotax single. 132kg, seat height 900mm (manufactures figures) Successor to the RS, a true streetmoto utilizing the aird-cooled Rotax mill and built to take on KTM's Duke. Stable but nimble handling, though unfortunately the fit and finish came in for criticism. Choice of lurid colours for the R30's body panels and a set of cast alloy wheels set the apart from the rest of the range. R30M was a limited edition racer (M stood for Mettet - the legendary Belgian street race) built to use up the remaining stocks of rotax motors, tweaked with hi-comp 644cc kit, flatside Mikuni carb and race pipe. Chassis ran WP 48mm forks and rear shock, and beringer brakes. Tail-unit featured patriotic union flag over silver paint job. It was discontinued in 2002 and actually wasn't as quick as the spec suggested. Most were turned into road going bikes.
C-XR125/230-E/S/: (2007-on) air-cooled, two valve, single overhead cam, 125/229cc, single. Chinese-motored CRF230 copy only with road kit and discs front and rear. Low spec but low-ish price to match. Also available in SM spec (S), whilst the 125 version could be ordered as an off road only (M) model.
TL/SM125: (2008-on) air-cooled, two-valve, single overhead cam, 124cc single. Chinese-motored,Beta Alp-looking 125 only with lower spec and less, ahem, 'polsihed' styling. SM125 the same but with SM wheels.
XTR-4 300: (2010-on) Looks very much like a re-badged Puzey...Chinese-built liquid-cooled 300cc 4T (based on Kawasaki's KLX300 engine) available in MX, Trail and SM trim. Modern-ish styling and anodized red details don't disguise the low-buck build.
XTR-4 500: (2010-on) Same as above but with an air-cooled,dual start,500cc engine based on...an old Cagiva lump!
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We turn the spotlight on the R30
CCM R30 644/S/T:
Back in 2002, when CCM were building all their own bikes and supermotos were all the rage, came this - the R30 644. Powered by Suzuki's air-/oil cooled single overhead cam motor from the unpopular Freewind trailie, the bike replaced the agricultural Rotax - motored R30 and was the company's answer to KTM's legendary Duke II.
Although the R30 couldn't match the Austrian machine for performance, poise or panache, the motor was much smoother and more civilised, and the styling was equally as eye-catching (if not quite as cohesive) - especially when green! WP suspension and Brembo brakes meant it worked well in the twisties, and it was actually a little quicker turning than the KTM. If only it has the power to match... Well it wasn't too far off when CCM decided that you could order (or retro fit) it with a big bore kit to take it out to 710cc! (Other options included having it restricted to 33bhp at the factory, buying unpainted and £500 cheaper as the 'T' model (a move to keep insurance costs low),or having one decked out with a few carbon parts as the 'S' model.)
Unfortunately, like most CCM's of the time, it was let down by patchy build quality and poor attention to detail. All of the paint flaking from the underside of the front fender, badly routed brake hoses and an oil pipe cracking because it touched the exhaust were all problems noted on various owners bikes. In fact I owned a CCM R30 back in 2008 (the one with the flip flop paint design that looked brown if caught in certain lights) I remember one sunny morning heading out to the garage to my amazement I found my R30 having a lay down on the garage floor! the side stand had snapped clean off! not a good start as a CCM owner I thought to myself whilst holding the side stand in my hand with a puzzled look on my face. But if you got a good R30 it was actually a pleasant and distinctive bike to own. And if it hasn't been owned by a string of mechanically inept stunt monkeys then it makes a good budget bike for 'white road' fun.
Copyright - Author Martin @ Anybikebought.com