WE'LL RESIST the urge to make a pithy point about Brexit, and the seeming lack of any plan at the moment, and instead spend a moment celebrating a good British bike trade story. Bolton-based bike builder CCM is planning to export its limited-edition Spitfire roadster range to several European countries, expanding the supply network outside the UK for the first time.
CCM is a great name with a load of history, especially in the offroad world, but it's been a bit quiet in recent years. That was until the firm unveiled its very natty Spitfire roadster range last year. The skinny, single-cylinder naked bike is bang on trend with the current Bike Shed and retro scene - it's good-looking, well-engineered, and has a frame made from the same T45 British steel tubing that the Supermarine Spitfire's fuselage was made from. It's also powered by a 55bhp 600cc single-cylinder motor that's apparently based on the Husqvarna/BMW 450 unit from a few years back.
So, with a frame with links to the Spitfire and an engine with links to the BMW-powered Focke-Wulf Fw190 the CCM Spitfire should be a perfect basis for strong European success! And CCM's had sufficient interest from other EU countries to start planning its export drive.
According to the firm, "Currently, CCM’s Spitfire models are available to order in the UK only, leaving the rest of the world frustrated at not being able to get their hands on such an amazing motorcycle. Some, have been coming to the UK to purchase a bike, registering it here, and then shipping them abroad, out of sheer determination to own a Spitfire.
"The reason the bikes are not for sale outside of the UK is unfortunately down to the E4 homologation being so drastically different from regulations in the UK, that the bikes would need to be redesigned and developed specially for the European market. That is exactly what CCM motorcycles plan to do in the very near future!
"Following overwhelming success, the bike manufacturer has firmly set its sights on four key markets within Europe. Soon, France, Italy, Spain and Germany will be the first countries on the planet to have access to these, beautifully hand-crafted, limited edition motorcycles."
The firm expects deliveries to take place in 2020. More info from CCM direct: CCM-Motorcycles.com or email directly: Spitfire@ccm-motorcycles.net
