Whisper it anywhere near the Norton factory in south Birmingham, but until Britain's 120-year old brand begins producing W more than a handful of neo-Classic air-cooled twins and V4 superbikes, Britain's current second largest two-wheeled manufacturer is presently none other than CCM Motorcycles, purveyors of products which are proudly extreme. And CCM isn't owned by a foreign parent company either...
Operating out of a disparate collection of buildings on a trading estate outside Bolton, Lancashire, the former producer of the last four-strokes standing in top-level motocross competition 50 years ago has been transformed into a niche manufacturer of hotrods and hooligan bikes, still powered by a meaty big single cylinder motor.
Around 500 such bikes leave the CCM factory each year primarily for customers in the UK, each of whom has had to order his or her purchase direct from the factory for the simple reason that, until now, there has been no CCM dealer network, even in the UK. Foreign distribution has been confined to a handful of enthusiasts in just a few countries.
However, that's in the process of changing with the advent of a new owner, local businessman Anil Pitalia, 56, a qualified eye surgeon who established the SpaMedica chain of around 30 different locations throughout Britain as the largest supplier of cataract surgery to the NHS. Since selling this for £300 million in March 2020, Pitalia has concentrated on running the investment fund he established 15 years ago, with a special emphasis on nurturing employment in his home town of Bolton, leading him to acquire a 'significant majority shareholding' in CCM Motorcycles in September 2022, since when he's laid plans to greatly expand the company's production from its present 500 bikes annually, by means of providing the necessary investment to construct a new factory in the Bolton area, bringing with it the extra jobs this would entail for the local workforce.
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
