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Well our Forum leader and admin, Imperial Star cruiser has decided that it is time expand his fleet of thoroughbred machinery, if only to keep up with Thumper who seems to have more bikes than Motorcycle City!
So which machine has our glorious leader chosen to join the GPz900R in the hanger? Well after much research (a quick surf on good old EBay!), and having enjoyed a few manic encounters with Thumper’s TDR250, he has decided that a Supermoto had to be his new weapon of choice!
A few minutes on eBay and a likely candidate popped up in shape of a 2004 CCM R30i, a Cat D insurance mark was against the bike, the seller was open about this and the bike looked to have been well repaired and in good fettle. The price reflected the Cat D status and Mint Imperial’s bid was accepted. Job done, bike bought. The CCM was up in sunny South Yorkshire, Doncaster in fact and so it was that on a bright and sunny June morning that I rolled up outside Imperial Hall aboard my XJR1300 and whisked off ID to collect the bike. Well we went to Thumper’s first as the lure of free diesel and air-conditioned company car for the rather dull motorway drive to Doncaster outweighed the delights of sitting on the back of the XJR for 2 hours. ID has also read my six best crashes story…
Anyway we whisked up to Doncaster and rolled up to look at the bike. After pulling and poking at all the appropriate bits, all was hunky dory, and the bike was pretty much as described. ID went for a brief blat and came back with a smile on his face that would do a Supermodel proud. So hands were shook, cash was exchanged and we headed off to the nearest pub for a pint.
Happy Mint Imperial with his new toy!The CCM looked superb, it had been well repaired and all in our leader was a happy bunny. The seller had warned him that fuel was low and he wasn’t kidding and after 3 whole miles, with exactly 3,000 miles on the clock the CCM rolled to halt, the tank was emptier than Tory promise. Bugger! But what was that we spied, bloody huge Tesco store (are they EVERWHERE???) complete with filling station, and it was down hill! Sorted!
Pushing and rolling to the petrol station. Nice gesture!The CCM’s cavernous tank took a whole £10 of juice from bone dry to being so full the fuel actually spilt out when the filler cap was put back in.
You would get more fuel in an egg cup!
We set of again and after a bit of confusion with my map reading we were heading South on the M1. Head for Junction 30, then come off and tackle the much more CCM friendly A roads across to Chesterfield, Ashbourne, Matlock and Lichfield. Then just as we passed the three stripe count down for the junction it all went Pete Tong…the CCM was no longer in our mirrors!
We pulled up at the top of the junction and waited, after a few moments the mobile rang; sure enough it was Imperial Leather, the engine had packed up, the Suzuki engine (take note Gix!). So we piled up one Junction and came back down to join our stranded leader. He has no RAC cover, so a bit naughtily he became me and used my cover. A 45 minute wait and up rolled RAC man no.1 and after a bit of fiddling around confirmed the CCM was, to use a technical term ~ f*cked! But his van couldn’t tow a motorbike trailer so it was another wait for RAC No.2 to tow the bike back to the seller. Imperial Hotel had called him, saying he wanted he money back, as a 30 mile life was not exactly what he had in mind!
CCM R30i. Range = 30miles ~ Implodes. So that’s what it stands for!Meanwhile Thumper and I had been cleared off the hard shoulder and went back up a junction (again), came back most the way (again!) and waited in the nearby services to await ID call to say he was being towed away. While waiting in the car park we witnessed a boat trailer crash and a woman practicing Ballet moves and Yoga exercise against the side of her Vauxhall Corsa. Clearly, it was of those days!
After about an hour the call came and we headed off back to Doncaster up the M1 North again, behind the tow truck which had the CCM perched extraordinarily high up. By this time we had covered this section of road four times and were beginning to spout theories about there being a “Doncaster Triangle”!
CCM perched high in the sky!Back at the sellers house he took the bike back in good grace to be fair and Imperial Measurement got his money back. All sorted and so some four hours later we set off again, heading down the M1 South (AGAIN!!!). After another diversion due to my lousy sense of direction (it takes a special kind of stupid to miss going SOUTH on the countries’ major motorway!), we were heading home, bikeless but with no money having being lost.
In the end we finished up in a pub in the outskirts of Brownhills, MCN spread out on the table and with ID phoning up about KTMs! He may not have done today, but the man is going to get a Supermoto come hell or high water…watch this space!
Excellent write-up mate, spot on as usual. I was pretty peeved, but these things are sent to test us. 2 hours at the side of the M1 waiting for the RAC (no jet powered boots in sight that day) was a bummer, not to mention losing a bike I was enjoying. It blew at about 55mph with a sudden bang and no warning. Until then it was pretty sweet. Probably a result of the Cat D damage it had had at some stage in its life. Perhaps stolen recovered and had been lying on its side with engine running? Well, whatever it was it surprised me just how quickly these things can happen. As Radar says, looking for something similar, perhaps a KTM.
And a year’s breakdown cover[
] Posing as Radar is OK but I was just too uncomfortable with the six pillows up my shirt…..quote:
Originally posted by imperialdataPosing as Radar is OK but I was just too uncomfortable with the six pillows up my shirt…..
Think of it as a derivative of a six pack!
Had a look at the CCM experience website, I couldn’t see anything about sitting on the side of the M1 for hours!
https://www.ccm-motorcycles.net/experience.htm
Also, the RAC van is Orange, so are KTMs! A hint? Or a warning! Good hunting bud, looking forward to the next collection trip
I’ve never been too fussed about super moto’s before, but I’ll be damned if that’s not a great looking little bike!
Well done mate!
Oh dear! Mine went with a big bang too if its any consolation Imperial Highness (bet you wish you had chosen a different nick now dont ya[:o)])! Not nice to see a bike having to be towed away. Good luck in your search for summat else![
]quote:
Originally posted by GixOh dear! Mine went with a big bang too if its any consolation Imperial Highness (bet you wish you had chosen a different nick now dont ya[:o)])! Not nice to see a bike having to be towed away. Good luck in your search for summat else![
]Blimey kid hope you are Ok
Unlucky ID lol! I’m sure lol where there’s a will there’s a way! Hmmmmmmmmmm Dave would you like a sweetie? Muuuuuaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahaha!
ok I’ll get my coat!Quote:
“CCM have managed to combine the reliability of Japanese supermotos with the European edginess”
BIKE, October 2006
I think Imperial Data might have a different viewpoint on this one!
It’s s bugger when it goes pete tong on your maiden voyage together as man and machine Imperial storm trooper! I hope your lankier than me….i sat on a KTM 625 at the beaulieu bike show last year….i couldn’t touch the floor when i was sat on it!!
quote:
Originally posted by Speed MonsterIt’s s bugger when it goes pete tong on your maiden voyage together as man and machine Imperial storm trooper! I hope your lankier than me….i sat on a KTM 625 at the beaulieu bike show last year….i couldn’t touch the floor when i was sat on it!!
I had the same problem with ID’s KTM, but then I do have the inside leg measurement of a centipede
To quote Radar as he mounted the bike…..
“It’s like someone has put a bike engine in a set of ladders”
] Posing as Radar is OK but I was just too uncomfortable with the six pillows up my shirt…..
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