Spitfire down

[Moto63]

Afternoon chaps (ladies?)
The CCM spitfire has gone, I kind of fell out with it at the back end of last year. Few different niggly things which took the edge off off it, certainly from a riding point of view. I then fell out with CCM as a company. They truly are a shower, unprofessional doesn’t even begin to describe them😡
Anyway, the two things combined were enough for me to make the decision to get shut. So this time next week I will have a shiny new triumph trident 660 parked in my garage. Fear not 🤣😉 I’ve still got the XBR tracker so I’m still allowed to frequent this here lovely site😉😉👍
Cheers, Michael

[xbally]

Sorry to hear this Michael. Sorry but not surprised!
It wasn't a very auspicious start was it? All that messing you about over the delivery etc.
Sincerely hope the Triumph experience will make up for this.

[Moto63]

Thanks Martin. Yes sadly we(myself and CCM) got off on the wrong foot from the word go. More than happy to take ALL my money for the bike then were 4 months late with delivering the bike 😡. I’ve gone for the triumph trident 660 as it’s a triple, an engine that I’m very familiar with and really like. It’s a triumph so I know it’ll be “OK” and should I have any gripes i know they’ll get sorted. Unlike CCM 🤦. Plus having read quite a few reviews of the trident, it sounds like a cheap’ish no frills kind of bike, exactly what I want. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I’ve ridden it and put a few miles in 🤞
Cheers, Michael

[xbally]

Yes good luck to you-I totally understand where you are coming from.
A lot of people are simply after your money or so it would seem. The recent Norton experiences of some come to mind.
You expect a few problems if you buy second - hand but when buying new -perhaps I'm too naive - the experience should be flawless.
I wouldn't be taking a new bike on these roads though-it's pretty awful round here-mud and grit/salt are everywhere. I was going to take the RS250 for a quick blast today but decided it was too cold and (I must be getting really old) I thought-what if I have to brake hard on these surfaces?)None of these new fangled ABS on the old classics......
I'm not planning on taking the RE Continental GT535 out just yet either. It's polished up well and I've changed the oil and filter so should be good to go early Spring.

[Moto63]

No I probably won’t be in a rush to take it out on the salty roads Martin. I would have most likely waited until early spring to swap it but I just got that sinking feeling in my stomach that all was not well in CCM land. So I thought I’m going for it now while I can still retrieve some of my money back out of the spitfire. Just in case they do go under, it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve gone bust. If they do then the bike would be pretty much worthless.
Good news about your new continental coming up nice. I really like the look of them, sound lovely too. I remember a couple of years ago stopping at a local’ish biker brew stop and one was parked up. Sounded great when he pulled away. Roll on spring I say 😉👍??
Cheers Michael

[xbally]

Yes Michael, I'm sure you've done the right thing.
IIRC they started up back in the 70's resurrecting something from the imploding BSA empire....Clews Competition Machinery or somesuch.
I might have to make a few mods to the Conti-the custom seat on mine is hard just sitting on the thing and it's got an Indian made silencer which is showing corrosion and rather loud-it looks as though it can be packed with fibre glass wadding so I'll try that first......or a db killer of baffle as we used to call them.
You are very lucky living where you do........

[Itsme]

Hi Michael

Glad you've made a positive move to a bike you will enjoy rather than trying to make something fit that wasn't what you really wanted. Can I stop pretending to like Spitfires now? I think they're bloody awful looking things.

There is an interview with Austen Clews in this months Classic Bike, he is the son of Alan Clews who started CCM. To read it he and CCM are the best things to happen to motorbikes, but as I was reading I had your experiences in mind and it all looked like a load of tosh to me. Just goes to show how easy it is to spin a story in the right magazine.

Enjoy the Triumph and glad it has worked out for you.

Spartacian

[Moto63]

Morning chaps, thanks for positive comments regarding the CCM, triumph swap.
Yes it was Alan Clews, the father of the two sons Billy and Austen who now run the show. Alan Clews bought the remaining stock of BSA engines when they went bust in the early 70’s. He put them into his own frames, started winning quite a lot of trials events so everyone kind of wanted one. The rest as they say is history. I think the problem with them now that Alan Clews has died is that they don’t seem to have that natural business flare to continue and push the business forward to the next level. Like Bloor did with Triumph. Please don’t misunderstand my gripe with it/them the bike as a machine is a lovely thing, lots of very nice little touches but it ultimately didn’t suit my type of riding. Which nowadays I’d class as brisk. I ultimately fell out with CCM as a company. Hopeless, to coin a phrase they “couldn’t organise a p...s up in a brewery” To not return a customers phone call is pathetic, especially given I’d emailed them 5 times too, again with no reply. The irony being I was getting in touch to complain or anything, I was actually going to throw even more money at them to swap the front wheel to the 17 inch Dymags  that they fit to the cafe racer version of what I had. They simply don’t (IMVHO) deserve my business.
Anyway rant over and I promise that’s the last time I mention it/them. 🤦😉
Cheers Michael

[mthee]

Sorry to hear they put you in a tailspin with your Spitfire, but only read good things about new choice, so it's really looking like a happy ending....🎉

[Moto63]

Hopefully yes.... and I just love a happy ending 😉👍

[themoudie]

Here is a link to Michaels latest hacksaw, angle grinder and TIG welding project that he just purchased!

Concept-Triumph-Trident-660

OH! How's the XBR tracker?  Before you start on this one! 

Good health, Bill

[Moto63]

Oh, I told em not to leak those photos 😉... the most my trident will be getting Bill is a couple of bolt on goodies. Not an angle grinder in sight 👀
Regarding the tracker, not done a great deal since the last photos we’re posted up on this very site. Been extremely busy getting our house build finished, almost there now though so hopefully be able to get cracking on it again shortly and get pit finished and on the road. A day I can’t wait for 👍👍
Cheers, Michael

[Ian]

https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/recall/triumph-trident-sidestand-recall/

Is yours involved Michael 🤔?

[Moto63]

Not sure Ian but thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’ll get on to the dealership and find out. We don’t want to have to change the name of this thread to “Trident down” 🤦😉
Cheers, Michael

[xbally]

Have you got a paddock stand you could use in the meantime Michael?