The CCM GP450 was CCM’s road-legal middleweight adventure bike, announced in 2013 and built in Bolton from November 2014 to 2017. At 125 kg dry it was 98 kg lighter than a BMW R1200GS Adventure, and it used a Bond-Lite aluminium frame that CCM claimed as a world first.
CCM GP450 at a glance
| Maker | Clews Competition Machines (CCM), Bolton, England |
|---|---|
| Announced | 2013 |
| Prototype | 2014, tested by journalists |
| Production | from November 2014 to 2017 |
| Type | road-legal middleweight adventure bike |
| Dry weight | 125 kg, 98 kg less than a BMW R1200GS Adventure |
| Frame | “Bond-Lite” aluminium, claimed by CCM as a world first |
| Engine | BMW 450 cc four-stroke single, detuned from 51 hp to 41 hp, built by Kymco in Taiwan |
| Production rate | eight bikes a week from a team of 11 |
| RS version | 2016, with 17-inch wheels instead of 21/18-inch |
| End of production | 2017, when Euro 4 replaced Euro 3 |
There is no separate Wikipedia article on the GP450; this page is based on the GP450 section of the English Wikipedia article on CCM and uses one source only.
History of the CCM GP450
A gap in the middle of the market
In 2013 CCM announced plans for a machine to meet demand for a road-legal middleweight adventure bike, a class between small trail bikes and the big touring enduros. A prototype was handed to journalists for testing in 2014, and the first production bikes left the Bolton works in November 2014.
Light by design
The GP450 weighed 125 kg dry, which CCM presented as 98 kg less than the popular BMW R1200GS Adventure. Its frame was made of “Bond-Lite” aluminium, which the company claimed as a world first. The bike won praise for its lightness, the responsiveness of its engine and its handling both on and off the road, and the factory team of 11 workers built eight bikes a week.
The engine
CCM has always bought its engines, and for the GP450 it used a BMW 450 cc four-stroke single detuned from 51 hp to 41 hp. The unit came from a discontinued BMW model, and it was built by Kymco in Taiwan rather than by BMW itself.
RS and the end of the line
In 2016 CCM added an RS version with 17-inch wheels in place of the standard 21-inch front and 18-inch rear. Production of the GP450 ceased in 2017, when Euro 3 was replaced by Euro 4 and the engine could not meet the stricter certification standards. The firm moved on to the hand-welded Spitfire, whose first prototype was unveiled in late 2016.
Design and features
- Bond-Lite aluminium frame: a light frame of bonded aluminium sections that CCM claimed as a world first.
- 125 kg dry: a weight 98 kg below a BMW R1200GS Adventure, the centre of the model’s appeal.
- BMW-derived 450 cc single: detuned from 51 hp to 41 hp and built by Kymco in Taiwan.
- Small-series production: eleven workers building eight motorcycles a week in Bolton.
- On- and off-road handling: the quality singled out in the early road tests.
CCM GP450 versions
- Prototype (2014): the test machine lent to journalists before production.
- GP450 (2014–2017): the standard bike with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels.
- GP450 RS (2016): a version on 17-inch wheels instead of the standard set.
- Spitfire (2016): the hand-welded successor built after the GP450 was phased out.
The GP450 was the adventure model that followed CCM’s FT35 flat tracker in the range. More machines are on the CCM page.
Sources
- Clews Competition Motorcycles, English Wikipedia: GP450 section: launch, weight, frame, engine, RS version, end of production
