Quote: Mollydog
Taiwan has struggled for independence since 1949, but these days it's widely recognized as being part of CHINA (PRC), just like Hong Kong. But still somewhat independent of China ... but make no mistake ... the PRC are really in control. Check your recent history.

Depends on who's view your listening to :
They have not had proper diplomatic relations since 1949 and china bangs the big guns threatening invasion - recentlya meeting took place :
While Beijing views this week's meeting as a harbinger of reunification with Taiwan, however far down the road, Taiwan likely hopes diplomatic engagement with Beijing will ultimately lead to an opening for the island to formally declare its independence.

Quote; Mollydog
Having done a factory tour of Yamaha in Japan ... I can assure you "mass produced" does not mean "tacked together budget bike".

I am not saying Yamaha are tacked together budget bikes they do produce well engineered, generally reliable and quality bikes for the budget - but many of the range are bike built to a budget - finish can be and often is poor (check most yamaha's that have tried to get through a UK winter - rust, peeling paint etc etc - I once owned a Yamaha - the underside of the tank was not even painted !! mind you that was many years ago) and components are generally more likely to be basic to mid range except on flagship models (R1 etc) Ducati /KTM / maybe CCM etc all use fairly well top end gear but have top end prices ( so built to a bigger budget - maybe doh).

Quote: Mollydog
This all sounds good and hopeful

Yep your right on that and we are back to my very rosy and psychedelic specs on that one.

Tchus jake.bier

No accounting for American tastes. After all, Harleys sell well there :rofl:

And they are not a big seller anywhere else!

Perhaps CCM needs to add 100 kg of chrome, and offer an engine option that goes potato-potato lol!

:offtopic:
Don't you know HD has a patent on that Potato sound? :rofl: seriously, they actually tried to patent "the sound" ... they were laughed out of court.

Harley's are indeed a big deal here ... I still can't figure it out! doh And I've been trying since 1985 when the Evo engine came along and HD's stopped breaking down every 5 miles. Now, they go everywhere! :censored:
Why guys want to dress up like B movie Pirates and set off car alarms all day long is beyond me! :ban:

The FACT is, HD DO sell well ... very well, all over the world. UK, Norway, France, Japan ... any place riders have more money than brains.

On several occasions we've run into BIG HD tours where 40 or 50 Brits, Frogs ... or whatever ... fly to USA and either rent or bring their own bikes over. Then ride around the popular tourist spots for a couple weeks and fly home ... Las Vegas is always on the menu'. As you say .... No accounting for American tastes ... and the tastes of others too apparently! :smartass:

I ran into a 40 rider strong group of French in Death Valley a few years back.
All in very tasteful leathers ... much nicer and more stylish than your typical HD riding Yank. Nicest group of folks you could ever meet. MUCH nicer than our typical One Percenter, Hells Angel "wanna-be" crowd we so often see here who sometimes won't even lOOK AT YOU if you're not on an HD. These are the guys are the same who give you the "Thumps Down" sign when you ride by on the road. :thumbdown:

LOL! a patent on the sound? What happens if you have a twin and one cylinder not firing and it sounds like it is about to stall any second? will HD sue you? :rofl:

I thought when the V-rod came out HD was finally starting to build a half decent bike. But it didn't sell. Didn't have the potato sound. That is more important than power and a smooth motor I guess. The workmanship on HDs can't be so bad or the bike would vibrate itself into a pile of nuts and bolts very quickly.

The pirate get up is humourous, but to pay so much money for stuff that looks so ragged?

One day I knew it was Christmas. I went to Johannesburg for Christmas lunch with an old mate and on the way back a HD rider actually waved at me. The rest of the time I figure their hands are too numb from the vibrations and they can't smile because their fillings may rattle out if they unclench their teeth.

The sports bike crowd are the ones that don't wave. They nod. They can't wave or they would fall forward and smash their chin on the bars.

I tested a new V-Rod for the magazine .. had it for about a week. When I took it back to HD dealer in San Fran, got stuck in traffic ...it overheated and puked coolant all over my leathers! Can you imagine that? :thumbdown:
Really pissed me off. (and burnt too!)

The engine was designed by Porsche. It was quite good ... but the bike DID NOT HANDLE WELL. It got a negative review from me.

NOTE: I can tell you've never ridden modern HD's. (I've tested and ridden dozens in the last 20 years) HD's are actually quite smooth above idle. At idle .... everything S H A K E S ... but above 2000 rpm, it all smoothes out nicely.
Then you hit the rev limiter ... a cruel joke!
I pretty much hated every HD I tested except for Buell's .. but not because of vibration. They have LOTS of issues ... starting with really cheap nuts and bolts that look like they came from the local hardware store.

Later Buells were some of my favorite bikes. Great handling bikes, fun. Totally different animal than an HD. Too bad HD discontinued them. I tested 3 different generations of Buells starting in the late 90's. Quirky but good bikes while they lasted. But Erik is back building race bikes with India's Hero backing him. They got in the top ten at WSB ... not bad for a team built from the ashes of ruin. :D Go Erik! (a really nice guy!)

No I never rode a Harley. Im not that old! I figure maybe a HD when Im too old to get a leg over a proper bike. I just see them vibrate next to me and figure no thanks.

I just see no application for them except when Im an old man.

I used to think that. Rattly antiques fit only for towing agricultural machinery or powering ditch pumps and the only thing that made Brit stuff look modern.
Give me some hotshot Jap two stroke any day.

Well I've grown up as well as grown older and Harleys, in their slow vegetable way, have evolved as well - and you know what, I feel exactly the same! :rofl:

The only difference is that now part of me can appreciate the 19thC spirituality in them - a bit like a beam engine or a steam train. They're a modern version of the covered wagon (and probably no quicker!), something for the pioneering spirit. Why they sell in the UK I've no idea- we don't have pioneering spirits over here. Maybe a Victorian limited edition with a tall chimney and made out of brick would be popular. Actually, that's pretty much a 60's Triumph.

On the up side Eric Buell did manage to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I loved the couple I rode and seriously looked at a buying one. The only thing that put me off was the back yard nature of the build quality - says someone who then went and bought a CCM :rofl:

hello ill be honest here ive kept from posting on the hubb as i feel a bit intimidated ..with all the expieriance and long distance travellers and i take my hat off to them .....

now i have the oppertunity and time to do it

i wont as more then a few weeks away from my family and especially my grandchildren will not allow me to do it ..my family ties are far too strong ...that said i ride locally and abroad every year ..for the pleasure of feeling free and being on my bike

i have ridden bikes since 7 years old and off road bikes since 12 i am 57 years old ...in all the time i have travelled around all be it not around the world i have never fallen out with a teamate and have never had so much as a harsh word ...and would never hesitate to help a fellow rider



indeed if i travel with someone i would do anything to help a fellow rider out and expect the same ....and we have always found the same common ground ...namly motorcycles and the enthuisasum that comes with riding them

i have no connection with ccm whatsoever other than ordering one and say as i find ..if you dont believe that ....you dont know me which of courseyou dont

i am no ones uncle tom

....i make no appoligy for liking and supporting the bike ..its done what its supposed to and hasnt dissapointed me in any way ..it is open to anyone in the uk to ride by appointment ...so there no need to trust anyone elses opinion ..especially mine it seems ....???

i went down 18 months ago and they showed me the prototype ..no working tank but i just loved the narrowness and lightness of it .....i considered it could keep me riding longer off road than the big bikes ..i keep falling and stalling ..........so because i puta deposit down there and then chassis number six .......and then 14 months later there was delays
homaglation ..suppliers ectect ...they lent me the bike as i was one of the original cusomers and i had booked the taffy dakar portugal and a gatesgarth pass weekend ...expecting delivery
.......so thats how i got to ride the bike and thats why i know a bit more about it than most ......
belive me they took a chance as i will post as i will find ....
strangly i just want to get the bike now and dissapear off the internet ..other than my meets and runs as ive had enough of this virtual bollocks .....it really isnt me at all

and ive had endless disscussions with folks online ..who have never taken the oppertunity to ride one

..and they still take every oppertunity to kick the bike in the nuts .. the frame will snap ..it will blow up after 15 hours ....no way will the oil last a trip ect ect .....well evidence is building to the contary ... im pissed off with it now i just want to get my bike and ride it .....20months anyone can get a little stirr crazy

the above description of me a s a person and fellow rider is unjustified ....and written by a guy i have never ridden with or met and as far as i can tell is downright uncalled for ..ive looked at the website and its all very impressive ..i admire your expiriance and achievments ...

.but please mr brighty at least try pull the hood off before you shoot a guy between the eyes

..as it is to all the other dozens of adventure book riders and freinds ive travelled with at home and abroad over the years ..

you may be surprised where and what some of the abr crowd have done in there own litte unpubisised .. way and indeed how good some of them are handling a bike .... novice to expert and anything inbetween ...but at least we stick tgether and dont diss eachother irrespective of ability expeiriance or bike

all id say is if anything ive written about the ccm 450 is objectonal or my arguments for and against it are not your cup of tea thats fine .....
but if you want to try and dismiss and belittle somone or label them ...... on line

at least have the decency to meet him ride with him first ...maby ride the bike too

.... and then form your opinion before putting it it in to print ......

in good faith... steve halsall .. aka ordinary guy

aka ..... adventure book reader ....

Hi Steve
Thanks for your reply and welcome to the hubb. The hubb isn't about people going round the world, but whatever website floats your boat is fine by me. I found the ABR forum unwelcoming and cliquey, but that's just my opinion. I also went to an ABR meeting once, but decided it wasn't my cup of tea and left on the Saturday, having only stayed Friday night (the curry was excellent). Each to their own. Sorry to tar you with my same perceived brush.

I quote Walkabout's comment again, to which I replied. I took offense to the "just stop bleating" comment. I have a problem with giving a view and being told to shut up, rather than the person responding to my comments regarding the questionable history of the BMW G450 (same engine as in the new CCM) and the brand CCM (have gone bust twice) itself. If you didn't say "Just stop bleating", then I apologise for getting your back up. If you did, I stand by my views.

It's not apples/pears at all. We are comparing 400/450 cc dirtbikes with each other (ccm vs. drz, wr, exc, xr). We're not comparing fat ktm 950-990/bmws gs/triumph/12 tenere with the CCM

I'll overlook all the other emotive comments that aren't relevant.

Looking forward to pint of https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...ezZ2Uv4RUEz-v2 tonight. Baaaa

Video
 

Hi,

here is another vid of my ride with the GP 450 Adventure:



Hope you enjoy

So long,

da Wolf

Interview with Austin Clews
 

Last week I talked to Austin Clews:



So long,

da Wolf

The UK folks who actually have ordered, own and ride this bike continue to write about it elsewhere = the UK based ABR.

From the CCM staff at the UK motorcycle show in late November:
CCM started delivering the bikes a few weeks ago and have exported them also: containers of bikes have been shipped to Australia, USA and I think it was South Africa (could be wrong on that detail).
The current waiting list for a build was one month as of the dates of the UK bike show.
Within the UK, being a bespoke build and not a mass produced machine, you can meet with and talk with the people who assemble the bikes rather than with sales staff in the dealerships.

Finaly I've also got mine :thumbup1:



So long,

da Wolf

Excellent enjoy it ! nice Christmas present.

Tchus Jake.

[QUOTE=Jake;489794]Excellent enjoy it ! nice Christmas present.

Tchus Jake.[/QUOTE

Ditto!
Looks like the white van man met you part of the way to deliver the new bike.