CCMs

[firko]

Here's a copy of Rolling Thunder going on eBay UK. It's cheap (so far), the seller accepts Pay Pal but unfortunately he won't sell outside of the UK and there's a blocker on for overseas bids.. If you know someone living in the UK who will bid on it on for you, I'd go for it. Or even better it may be worth an email to the seller pleading for him to open the item for o/seas bids.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CCM-FOUR-STROKES-ROLLING-THUNDER-TRIAL-BOOK_W0QQitemZ190180316501QQihZ009QQcategoryZ52641QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[brent j]

Thanks Firko, I'm trying to contact a guy in England now.

GD I skived off from school cert studying to see that meeting at the old Queen Elizibeth park track.
It all looked a lot different when I last went back in 2005.

Brent

[DR Fan]

Alot different airight Brent, the Greenies got there way and got all Motorsport banned from Queen Elizabeth park, which has allowed the Gorse etc to grow naturally, as it should be, as its such a beautiful native plant!!!!!!!!

[firko]

The prices for Rolling Thunder are going up as much as the bikes. The UK eBay issue went for 46 pounds or,  in our language $106.84 for a rough copy. It's a good read but it's not worth that kind of money.

[VMX Andrew]

firko ...thought you might be interested in this bike...its a ccm580 1975 model with a three speed quaife gearbox or what ever that means...

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[firko]

Andrew, as CCM engines got bigger and more powerful the old 250 BSA based gearbox suffered. CCM got Quaife Engineering,a well known Pommy gearbox manufacturer, to design and make a bulletproof 3 speed. The gears are as big as that in a top loader Ford and because the CCM is so torquey, a 3 speed is all that's needed. Unfortunately I reckon that bike would be out of my limited price range.
By the look it's got Simons forks as well. It could well be a 10k bike.

[paul]

hey andrew were is that bike (ccm)
btw the lester rowley ccm is for sale as we speak 20 k though

[firko]

Here's an engine for sale. Seeing that you can now buy replica CCM frames and body panels, it may make a good start for someone........http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110225397024&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:GB:1123

[firko]

Jeez that CCM engine didn't turn out to be much of a bargain. 1220 pounds ( $2600 au) is top money for a good engine not for a rooted rebuilder............... And the prices keep creeping higher and higher!

[grouty]

All early CCMs are BSA based. When the BSA factory went belly up, Alan Clews bought all of the remaining B50 engines and  tooling and started making his own frames housing the highly modified Beeza engines he named Clews Strokas (later changed to Clews Competition Motorcycles or CCM for short). As the years progressed, the engines gained more and more CCM mods but even the above 4 valve '79 models are still very much BSA based. Here's the ex works 72/73 model ridden by Bob Wright in the '73 Trans-AMA.             
 

I must admit I am a little biased with the 73 !
Maybe cos this one is mine 
Note to self ...... must tidy front garden !

[firko]

Nice bike Grouty...is it the same very bike Wright rode in the Trans-AMA or was I sucked in by a false lead?
If it is you've got a nice piece of history (even if it's got no history it's still a gem).
A guy in my club had an almost identical Clews Stroka back in '74. He was a Pom who'd bought it to Oz with him when he migrated. I recall him giving me a ride on it at an Annandale-Leichardt club meeting at Amaroo Park in the wet and I loved it, it was so much better than my 440 Maico in the mud .

I often wonder what happened to the bike as it was never seen once the owner bought an RM250 in '75. You'd imagine that a bike so unique in Australia would have surfaced over the last 30+ years, perhaps it went back to the UK.

[grouty]

Yes, it is one of the two sent out to the U.S. in 73 for Bob to ride. I have spoken to all the owners the bike has had since new (five, I think, including CCM and me.)
Since the finish of the 73 AMA series this poor old thing has done most disiplines in it's life. From motocross, trials (not a success !) to road racing and ice racing !

[flower pot racing]

Alan Jones in Sydney and Peter Lawson in Perth both supposedly own ex Lester Rowley CCMs. If anyone wants to read a really well researched book on the history of CCM, Rolling Thunder by Bill Lawless (long out of print) is a great read.  It occasionally pops up on UK eBay but it's never cheap. John Matthews was selling reprints at CD4 FOR $50.

The book has been re-issued with a CCM update that covers the more recent years, changes of ownership etc.  It still has alot of the original content and is really useful for period pics to see what they were doing to the bikes through the years.  You can buy that on ebay in the UK and at teh classic off road show last year Mr Clews was there signing copies of the book.  I dont recall them being overly expencive.  You can also get them from Amazon.

If the UK seller wont ship it, you could send it to me (I am in the UK) and I can pass it to one of your fellow country men who I believe is coming over in May or any of you lot that may be coming to Farleigh for the VMxDes Nations.  Am I right in thinking that there will be an Aussi container bring bikes to the meeting.  You can get an aweful lot of stuff in a container.  It would be a shame to send it back to Oz part full..........

[VMX247]

All early CCMs are BSA based. When the BSA factory went belly up, Alan Clews bought all of the remaining B50 engines and  tooling and started making his own frames housing the highly modified Beeza engines he named Clews Strokas (later changed to Clews Competition Motorcycles or CCM for short).        
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[TM BILL]

Hi Brit boys
The CCM is one very cool bike.

The owner Mike recently let me loose on this awesome machine  It really is a magnificent machine and a great Evo weapon

I had been riding pre 75 and pre 78 all day and mike let me out at the end of the day. The bike makes great power but what really got me was how well it handled and the suspension just soaked up everything with ease ( a world apart from the 77 rm 250 i had been riding earlier. I have always been impressed with Maico handling  but i think this CCM took it to another level