CCM CLASSIC TRACKER
When is a classic not a classic? Perhaps when it is just a cynical moniker used by marketing departments to promote a modern machine and cash in on the retro craze. It can be easily done: apply a 70s paint finish to one of the range, tack on appropriate verbiage (‘classic’, ‘heritage’, or ‘legacy'), and voilà, job done. Yamaha's XSR700 Legacy springs to mind. Some would argue the same about Triumph's Modern Classics, but at least Triumph's water-cooled engines take their design cues from the Meriden products, and look authentic. Given that, what should we make of the Classic Tracker, a 2023 model from CCM?
Some say that a classic bike must have neither electric start nor disc brake. Methinks that would rule out such classics as the Triumph Trident T160 and the Norton Commando Mk3, the latter of which I'm sure Frank would agree most definitely is a classic. I'm going to argue that the CCM Classic Tracker, part of the Spitfire range, is indeed a classic. But how did the bike get here?
Clews Competition Motorcycles (CCM) was founded in 1971 by the late Alan Clews, a successfulhas had its ups and downs over the decades, but is now on a firm financial footing thanks to a substantial investment by Pitalia Capital.
