When Clews Competition Machines unveiled their Spitfire model last February, it made headlines all over the internet and received an insane amount of response from the riding folks. So much so that all the limited 150 models were sold within a span of one week. “It was a combination of the promise of pure riding pleasure and a timeless design that set hearts a fluttering at the show.”

CCM’s “SkunkweX” division has now unveiled a new Bobber variant of their new Spitfire range at the 2018 MCN London Motorcycle Show. The bike will use the same 600cc single pot mill that does the job on all the Spitfire models including the Scrambler, Café Racer, and the Flat Tracker. But comes with white-walled tires, spoked wheels and a butch floating leather seat to represent the Americas in the 30s’.

2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber
  • Engine/Motor: inline-1
  • Horsepower: 55
  • Torque: 43
  • Transmission: 6
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

STYLING

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2017 CCM Spitfire

2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber


The newest member of the Spitfire range is the new Spitfire Bobber that comes with a stripped-back bobber styling but still carries the cues from the rest of the motorcycles in the range. This organic look comes courtesy of the single floating seat, swept back bars, slammed suspension and chunky white-walled tires that keeps the vintage affair going around in the air.

Avon AV72 Cobra tires get white-walled, wrapped around 16” lightweight wheels and get laced with the CNC billet hub to give sufficient grip to rip the road. The seat is now a floating poly bush damped made of full hide leather, and the bike gets all LED treatment. The rear sees a springless nitrogen shock.

It shares a majority of the chassis and components with the original Spitfire model including the carbon-steel frame, adjustable WP suspension front, Brembo brakes, and the rear sub-frame. The frame is still hand-welded, and the blue residue is left untouched to depict a raw stature onto the bike. The sculpted fuel tank is also shared with the rest of the motorcycles.

This Bobber from CCM falls miles away from the styling seen on Triumph’s post-war American designs. It sports a handful of modern bits while maintaining it industrial appeal just like all the other Spitfires. The bespoke Spitfire aluminum tank gets similar finish with the front carbon-fiber cowl surrounding the headlight unit and fenders being the only other body panel.

Overall Dimension

Make Model

2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber

Triumph Bonneville bobber

Length

83.3 in

92 in

Width

n / a

31.5 in

Height

43.3 in

40.4 in

Wheelbase

56 in

57.5 in

Seat height

29.9 in

27.2 in

Wet weight

297 lb

564 lb

Fuel Tank

3.6 gal

2.4 gal


POWERTRAIN

The powerplant on this Bobber makes use of the same Husqvarna TE630 motor used on all the other Spitfires. This fuel-injected, single cylinder, four-stroke mill produces a healthy 55 hp and 43 lb-ft of max torque. This is enough to make the 297 lb bike to feel like a rocket. The dual-pipe exhaust manifold gives the bike a proper Bobber visual cue. The same 6-speed transmission engages here as well.

The superlative engine is highly tractable even at low to medium revs thanks to its 600 cc capacity achieved by increasing the bore from 98 mm to 100 mm of a 576cc mill. The TE630 has an electronic fuel injection system developed in collaboration with Mikuni. The engine features a 45 mm throttle body with the fast idle control on the handlebars, and there is now a 300 Kpa Mitsubishi "twin jet" fuel injector fitted to the throttle.

The mill uses Kokusan 360W three-phase ignition flywheel, and the clutch is hydraulically controlled.

Engine Specification

Make Model

2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber

Triumph Bonneville bobber

Capacity cc

600

1200

Bore / Stroke mm

100 / 76.5

97.6 / 80

Output

55 hp @ 7500 rpm

77 hp @ 6100 rpm

Torque

43 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm

78 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

Type

Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Single cylinder, four valves

Liquid Cooled, 8 Valves, SOHC, 270° Crank Angle Parallel Twin

Clutch type

Multiple-disc, wet, Hydraulic control

Wet –Multi-Plate Assist

Transmission

6-speed

6-speed


RIDE AND HANDLING

The Spitfire bobber shares the same hand-welded steel frame like the rest of its stablemates and is all hand-welded. It also carries the same swingarm with new 16-inch wire wheels and the leather-wrapped single seat. Flat bars and mid-mounted footpegs give the right bobber-style riding position.

The monoshock mounted directly under the seat, is a springless nitrogen charged unit, while at the front, an adjustable WP suspension handles all damping duties. Brembo supplies excellent stopping power to the CCM with top-spec four piston and two piston calipers biting a 320 mm disc up front and 240 mm disc at the rear.

Although you pay a hefty price for this Bobber, you won’t find any electronic intervention or riding aids.

Chassis Specifications

Make Model

2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber

Triumph Bonneville bobber

Frame

High strength steel, Hand Tig welded

Tubular steel cradle with Twin-sided swingarm

Suspension / Front

WP 41 mm inverted fork with compression and rebound damping and 120 mm wheel travel

KYB 41 Mm Forks, 90 Mm Travel

Suspension / Rear

Monoshock with a spring less nitrogen charged unit with rebound damping and 120 mm wheel travel

KYB Mono Shock With Linkage, 76.9 Mm Rear Wheel Travel

Brakes / Front

Single semi-floating 300 mm discs. Brembo Caliper: Dual radial-mount, monoblock, opposed 4-piston

310 Mm Disc, Nissin 2-Piston Floating Caliper, ABS

Brakes / Rear

Single 240 mm disc. Brembo Caliper: Single-piston

Single 255 Mm Disc, Nissin Single Piston Floating Caliper, ABS

Tires / Front

Avon AV72 Cobra – White wall MT90B16-WW

100/90 R19

Tires / Rear

Avon AV72 Cobra – White wall 150/80B16-WW

150/80 R16


PRICE

Be sure that CCM will also make this a limited edition affair of 150 units and will be available with a rather steep MSRP of $13,930. A couple of grand more than the rest of its stablemates.

If you’d like to individualize your handcrafted Spitfire, CCM have created a range of bespoke options and accessories. They include leather apparels, front brake reservoir cover, carbon hugger, fly screen, headlight grill, titanium exhaust, Brembo monobloc brakes, adjustable levers, Ohlins suspension and others to make your Spitfire as individual as you are.

Make Model

2018 CCM Spitfire Bobber

Triumph Bonneville bobber

MSRP

$ 13,930

$ 11,900


COMPETITION

Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Calling it a “pure Bonneville hot rod” Triumph’s attempt here is authentic and straight out of the box. The beautifully styled minimalism is depicted from every angle on this bike. This is enough proof that this company has the guts to look elsewhere for inspiration when designing new models.

Triumph’s 1200cc gives this Bobber a power figure of 77 bhp @ 6100 rpm and 78 lb-ft @ 4000rpm. The Bobber has a unique twin airbox setup, carb-styled twin throttle bodies, special intake and exhaust system, new output shaft, and elegant packaging that allows the straight-line exhausts to hide the Euro4-compliant catalytic converters. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission with a torque-assist clutch and chain final drive.

Nothing is sacrificed in the pursuit of style over substance. The riding position is notably more conventional and instantly comfortable with mid-position footpegs. Seats provide you with the freedom of choosing your ergonomic match and bars are unlikely to prove too much of a stretch even for shorter-limbed riders.

The shorter suspensions travel of the front fork is enough since only the rider sits on this bike and is sufficient for the same level of compliance and bump absorption. Similar to all Bonnevilles’, this bike too features everything from riding modes (Road and Rain) to switchable traction control, ride-by-wire throttle, ABS, and a torque-assist clutch. Making the bobber as dynamic and thrilling to ride as it is to look at.

Much like Harley, Triumph charges for paint. The “basic” Jet Black rolls for $11,900, while the greyish Ironstone and Morello Red will set you back $12,150. As classy as those colors are, the two-tone, Competition Green/white is my favorite by far at $12,400.

VERDICT

Reminiscence of the Supermarine Spitfire, a British fighter aircraft from the times of World War II, the CCM Spitfire is the brainchild of a specialist division within the shackles of CCM called ‘the SkunkwerX team’. Designed over a bacon sandwich on their tea break, CCM let the ball rolling for multiple models over the next year based out of the same engine and chassis. Just like the multiple variants of the Supermarine Spitfire built using several wing configurations.

For the price you pay, you might as well get a full decked Triumph Bonneville Bobber having a bigger engine and a better-equipped kit. But what you don’t get is the hand-made exclusivity of a limited-edition machine. CCM is a small player in the world of motorcycles, and they take much pride in that. With all their builds till date getting sold out within a week after their launch, I’m sure you have already lost the battle here.

Nonetheless, to my spec, this Bobber is the most authentic and brutally honest take on the post-war America in the 30s’. The spoked wheels, whitewalls and the floating seat sold it.