Good to see your enthusiasm for the gp450, you seemed more circumspect when we dropped in (Matt & Harriet - Nov) ...thanks for your input back then, I since decided on the 250rally & pleased to find it will buzz along & keep up with traffic so will do the to& fro trails nicely. Road manners are great & as a newbie to trails I reckon my limitations as a rider will outweigh any limitations of the bike for a good while 😉
It's not just CCM. Met a mare for brekkie yesterday who has a 1250gs. Wouldn't start after he'd used the kill switch to turn off to allow a horse to pass... I think Honda are now using lithium batteries the Africa Twin now too. Hmmm. Time will tell. Sometimes the wheel doesn't need reinventing. Happy travels
More good content Thank you. Have both ….. one of the last of the CCM GP450’s and also the Honda 300L. Both great bikes. As you say quite different, the CCM is a real thoroughbred on and off road, but if I was riding around the world maybe the Honda would be my first choice.
CCM 450 is a great bike when it runs. Unfortunately mine was breaking down every 200 miles (electrical issues). Sold it. An old 600 XR replaced it. Then I got on a 250 CRF L., and I'm getting now a 300 CRF Rally to get o the TET in Europe. Lightnesss and reliability is the key. Ride safe. Guy
Just in case this helps in people thinking of upgrading the Honda... I just upgraded the front and rear of my CRF250L - 2016. Hagon on the rear, Hyperpro on the front. Also had the seat redone by Viking adding a little height with the new bars. The bike is totally different and incredible. As a novice returning to both bilkes and dirt, it is a revelation! Really wish the CCM were more relaible and available. Love the looks and concept!
@@moorehen1 Rear was approx £250, front £120, new saddle or reproduced @ Viking seats, £250. Totally worth it. Been out on it more since I wrote the comment. Brilliant... Oh £65 New Renthals high bars. Also got a bigger tank. Like a new bike... !
Everybody I know that had a CCM 450 sold them due to reliability issues... Its a pity, very much a case of 'opportunity lost' by CCM I think. They could of had a bike very close to a perfect 'adventure bike '.
Thanks for that love letter to the GP450 Nathan, nice to hear someone give it the respect it deserves. I wonder whether somewhere in Japan, there's one gathering dust in the corner of a development lab? Did Honda lose their way with the CRF450L, and opt for a rebore of the 250L? Have Suzuki decided against a DRZ450 for the time being? Is the unicorn waiting in the wings?
another great review. Has the ccm had the main battery leads upgraded to thicker wires to carry the current better? would it benefit from that like the Tiger 1050 does due to a known problem of the factory fitted leads being to narrow diameter to carry the load? I have found lithium batteries to be temperamental if not used regularly..I think there's circuitry in them that protects them from being used if there's a voltage drop.. I am looking at getting a Ccm 450 next year ..possibly...maybe...
That CRF is pretty expensive. They are cheap in Thailand. The basic L is 3,321 GBP and the Rally is 3,922 GBP. Readily available, too. It's a shame about the CCM's starting problems. I think I'll stick to my 390 Duke for occasional off-road forays. You never woffle. Always interesting.
That BMW engine had an interesting primary drive. can-am had a quad ATV with a 450 5 speed Rotax and a part of frame similar to CCM. It was a meat'n potato engine and I thought it would have made a good ADV engine. A bunch of cottage manufacturers would have to get together and Patreon a 3D manufacturer.
Check the out put of the alternator with a multi meter attached while running and revving, to eliminate the reg/rec from the battery debate, that the battery or alternator must be the problem, all part of the charging triangle nightmare lol CCM all the way for me.
We don't get the current XT250 in the UK. There are some very old original 1980's ones knocking about but that's it. There was a bit of a craze for the Serow back in the 90's for trail riding but all of them were unofficial imports.
Good to see your enthusiasm for the gp450, you seemed more circumspect when we dropped in (Matt & Harriet - Nov) ...thanks for your input back then, I since decided on the 250rally & pleased to find it will buzz along & keep up with traffic so will do the to& fro trails nicely. Road manners are great & as a newbie to trails I reckon my limitations as a rider will outweigh any limitations of the bike for a good while 😉
It's not just CCM.
Met a mare for brekkie yesterday who has a 1250gs. Wouldn't start after he'd used the kill switch to turn off to allow a horse to pass...
I think Honda are now using lithium batteries the Africa Twin now too. Hmmm.
Time will tell. Sometimes the wheel doesn't need reinventing.
Happy travels
More good content Thank you.
Have both ….. one of the last of the CCM GP450’s and also the Honda 300L. Both great bikes. As you say quite different, the CCM is a real thoroughbred on and off road, but if I was riding around the world maybe the Honda would be my first choice.
CCM 450 is a great bike when it runs. Unfortunately mine was breaking down every 200 miles (electrical issues). Sold it. An old 600 XR replaced it. Then I got on a 250 CRF L., and I'm getting now a 300 CRF Rally to get o the TET in Europe. Lightnesss and reliability is the key.
Ride safe. Guy
Just in case this helps in people thinking of upgrading the Honda... I just upgraded the front and rear of my CRF250L - 2016. Hagon on the rear, Hyperpro on the front. Also had the seat redone by Viking adding a little height with the new bars. The bike is totally different and incredible. As a novice returning to both bilkes and dirt, it is a revelation! Really wish the CCM were more relaible and available. Love the looks and concept!
Rough cost?
@@moorehen1 Rear was approx £250, front £120, new saddle or reproduced @ Viking seats, £250. Totally worth it. Been out on it more since I wrote the comment. Brilliant... Oh £65 New Renthals high bars. Also got a bigger tank. Like a new bike... !
As you probably know, Noraly has the Honda and thinks the same about the shocks.
Everybody I know that had a CCM 450 sold them due to reliability issues... Its a pity, very much a case of 'opportunity lost' by CCM I think. They could of had a bike very close to a perfect 'adventure bike '.
Thanks for that love letter to the GP450 Nathan, nice to hear someone give it the respect it deserves. I wonder whether somewhere in Japan, there's one gathering dust in the corner of a development lab? Did Honda lose their way with the CRF450L, and opt for a rebore of the 250L? Have Suzuki decided against a DRZ450 for the time being? Is the unicorn waiting in the wings?
CCM sounds like a Le Mans mk 1 I once had , I used to say a prayer before pushing the start button , but when it was going , what a machine 😁
Have you read 'Going The Wrong Way' by Chris Donaldson? He rode halfway round the World on a Le Mans back in the late seventies!
another great review. Has the ccm had the main battery leads upgraded to thicker wires to carry the current better? would it benefit from that like the Tiger 1050 does due to a known problem of the factory fitted leads being to narrow diameter to carry the load?
I have found lithium batteries to be temperamental if not used regularly..I think there's circuitry in them that protects them from being used if there's a voltage drop..
I am looking at getting a Ccm 450 next year ..possibly...maybe...
Lithium needs a different kind of charge rate, was the alternator adapted to suit? Otherwise a basic lead-acid or gel battery should work.
Never heard of the CCM. I don’t think they were available in the states. Looks like an interesting machine though.
Just need a good buddy to push start ya. Jiga jiga jiga jiga jiga..
That CRF is pretty expensive. They are cheap in Thailand. The basic L is 3,321 GBP and the Rally is 3,922 GBP. Readily available, too. It's a shame about the CCM's starting problems. I think I'll stick to my 390 Duke for occasional off-road forays.
You never woffle. Always interesting.
That BMW engine had an interesting primary drive.
can-am had a quad ATV with a 450 5 speed Rotax and a part of frame similar to CCM. It was a meat'n potato engine and I thought it would have made a good ADV engine.
A bunch of cottage manufacturers would have to get together and Patreon a 3D manufacturer.
Check the out put of the alternator with a multi meter attached while running and revving, to eliminate the reg/rec from the battery debate, that the battery or alternator must be the problem, all part of the charging triangle nightmare lol
CCM all the way for me.
Cheers Simon. Thankfully not the charging system. Local bike shop had a look and it is the battery, much to my relief!
@@nathanthepostman nice easy fix then, be good to get it up to 100% reliability again, it's a beast of a bike!
I wonder how the XT250 would compare. Cheers Jeff
We don't get the current XT250 in the UK. There are some very old original 1980's ones knocking about but that's it. There was a bit of a craze for the Serow back in the 90's for trail riding but all of them were unofficial imports.
@@ed.barker7069 I've just seen one advertised for £5k over here. Crazy money!
👍🏻🌲⛄🎅
maybe but its a ugly bike rather have a honda lol