CCM 604 turns supermoto - Vintage and classic motorcycle

The CCM came to me with a set of supermoto wheels. I'd been meaning to try them out for a while and have just gotten round to fitting them. Swapping the wheels across was child's play, the only problem I encountered was a rounded allen head on one of the disc rotor bolts. Button head allen bolts truly are the spawn of satan: aesthetically they're great but so prone to rounding off in smaller sizes and especially in stainless that they should be outlawed. To be fair the bolts were loctited on, I personally prefer a dab of copper grease and lock washer on rotor bolts but I guess many folks go for the security of loctite.

Out on the road the transformation to the character of the bike is astonishing given that only the wheels have been changed. I guess the narrow off road tyres were so confidence uninspiring that one tended to treat the bike a bit gingerly. The supermoto wheels release the handling potential of the machine and, what with the willingness of the engine to get lary and the power of the front brakes, overall the bike encourages a high level of back lane hooliganism. The grin factor is huge and a twenty minute ride leaves your heart pounding and the adrenaline coursing. The good thing is that this is all achieved at not outrageously high speeds. The CCM could make a fun commuter but it is more at home tearing around the countryside. The bike seems so natural in this format that in my ownership I can't see it going back to off-roading.