Team CCM Britain
To go from a new manufacturer to serious GP contender in four years is a remarkable achievement and when Motorcycle visited CCM for a feature in January of 1976, this was the dream of CCM founder Alan Clews. This was to be a determined campaign to take on the rest of the world in the premier MX GP class… the 500s.
The main reason any motorcycle manufacturer becomes involved in such ventures is to gain publicity which will translate into sales, yet at the time of the feature in 1976, CCM could sell more motorcycles than they could make.
So why tackle such an adventure? Why bother to spend the time and money such a venture requires? There’s no simple answer to such a question.
Clews told Motorcycle the nature of his world means if he doesn’t stay on top of it by competing in GPS his products will soon fall off, lacking the valuable input from the high-octane world of intense competition.
Such a statement satisfied the accountants but Clews also let on he remained convinced the big four-stroke singles he makes are the best machines for motocross.
His belief of this statement was buoyed up by the results gained by his riders Vic Eastwood and John Banks taking seven out of 12 wins in British championship races the previous year. The two racers had been part of BSA’S team too and were more than capable riders which seemed to bode well for a similar attack on the home series in 1976.
Then the news broke due to cut backs the no expense spared, win one race only ultra-light trick bikes from the Japanese would not be in the international series. With CCM’S 1975 bike proving fast enough, some suspension improvements put in the frame for success in GPS, Clews formed Team CCM Britain to tackle the GPS.
Joining Banks and Eastwood was another former BSA factory racer and British 500cc champion, Vic Allan. The team was independent of the factory with Clews being a co-sponsor in providing the works machines and spares for the three riders, at the time it was hoped other sponsors would come on board to add aspects to the team which would help in its successes.
Motorcycle pointed out in the feature other attempts to do just what Clews had proposed had failed, or not realised fruition because of, as the paper put it pie-in-the-sky ideas of what could be if… or what we intend… CCM had the bikes, had the track record and had proved the concept was possible.