So, there is a new British adventure motorcycle, just starting production for Europe, and hopefully coming to the US someday. The company is CCM for Clews Competition Motorcycles and, since they came out of motocross, they emphasize light weight. I think they have a great idea and I truely hope that they can make it to the US market.
Most of the pictures here come from a review article by Nathan on Adventure Bike Rider. Here is the link to their review.
http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/918-nathan.html
What do I mean by a light weight motorcycle? Their GP450 Adventure is claimed to have a weight of just over 300 pounds full of fuel. And this isn't some small motocross fuel tank but a reasonable 4.5 US gallons which should give 225 mile range at 50 mpg. 50 mpg is what I get out of my KLR, as long as I stay off the slab. The CCM has a more modern, fuel injected engine of equal horsepower but lower displacement. I'm guessing that it will get better fuel economy than the KLR and very acceptable range on a tank of fuel.
What's the advantage of light weight? To me, lighter weight makes everything better. Acceleration, braking, cornering, all improved. My ability to get the motorcycle to respond quickly, improved. Fuel economy, improved. Overall, I would rather have a lighter bike than one with more horsepower.
Among all the rest of the reasons, the GP450 is a nice looking bike with premium components and a size that fits even me (at least according to cycle-ergo.com).
The GP450's light weight got me to thinking. How light are other motorcycles that I either like or have tried (and fit?)? What is their weight and how is their weight/power ratio as an indicator of acceleration performance? Now my trusty old KLR is a bike that I have ridden for over 10 years. It has enough power for me and is a good fit. Anything on this list that improves on it's weight or weight/power ratio is going to be just fine.
The KTM 640 LC4 Adventure is an old bike in the Rally Raid style with excellent fuel range. I have always found KTM bikes to be lighter than most. The KTM Duke 690 is basically a hooligan thumper. The KTM Duke 390 is new for 2015 and is a lighter, short range bike like it's bigger brother, the 690. As you can see, the 640 Adventure, the new Duke 390, and the CCM are all about 12 pounds/HP with a 200 # rider. In contrast, the Duke 690 and the Tiger 800 are faster than I need. All of them are faster than the good old KLR. If you are looking for a reference point, a BMW 328i has a "pounds per HP" of just over 15, so all of these are faster than a pretty good car, including the KLR.
Looking at weight including a full tank of fuel, the KLR on the bottom is my baseline. At 375 pound with fuel and a theoretical 300 mile range, it's not doing too badly. In comparison, the CCM GP450 weighs 75 pounds less and still has an acceptable 225 mile range in this comparison. Now, I admit, I wouldn't want to go too much lower in fuel range, but the GP450 is just fine.
The 640 LC4 Adventure is a nice older bike, comparable bike to my KLR. It's power and weight aren't that different, but it does carry a massive 7.5 gallons of fuel and a 375 mile range to go with it.
The Duke 390 is pretty interesting. A very modern 373 cc engine with excellent horsepower for it's size and a light 320 pounds with fuel. It only has two issues. The frame is too small for me (It might be possible with enough modification) and the fuel range is too small.
From a weight point of view, the Duke 690 is really very good, but it's fuel range is tiny.
That leaves the Tiger 800 and it is one nice bike, but it is also so heavy. I don't understand why a bike that is the same size as the KLR has to weigh almost 500 pounds. With lots of modern electronics, the Tiger (especially the 2015 XCx model) would be my long trip bike of choice, but I have a hard time getting past the price and the weight.
Anyway, I think my bank account is safe for now. The CCM will take a while, if ever, to reach these shores. The Duke 390 is too small for me and the Tiger too pricey and fat. Still, I am happy to see these interesting new bikes come to market. It has certainly stirred my interest, although I'll keep plugging along with the KLR for now.
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