?It?s a bit of a melting pot concept,? says Scott Lanzi, CCM?s product director. ?Our lead designer, Owen, wanted to do something radically different with the Spitfire platform, based around our scrambling twin-shock heritage.?
?At the same time, we wanted to investigate longer suspension travel, and were curious to see how far we could credibly go.?

That was enough to get the Bolton-based brains trust thinking. ?Most of our current design and development team ride or race motocross or enduro. And I think one of the CCM advisors still has a poster of Gaston Rahier on his bedroom wall!?
This prototype is not a half-hearted styling exercise: very little componentry is carried over from the current range, aside from the front of the frame and the engine. Designer Owen likes to get his hands on the power tools, so he fabbed up most of this himself in CCM?s workshop.
The rest of the bodywork was designed from scratch and 3D printed. ?All Owen?s work, really,? says Scott. ?We took our design cues from historical Dakar bikes and adapted them to create a little neo-retro look.?
Mechanically, the bike is fitted out with Öhlins suspension front and back, with bespoke triple trees and rims from the Dutch specialist Haan Wheels. There are CNC-machined parts throughout, plus a few modern twists like multi-functional LED lighting.

?That?s the million-dollar question!? says Scott. ?If we build it, will they come"?
?As a concept, it?s been well received. That?s often the case...