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1950s Motorbike with Horizontal Top Tube
I have an friend with a 1950's CCM Standard Motorbike frame (see pic). The serial number is an E-code which should be circa 1953. The curious thing is that the lower top tube is horizontal, while the upper top tube is the bent, camelback style. Between us, we have 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954 and 1958 catalogues and none show my friend's frame style. I have seen other 1950s CCM Motorbikes in both frame styles, though not many. Does anyone know the date range for my friend's frame style and why it doesn't match the catalogue illustrations? Serial numbers and frame styles from all 1950s Motorbike owners would be appreciated, in an attempt to solve the mystery. TIA.
Hmm, no picture. Let's try again.
I was at Backpedaling in Guelph today. Clayton has two CCM bikes with this kind of frame. I asked him your question but he didn't know either. Unfortunately I could not access the serial numbers. Sorry, I tried.
looks like Ken's fence!!!
This OG Frame is stamped with a 1953 E code
If any one is interested in purchasing contact
gtflyte@hotmail.ca
I think that, generally, the straight bar motorbike frames predated the double curved bar frames. I seem to recall seeing a catalogue picture (perhaps 1951) showing a straight bar frame. I think that CCM was following Schwinn's example of offering both a straight and curved bar frame.
John Williamson
Shown in the attached pic are my 1951 and 1953 CCM Standard Motorbikes. I have only seen the 1953s with the straight lower bar (both Standard and Balloon Motorbike models). Not sure if it accurate to say that all 1953 double bars have the lower straight bar or, all double bars with the lower straight bar are 1953s. I have 1951, 1952 and 1954 CCM catalogues, all revealing curved bars on the Standard Motorbikes.
My 1953 has a blue head badge and has no indication that a chain guard was ever on the bike. The 53 also does not have the Gibson pedals that my 51 has.
I have attached to this thread to seek more clarification on the 1953 and the straight bar. Does anyone have any logic or theories why CCM manufactured this odd arrangement compared to the rest of their Motorbike designs in the 1950s era. Any thoughts?
Mark
This is just specuation, but here's one idea: We know that CCM owned SCP, Humphrey, and I think Planet too in the 1950s. We know that there are postwar SCP bikes out there riding on CCM frames. What if the reverse is true as well? What if demand during the babyboom years was increasing to the point where CCM was looking for additional frames to ride under CCM nameplates? If SCP had their factory set up for making a straightbar motorbike model, it would have been less expensive for CCM to have SCP build this style frame without changes. In other words, is it possible perhaps that curved tube bikes were made in the CCM Weston factory and straight tube frames were made in the SCP factory at 600 Victoria Park?
The only problem with this is that the SCP frames really did not look much like CCM frames. I have owned several of each type of motorbike and thay both look unmistakenly like CCM made frames.
Here's another idea: The upper tube on the one with the straight bar looks like a regular camel-back roadster. Maybe CCM found there was more demand for the motorbike than the roadster and decided to retrofit existing stock by welding in a straight lower tube. Just more speculation I know.
With Brian's last interesting speculation, are there 1953 models out there that resemble the 1951 geometry as pictured?
Or do they all have the lower straight tube for 1953?
I find this oddity intriguing.......what's wrong with me? LOL