BLACKBURN motorbike manufacturer CCM Motorcycles is roaring ahead into a new business market.

The company is launching itself into the £675 million European "dual sport" motorcycle market through what is predicted to be the next big bike sport, Supermoto.

On the Continent Supermoto -- racing off-road style bikes on road tyres on half tarmacadam, half dirt race tracks -- attracts large crowds and is a multi-million pound sport.

The spin-off is a European demand from riders for Supermoto bikes that is worth up to £70 million which CCM plans to tap into.

The company is one of the first to bring the bikes to the UK market. They sell for between £4,200 and £5,250 each.

Around 200,000 motorcycles are expected to be sold in the UK this year and ten per cent of those will be "dual sport" machines capable of being used on and off road.

Michaela Fogarty, CCM shareholder and wife of multiple World Superbike champ Carl, said Supermoto was great entertainment which is driving sales up.

"Just when we believed there wasn't a niche for a new sport suddenly there's Supermoto," said Michaela. "It is worth £20 million a year in France alone and we'll be exploiting the inevitable UK interest."

Picture: Michaela Fogarty - the face of CCM bikes - predicts big things for Supermoto