Post Listing Update: This Black Dream did not get any interest at the opening ask of $6,500.
Founded in the mid-1970s, TM Racing still exists today as it did in its infancy: a boutique family-owned Italian firm that focuses on producing competition-grade, off-road-oriented motorcycles. TM Racing currently employs around 70 staffers, runs a trio of World Championship teams, and produces MX, Enduro, SuperMoto, and Flat Track models of both the two and four-stroke variety. The marque reportedly churns out around 2,000 units annually, with around 10% of TM’s wares destined for US shores. For this reason TM Racing bikes are seldom seen in America. This includes the manufacturer’s mid-2000’s Black Dream lineup of exotic SuperMotos ranging from 125-530cc’s.
The biggest of BD range was the SSM 530 F Black Dream ES. Put simply; if Ducati or MV built a high-end single-cylinder SuMo, it’d probably look a whole helluva lot like the Black Dream. The epitome of an Italian exotic, the SSM 530 featured a myriad of standard carbon fiber and CNC’d bits, OZ Racing rims, a single-sided swing-arm, and was praised for its stellar fit and finish. According to a 2006 article in Motorcycle USA the Black Dream 530 carried an MSRP of $11,000 (which translates to approximately $14K today with inflation).
At the heart of the Italian SuMo was a liquid-cooled, 527.71cc, four-stroke, DOHC single fed via a 41mm Mikuni (TDMR) carb, married to a five-speed transmission with a multi-disc hydraulic actuated clutch, and wrapped in a lightweight aluminum perimeter oval chassis. Offered only in a blacked-out livery (hence the name I suppose), the Black Dream came from the factory with inverted Paioli forks and a Sachs rear shock though TM offered optional front and rear Öhlins units for an additional price. Stopping duties were bestowed upon single rim-mounted discs fore and aft (a whopping 420mm up front and 220mm out back) with Nissin pumps and Brembo calipers.
Finding information on the Black Dream is surprisingly difficult, and while I haven’t come across any specific production numbers, (aside from one questionable source claiming only 15 were produced) I’m confident in saying very, very few Black Dreams were produced. One obvious downside to the TM SuMo’s sparse nature is that sourcing parts is going to be a bit of a hassle (to put it mildly). If you’re interested in learning more about the SSM 530, all I can say is “good luck”, though if you want to learn more about the TM brand, Pro-X Racing did a really solid writeup about the boutique manufacturer on its blog.
This particular 2005 Black Dream example features both the front and rear optional Öhlins suspenders and appears to be in solid shape both mechanically and cosmetically. The ad says this TM has 10,000 miles on the clock, and it’s OZ rims have reportedly been wrapped in a new set of grippy Bridgestone Battlax rubber.
While I don’t personally love the SSM’s headlight assembly (which can easily be swapped out for one of many aftermarket units), I think the Black Dream is an otherwise drop-dead beautiful machine. Plus, as Abhi pointed out last time we featured a Black Dream, “I’m struggling to determine if there’s a better canyon-carver than this bike for the price”. Mind you, this example is a few grand cheaper!
You can find this 2005 TM Racing SSM 530 F Black Dream ES (VIN: 8312333326) for sale in Monterey, California with a BIN price of $6,500