Cleveland CycleWerks local assembly begins

It got a fair amount of attention at the Auto Expo 2018, but American motorcycle outfit Cleveland CycleWerks has taken a slow and cautious approach to formulating its Indian operations. Now, as confirmed to us by official sources, Cleveland has finally inaugurated its assembly facility on the outskirts of Pune, Maharashtra.

Cleveland will enter the Indian market with a range of two models – the Misfit and the Ace. The latter being available in three variants – Cafe, Deluxe and Scrambler. These motorcycles will be imported as CKD kits from China and locally assembled in Pune. Both motorcycles and all its variants share a 229cc, OHV, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor which produces 15.4hp at 7,000 rpm and 16Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm mated to a five-speed gearbox.

The Misfit employs a tubular, steel backbone-type dual-cradle chassis while the Ace gets a square-section single-downtube frame. A USD fork is standard fitment on both motorcycles along with dual shock-absorbers with five-step preload adjustability. The Misfit weighs 144kg, has a 15-litre fuel tank, offers 150mm of ground clearance and gets steel rims with wire spokes. In addition, the bike gets a 320mm disc with a four-piston radial-mount calliper at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear.

The Ace weighs 133kg, features a 14-litre fuel tank and boasts a ground clearance of between 150-180mm (for the Scrambler). It gets a 298mm disc with a twin-piston calliper at the front, a 210mm disc with a single-piston calliper at the rear and aluminium wire-spoke rims. Both models should offer at least single-channel ABS as standard, as required by the current norms.

The American brand has partnered with Hyderabad-based Laish-Madison Motor Werks for production and distribution in India. At the time of launch, Cleveland will have nine sales and service outlets in place, with a plan to hike that number to a sizeable 30 before the end of the year.

With indicative prices of between Rs 2-2.5 lakh, Cleveland Cyclewerks may have an uphill task ahead, given how competitive that price band is. Considering its motorcycles boast specifications (in terms of powertrain) that are more in tune with the 150cc motorcycles on sale in India right now, Cleveland’s probable highlight will be its choice of cycle parts and the brand’s exclusivity factor.