Cleveland CycleWerks commenced its operations in India by launching the Ace Deluxe and Misfit in our market. The Cleveland Ace Deluxe has been priced at Rs 2.24 lakh, while the Misfit carries a sticker price of Rs 2.49 lakh (prices ex-showroom, Delhi). Prior to the official launch, Cleveland also inaugurated its first dealership, located in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Initially, only the Ace Deluxe will go on sale, while the Misfit is expected to go on sale next month.
The Ace Deluxe is a retro-styled naked offering, while the Misfit has café-racer inspired design. Both the motorcycles are powered by a 229cc, single-cylinder motor. The air-cooled engine produces 15.4hp and 16Nm of peak torque and is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. While the Ace Deluxe employs a square-section single-downtube frame, the Misfit gets a double cradle chassis. Suspension duties on both the motorcycles are carried out by a USD fork at the front and dual shock-absorbers with five-step preload adjustability at the rear.
The Ace Deluxe weighs 133kg, features a 14-litre fuel tank and boasts a ground clearance of 150mm. Braking hardware on both the motorcycles consist of single disc unit on both ends, while the Misfit gets 4-piston calipers at front as opposed 2-piston calipers seen on the Ace Deluxe. Saddle height stands at an accessible 760mm for Ace Deluxe, while its sibling’s is 10mm higher.
The company also announced that it has finalised dealers in 10 major cities, most of which are based in South India. All the motorcycles in its portfolio are imported as CKD kits from China and locally assembled in Pune. Cleveland officials did mention that the brand has only managed to localise 5-6 per cent of it components as of now, but it plans to reach 30-40 percent localisation in the next few years. This will help Cleveland bring down the price of its motorcycles as it accepts that pricing is on the higher side.
In terms of their price tag, they will face competition from established offerings like the KTM 250 Duke and the TVS Apache RR 310. Cleveland had also showcased the Ace Scrambler and Ace Café at the 2018 Auto Expo. Both the motorcycles will go on sale in India next year as they are currently undergoing ARAI certification.