The motorcycle industry in India has really stepped up its game in the last decade or so. Not only are we building higher quality motorcycles, but also many that equal international standards. The best bit is, we haven’t only experienced this quality increase in the premium segment but also the entry-level commuter space. It is in this value- and quality-sensitive era that Cleveland CycleWerks has made its début in India. The unheard-of brand has an HQ in America, builds its bikes in China and ships them to Pune, India, where they are assembled. As of now, it has two rather pricey bikes on offer — the Misfit and the Ace Deluxe — and here’s what the latter was like to ride.
The Ace Deluxe is small. So small, in fact, that its dimensions are similar to that of a 125cc commuter; this is a plus for a quick and nippy city motorcycle and makes it more accessible to shorter riders. The bike we were riding was finished in matte black and it tied in well with the all-black theme of the motorcycle. The colour scheme on it is well executed and the blacked-out bits don’t seem like an afterthought.
Continuing with the styling, the motorcycle has a nicely-shaped, 14-litre fuel tank and minimalist front and rear fenders. The seat is flat and has a tasteful ribbed pattern on it, but it isn’t the most spacious, and the rider sits on the seat strap which is essentially the pillion grab handle. The bike’s headlight, turn indicators and mirrors are all round and enhance its retro appeal, as do the oval tail-light and twin-pod dials.
Move closer to the motorcycle, however, and you will notice many areas where the quality levels are unacceptable. To begin with, the matte paint finish caught stains and scuffs quite easily. Meanwhile, the exhaust appears almost industrial. The rear brake lever is crude and positioned in a way that it scrapes on almost every speedbreaker, sometimes even without a pillion on board. You also don’t get any storage space on the bike.
The Cleveland Ace Deluxe appears to have left the assembly plant in India without going through an extensive check. The brake and clutch levers don’t sit at the same height, with the former being positioned a bit too high. The headlight isn’t positioned correctly either — the low beam hits oncoming traffic in the face, while the high beam tries lighting up the sky.
A 229cc engine on a motorcycle that weighs just 133kg (claimed) is a recipe for fun, right? Well, not so much on the Ace Deluxe. This air-cooled, single-cylinder engine makes a claimed 15.4hp and 16Nm of torque and is paired to a 5-speed gearbox. On this bike, however, it doesn’t feel like it makes those figures and is unrefined and unhappy to rev. Power delivery is jerky at low revs and non-existent above 6,000rpm, way before the 9,000rpm redline. The mid-range between 3,000-6,000rpm is quite decent, though.
What’s an even bigger disappointment here is the gearbox. The shifts are grating and finding neutral gets irksome at times. We decided to test it with a Vbox and discovered that the Ace Deluxe hits the 60kph mark in 6.34sec, but the bike could not reach the 100kph figure in our tests. However, on a sufficiently long stretch of road, the dial did eventually cross the 100kph mark.
As for the suspension, the upside-down fork and twin-shock absorbers offer a decent ride that irons out most small bumps. In terms of handling, it doesn’t have the stability we’d like it to have, but it does offer a fair level of control.
Braking performance on the Ace Deluxe is adequate — it managed to go from 60-0kph in 18.58m, which is at par with 160cc motorcycles. The rear brake is beginner-rider-friendly and only tends to lock up with the hardest of stamps. However, you don’t get ABS.
The Ace Deluxe was first launched at an unrealistic price of ₹2.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), but Cleveland lowered the price to ₹1.85 lakh (for the first 200 customers). However, even at this reduced price, the company is asking for a lot. To give you some perspective — you can get a Bajaj Dominar 400 ABS for ₹20,000 less.
The Cleveland does offer good style and the promise of what could have been a fun city bike for those who wish to stand out from the crowd. But until the price is significantly lowered — along with a big improvement in refinement and quality — we cannot recommend this motorcycle.
Specifications
Engine 229cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled
Max Power (hp @ rpm) 15.4hp at 7000rpm
Max Torque (nm @ rpm) 16Nm at 6000rpm
Gearbox 5-speed
Weight (kg) 133kg
Ground Clearance (mm) 150mm
Seat height(mm) 760mm
Fuel Tank capacity (lts) 14 litres
Front Brake Type Disc
Rear Brake Type Disc
Front Suspension USD fork
Rear Suspension Twin shock absorbers
Tyres (F/R) 110/70-17 / 130/70-17
