There are two quotes that I always remember when I see small displacement, lightweight bikes.
1. “Simplify, then add lightness” – Colin Chapman
2. “It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than drive a fast car slow” – Abner Perney
These quotes were directed by car people at car people but in reality, apply just as perfectly to motorcycles. Cleveland CycleWerks is a fairly new company with the goal of bringing simple, light motorcycles to novice riders and to those who want a small second or third option in their garage. This 2013 Ace Standard 250 at only 284 pounds wet, follows the above mantras to a T while providing some panache along the way.
Cleveland Cyclewerks is a US-based, Asian-manufactured motorcycle brand that was drummed up by industrial designer Scott Colosimo. Under the age of 30 at the time, Scott and his team had ambitions of creating low-cost, retro-styled, small displacement cafe racers and bobbers.
Originally intended to be designed, built, and sold in the US, bike manufacturing was moved overseas to China, due to a lack of receiving much-needed government grants and insurance regulations that prevented vendors from creating parts for motorcycles. 6 years later, some of the manufacturing has come back to the US with most still being produced overseas to keep prices down and make international distribution much easier. The bikes are now sold in more than 20 different countries, with more destinations planned for the near future. For the US market, the bikes are sold through the PIT Motors, LTD Dealership Network.
The Ace Standard is the base model of the Ace line, which is part of Cleveland’s Classic category of bikes, including the bobber, Heist, and the cafe racer, MisFit. The Ace comes with a 250cc Lifan-produced engine derived from the no-frills air-cooled 125cc single-cylinder unit that’s propelled the Honda CG125 for over 30 years, virtually unchanged. The bike is good for 12.5HP and 70 MPH, making it perfect for around town or unbusy backroads. Obviously, this isn’t a performance bike, but with simple-to-work on mechanics, plenty of OEM & aftermarket upgrades, and an MSRP of $3,195 with a 12-month warranty, it’s a quirky option worth exploring.
This particular bike looks stock, which IMO, means it’s ripe for unique upgrades, and with only 880 miles on the clock, not yet broken-in either. The asking price is a bit high, given that a brand new one with warranty costs just $700 more, but that could be money better spent on upgrades, good protective gear if you’re a new rider, or simply drink money for all the friends you make for having something out of the ordinary.
You can find this bike for $2,500 in Chilton, Texas here on Craigslist.