So far as conspiracy theories go, HFL collaborating with Icon and CCW to push a pro-Chinese agenda to American consumers is a solid one. Not only does it adequately capture all three company’s intelligence and ambition, but also our capacity for evil. We just wish we’d thought of it ourselves instead of leaving it to “NotNecessarilyWrong” and the other tinfoil hat aficionados over at Reddit. Still, it makes for a good read, check it out here.
At just $3,195, both the Cleveland CycleWerks Misfit cafe racer and Heist bobber massively undercut almost every other new motorcycle available. At just 250cc, they’re also smaller than most bikes. Bargain or bogus? We take CCW CEO Scott Colosimo riding in the California desert to find out. :continue:
“Cool is being able to afford a bike that looks good and makes the owner feel good, but does not break the bank,” said the guy who designed this bike back when he first showed it to us in 2010. Finally, the Cleveland CycleWerks Misfit is available in the US. It’s not hard to define its USP — the $3,200 price tag — but, for that price do you still get a real motorcycle? HFL is the first publication to in the world to ride the Misfit and, we’re extremely pleased to report that yes, the Misfit is fun, well-made and would make pretty much anyone feel good. It’s as real as any motorcycle gets, but we’d go further than that. The Misfit achieves something virtually no other motorcycle does. At any price.
Photos: Grant Ray :continue:
It’s hard to explain the appeal of motorcycling to non-initiates. Doubly hard if those non-riders are also math geeks. This equation, created by HFL reader Ben Kester combines fuel economy, gas prices, and the price of a new motorcycle to tell you how many miles it’d take before that bike will pay for itself over your car. If you buy a CCW Hooligun, that pay off could come as soon as 24,375 miles. :continue:
Our friend JonB pinged us yesterday — “New job, new season, time for a new bike. What should I buy? HFL should do a buyer’s guide.” Good idea. Here’s 11 motorcycles you can afford that will make 2011 a summer to remember. :continue:
What if there was a cool little supermoto that you could buy as your first bike? What if it was super cheap, robust and unintimidating? What if it weighed less than 300lbs and cost less than $3,600? Well, that bike is about to become a reality. We’re exclusively revealing these images and details of a pre-production Cleveland CycleWerks Hooligun, a new supermoto/dual sport destined for the American market later this year. :continue:
OK, forget I told you the price already. Look at this bike and tell me how much you think it costs. Even after I told him it was a Cleveland, Grant guessed $3,800. Forget what you already know about the brand and you’d likely think over $4k. Solid looks, components like upside down forks, wavy brake rotors and beefy spoked wheels at this price? The 250cc Cleveland CycleWerks Ace is going to be a winner. You’re reading about it exclusively on Hell For Leather. :continue:
A shipment of Cleveland CycleWerks first model, the 250cc Heist bobber, awaits shipping to the US. Scott Colosimo tells us these are intended to boost dealer inventories here as model development of new models like the CCW Misfit cafe racer and Hooligun supermoto ramps up. :continue:
The unassuming 29-year-old in this photo is Scott Colosimo. He doesn’t look like it, but he plans to sell something in excess of 12,000 motorcycles in the US next year. How? He’s pioneering a new wave of motorcycles designed in America for Americans, but made in China. His new cafe racer, the 250cc Cleveland CycleWerks Misfit, will go on sale early next year for just $3,195. A price that undercuts every single competitor, yet a product that looks more expensive, not less. We figured we’d start the interview off by asking Scott where he gets off sending jobs to China. :continue:
“Cool is being able to afford a bike that looks good and makes the owner feel good, but does not break the bank,” says Cleveland CycleWerks’ Scott Colosimo. He designed the bike you see here. When the 250cc Misfit goes on sale in March it’ll cost just $3,195, providing an affordable, desirable city bike or commuter. The Misfit weighs 80lbs less than a Ninja 250 and, according to Scott, can pull power wheelies in first and second gear. :continue:
