Thoughts on The Misfit by Cleveland Cyclewerks | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Thoughts on The Misfit by Cleveland Cyclewerks

im actually looking at buying a heist. they look damn awesome and its really the only style bike i would buy. that being said im not sure my 200 lb frame would work well for a 12 hp bike. mind you id probably spend a bit of cash and build up the motor a fair bit as i do drive from brooklin (on) to mississauga for work every day. i have read reviews that said they are built with quality parts as scott spent time with manufacturers there. i figure for the 3500 bucks it probably isnt too awful if i buy it and really hate it, i am a heavy equipment mechanic but im sure i could fix 99% of the issues that would pop up.
 
Parts and distribution in USA...any assembly they do is likely just to get around the 200% or so tariff that the government is likely imposing on these when the hit the docks. No different than the auto companies do to avoid huge tariffs as well.

In this case the pieces will come in a box and they will have some EI rejects bolt a few sub-assemblies together, the govt is happy that it is "made in the usa" and they pay lower tariffs. A dozen people in Cleveland will get a low paying jobs assembling these. Thanks to NAFTA, they will likely get into Canada with little additional tariff as well.

Same **** different day...I'm not sure why you are so fascinated by them.

Is it because they are cheap?
Because at $3.3k they simply are not. A CBR125 is $3500, with lots of free incentives usually.
Is it because they look good?

When it comes to bobbers and cafe style bikes you will never get any respect from people like me that have built their own bikes from the ground up. The only people who will look at you in awe are in the ebike forums. Because basically that is what you are buying, one step up from an ebike. If you want to see how well these are made go look at the pit bikes they sell at CDN Tire. They are probably fun to ride for a year until they fall apart too..

no offence, but alot of people love the look but dont have the skill, time or money to build there own. id buy one just for the frame and start customizing from there.
 
Go with a proven 250 either Honda or equal 250cc Yamaha star, can be bought easily with low miles since mainly a learner bike, but save yourself the money by buying a beater to learn then buy the bike you really want...carry on

More then likely you could lowside possibly at first and bikes are not cheap to repair, better still learn on a trail bike..but many methods to learn.

Your life is on the line consider a bike with a proven track record, both mentioned have reliability/safty built in, China well lets not go there enough crap at Wal-Mart. Dam cat died after buying food from China.
 
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its got SS braided brake lines and dual pistons...overkill on this POS if you ask me


Yup who in their right mind would take a made in China parts motorcycle on a fast freeway ride, never in a million years. With their skill at making fakes they have shot themself's in the foot for some buyers...
 
The Cleveland Heist (cool name suggesting nefarious activity totally inline with low seat and bad actor handlebars) weighs 272lbs dry previously not thought possible for under 12grand and liberal use of titanium and magnesium.
 
There was a Custom CCW at L&L last Thurs. that was getting a lot of attention.
Most if not all seemed to like it.

Got some pix somewhere ....
 
Go with a proven 250 either Honda or equal 250cc Yamaha star, can be bought easily with low miles since mainly a learner bike, but save yourself the money by buying a beater to learn then buy the bike you really want...carry on

More then likely you could lowside possibly at first and bikes are not cheap to repair, better still learn on a trail bike..but many methods to learn.

Your life is on the line consider a bike with a proven track record, both mentioned have reliability/safty built in, China well lets not go there enough crap at Wal-Mart. Dam cat died after buying food from China.

Yep, its really likely your 35 cent cat food was made in the same factory by the same people as a 4500 dollar motorcycle. Youre saying to go buy a honda or yamaha when 30 years ago people were saying the same **** about them. People in china are capable of the exact same **** people anywhere else in the world are. With appropriate budgets and quality control, theres no reason they cant make products just as good as anywhere else in the world.
 
Yep, its really likely your 35 cent cat food was made in the same factory by the same people as a 4500 dollar motorcycle. Youre saying to go buy a honda or yamaha when 30 years ago people were saying the same **** about them. People in china are capable of the exact same **** people anywhere else in the world are. With appropriate budgets and quality control, theres no reason they cant make products just as good as anywhere else in the world.


Buy what you want, China alone has done countless damage by their fake products, you want to buy crap no one is stopping you... btw cat food was 75 cents...and admit made a mistake buying anything pet related from China. Their own citizens don't even trust their products such as baby food. continue
 
Buy what you want, China alone has done countless damage by their fake products, you want to buy crap no one is stopping you... btw cat food was 75 cents...and admit made a mistake buying anything pet related from China. Their own citizens don't even trust their products such as baby food. continue

I already bought one last year and i like it a lot. Had 0 issues with it. Treat it like a 70s bike, because it is.
 
I really like the Misfit - but wouldnt buy one without test riding it

too bad there aren't more dealers around - motoretta is very far

i just checked their website - they are open on Sundays as well
 
These are really, really, poorly designed bikes intended for the domestic scooter market. You are far better off with a 30 year old Japanese bike.

As for the anti Chinese redneck rants...Chinese factories make anything, to any spec of quality. Americans go there to get the cheapest parts, on their poor designs. When it goes wrong, they always blame the manufacturer, never the poor engineering.
You buy a Honda? Harley? They all have some Chinese parts.

Seriously, would you buy a bike designed and built in Canaduh?
 
These are really, really, poorly designed bikes intended for the domestic scooter market. You are far better off with a 30 year old Japanese bike.

have you ever been hands-on with a cleveland? theyre actually pretty good. not sure of the long-term, but the one i tried had excellent build quality and was very well designed. everything fit perfectly etc.
 
but the one i tried had excellent build quality and was very well designed. everything fit perfectly etc.

And light weight, normally a huge hurdle for small, price point, bikes. Well done, I say.
 
have you ever been hands-on with a cleveland? theyre actually pretty good. not sure of the long-term, but the one i tried had excellent build quality and was very well designed. everything fit perfectly etc.

I did check them out 2 years ago when they were importing in the US. You've got to be kidding on the finish quality.
 
And light weight, normally a huge hurdle for small, price point, bikes. Well done, I say.

Not a big hurdle on a moped. It's a moped. This was the idea from the Scott Colosimo (nick name, Steve Colostomybag), source a cheap small engine from Asia and put it into a minimalist package on the cafe racer trend, then use some cool names and marketing for the US, and mislead that this is an American manufacturing effort (he stated 3-4 years ago his goal was to produce the next model in the US). This works in America because Americans like to pose and buy second -best. It's a Sorny, a Pamafonics.

These bikes have a generously estimated top speed of 110 km/hr, with a generous estimation of 14hp. I seriously doubt it makes 14hp. It's light because it's an air-cooled single.

I like the website details:

http://www.clevelandcyclewerks.com/misfit-details/

Dry weight 230lbs
Wet weight 182 lbs? no, it's 282lbs typo? really? I emailed them about this typo 4 months ago.

The engine is a Taiwanese copy of a Honda 250 single that was used in Enduro-style commuters 30 years ago. I'm not sure how they got by emission regs.

This is fun for the price, but a CBR125 is a better bike and will last. For the price, you can get a much, much better used bike in the 600s.

As for weight, it has a weight-to-power of 20.1:1, which is far worse than a CBR 250.

Tha Misfit has the exact power and weight of a CBR125.
 
Just trying to find the silver lining here CafeRay, you didn't bite in the Downsizing thread. Formula 450 SuperSingle converted MXer something like 250-260lbs dry. That leaves the weight of a full bag of concrete for street goodies and what not. I'm still back to lamenting the unavailability of truly sporting lightweights at reasonable costs (or any cost for that matter). Think 450 Panigale softened up a bit.
 
Just trying to find the silver lining here CafeRay, you didn't bite in the Downsizing thread. Formula 450 SuperSingle converted MXer something like 250-260lbs dry. That leaves the weight of a full bag of concrete for street goodies and what not. I'm still back to lamenting the unavailability of truly sporting lightweights at reasonable costs (or any cost for that matter). Think 450 Panigale softened up a bit.

There is downsizing and unsafe. A bike that tops out at (maybe) 110 is simply not for Ontario highways. Why do they put two seats on those bikes?

The market lacks sporty 400s, because of insurance costs to young riders and the fact that you cannot make a small bike without idiots labelling it a "beginner" expecting low prices in North America.

I think the ideal bike to downsize to would be somewhere around 350lbs, 45-50hp...which was pretty much my second bike, the RD350LC.


What should have happened is that Colosimo try and get the Harley/Buell Blast 500 thumper into a sporty frame, instead of that POS Buell sold.
 
Have you guys ever watched Dragon's Den or Shark Tank?? When a product comes on that one of them really likes one of the first questions they ask is how much do you pay to produce it? Normally the person says as an example $6 to build it here. They then say "wow that is too much, I have contacts in China, who can produce it for a lot less"

Do you actually think Kevin, Jim or Arlene are traveling to China to inspect the factory and ensure QC and that they are using only the highest quality parts?? LOL

i once had a dealer of a Chinese ATV try to tell me it was built in the SAME factory as the Yamaha model. That the factory ran two full shifts for Yamaha and then third shift for these... Yeah like Yammie would permit that...lol I said ok, well give me one for an entire season I will ride it test it and write reviews on it. I said if it was that good his sales would sky rocket, (he was also the importer). He said can't do that you might not like it... lol then I did some research and discovered it was built in the same factory churning out about 14 models under various "brands" none of which were Yamaha..lol When i confronted him he said ok reason I don't you to test for a season is I know it will be ridden hard, and often and I have no idea if it will stand up. This from the guy who just a week prior was sure the engine used was superior to the one in Yamaha. The price point was 50% of a similar Yammie. We stayed in contact for a couple of years, then accidentally he sent me by email his "dealers price list" That unit which was retailing for approx $6500 was selling to dealers at $1800, (after his profit margin and shipping)!!!

Now as for CCW "subcontracting" thew manufacturing and not "owning" the Chinese factory, this is standard practice in China. For CCW to own and operate a factory just to build their bikes would be cost prohibitive. Also Chinese factories are notorious for "knocking off" the products they make with inferior parts and undercutting the other product.

Now are these bikes a "good deal" I have no idea never been near one. With many products the initial production runs are good as they use the parts generally specified by the customer but as time goes on to increase profitability for the factory the factory owners begin to sub in inferior parts, bit by bit.
 
Have you guys ever watched Dragon's Den or Shark Tank?? When a product comes on that one of them really likes one of the first questions they ask is how much do you pay to produce it? Normally the person says as an example $6 to build it here. They then say "wow that is too much, I have contacts in China, who can produce it for a lot less"

Do you actually think Kevin, Jim or Arlene are traveling to China to inspect the factory and ensure QC and that they are using only the highest quality parts?? LOL
.

Big difference between toilet gadgets and motorcycle parts. Also, that is a reality TV show with little reality.

Any good company should be doing secondary QC from the factory. Crap companies seek out other crap companies.

Around 2000, Taiwan started making carbon fiber products due to the high labor costs, within ten years, they make the best carbon fiber products on the market, and not the cheapest anymore, the most expensive, under licence from European brands. At this point, they exceed the manufacturing tech anywhere else in the world. They have bike frames that weigh 800g and are stronger than anything else. Today, most of the world's carbon fiber comes from two facilities in Taiwan.

With Chinese manufacturing, you get what you pay for, provide the specs, the standards. Many companies constantly pressure for lower prices, then ignore it when the products are sub-contracted or sub-par, because if anything goes wrong, it's really cool to blame China, when the blame is bad management on the other side not paying for proper QC.

Meanwhile...the myths still continue that German cars are bikes are the best quality. Reality is no where near that.

With these bikes, the issue is whether there will be part support in the long term. I doubt it.
 

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