Not going to lie, just heard about it but I am totally digging this thing. I work 18 miles away from a house I'm finishing up the process of buying, and Cleveland is only 5-ish hours away!
Hmm.
Turbos, Hondas, 4-bangers, what could go wrong?
Shiny: [...] Considering the weather you've had to put up with I'd say you get an Iron Butt award and a Frozen Nipple trophy to go along with it. First time I've ever posted the word nipple... it ends here.
It reminds me of the M/C world of the 1930's. I think it is really a neat concept, and a great design, but it is not for me. I wish them marvelous success, though! Entrepreneurs like them are what make this nation great. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
1979 CB750K (sold, 2012, but not forgotten)
1983 Kawasaki 440 LTD Belt Drive (sold, 2011)
1993 Kawasaki Voyager XII
A 250cc is small ,real small,When Honda came out with the Rebel I got my girl the 450cc,she thought she was getting the 250 ,(she only started riding less then a year) but could handle my H.D. low-rider (80c.i.- 1340),250 would not be able to keep up with mejust cruzzain speed of 60.
I'm sure with the right gearing could be one great bike .
1977 CB750 F2 Super Sport
<LET THOSE WHO RIDE DECIDE><RIDE TO LIVE-LIVE FOR JESUS>
Native American from central Cal, Kickstand UP in S.W.Missouri,
For $1000 + change more you could probably pick up a new honda cbr250r, load up a bit of camping gear and cruise at highway speed. Might not impress too many but get good gas mileage and a warranty.
most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handelbars to the saddle.
I dig the Cyclewerks bikes. The bikes are built in Cleveland,frames and all,but the engine is sourced from China.
Two year warranty on them. I think the heaviest one is still under 200 lbs.
Remember,at one time the motorcycles coming to America from Japan were considered junk. Look at it now.
Back in the 60's and 70's, folks toured, cross-country, 1,000's of miles, on 250's to 400's... We've just gotten spoiled with our 1000+ cc bark-a-loungers, with electronic cruise control, on-the-fly adjustable air suspension systems, complete with stereo systems playing satellite radios and MP3's! My father rode a 1974 Suzuki Titan 500 (two-stroker) across five states, two-up, with full saddlebags, and cargo rack behind the passenger's backrest. That bike was my college ride, and after 20 minutes, my hands were tingling from the constant vibrations ("HMMMMMM...") -- I swear my father is made of cast-iron! It was also a gutless wonder, with drum brakes front and rear (remember, two-stroker's have zero engine braking power...), but she really put a dent into the mosquito population when I went fumigating -- ah, riding, that is (had oil injectors -- that was big-time, Baby, no mixing the gas and oil together!).
This 250 is not a bike for everyone, and as the CEO states, it is not competing with H-D, or any other large displacement bike makers. They are targeting a niche, and I think they have a winning fit for that niche. Hopefully there will be enough folks interested in that small part of the market, to keep them afloat. I love the concept, and they are also targeting folks who want a 'bad boy' bike, without spending a fortune; on top of that, it has some nice modern features that make it safer (disc brakes).
In my neck of the woods, there are a lot of bikers who pretty much ride from bar to bar, and around town, only. For them, this might be an acceptable bike, both in style, and performance -- and it will leave a lot of money in their pockets for more beer... Cheers!
1979 CB750K (sold, 2012, but not forgotten)
1983 Kawasaki 440 LTD Belt Drive (sold, 2011)
1993 Kawasaki Voyager XII
Ahh, memories.
Imagine a early 70s Triumph Bonneville 650. Bored out .030 over, bigger carbs, 4 speed transmission.
Now imagine that vertical twin at 4000 rpm for an hour or so.
Imagine the rider getting off the bike with two legs so relaxed, they won't hold up his body.
That was me. Didn't own the bike, but wrenched on it with the owner. Got to ride it now and then, and wondered what the cachet of the Triumph was. That bike was a vibrating machine.
By comparison, the CBs we ride are like turbines compared to those old bikes. My '84 Shadow is somewhere inbetween, but I like it.
Luke M
Used to have a 1979 CB750L, sold it as a parts bike, now riding a slightly modified 1984 VT700C. Network/Field Engineer. Central OH, USA, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy, Universe.
Great comparison Luke! I didnt know how good I had it on my CB.A riding buddy of mine has a '31 BSA.Gorgeous machine and sounds wonderful. But it will literally vibrate itself off the stand it you dont watch it. Another buddy has a Royal Enfield with a side car.Watching him at a traffic light makes me feel sorry for him.Sidecar jumping around,mirrors vibrating, cables look like the are caught in a ground level hurricane...crazy. When the three of us stop at a light I always feel like my bike has shut off
Sarge,I'm glad you mentioned the Titan 500. I've had my eye on one for a few months now and have been getting real interested in picking it up. You say they are gutless. As in no power? I really thought a 500cc vertical twin 2 stroke woulda ran great! The brakes looked awful small to me also,but I figured the bike probably weighed mush less than these CB behemoth's. I'd love to know more about them if you don't mind.
The earlier models were scream machines, but by 1974, the EPA had stepped in with a heavy foot: de-tuned to the point of being an old nag, ready for the glue factory. Now, that didn't stop folks from modifying the be'jesus out of them, making them incredibly scary machines to ride... The trick is to know what to do, and how to do it. The air intakes were severely closed down -- first thing my father and his buddy took care of, grinding out all those restricting plates, which really improved performance. The heads could be ground down a few thousandths of an inch, to increase compression, which made a dramatic difference, as well.
My father, after more than 20 years, ground down the heads on his, but instead of a few thousandths, he took off a few hundred thousandths, which ruined it: would be near impossible to kick over, but when you did, it would increase in idle speed as it warmed up, until you either shut it down, or it blew up. He was too cheap to spend $20 for a new head from a dealer in a nearby town. He ended up selling it, cheap, and the new owner bought that head to repair it and ride it.
The oil injectors were opened up more, after they removed lead from the gasoline -- no lead substitutes needed (no one will ride behind you, due to the blue cloud it spews -- cough, choke!). It had a unique sound, which always warned us that he was near home -- great sound, low rumble, quite unique, always knew it was him, only one of its kind I've ever heard. It had a really long wheel base, which made it great for two-up touring -- his 1982 Suzuki GS1100 barely had the same room! He had a Vetter Windjammer on it, and it really helped in touring, but it also sucked some power due to resistance. A quart of 2-cycle oil lasted around 1,000 miles; had a window on the right side cover (oil tank) to check the oil level. Kick-start only, points system (OEM sucked... he switched it to some type of car points system). It vibrated severely -- put foam grips on it, if you get it. They're reliable, if taken care of, and they can be quite fun to ride. They rode it all over, many thousands of touring miles, him with a group of buddies, and both parents, alone. It was a real work-horse, back in the day.
If you get a chance to test ride it, do it. They're a legend from back in the day, and there are not many left. Enjoy it for what it is, a piece of history that has a lot of smiles left in it. Cheers!
1979 CB750K (sold, 2012, but not forgotten)
1983 Kawasaki 440 LTD Belt Drive (sold, 2011)
1993 Kawasaki Voyager XII
The bike I'm looking at is a fixer-upper so no test rides available. It has run,but not been started in a couple of years. A good buddy of mine has it and he's completely trustworthy.That's the only reason I'm really considering it.Parts are plentiful and cheap.The one I'm looking at is complete minus the seat.The pan is solid but it needs foam and a cover. I can pick it up ,titled,for $300. He has 4 of these bikes and another he's cafe'ing at the moment. More of an ARHMA bike actually. It's had some professional porting done,reed valve mods and he had a really nice set of expansion chambers built for it. It's a real runner! Lucky me,I can use his engine as a template for the mods if I choose to go that route.
I won't lie,the vibes has me kinda turned off. I knew any 2 smoker would vibrate,but the more I think about it the less I think I would be happy wit it. Where I live dictates a 20 mile highway drive just to get anywhere. I'm pretty spoiled to my Honda and that would probably just peeve me to no end.
Who knows,it might be fun,though. I really love the sound of a two stroke.They just sound angry!I'll just have to play it by ear.
Thanks for the great info. I really appreciate that!
Some interesting points in that. Like - if your carbs don't work, don't look for a rebuild kit, just buy a whole new set of carbs because they're really cheap.
I did a little searching and there does seem to be some community support for chinese bikes now, which is a good thing. Based on my limited search though it was nothing like the support there is for the CB750 (SOHC or DOHC).
A lot of the time, when I read about people fixing these chinese bikes, it's often people giving advice on how to get other widely available parts to fit or work with them. E.g. Keihin jets often fit within the lifan carbs, but not always, you may need to mod them...
I think the Cleveland CycleWerks are sourced from Taiwanese parts (not that it makes that much difference from mainland China, but their work is thought to be of a bit higher quality).
I own a 200CC Chinese Enduro and it's mechanically very solid. I've had it since 2007, got it for less than $1,000 off ebay (including shipping). It was my first road legal bike after a 20 year break from street riding. Engine runs great, doesn't burn oil or clank or rattle. There are quality control issues with the welding though. Numerous bolt stanchions for the body work have popped off and the tabs for the luggage rack came off.
The swingarm moves around like the rudder on a boat (no bushings, just bolt).
I upgraded the chain and sprockets with aftermarket parts for Hondas. I also rejetted it with Keihin jets.
My son has a ATV from the same company (Shinray). It hasn't been as reliable. The broke the gearbox (an auxiliary unit that provides reverse) the first day he had it. As seestheday pointed out, I had to buy an entire gear box ($200+) because parts aren't sold. Same thing with the carb, had to a get a new one ($40) when the diaphragm tore.
Parts were pretty easy to get from importers on ebay and other web sites.
Anyway, he pretty much outgrew the ATV and we got a 91 Suzuki LT230 quad for like $400. Even being that old, it's much more fun and reliable than the Chinese quad.
I guess anyone looking at these small bore bikes should first consider a nice used Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha or Kawi. An old CB350 twin will tear up that 250 single cyclewerks bike and can be customized to your liking for less then $3000 + some time to do the work on it.
89 VN 750A - Given to son-in-law
79 CB 750K-sold 3 May 21
78 CB 750K
77 CB 750K
77 GL 1000 x 2
77 CB 550F
Holton, KS, US
They are not made from Taiwanese parts. They are made in China. The bikes that are being "built" in Cleveland are actually the same shitty bikes merely assembled in Ohio with the same shitty parts. They have nothing but problems right out of the box. Save yiur money and buy a Ninja250
Where I live, it’s so hot that you don’t see many motorcycle brands around. Everyone seems to have a car. Only when the weather gets better, some people take out their bikes and motorbikes.
As long as after sales and parts are OK and abundant. I don't see any problem in getting one. To make it a daily work horse it should be fuel efficient and safe.
Locked
For $1000 + change more you could probably pick up a new honda cbr250r, load up a bit of camping gear and cruise at highway speed. Might not impress too many but get good gas mileage and a warranty.
he switched it to some type of car points system). It vibrated severely -- put foam grips on it, if you get it. They're reliable, if taken care of, and they can be quite fun to ride. They rode it all over, many thousands of touring miles, him with a group of buddies, and both parents, alone. It was a real work-horse, back in the day.
Just Sayin' cbr250r putter
