Cleveland Cycle Works (CCW) - Tha Heist (
An afternoon with a steampunk bobber) : RM 18,888 OTR with insurance
If i have one word to describe the bike, it'd be "steampunk". Seriously, this bike has the minimalist look, and is customizable in any way you want it too - all without breaking the bank.


These bikes are eye candies. You will instantly be attracted to its look
Up till now, I have no idea what CCW are and what bikes they are offering.
I don't even know that they are locally assembled, and was pleasantly surprised with its build quality - considering that it was manufactured by Jinan Qingqi Motorcycle Company in China (I think it is outsourced to them, rather than manufactured & re-branded). Most China bikes I have came across (the CF650NK and Megelli 250 for example) do have questionable fits and finishes.

The bike has a 229cc air-cooled, carbureted engine which is actually a copy of Honda CG engines but is updated with matte black finish (no more boring aluminum / chrome finishes here).

It has a measly output of 10kw (about 14hp) but considering the weight of the bike (about 115kg), it is quite okay. The engine is nothing to shout about. It has absolutely no low-end torque (coming from me who is used to 2-cylinder engine) and struggles to move from a stand still (red light, round about, junction or anything). But it does has quite good mid-range power to play with.

The bike has low seat height, slim silhouette, and coupled with the weight, beginners can adapt to riding the bike in no time. Sitting position is quite comfortable and not too intimidating since the handlebar position does not require you to stretch your arms like monkeys. The foot pegs are wide and comfortable enough for my feet. I had 10 mins ride on each bike.


The clutch is surprisingly light (again, considering it is a China manufactured bike), and changing gears are easy. However, finding neutral is quite challenging. Perhaps I am not used to the bike, but I've ridden my fair share of other bikes.
The brakes are overkill. The large disc at the front is more than sufficient to stop the light bike. Heck, I only need to use the rear disc to control / stop the bike during my test ride

The bike wheels are 21" for the front and 18" for the back. Being a bobber (hardtail) and with only suspended seat saddles, I was wondering how harsh the ride would be for my poor back.
The bike is easy to manouvre in traffic, and behaves well on long straights. Surprisingly, the vibrations are not that bad (or was it because of my padded gloves?) and the springy seats absorb most (key word: most) of the small bumps and ridges my lousy, small town roads can give me.
Then we come to the highlight of the bike - the sound! it is outstanding. It has a
thrump-tom-thrump-tom noise, thanks to the carburetor (which was adjusted to the lowest idle possible). And of course, you'd need to replace the stock exhaust first. And to those who are worried, the custom exhaust (as seen in the picture below) cost only RM 500. Heck, even my slip-on cost 4 times that much. this is a full system! That's good price!
The noise the exhaust makes when you rev the engine high then release it, letting the bike coast, and causing all the misfires are nice. Especially when it comes from this small 250cc engine... In short, the exhaust is loud. VERY LOUD. I don't think this custom exhaust will even get approval from Abang JPJ.

Pricewise, the recommended price is RM 18,888 on the road with insurance and all handling charges. I'd say it is a bit on the high side as I was expecting it to be in the mid teens. It comes with 1-yr warranty. And since it is assembled locally, spare parts will be aplenty and easily available.
Overall, the bike lives up to its original idea - as a fun, highly customizable, affordable, weekend project bike.
This post has been edited by lucifah: Aug 28 2013, 11:39 PM