Cleveland Motorcycle Manufacturing Company

In 1924, two years after buying out Reading-Standard, Cleveland replaced their two-stroke engine with a 21.5 cubic inches (352 cc) four-stroke single-cylinder engine.^[6] In 1925 they released a motorcycle with a 36.5 cubic inches (598 cc) T-head four-cylinder engine designed by L. E. Fowler.^[7][8] With a smaller engine than rival four-cylinder motorcycles by Henderson and Ace, Cleveland's first four-cylinder motorcycle did not sell well.^[6][7] In 1926, Cleveland replaced the Fowler engine with a new design by E. H. DeLong.^[7][9] The new engine had an inlet-over-exhaust valve configuration^[7][10] and a displacement of forty-five cubic inches.^[6][9] The displacement was increased to sixty-one cubic inches the following year.^[6][7][9]

By 1928 Cleveland had financial problems. That year, the company offered itself for sale to Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson considered the offer, as Cleveland's new four-cylinder motorcycles offered a ready-made competitor to Indian's Ace-based fours, but rejected it in favor of developing their own four.^[11]

In 1929 Cleveland announced their Tornado model, with a lowered frame and seat height, lightweight pistons, larger valves, and a higher compression ratio.^[7][9][10] A Century model, with a guaranteed top speed of one hundred miles per hour, was announced.^[7][9]

A few months after the Wall Street crash of 1929, after building only a few prototypes of the Century, Cleveland went out of business.^[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cleveland Motorcycle Manufacturing Company.

• The Cleveland Motorcycle (1919) – 17-page promotional brochure including photographs, pricing, specifications, and additional information on the motorcycle.