bargainguy

I just took a look at the Dahon USA website. Under Bikes, I see 24 bikes, 19 of which are separately named models, with the remainder being variants of the named models. If I knew nothing about folders and was interested in one, my first thought is wow, all these bikes look eerily similar, where do I start? Choice overload...

I can understand having different models for different markets, you're selling what the locals need and can afford, and that changes by area, economics and local restrictions. But I've never understood Dahon's tendency toward choice overload vs. narrowing the field to maybe a half-dozen models at best. It's like throwing a bunch of bikes against a wall and then seeing what sticks, except it never ends. That effort could be so much better spent in defining why the sales leaders do well, why the sales slackers don't, and how could those same ideas be consolidated to make just a few core models instead of endless models with minor variations.

I, for one, would like to see a really streamlined Dahon product line. Better for the consumer, better for Dahon as far as consolidation, manufacturing, and marketing, and better for the dealers because they don't have to spend their time hashing out tiny differences between models for the consumer. Whether or not it happens, I wish Thor and the gang well, because I don't see the current product line as being sustainable in the long run unless upper management gets the idea that selling a bajillion different models restricts company growth and increases customer frustration. And that's for the world's market leader in folders if memory serves.

tcs

Uh, whatever, Thor.

ThorUSA

That's the plan Bargainguy


slim down the line ....
look for other markets and see if there might be a model which fit the US and than get the same


Right now its crazy..... on the other hand its good for the consumer who knows the differences , he can get a bargain.


I want to get it down to 15 at most...


Than again there are asome pretty cool things happening and I sure want one of those bikes ( oops 16 it is )


lol
Thor

tds101 

Price drop!!!

NJcycles

I want to get one Dahon EEZZ for my wife too. I do think EEZZ is lightweight enough for her. Cute bike!

L Arnold

Very Light! 21.95 lbs right now on my shipping scale.
Definitely light enough for your wife, and you as well.

I can ship tomorrow if you want
We should have a nice bag available that is fit to this bike very soon also.

https://nomadic.net (search eezz)
As Thor noted $888 (delivered)

Mainly though, wherever you get one, its a really nice bike and packs in a flash.
Fits in nearly every suitcase I have tried it with. Would travel well in the
Origami suitcase/trailer I just got in.

Landis Arnold
Nomadic Inc.

L Arnold

To the point of the End of Year pricing Thor mentioned, it is quite clear that it is a great time to get a Dahon.
Bikes like the EEZZ are very sophisticated, perhaps difficult to make. It is complicated to have a range of bikes where many people buy down-market. In my shop though it is the up-market bikes that tend to go out the door after test rides.

Bikes like the Visc Series are just sweet sweet rides.
I am looking forward to getting stock on the 16 inch Visc SL9. I have one now for myself and I am sure some other folks will like it as much as I do.
Both pack in a suitcase easily, but nothing can touch the Eezz for speed in and out of the fold and the case.

I'll post some pics once I compress them a bit.

ThorUSA

you can get visc sl next week :-)
thor

superzxq

EEZZ is so beautiful. I saw it on an exhibition in Shenzhen and I wanted it so much. But it is beyond my budget. If its price drops, I would buy one immediately.

Joe Remi

To be fair, Thor's price includes shipping. I presume NYCe's shipped price is still lower than $888, but it's not $699.

tds101 

With S&H plus tax, the total is $793.00. If you live in NYC it's $762. Still less expensive,...and for some that makes all the difference.

tcs

This raises interesting business questions: in the future will ThorUSA-the-national-distributor punish a dealer who undercuts ThorUSA-the-internet-retailer's price? With excess inventory in the warehouse, will ThorUSA-the-internet-dealer undercut ThorUSA-the-national-distributor's local dealers? Time will tell.


I like the EEZZ, but I've always had reservations about the proprietary, narrow range, non-upgradeable three speed derailleur drivetrain with its unique 76mm OLD rear hub.

Perhaps it's because I got good service out of a 30 year old Classic III and have a 9 year old Mu D8 that continues to soldier along, but with the EEZZ/Jiffo's discontinuation in the NA market, I have to wonder what one would do upon finding their 76mmm OLD rear freehub's bearing races pitted in 7~10 years?

tds101 

Give me an EEZZ with an IGH and I'd buy it,...not with the 76mm OLD. No upgradeability.

Pinigis 

Great-looking case you have there!

bargainguy

Regarding the EEZZ's 76mm rear hub OLD: This is the price one pays for a compact fold built around a very narrow rear triangle design. In other words, no free lunch here, if you don't like the 3-gear setup, I can't think of a way to change gearing in that narrow a space outside of fitting a different size chainring. Could be wrong, but I don't think spreading the EEZZ's rear triangle is an option, and even if you could, not sure which hub would fit in there.

The Brompton's 110mm rear hub OLD poses similar problems, but there have been ways around that spacing. The Sturmey-Archer X-RF8 is 120mm OLD and has been shoehorned into the Brommie's rear triangle. Other options include spreading the Brommie's rear triangle even farther to accept different hubs, say the Alfine or the Rohloff. Keep in mind any spreading of the rear triangle invalidates the warranty, but this is a risk many Brommie owners are willing to accept.

L Arnold

Great looking Origami Case there! Yes :-)

L Arnold

Realize that the derailleur has a second purpose. It is a chain tensioner. When the bike folds the spread between the Front Sprocket and rear Cogs shortens. The derailleur takes up the slack that would otherwise be created.

The Jifo is a single speed on the same design principal. It requires a separate chain tensioner for that purpose.

I am quite sure it would be very difficult to fit an Internal Gear Hub in the 76mm OLD. I believe you could play with the sprockets back there however I believe. You can't really do that w/ an IGH other than changing the front chainring, which you could do, likely anyway, with the EEZZ and Jifo.

I like IGH hubs too so no disagrement there.

L Arnold

The bikes are a very good deal right now. Sales price IN a shop can vary. Demo bikes, group sales etc, but normally not advertised discounts. It is always good to work directly with your dealer for service, information and more. There are many details that get lost in flat-screen presentations.

bargainguy

It's my understanding that any bikes being sold at the dealer level have minimum advertised pricing restrictions on current year models built into the dealer contract. So theoretically, you can't hop from one dealer to another to get a better price on anything current, because this would undercut some dealers and thereby not allow a level playing field.

Sometimes there are also restrictions on internet sales for current year models, again to discourage consumers from price shopping different dealers. This tends to be an issue more with non-folders rather than folders, but I imagine it can happen with any type of bike.

Where MAP becomes less of an issue is with demos, closeouts, and old stock. The restrictions there are fewer to encourage dealers to liquidate their demo/closeout/old stock, to make way for more new stock.

It would not behoove Thor, or any other dealer, to allow minimum advertised pricing discounts from any dealer on current year models. Such actions by the dealer are typically considered breach of contract. The dealer contract is terminated and the dealer no longer carries that line. This has put many a dealer out of business, because if they play fast and loose with MAP and that's the main line they sell, there's not enough revenue from other lines to keep them afloat.

tds101 

I already understand the derailleur is also doing chain tensioner double duty,...I have 1 of my IGH converted bikes with a chain tensioner. It's a non-issue. The issue is a bike with a 76mm old as being proprietary and not possessing the ability to be upgraded in any realistic way. It totally sux.

As for sprockets, not an option for me. I've discovered I'm almost cursed when it comes to them,...derailleurs especially. I always wind up with some from or fashion of difficulty. LOL!!!

I'd want this to be 8 speed IGH,...it would be AMAZING IMO!!!

Joe Remi

What you want, TDS, is a Brompton ;-)

tds101 

Only if the price is reasonable on an 8 speed model,...and that means custom. And a custom like that isn't inexpensive. But,...I can always dream. LOL!

pierro78

Do you think the 2019 Dahon Qix D3 will be better than the EEZZ D3 for a taller/heavier person ??
(I am 1m78 tall and 75kg and worried I might be too tall or heavy for the EEZZ D3 ??)
Would you think they have improved the gearing span ?

(By the way first post in the forum so hello everybody ! - and sorry for my bad english)

BromptonINrio

you are not mutch tall or heavy for bolth bikes.
you might need a extended seatpost.

L Arnold

Either bike would work for you. Slightly different use case.
Eezz is smaller (also abit shorter seat to handlebar). It packs very small and easy to commute with and simply carry.
QIX rides as a bigger bike. Longer. More speeds. Normally you would roll it around while folded while the EEZZ you would carry).

Great bikes which unfortunately Dahon is discontinuing in the US market. Not smart, in my opinion, to close them out as they are. .