Dahon EEZZ
 

This is the bike I referred to as Jifo Mk II when the spy photos surfaced.

The EEZZ became a Taipei Cycle Show design awardee:

http://dahonbikes.com/index.php?id=107

Dahon's 30th anniversary: no future without a path.

Another new Dahon.

Thanks for the picture. I maybe have the wrong browser or don't they have a video showing the folding?
Maybe it is a animated gif that my browser don't recognize?

I guess being so new and innovative it will be expensive to buy.

My guess is it won't be that expensive to buy - that would be shooting themselves in the foot big time. The Dahon Curl is one (assumed by me) fiasco they wouldn't like to repeat.

(Why do I think the Curl is a fiasco? Well they tried to design a Brompton-like fold; the result after years of dragging on, and several prototypes, is a bike with a geared bottom bracket because of an impractically small chain ring, a rather odd un-Dahon-like look, and not even an attempted marketing in the US. I can't readily explain why it is available in China - perhaps they are relying on low labour rates and cheap componentry to squeeze a profit from this vulture project. Who knows, perhaps it will actually take off over there. The Far East is a much better market for folding bikes that the West.)

(Why do I think the Jifo and its newer brethren such as the EEZZ is not a fiasco? The quick time to market, the apparent quick development time, the big launch and the retention of the Dahon looks I think is key. My guess is they are already testing geared versions of this EEZZ to replace the discontinued Curve.)

I quite like the look of it. Presumably it rolls very easily with the upper seat post extended, on both wheels. And presumably the upper part of the seat post can be swapped out for a suspension seat post. If it were possible to fit Big Apples this could be a fun bike.

The Curve has been discontinued?

erm... my mistake... I assumed that because the Curve is hard to get hold of, it was discontinued... not sure now.

I also noticed that the Curve D3 has been hard to find. Even Thor's site recently indicated that it's out of stock. (Just when I was about to inquire about it.) Anyway, the scarcity does make one wonder how much longer it will be around.

Trying to understand the EEZZ's circuitous chain route, I looked up the Jifo 16 only to find that it apparently has an incredible 178 gear inches. I expect a world record to be set on that bike any day now. And here my calculations suggested it was in fact 52", silly me.

Looks nice, but I think the stock fenders are useless.

The EEZZ is single speed ?

Yes. I don't know about the EEZZ, but the Jifo on which it's based is not only single speed but well-nigh impossible to upgrade/modify for gears. Hopefully Dahon will continue to expand this promising folding platform into more and more useful models.

Typical of bikes with folding rear sections, like the Brompton and Birdy.

Does anyone know what the citation was for the award the EEZZ was given ?

Ah, so the frame mechanisms are called EEZZ, but this actual model (16" Wheels, 9kg) is the Metro

I actually like this bike and the folding joint looks like a huge improvement to the Jifo look. This one at least looks slick and folds waaay smaller than their usually sideways fold. The one gear of 52-53 gear inches can me a limitation but you can probably add a bigger chainring I would try to bump it up to the 60's. Is this fold even smaller than a brompton?? just checked brompton 22.2×21.5×9.8 in and this Jifo (23.9" × 23.4" x 10.0") ...... still bigger heh. Thought they would have something as tiny, close but you still can't say it's smaller than a B. The price for this would be $900+ judging from the Jifo's price, don't hold your breath for anything less, I don't think dahon is going to try to price this into the mid market range.

I only have one complaint here, the fenders are dinky and next to useless and more of a waste of space than an actual fender. Any puddle you run through will create a stripe on your back with this.

A quick google showed several current N.A. sources for the Curve D3. Perhaps best not to infer Dahon's corporate plans from a single retailer's inventory decisions.

I own such a bike (tikit), which has nothing of the sort. The Jifo doesn't have a unified rear triangle?

well the Jifo gear range on the Thor website is 53 isch ...and not 200 sumpin which is obviously a mistake... sometime we need to take the lead... lol
http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/jifo.htm

Anyhow.... yeah right .. the fact that I am out and Dahon doesnt have something in stock either doesnt necessary mean that they are not available elsewhere. Always some dealer might have one left ....

on the dealer meet it was said that the Curve will come back.... maybe as an SL version rather than a one speed of three speed or heavy rear hub at all .. nice light to carry it up the stairs etc etc stay tuned ......

thor

yeah those silly fenders need to go ..worthless and looking horrible

"Another model new to the 2013 product line is the VYBE D2, an economic version of the popular Eco C7 model, and incorporates a 2-speed kick back coaster brake, Sturmey Archer rear hub, and a dynamo front hub and light."

I didn't see this model at the show. And I can't find ANY info on it besides that press release, can't even find a picture of it.

There might be a couple other dealers who have remnants of the Curve, but their prices are typically higher than yours. :)

Anyway, nice to hear the Curve will be back in some form or another. I think we need more 16-inch options. Please keep us updated about availability.

Hello

I can't find information about the EeZz D3 about…

1. which Shimano derailleur it uses*
2. the gear inches/meters of development it provides, and
3. whether it'd be possible to add an IGH to the derailleur.

Does someone know?

http://dahon.com/uploads/tx_dahonpro...EZZ_jaa634.png

Thank you.

* The three-sprocket cassette has 9/11/13T

Some information after viewing/trying the bike.

Its a customized Tiagra read-D that only shifts 3 speeds (9/11/13T).
Chainring is 39T.

I asked the shop about changing out the chainring to a larger one and they told me it was 130BCD (it looked smaller to me)
On inspection, it does seem that the chainring can't be much bigger as it will hit the rear triangle (already about 0.5cm gap).

Fold is nice and pretty fast.
Not much to complain about here.

The bike is stiff when riding (but I am only 55kg so YMMV).
I found the gearing rather pointless and added cost to the bike without really giving a meaningful gear range.
For me, I would have preferred (and was looking for) something in the range of a 45T in the chainring.

Thanks for the feedback.

The only explanation I can come up with for the tight gearing on the EEZZ D3 is that Dahon, after going to the trouble to engineer a pretty fly hydroformed aluminum frame for this bike, expediently used off the shelf Shimano Capreo cogs. To match the range of a common 3-speed IGH (a compromise that's worked well for 100+ years), the cassette would need to be a custom 9-12-16T.

With a rear OLD of 76mm, it's not like any other hub will fit. About the only gearing mod would be a $chlumpf geared crank.

Dahon seems to envision the EEZZ as a 'last kilometer' bike, and they've taken pains to make this intriguing platform sub-optimum to use in any expanded application.

The EEzz concept is a good one and perhaps a more ideal configuration will be available soon.
I was really hoping that the bike would work out for my needs (mainly as a multi modal touring bike, with some capability to 'cruise' at about 75 gear inches at maximum to cover the distance over uninteresting areas a bit faster if the chainring could be swapped out to a 40'ish.


I also tried its bigger brother the Qix.
Nice fold, but some refining needed in how it secures up the wheels upon the fold (it still uses the same magnet as the conventional fold Dahons)

I got one in Japan. Before I tried it, I would have thought the wheelbase would be too short for me (5ft8) or the seatpost not long enough but it was actually ok. The low gear is ok for uphill, but you need to use the frame (i.e. grip the handlebar and pedal hard) and when you do that, the frame creaks.
3 gears isn't enough if you want to go very fast (>30kmh) but you go fast enough and coast a lot on the highest gear.

I can see why they only release it in Asian markets; It's great for the asian body size. I reckon 5ft10 would be max height, and under 75kg would not put the frame under stress. I'm 70kg and as mentioned, when I go up hill the forces make the frame creak, a heavier person would probably make the frame creak on flats.

packs very small and is quick. it's great for trains. not small enough for busses during peak hour as it takes up all the leg room between 2 seats.
hard to roll. but in Japan you need to put the bike in a bag when taking on public transport anyway and since it's so light I carry it in the bag when I'm not riding it.