jazzmanjm8

At 5,000$ I can see why I never knew about Burke! Maybe it's possible or maybe not... in the end making a 20inch version of a brompton (price range) would be a game changer in my mind.

But again I am not in the world of bikes or know what goes into the business of making bikes. Just my two cents

mconlonx

Not that it would solve the "too many models" issue, but I would like to see the Vitesse D3 replaced with both the Curve I3 20" and the Boardwalk I3.

tcs

I thought this 'international' Boardwalk i5 (Shimano SG-5R35 IGH) was nifty.

dahon boardwalk i5.jpg

tds101 

Oh yes,...sexy sexy!!!

mconlonx

Or that. I was on the euro Dahon site and only saw the i3 Boardwalk.

Get rid of the Vitesse and offer the Curve 20" as the higher end alternative, and the Boardwalk as the stripped down, less expensive 20" 3sp model. Or the Vybe instead of the Boardwalk.

kidshibuya

Id like dahon to make bikes that look good. It's a simple thing that doesn't add to the cost and you could be doing, but at present it's like nobody cares. Some of the terns look great, why can't dahon even match them?

As for new models, maybe I am an outlier but give me. 7kg non folding non classic triangle fame bike that looks awesome and I'll throw cash at you.

Oh and let us buy custom parts for those of us who want to pimp our rides. I'd pay a huge sum of cash for a non folding light handle post, and I am sure many people want dahon pro wheels as they are the best 406 rims but for some reason dahon won't sell them.

tcs

To request a non-folding model from a company that specializes in folding bikes probably does make you an outlier on the Folding Bike forum.

jur

Not sure exactly why but the Speed remains a favourite for me. I think because of the timeless style of the frame.

tmesis

Not exactly a 20 inch Brompton, but the Ahooga is an electric bike with 20 inch wheels and a similarly compact fold.

mconlonx

I don't know if Dahon even makes them worldwide anymore, but their mini-velo models with either lockjaw folding or no folding... I liked them.

dieselrover

700c models to give Montague a bit of healthy competition.

s

gataddhin

I am getting my first small whelled folding bike, Dahon Curl i8 in December. I would like to see:

1. Lighter i8
2. More gears i11
3. More basic colors
4. Accessories
5. 20" wheeled i8

HGR3inOK

+1

This and/or a Speed model with wheels and any other necessary enhancements for a 300-pound weight spec.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

tds101 

OMG!!! Why didn't I think of that? A "Heavy Rider" folder!!! It would be a "HUUUUUUUUGGGGGEEEE" hit in North America. Most Americans are 200lbs+,...

kidshibuya

They aren't that weight because they bike everywhere...

tds101 

You definitely need glasses,... In the USA most people are heavier than average.

Rick Imby

Funny you want Dahon to become like Birdy, Bike Friday and Brompton---Dahon outsells all three of those bikes combined....

Variety is the spice of life

Rick Imby

A bike specifically built for tall guys --6' to 6'6.

tcs

Yep. Like I pointed out in another thread, globally Brompton is around 5% the size of Dahon, and BF is like 0.25% Dahon's size. I bet Birdy is somewhere in between those other two, but I don't have any production numbers for them.

Rick Imby

@tcs I bet Birdy is smaller than Bike Friday...

linberl

Naw, I don't want them to be like the other brands in most ways, but...
have you ever been to their website??? Jeebus. Now I wasn't speaking for anyone else, but I find it confusing. So many models, and I can't figure out half the time what differentiates one model from another (they also don't post their geometry for each model for comparison, or at least I can't find it).

Quality and profit and two entirely different things. When I think of Brompton, Birdy, or BF I think of quality. When I think of Dahon, well, they do make a good profit I suppose. But given that, you would think they could innovate more or have brought the Curl to fruition sooner. Don't you ever wonder if they made a few less models and spent more money on r&d what they could come up with??? I've nothing against Dahon or their business model - I just imagine what cool folders could exist if they narrowed their line and worked on innovation instead of dragging the Curl for years and putting it on kickstarter. Just my 2 cents.

fietsbob

Bene Sugg .. another..

Adjustable length frame for riders different sized , reach as well as leg length

so top tube length can be less/greater, to suit .. telescoping stems to go with telescoping seat posts.

linberl

+1 My "t-rex" arms keep me off Bromptons and many other bikes without major aftermarket modifications.

And I finally realized what I woud like: a 20" that folds up like the Helix, into a very compact square. Not a fan of 16" wheels on my crappy streets. I love my BF for the ride, but it folds like crap.

Bonzo Banana

Yes that's true but how does it all work out in the figures. Don't Dahon buy in Ford branded bikes from a oem producer and in partnership with max.com bikes in Bulgaria who make many European sold Dahon bikes. Last figure I could find was something like 330,000 bikes sold by Dahon but does that include their rebranded lower end bikes? Also Fuji-ta make about 17 million bikes per year of which a significant percentage are folding bikes maybe 10% and may even be the supplier of the Ford branded Dahon's. Dahon may be the biggest exclusive manufacturer of folding bikes but Fuji-ta probably make millions of folding bikes per year in addition to all the other types of bike they make. Here in the UK when I see a folding bike on the road its very rare if its a Dahon in fact I'm not sure I've ever seen a Dahon being ridden. There are millions of folding bikes sold in China per year perhaps 3-4 million and then there is the rest of the world to add to that. Even if that 330,000 figure is out of date by a few years and they have doubled that figure in 2017 surely still a long way from number one for units sold. I'm just making the point they may be the biggest exclusive folding bike brand but that doesn't make them the biggest seller of folding bikes.

Rick Imby

I totally agree about the website. However they are not an online sales organization. They use the bike dealer model and sell through dealers. The bike dealer model business used to have fancy brochures every year with the new model colors and what all the specs were. But the catalogs did not sell the bikes---the bike shop does. Riding the bike is how bike shops sell bikes. Most the major bike companies quit making brochures and many have pretty informative websites. Maintaining those websites can be a major expense.

In Dahon's case they have websites for several different countries. And the inventory color and mix is different in many of the different countries.

They also have a strange way ----compared to most companies----of naming their models. Speed for a Cromo frame and Mu for an aluminum frame???? Grin

But the people Dahon sells to (bike shops or the regional distributors) may not have been interested in them coming out with a $1k 16" bike. I could care less if they ever build it.---You however are interested. Part of it might be they have been selling "against" 16" bikes so long they are not excited to build one---I don't know.

When it comes to innovation? I think there are a lot of innovative items Dahon has designed and patented that are on the bikes you own. I read somewhere Dr Hon has a view that he will not prosecute unauthorized users of his patents because the riders of bikes would not benefit from his lawsuit (I don't know if that is true).