Originally Posted by HomeExchanger

The Mako is an international model. Think it's only available in Asia. I bought the American minibike, the Smooth Hound, 2 months ago. It is an amazing bike. It feels like a real bike compared to the other Dahons I have owned. I liked my Dahon Speed Pro but the otherwise excellent internal hub gear made flats a night mare.

The Smooth Hound disappears beneath you. It looks a bit funny but it feels like a regular bike. It has tons of hand positions thanks to the moustache bars, which easily remove and strap flat to the frame. Take off the seat post and the front wheel and you have a very compact, flat package.

It's considered a touring bike and has braze-ons for a water bottle cage, racks and fenders. I love the bar-end shifters and they are very handy for touring since they can be manually adjusted if they break, unlike STI shifters.

This is the most exciting bike I have ever had. I have owned Bike Fridays (ridiculously over-priced and over-rated), 6 different recent Dahons, and a Down Tube. Rigid bikes I have owned include a custom Bilenky touring bike, a Santana tandem, ti Airbornes and a Trek Pilot 5.2. The Smooth Hound is the best bike of the lot. If I could get my hands on a Mako I wouldn't hesitate.