Are theses real Dahon's, or just Yeah clones?

[Great3]

I actually got this on ebay, Dahon TS061 CITY Folding Bike:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320262583706&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=011

I am actually still waiting for the guy to ship it. I am getting the silver color, guy said I had choice of black, silver, or red (that's what he had). I am hoping mine looks like the pictures I found on the internet in this thread:

http://www1.lukeclub.com/viewthread.php?tid=6666&extra=page%3D1

It will be my first folder, I hope it works out good. I tried the dahon boardwalk s1 single speed at LBS and didn't like it so much. Note that this bike seems to be for shorter folks, I think max 5'8" per the specs I seen.

That was the only FS folder I found made by dahon besides the jetstream which was out of my price range. I don't know if it's really a dahon or yeah bike, but it is listed on China's Dahon website:

http://www.dahon.com.cn/bikes/folding-bicycles-urban.htm

And they actually seemed cheap in China, folding bikes there seem to be in the 600-1000 RMB ($75 - $125USD) range, so I am having one shipped to me using ebay.

So my question is, are they real Dahons, Yeah bike clones, or all the same? I mean, the prices seem too good to be true. Than again, it's China. What we may think is cheap may be consider expensive in China. What do you all think, worth it?

Thanks,
Great3

[jur]

You have to understand how the industry works.

Dahon make frames and I suspect even complete bikes for other brands. Same frame, just a different decal. And the parts are generally entry-level quality. But there are some places where you can spot the Dahon ancestry:

Handlepost: All the rebadge jobs I have seen sport the older, now discontinued Dahon steel handlepost. This handlepost has a very honorable pedigree, it was found almost unchanged on the earliest Da and Hon bikes. Especially the latch with 'vise-grip' technology was there from the start. (Ironically, the newer alloy handlepost is a step backwards in safety.)

Frame Latch: Sports the same Dahon vise-grip tech.

Latch plastic locks: All these latches also have the characteristic plastic safety catch that prevents the latch from opening by itself. This plastic bit was also there from the beginning and still is on current Dahons.

There are other more subtle indications, not present on all rebadged products.

So it is not correct to call them Yeah clones, they are licensed Dahon-made OEM bikes. Yeah is the better-known one. In China, most if not all of those rebadge jobs are also sold locally under the Dahon badge. Such as the one you linked to above.

[Great3]

Okay Jur, makes sense. So, Dahon do put their name/badge on those bikes such as Yeah.

Are the Yeah bikes and Dahons built in the same factory, since it's the same frame as you mentioned above, or does yeah built their own frame/bikes? What I mean is, if I am getting the same frame quality, I don't care so much as to the quality of the components, as long as I have a good frame to start out with.

The only thing that perplexed me is why would Dahon put their own name on bikes with lower quality, wouldn't that eat away at their reputation as a brand. But I guess if it's the same frame quality, they stand behind it.

Because on the same website, http://www.dahon.com.cn/bikes/folding-bicycles-performance.htm , I see the typical boardwalk, curve, jetstream, matrix, etc... I know those are higher priced in China, and you know the quality and price is higher, especially with the components.

Thanks,
Great3

[jur]

No, I seem to have gotten you mixed up... it's the other way round, Dahon make all those bikes. Yeah is just an on-seller, they buy complete bikes from Dahon, with the decal saying Yeah. And in China, Dahon also sell those bikes that they make for Yeah, as Dahons.

So I think what happens is, Dahon China make a whole range of bikes, some of which are for the whole world such as the Speed or Curve etc, and some 'for China only'. The 'China only' ones are also internationally available as so-called OEM bikes, ie they are available as wholesale lots at a discount without the Dahon name on them. A bike maker buy those un-branded ones and sell them as their own. When the order is placed, the bike maker instructs the Dahon factory what badge to put on. But as I said, you can pick those out by the characteristic Dahon steel handlepost. But they are really Dahon, just like a Holden Astra sold as in Australia is actually an Opel Astra from Germany, with a Holden badge on it.

[Great3]

Ah... now it makes sense Jur, thanks for explaining. Dahons make all the bikes, Yeah is not really a maker of bikes, just reselling them with their brand decal. Now it make sense why Dahon would put their name on those bikes, because they make it.

Just out in the OEM world, they are rebranded as another brand name/decal. I didn't know why I didn't think of that.

Not that it should matter, but now I am really excited to try a full suspension folder (TS061) with a decent price. Especially since I know the quality is there with dahon being the maker.

Thanks,
Great3

[jur]

Remember that while the frames may be OK, the componentry of those OEM ones are usually very so-so. That fork in particular is very entry-level indeed. Found on cheapie kids 20" mountain bikes.