Folding Bikes - Noisy derailleur on Dahon d7

I recently bought a 2008 Dahon d7 vitesse. When pedalling there is noise coming from the rear derailleur/chain/freewheel. The gears engage properly, it rides OK and there's nothing wrong mechanically but I don't like the noise and the rough gear change. I've adjusted the gear cable and oiled the chain.

I want it to be like my hybrid mountain bike which is very smooth. The rear derailleur on the dahon is sram I think and it looks pretty basic. Is it normal for a folding bike to be noisier than a full size bike? Would it make any difference if I upgraded the rear derailleur/freewheel?

Sounds like an adjustment/tuning problem. Short of going to the bike shop, this youtube "how to" may be helpful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j1gSwhsVN8&feature=related

Congrats on the D7. Vik - foldy guru loves it as a value for $ bike.

Onf

Is it normal for a folding bike to be noisier than a full size bike?

Not inherently, no.

The Vitesse D7 has a Neos which is a joint production with Suntour. It isn't a particularly accurate or quiet derailleur, but it isn't the worst. If you want to change derailleurs, you will need to get a derailleur hanger for your Vitesse (unless you already have one), as the Neos doesn't mount on a hanger, it mounts on your chainstay.

One thing that made quite a bit of noise on my Speed D7 was the plastic tooth that keeps the chain from falling inwards. It was rubbing the chain constantly initially and backing it off just a tiny bit helped, i'd check that piece too. My experience with the Speed / Vitesee D7 is that it simply isn't a very quiet bike - the hubs aren't very quiet, the chain tooth can whirr against the chain, and the Neos clicks and clanks - but the bike itself still works quite well.

new bikes makes a little noise as the chain is not quite yet ready to bend and twists as they will get after the first 50 miles of use..... but check the above mentioned remedies first
Thor

Thanks for the advice and link. I think I will give it a few more weeks and see how it goes. How practical is it to change the rear derailleur and replace the grip shift with a rapid shift lever(finger operated)? Is it worth the hassle and can I use any rear derailleur that macthes the no. of speeds/cogs on my bike?

The vitesse only cost me £225 (about $315) - most other shops were selling it for £330+ so I don't mind spending a bit of money to upgrade. 7 speed rear derailleurs are quite cheap on ebay but I'm not sure if the standard ones are suitable for folding bikes.