Folding Bikes - Dahon and REI Novara RECALL

Source (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hHCGj0yxFA6eDknOtLttZKKyG1OQD98537680)

About 11,500 Dahon and REI Novara folding bicycles, 2008 model year, because the hinge on the handlepost can crack, posing a fall hazard. There have been 25 reports of the bicycle's handlepost hinge cracking, including one minor injury involving scrapes and bruises. The recalled products, made in Taiwan and China, were imported by Dahon California Inc., of Duarte, Calif., and Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), of Kent, Wash. They were sold by authorized Dahon California dealers and REI stores nationwide from March 2008 through last month. For more information, consumers can call 800-442-3511; on the Web at http://www.dahon.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

Definitely not the greatest news but what is impressive is the number of bikes Dahon produces. 11,500 per year is no small change!

TC

Just FYI, if anyone got REI's sale flyer recently and is wondering why the Flyby is on sale now (link (http://www.rei.com/product/763242)), this is the response I got from REI when I inquired:

"Thank you for the email regarding the Dahon recall. Yes, the Flyby was one of the bikes recalled. We have them online (on backorder) because we are getting the replacement part and will have them retro fitted and ready to ship out soon."

Definitely not the greatest news but what is impressive is the number of bikes Dahon produces. 11,500 per year is no small change!

TC

Try 300,000+ bikes per year.

11,500 is just this one U.S. market product run.

:eek::eek::eek:

Didn't know there were that many people who own folders out there.

I think Mark Sanders mentioned that Strida sales were about 90K per year and 70K were knock-offs from China.

Try 300,000+ bikes per year.

Try 800,000+.

tcs

I took my wife's much loved 2008 Mu P8 to the LBS on 5/20. They said they hadn't heard of any recall, so I showed them the page I'd printed off Dahon's web site. They then demanded proof that I'd bought the bike from them (I did, last December) - Dahon didn't say this was necessary, so that's probably just this particular LBS's BS. Anyway, I got them to agree to handle the issue.

They said they'd call me by 5/22. Of course they didn't. I called them 5/26 and they claimed they had contacted Dahon and Dahon was going to ship them the replacement part. They said this could take two weeks or more.

More as it develops.

tcs

They then demanded proof that I'd bought the bike from them (I did, last December) - Dahon didn't say this was necessary, so that's probably just this particular LBS's BS. Anyway, I got them to agree to handle the issue.

They said they'd call me by 5/22. Of course they didn't. I called them 5/26 and they claimed the....

tcs

The LBS sounds pretty shady!

Got mine exchanged yesterday. Just make sure they align the stem correctly, otherwise you wont be able to fold the bike.

it's been almost two weeks since i took my Mu in. time to give the bike shop a call. what i don't understand is why you had to bring the bike in before Dahon shipped the parts. wouldn't it make more sense for them to make the parts available ahead of time to minimize the turn-around time for the repair?

** mp **

it's been almost two weeks since i took my Mu in. time to give the bike shop a call. what i don't understand is why you had to bring the bike in before Dahon shipped the parts. wouldn't it make more sense for them to make the parts available ahead of time to minimize the turn-around time for the repair?

** mp **

You act like dahon is interested in actually shipping parts out to IBDs.

I get parts all the time
I order in time and I pay in time
maybe something to do with that ... ?

although that has nothing to do with the voluntary recall. I am waiting on some stems ( Ciaos) but have received all the other variations. I have so far be able to send stems to my customers/shops
and to repair the local Dahons. I have most of my 08 bikes in stock converted over waiting on a few more to finish the rest .....

will have a few more bikes to fix before this is all over , but dont expect big delays

Thor

...although that has nothing to do with the voluntary recall.

The duck comes down, he wins $20.

tcs

Thor, is it true that the stem can only be replaced by a bike shop?

Of course every half capable bike enthusiast with the right tools ( 6 mm, 10 mm, torque wrench) can do it. I mean..... look at some of these custom bikes on these pages, some folks have made extraordinary custom conversion and created surely masterpieces of their Dahons ( and other bikes of course)
Some of these folks have 10 times the knowledge than the regular bike shop employee. They could work on my bike any day !

http://www.thorusa.com/recall.pdf


However,
Dahon went the thorny and much more work intensive, more expensive, but ultimately the only real true way of fixing that problem. They informed the CPSC and they will obey with the CPSC rules to go through this .....
And those rules are that the conversion is done through a dealer rather than the consumer. Dahon stores are prefered but every other bike dealer can do the switch as well.

One can email Dahon the :

Name
what bike you have
Frame Number
what is your prefered shop for Dahon to send the post
( that of course means that you have informed the store, that there is something in the mail from Dahon for you, and you have made an appointment to get the bike fixed with them )
The store will get a new post and a return label for the old one

its rather painless.
Of course I have informed my customers individually about this and have most folks fixed up.
( Still some to go of course, but there is no real timelimit on this recall, as long as you dont use the bike you can do that down the road as well )

Thor

p.s. and yes not all handleposts are readily available at all times. I understand that Dahon is trying very hard to make enough new ones and there are shipments to Dahon Cal on their way and shipments to the dealers as well. For example I am waiting on Ciao handleposts at this time

( Still some to go of course, but there is no real timelimit on this recall, as long as you dont use the bike you can do that down the road as well )

Thor


You really think the bike shouldn't be ridden? Would we see the cracks?

I took my wife's much loved 2008 Mu P8 to the LBS on 5/20. They said they hadn't heard of any recall, so I showed them the page I'd printed off Dahon's web site. They then demanded proof that I'd bought the bike from them (I did, last December) - Dahon didn't say this was necessary, so that's probably just this particular LBS's BS. Anyway, I got them to agree to handle the issue.

They said they'd call me by 5/22. Of course they didn't. I called them 5/26 and they claimed they had contacted Dahon and Dahon was going to ship them the replacement part. They said this could take two weeks or more.

So I called the shop yesterday, 6/1. They said the bike had been ready since 5/29, and that I should have gotten a call from them (well, I didn't!).

The bike has a new handlepost with an "R" stamped on it. The LBS has the headset adjusted way too tight; the bars will hardly turn. I'll have to fix that.

So anyway, even with this jackleg LBS, the recall repair took just over a week. Wife is happy; all seems to be well.

Owners - get this recall done on your bike.

Best,
tcs

Got the call today that the part was in YES!. Just dropped off my flyby at my local REI. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow night. Now I'll have no excuse not to ride.