Originally Posted by fietsbob

Frame builders have adopted the R'off as a Jack shaft in several designs , and frame mounted it , to make suspended wheels more compliant over rough ground..

But that bit of gear won't make up for the Osaka company getting all the OEM business

any more than Mercedes Benz will get to take over the Toyota sales figure.
they occupy different market niches ..

But they obviously have good Engineering departments in their Universitys , and studentsa dont get buried in Loans causing them to take the Bad goal jobs that pay well , Like designing more weapons.

Modest Proposal.. retrain US engineering to stop making Murder so efficient and think more about living tools, rather than weapons improvements.