Two Dahon 2025 presentations both with deltec
 

These two 2025 Dahon have both a Deltec cable but both have a load capacity of only 105kg

I wonder what load capacity mean, I think its the total weigh of what can be carried on the bike = cyclist+luggage without the weight of the bike (otherwise the E-Hemingway would allow almost 0kg luggage with a 85kg cyclist).

Announcer finally resolves the confusion about how to pronounce Dahon by using all 3 variants:

1. Dāhon: at 15"
2. Dăhon at 55", 4:07, 4:31, 4:46
3. Dăhon at 3:40, 4:11, 4:28, 4:34

Glad to have that settled.

The whole thing with how they are presenting the Deltech cable increasing capacities is very confusing. You can see ads for bikes, like the Mariner D8, with the same loaded capacity with the cable (US) as without it (Europe). The generic statement is 15% increase in weight capacity. But the ads don't seem to have caught up, especially when sold via dealers.

FYI-- For those in the US, I contacted Dahon about getting the aftermarket Deltech from them. They said they are out of stock. They need to run about 1000 of them to make it worth their while and they had not plans in the next two months (this was early April). They've promised to message me when they are available. Cost would be $85.

How the heck does the Deltec cable increase strength, then say the load capacity is even less than before??? Screw Dahon and their ridiculous and backwards-arsed products and marketing. I can get a Zizzo or Origami folder for less, with better specs and components, with ACTUAL customer support. I can't even find the replacement battery (just in case) that they said was going to be available on their website. :mad:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ef8095902.jpeg

I'm not gonna lie though, the Launch EX is friggin NOICE!!!

And this fabulous bike is "even outperforming many road and mountain bikes in speed' !

Oh, yeah... The BS really is in full effect with their marketing spiel. :roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1a5b65d45a.gif

I covered this in an earlier thread of mine. Dahon advertised Deltech bikes as increasing the capacity from 231 to 300 lbs AND doubling frame warranty from 5 to 10 years. A month after ordering one of their Deltech bikes I saw online they had downgraded this to "increased to 231 lbs", i.e., ZERO increase, and gone is warranty increase as well, both of which mattered to me greatly and upon which I based my purchase. Bike came with zero warranty paperwork or manual. The cable actually does increase frame strength, by a lot. My only guess is that the small welded attachment tabs to the frame are not as strong in fatigue, especially in aluminum, and this suspicion seemed confirmed by recent Deltech bike for Japan market I think, showing the "add-on" Deltech, attached forward by a ring around the steer tube just above the crown (which I wondered if affected steering) and attached rear by a ring around the bottom bracket shell.

So yeah, Dahon appears to make an important product specification claim in writing and then after sales lowers that specification at their own fiat without any recompense to the purchaser. They did that for weight capacity, and frame hinge specification, claiming "New Jaws Hinge" which was the second verson of Jaws, improved, and advertised as improved by Dahon's own video showing the two hinges side-by-side and touting the improvement numbers. I bought based on spec of New Jaws Hinge. Said right in the bike order description, "New Jaws Hinge", the bike ships and arrives with the old Jaws hinge and production date of 2-1/2 years prior to shipment. They don't even have any bikes with the new hinge, but they advertised their stock as having the newest features.

I pointed this all out to Dahon in writing, they blew me off, said the advertising and specs match the bike shipped to me.

I took decisive action, and I won. I'm not ready to discuss details.

This is ridiculous, they added a Deltech cable to reinforce the frame and reduce its sensitivity to aluminum fatigue but the way they implemented the Deltech attachment on the frame is more sensitive to aluminum fatigue than the frame it protects with as consequence that its almost useless!?

Well, what I wrote about the tabs is my speculation, not facts. Right from the get-go when Deltech was introduced, my sense about such things flared up, I felt the forward attachment should have been longer on the frame with a longer weld, and the tab at the bottom bracket shell was oriented wrong, in such a way that the cable would put bending load on the weld; I felt it should be turned in-line with the cable to put the weld more in shear, and at both ends of the cable, twin parts so that the cable end is held in double-shear, that's the gold standard. I have not heard of any tab failures, nor any rationale for lowering the weight capacity back to same as before, and Dahon doesn't even admit to that, they just change the specs and hope folks don't notice.

Here is a photo of the more recent Deltech front attachment, Japan market, I've not seen this elsewhere yet:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bf49c90467.jpg

As I've said before, a loop of high-strength, ultra-low-stretch line, like Kevlar or AmSteel, around the head tube and bottom bracket shell, is very sound, distributing end loads via loops with large surface area, and it works great, I've done this on my Dahon Speed frame in 4130 steel. Once I got the length correct, and using a really good knot, it hasn't stretched or slipped a mm, still perfect tension. Haven't needed to adjust the hinge since, going on 2 or 3 years now. Before securing line ends with half hitches:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9c6a28dbcb.jpg
As noted in past, that line will lift my car, and is as stiff as steel.

Yeah I'm pretty certain that is a robotic voice. It seems to vary the pronunciation based on the transition to the next word, even awkwardly varying the timing and blank interval between words to zero. Mostly a good voice program, good tone, just the right amount of vocal fry, but has those flaws, vocal CAPTCHAs if you will.