Titanium Dahon Launch EX (probably aluminium)
 

Is this real? Says titanium. Must be wrong because at the end it says over 13kg

https://youtu.be/xR1PFAHDTkg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR1PFAHDTkg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4de8853ede.jpg

The new Hemingway gravel edition is now on the US site, showing the threaded holes on the front fork for racks and cages. 2 website has an error describing the front fork as both steel and aluminum.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1d7260757b.jpg

And the K9 and mariner GT along with the Hemingway gravel and launch ex get the deltec cable and "super downtube" which is a squashed profile.

They also get a new handle post safety latch.
More significant welds. Possibly better brakes?


Edit: I checked the Chinese site and it describes the material of several new models as titanium aluminum alloy according to the Google translation from Chinese to English. Doesn't seem reasonable.

Dear GAWD!!! I know I said I'd NEVER get another Dahon, but the Launch EX friggin KILLS IT!!! And the Hemingway Gravel Edition? Lawdy, lawdy, lawdy... :cry:

Titanium content, 2%

(honestly don't know, but wouldn't be surprised)

Naw.

Sigh. Dahon. A multi-decade history of spec tables misidentifying frame material, listing 20" tires on 16" wheels, placing cassettes on IGH bikes...the list goes on. A summer intern could sort it out, but no.

Is a front shock absorber really that much of a benefit for the extra 1 kg or so? And also makes a larger fold.

I asked AI and it thinks The material is most likely 6061 with Trace elements of titanium which doesn't really make it much different from other bicycles so it says it's most likely just a marketing gimmick. Who knows.

Titanium is heavier than Aluminum so it makes some sense.

I do believe its titanium, and I also believe its going to have titanium pricing... :p

I say no, not titanium, because of the weld appearance. Titanium bikes have small, very precise welds. That shows typical aluminum TIG welding.

I got a reply that it's maybe $50 more than the current launch d8. So I don't think it's truly a titanium alloy but simply trace titanium, otherwise it would be much more expensive. Or a typo or misleading. Available in the Asian market soon.

The biggest improvement is that it has the New Jaws hinge, not the original Jaws. Dahon has a video online comparing the two.

Caution: Original Launch D8 has the brake discs 15mm further inboard, ostensibly to reduce chance of damage. But that means you can't fit other (normal) brake calipers, without also swapping the wheel hubs. This is a major issue, because the disc calipers on the original Launch D8 are pretty poor. You'll want to check this. Hopefully, they put the discs on the new Launch to be like the rest of the industry.

I think the video for the Hemingway gravel edition or was it the Mariner says that the disc is 15 mm inwards, but I don't think it's mentioned on the launch EX but I would assume there is a possibility it has this also. I would want to swap over my 11 speed cassette so I'd have to build a new wheel anyway with a new hub since most likely their hubs can only fit 10 speed cassette. Then I'd have to swap the brakes too.

I'm wondering though that with a 15mm offset of the disc, if the left and right spokes are now symmetric.

But Ti is stronger so you don't need as much. Ti also gives a much better ride than aluminum.

It could be lighter, but they would likely have to redesign, and perhaps they did not.

$50 it's still not enough to make up for the increased material cost if it were titanium. I would assume that the front shock would have increase the price by at least $25.

According to AI, the price of bicycle aluminum is around $4 per kilogram compared to bicycle titanium at around $40 per kilogram. So if we say that the frame is around 4 kg then that would be an increase of around $140. The stated weight doesn't seem lighter than if it were aluminum. But let's say theoretically they reduced weight by 1 kg by using titanium so that the material cost is just $100 more. They also have to pay for a separate production line and different equipment compared to their typical aluminum frame. If you consider also the markup, I think they would have increased the sale price by at least $500 minimum. With marketing they probably would have added $900 before tax.

Ti is expensive . Mainly both due to buy but welding too. Sounds like maybe they put Ti in the paint .

A Korean website lists the launch EX as available for sale and as aluminum.

Looked at the videos again, only mentions 15mm disc offset for the Hemingway. Not mentioned for launch EX. Appears normal in the K9 and mariner GT videos.

I had the chance to see the new lever on the handle post hinge and it's a step back in safety or confidence because there's no visual confirmation of whether the safety lock is engaged because it's built into and hidden behind the lever. The trigger is a flimsy plastic hook that slides behind a small diameter head of a protruding pin/bolt, with the closing side of the hook being beveled so that it locks into place by itself with closing the lever without needing to squeeze the trigger, like a door latch bolt. But the plastic hook is pushed into the lock position by an incredibly tiny and weak spring that looks like it may pop out. And the trigger doesn't spring back to it's full neutral position so it's sort of wiggling or has backlash or play or whether best describes it.

Also it's very difficult to grip and pull down the lever if it's been adjusted tight. It's a tiny lip where only one or two finger tips can reach behind. And you need to squeeze it while pulling to disengage the lock and to expose more of the lip to get a better grip. The old original lever is much easier to grip and operate.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...254a78d69d.jpg