*Potential* Birdy recall: 2005 & 2006
 

From the Birdy newsgroup, posted Fri Jul 14, 2006:

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here a translation with some corrections:

"Recall action for the Birdy
Riese and Mueller recalls some Birdy and Equinox models in a voluntary
(?) recall action. It concerns the Aniversary model "10 years Birdy"
out of the year 2005, all Birdys of model year 2006 with the
Monocoque framework as well as all Equinox with folding stem. With
these models a tube in the hinge can probably break by a material
defect.
Contact your dealer for a new spare parts. ..."

At http://www.birdy-freunde.de/news/index.html you'll find some links
to more informations in German (a movie and a pdf file).

I am not shure, if affected models were sold in overseas.
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Could you contact R-M to ask which country models are subject to the recall, please.
As this could be a matter of life and limb I believe a speedy clarification would be most helpful.

Thanks!
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As Peter already wrote in his improved translation:

Only the new stems with the lever folding flush to the front of the
hinge plate.
Apart from 10y Jubilee and monocoque Birdy, only some r-m Equinox and
the (probably few) Birdy owners who had their complete stem&steering
tube assembly changed to the brand new type during the last couple of
months are concerned.
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Well, well after a rather unfriendly discussion between myself & various Birdy forum folk (They were being most unkind about the Strida, but based only on brief rides on very early models) I reminded them that about 5 years ago the steering stem snapped off (luckily) as I rode up a steep hill (if it had happened on the twisty downhill section, EEEEKKKK!) I was informed that I didn't know what I was talking about! One guy said that if I own a Brompton and don't like it, then obviously, I couldn't know what I was talking about.
I really liked my Birdy & will probably add another to my stable at some stage. But my first experience with the Birdy brigade was when I uploaded pics of how we had converted one of the first Rohloff Birdys.
I got slated for putting the pics on the German forum, I explained it was to save anyone else the hassle we had gone through, I then removed the photos from their forum.
It was only a few weeks ago I was accused of exagerating the Birdy stem problem, and lo & behold, it rears it's ugly head again. Ho Hum!

Chop, call me cynical, but I wouldn’t expect reasoned debate about the relative merits of different brands of bikes on a “mono-folderist” forum like Yahoo Birdybike…I much prefer the pluralist approach of Bike Forums.

I have always been a little concerned about the Birdy Stem – not because I have suffered a catastrophic failure, but simply because it has never inspired me with a great deal of confidence. Then again, this wariness derives from little more than an aversion to its primitive look and the fairly recent R&M dictate that recommended changing the stem after 3 years of riding. However, as far as I am aware, there has not been an issue of widespread stem failure with the old design - Chop excepted of course.

It did appear that the new stem mechanism looked more robust and better engineered. I thought it was sensible to have the lever flush with the plate when riding as this would help to eliminate accidental unclasping (with the older mechanism my baggies would occasionally snag the lever). Obviously something has gone awry.

@Zonker – looks like a trip to the LBS or Birdy dealer…

F&T, I've already emailed the US distributor for guidance, from whom I obtained the bike directly. I would hope it's still ok to just sort of tool around in the neighborhood on it?

from the US Importer on the Yahoo Birdy Folding Bike Group :

I just a {sic} technical confirmation on the "recall" for the hinge on some of the
Birdy II bikes. It does not seem to be as much a safety issue as it is a
potential mechanical issue.

It seems that some of the early models of the monocoque frame with new latch
mechanism had component parts that were from machined steel and when forced
closed by "over-enthusiastic" hands might gall, crack or bind other parts of the
handlebar folding mechanism .......

If anyone has a concern on this topic in USA contact BIRDY@...
360-249-6661