I was wondering if anyone has tried to take their Dahon to a bike shop, that didn't sell Dahons, for repairs/maintenance of the handlepost-headset-fork assembly. To be more specific, is this proprietary set-up beyond the comprehension of someone that is not trained in Dahon technology, or an easy fix for any competent mechanic?

Do you need a repair or just a tuneup?

The owner's manual should have instructions on how to tune the steerer hinge.

IMO: A non-Dahon dealer, or mechanic, would have to have good mechanical skills and an interest in working on something they likely have not seen before. Like with our Fridays, I would prefer a dealer who has some familiarity with the product. However, I try to solve problems myself, first. I always want to understand the problem and then hopefully fix it myself.

When I can't do that, we are lucky to have a local dealer who sells & services both Dahon & Bike Friday.

Lou

Full disclosure - I do not own a Dahon but occasionally see one on my local craigslist and have been very tempted. Being mechanically challenged, I always rely on a LBS for repairs/adjustments of headsets, bbs, hubs, cranks, etc. So if I did ever pull the trigger, I was just wondering if this would prove to be a problem.

here is a great site to learn from www.bicycletutor.com