Dahon boss praises Brompton

[Amuro Lee]

Source:
http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/26434/Dah ... s-Brompton

Dahon boss praises Brompton

18:45, Apr 4th 2007 by Carlton Reid
Josh Hon, son of Dahon founder Dr David Hon, has posted a comment to the trade-only forum of BikeBiz.com. This was in response to a heated debate between Dahon's UK agent and the marketing manager for Brompton. Hon writes: "A person on a bike, even if another brand, is a lot better than that same person in a car."
Here's Josh Hon's comments:

"I'd heard from a few sources that there was a lively discussion going on on these forums so I thought I'd check for myself.

"First I'd like to begin by saying that we have the utmost respect for Andrew [Ritchie] and the Brompton design. The folding of the Brompton is elegant and the folded package exquisitely compact and neat.

"However I would like to correct a few inaccuracies in your post. First, we have never approached Brompton "to buy the company", although I have heard from several sources that all or some of the shares are available for sale. We have however proposed that Brompton and Dahon should work together. We've offered to help Brompton manufacture some parts. Although Andrew has never taken us up on this offer, it would seem to make sense since it appears that you have manufacturing bottlenecks (and we're no strangers to manufacturing bottlenecks).

"Our corporate mission is to get more people riding bicycles. That is why we make bikes in a wide range of price categories. And that is why we license our technology to companies that might otherwise be our competitors. That is also why we would offer to help Brompton with manufacturing. Naturally, we're also a business that needs to make a profit to stay in business so we prefer that people buy a Dahon folding bike over other brands, but a person on a bike, even if another brand, is a lot better than that same person in a car."

[Garry]

That is great, I like the attitude of this man

I have a Dahon full size folding mountain bike, the Zero-G and it is great.

The Brompton's are certainly popular now, you see them everywhere in London. It's the first folding bike to become truly mass market, and we must thank them for that!

Garry

[Binch Shin]

Oh.. I am impressed by his comments.