Finally bought a smaller folder for conversion...

[morphix]

The clip that holds the front wheel in place via the mud guard stay needs a simple bit of adjusting. There is an allen head grub screw in either side of the clip, simply tighten or slacken each one by a small amount and check the fit and repeat as necessary. Page 27 of the manual, downloaded from the Mezzo web site, describes how to make the adjustment.
My bike is the I4 and I have no idea what it weighs, I will try and dig out some scales and weigh it but I have added and changed a few things so it is no longer standard.
I have little knowledge of electric bikes, it was a google search for Mezzo that brought me here. I read some posts on here about converting Bromptons and see no reason why the same type of conversion couldn't be carried out on a Mezzo. The great thing about these bikes is they are designed to take standard components so if I were you I would get a front wheel motor, no need to hack the bike about.

Cheers for the adjusting tip! I actually got the manual with it and read it through but must have missed that. I wanted the I4 originally as I think hub gears makes more sense on a compact folder. They're very rare to see come up for sale though.. There's a D9 on eBay at the moment, in silver. I think it's gonna go very cheap.

I hear what you're saying about front wheel..it does make a lot more sense..I did front wheel conversion on my first bike and it was dead easy..but I'm just reluctant to do it again as I think it makes the bike look so obviously electric which I want to avoid.. with a rear motor it's more discrete, especially if the motor is black to blend in with bike.

 

[morphix]

Dahon JetStream P8 arrived

I've just received the Dahon JetStream P8 I won on eBay for £250.. it survived the journey by Parcel Force in an imac box!

First impressions... not great. The bike is VERY well used.. filthy and scratch/scuff marks in several places on the frame. Well it is 5 years old, but it looks like it hasn't been looked after too well. It definitely needs a damn good clean. There's some touch up paint provided so maybe with a bit of TLC I can restore some of its former glory.

The condition aside..the bike seems MASSIVE compared to my Mezzo. There's not that much difference between it and my 26" folder.. even though it only has 20" wheels it's a fairly big bike and quite heavy. I haven't been able to fold it down yet to see how small it folds as the fold mechanism is incredibly stiff and needs oiling.

I will clean it up and take it for a test ride but due to the hefty size and the condition, I don't think I will be keeping it or having a JetStream. Unless it's a very comfortable ride! The suspension feels rock solid there's no play in it at all! Maybe it will cushion curbs and pot holes, but I doubt it will make much difference to the ride else.

I think I will be sticking with the Mezzo and won't need a second full suspension bike.. it just looks and feels a lot better than the JetStream to me.

Edit: just weighed the bike and it's 12.2kg, spot on the weight given in the spec. Strangely that's approx the same weight as the Mezzo but it feels heavier and more awkward to lift.

 

[cpg]

I've just done a completed listings on ebay. Is your bike the one that sold for £256 and came from Huddersfield? It looks like a nice bike form that listing, shame about the condition, I am looking forward to your views after a test ride.
Back to the Mezzo, my bike weighs 13kg which includes the extras and mods such as in-line skate wheels and brackets, drink bottle cage and brackets, cross country handlebars, ergo style grips and bar ends.

 

[morphix]

I've just done a completed listings on ebay. Is your bike the one that sold for £256 and came from Huddersfield? It looks like a nice bike form that listing, shame about the condition, I am looking forward to your views after a test ride.
Back to the Mezzo, my bike weighs 13kg which includes the extras and mods such as in-line skate wheels and brackets, drink bottle cage and brackets, cross country handlebars, ergo style grips and bar ends.

Yes that's the one! Yeah it did look in better condition on the listing and I was curious why no-one bid it much higher as they tend to go for over £400 usually. I think maybe the photos were taken at an earlier date or perhaps all the wear and tear just didn't show up from the distance he took the pics.. It's not *terrible* from a distance it looks ok, but when you get up close you can see quite a lot of marks on the frame and what not...maybe I'm just too fussy heh! Anyway I've washed it over today, oiled the chain and folding mechanism (which actually opens now!)...adjusted the brakes and gears..rear brake cable needs replacing its totally shot, but other than that looks mechanically sound and ok for a test ride..

I will take it for a quick test ride this afternoon and then do a quick review and comparison to Mezzo, with a few pics.

I think your Mezzo must be lighter than mine by the sounds of it. Mine is 12.3kg with just the factory spec without any of those extras you have.

 

[morphix]

Dahon JetStream P8 Review

Just got back from a quick test ride!

I was a bit nervous riding it with only a front brake on wet roads and also about going too fast, being the first time I've ridden it and with the bike being 5 years old!! So I checked...and double checked..all the QR catches and gave everything a good tug..all felt so secure, so I decided to see what it could do and off I went!

First thing I noticed immediately the steering is VERY twitchy compared to the Mezzo...I mean seriously twitchy..just keeping straight was difficult as the centre of balance on the bike felt a bit weird. After adjusting my riding position and a couple laps of the block I started to settle in and get a feel for the bike..the steering became less weird but still definitely noticeably twitchy compared to the stable Mezzo steering.

The gears feel really under geared compared to the Mezzo..I started off in first gear and quickly needed to go to 3rd and then 5th on the flat...it has a standard single lever thumb shift and the shift was terrible...big lag...then CLUNK.. By comparison, the Mezzo is a dream, with instant smooth gears that I don't even notice changing. Anyway I took it down a hill and took it all the way to 8th gear and the bike really moved..it felt steady and stable, no creaking on the frame...the front brake and tyres were great even on the wet road. Brought me to a steady stop from 8th gear without any skidding or jolt.

The bike feels as nibble and quick as the Mezzo to give it some credit and it's quite nice to ride..standing on the pedals feels more natural on the JetStream than the Mezzo..I think with the right tyres the JetStream would make a good off-road bike.

Ok now to the all important suspension! The full suspension on the JetStream was my main reason for wanting one, for a more comfortable ride.. I'd read though that the suspension on the JetStream is set quite rigid (and cannot be adjusted hardly) so wouldn't make much difference on the slight bumps and uneven roads.. this I confirmed. The suspension works very well when you up and down curbs or over a pot hole, you don't even notice it. But it doesn't make for a "springy" ride. Under normal conditions it feels like any other bike.

Finally, the fold and weight.. I still think the fold is quite stiff and awkward.. this could be due to the bikes age, but I literally had to press my knee into the frame and pull hard to get the catch open..it's not one of those flick the catch and it swings open type..there's a big bolt inside the folding mechanism..obviously a security measure of sorts..

When the bike is folded there's no way to clip it together. Folding the handlebar over the opposite side does sort of keep it together though. I initially thought the bike felt heavier than the Mezzo but after comparing it does feel slightly lighter than the Mezzo. It's not uncomfortable or difficult to carry short distances folded.. I just carried it by holding under the saddle with one hand. There's no way to roll it though like the Mezzo so you would definitely have to lift and carry it. The fold is reasonably small but nowhere near as neat and compact as the Mezzo. I think you would be pushing it to take this on a train.

As I approached my building I got a compliment from a passer-by.."that's a funky looking little bike" he said!

 

[morphix]

I took my Vado HD cam to film the test ride but not sure what happened as it appears to have not have recorded.. :-/ I took some pics of the bike though, will post shortly..

Here's my trip report from Maverick.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Thanks Morphix. I'd like to see the pictures . The folding is held in place by magnets on the handlebar and forks, and there's a wide velcro strap to hold the back half together. When folded, you can wheel it on its wheels but a bit clumsy.

 

[morphix]

Well here's some pics I took earlier on my HTC phone...they came out weird, over exposed...I will take some better ones when I get chance!

Comparison with Mezzo D9 fold:

 

[jerrysimon]

I purchased an as new Jetstream from ebay a while back. Whilst its a nice looking bike and I am sure the suspension makes for a nice smooth ride I sent it back.

My main reason was that I wanted to fit a front motor and the fork spacing/profile was wrong.

As you say its quite large for a folding bike if you want to fold it every trip, but I am sure great for putting in a car boot.

The joint was very stiff (the folding hinge) on mine even as new. I think this is normal.

Regards

Jerry

 

[cpg]

Interesting comparison Morphix, thanks for posting that. The Dahon does look quite a bit bigger than the Mezzo.
The gear change problems might be due to the cable. I had a similar problem on the Mezzo and changed the inner and outer cables, the outer I changed to teflon lined and the problem went away. Folding bikes put extra stresses on the cables at hinges points so any kinks or extra friction created can lead to shifting problems.

 

[morphix]

Interesting comparison Morphix, thanks for posting that. The Dahon does look quite a bit bigger than the Mezzo.
The gear change problems might be due to the cable. I had a similar problem on the Mezzo and changed the inner and outer cables, the outer I changed to teflon lined and the problem went away. Folding bikes put extra stresses on the cables at hinges points so any kinks or extra friction created can lead to shifting problems.

Thanks for the tip cpg.. my mother just told me to keep the Mezzo and sell the JetStream I asked her which she liked. This is turning into a British v American thing... I'm asking everyone which bike they like best. For me, the Mezzo is a better designed and more usable bike than the JetStream in many ways...but maybe it's not sensible comparing 16" with 20" bike! Different horses for different courses!

 

[morphix]

Second test rides

Been out on the Mezzo again this afternoon...I absolutely LOVE this bike.. I don't know if it's the bike itself, or just riding on 16" wheels, but it's just fantastic!!! The more I ride it, the more I enjoy it...I literally just don't want to get off it and had to force myself as I have work to do this afternoon. It just feels so comfortable to ride and just glides across pavements... it's so light and agile that turning sharp corners and maneuvering around things and people is fun. It feels a million miles away from my big and clumsy 26" bike..I can't imagine ever going back to one. If you're after a cheaper alternative to a Brompton that has some advantages, I would seriously recommend you give the Mezzo a try.

I shot some video on the MD80 mounted to the handlebar of the Mezzo...not sure how it came out but I also took some proper still photos outside. And I shot some video with a camcorder resting on a tree to give a third person prospective so you can see how the bike looks being ridden.

After I got back, I decided to be a bit naughty and take the JetStream P8 out with only one brake to do a comparison again and shoot some proper photos of it. There were no police around (they have a base literally across the pave from where I live!) so I decided to just to risk it and pop out quickly.

I really enjoyed the JetStream too, even more so than first time where I wasn't so sure..it's growing on me..but for me, the Mezzo is the bike I can see myself riding all the time, so I've decided to electrify it first. I've decided though, that I definitely do not to loose the 9-speed gears as I will definitely be riding it unpowered. It just feels so easy and natural to ride, even with my bad knee. It would be a shame to lose the 9 gears so I'm hoping Catsnapper can do it and keep them intact.

I think I will probably keep the JetStream P8 and convert that too, but haven't made a final decision yet. I think I need to fix the brake and ride it a bit more over longer distances to weigh up the benefits over the Mezzo. It feels a bit faster with it's 20" wheels.

 

[morphix]

New Mezzo D9 Photos 1/2

Here's some decent pics I took yesterday of the Mezzo D9....this will be the last time it's photographed before it gets electrified. I fitted the smaller Mezzo bag for the pictures:

 

[morphix]

New Mezzo D9 Photos 2/2

A a few more:









These came out a lot better with my Canon IXUS 40..it pays to use a proper camera rather than a Smartphone camera..right tool for the right job ;-)

Catsnapper has kindly agreed to build me a wheel so I'm ordering my kit from Green Bike Kit today and hopefully in a couple of weeks or so, will be posting pics and maybe a video of the end result ;-)

 

[morphix]

New Dahon JetStream P8 Photos 1/2

While the weather was nice I decided to take some better pics of the Dahon JetStream too after taking it for a second test ride..

 

[morphix]

New Dahon JetStream P8 Photos 2/2

Few more...

 

[morphix]

Placing my order with BMS

I finally got a reply from BMS sent before the weekend about resetting my password...after all that, I have to re-register with a new e-mail address!

So today's the day I'm ready to order my motor and parts from BMS and hopefully they should be here later in the week via Fedex Express. I need to decide whether to order a 20" wheel kit for the JetStream P8..I suppose I may as well.

While I'm waiting for that to arrive I need to select and order a suitable 7-speed freewheel, chain, derailleur and shift for both, with the aim of getting something as highly geared as possible and lightweight.

Then the fun begins of putting it all together!

 

[Old_Dave]

hopefully they should be here later in the week

Lol

Never forget that whilst the delivery times are published... its not instant dispatch, you have to allow a min of a few working days for picking and so on.

 

[morphix]

Lol

Never forget that whilst the delivery times are published... its not instant dispatch, you have to allow a min of a few working days for picking and so on.

I'm ever the optimist ;-) I'll order early and select the fastest courier option. Well early next week would be good I still need a week to decide about the gears and source parts ;-) I might have to buy a freewheel from the US as there's doesn't seem to be any in the UK in the gear range I need..but Cyclezee does have one that's close to my existing range.

 

[Old_Dave]

I was thinking about my 'ratios' cos I can't add peddle power at higher speeds....

But after thinking about it.. the answer is, so what !!

If the bike is already travelling at 'x' MPH there's no need to add to it.