[UncaJohn]

Have you tried to enforce your rights? If so, what happened? If not, why not?

Well, First of all I'm sorry for the late answer.
ok, Let's follow the story as it was, but without dates as i am not having my patent documents with my right now.

After taking the first patent from the Greek patent office (which follows the procedure of testing the design upon a global databank) i extended my rights towards the EU and USA.
-EU patent office handed me after repeating the global research the same patent rights (category A).
USA patent office replyed that my design was the same as a motorbike suspension system patented by Honda!
I replied with my EU and GR (greek) patent papers + an explanatory text that my application has nothing to do with... motorbikes!
-The USA patent office replied (then) that i am copying an other bicycle design (Yety's suspension system Lawill)
-I re-replied with a new report but i got a third (and final) rejection.....
All this cost me about 1.000.00 Grd (almos 3.000 Euros!)

Now,
i know that there's a conflict between EU & US patent offices and I do know that the guy who designed the I-Drive system was working without knowing my existence (same story as Alex Morgans & the Phaser gearbox system), but hey!
Now i see Gt, Shwinn & Mongoose ripping me + some simmilaritys on other designs as Maverik's floating BB

What can i say..... than i just don;t have the cash to fight back (and i would prefer to invest this upon a second generation bike!)

John

 

[bizutch]

After reading all this, I'd just like to say that I rode a '07 GT DHi this weekend at Snowshoe equipped iwth a Cane Creek Double Barrel shock. The rear rode just like my '06 Demo 8 with Double Barrel. No surprise that 2 different designs with the same shock roll the same. But the pedaling of that bike is pretty cool.

I busted out the fire road pedaling like I was on my BMX cruiser at the track. Neat stuff. I never realized the cranks/BB move slightly forward. I now understand why so many DHi riders love thier bikes. Pretty neat overall & it's one of 3 bikes at the top of my list for next year.

Big props to BKQuill for letting me ride it!

Butch

 

[S.K.C.]

OK - now I'm totally confused... I thought you recently got a DHi...?



If I had known you still needed a rig I would have called Jason to see what he had available...

 

[- seb]

Yep, I've never ridden anything quite like it bizutch. The 09 frame is pretty much the only thing I'm considering buying for next year, assuming the new style DHi works as well as my 05 one.

 

[- seb]

Just been googling for this new Fury to see if there's any other info out there on it. Have found rumours that it won't be available until 2010, I hope that's not the case!

 

[icon27]

I would want a coil myself

 

[- seb]

Me too I think. I presume the frame only will come with an air, we will see. Hopefully it'll be a fairly standard length/stroke and easily changed unlike the <06 DHis.

 

[CBJ]

Just been googling for this new Fury to see if there's any other info out there on it. Have found rumours that it won't be available until 2010, I hope that's not the case!

Its listed in the 2009 price list.

 

[Patan-DH]

The control arms on F1 cars suspension are carbon, so if this bike is real well manufactured carbon should be great.

 

[- seb]

Its listed in the 2009 price list.

Sweet, what are the US prices then, if you can tell us?

 

[igotabike]

stikman- ur funny... nobody at gt has heard of bcd..lol

 

[CBJ]

Sweet, what are the US prices then, if you can tell us?

7000 for the complete bike and no word yet if/when a frame kit will be available.

 

[Zutroy]

Well, First of all I'm sorry for the late answer.
ok, Let's follow the story as it was, but without dates as i am not having my patent documents with my right now.

After taking the first patent from the Greek patent office (which follows the procedure of testing the design upon a global databank) i extended my rights towards the EU and USA.
-EU patent office handed me after repeating the global research the same patent rights (category A).
USA patent office replyed that my design was the same as a motorbike suspension system patented by Honda!
I replied with my EU and GR (greek) patent papers + an explanatory text that my application has nothing to do with... motorbikes!
-The USA patent office replied (then) that i am copying an other bicycle design (Yety's suspension system Lawill)
-I re-replied with a new report but i got a third (and final) rejection.....
All this cost me about 1.000.00 Grd (almos 3.000 Euros!)

Now,
i know that there's a conflict between EU & US patent offices and I do know that the guy who designed the I-Drive system was working without knowing my existence (same story as Alex Morgans & the Phaser gearbox system), but hey!
Now i see Gt, Shwinn & Mongoose ripping me + some simmilaritys on other designs as Maverik's floating BB

What can i say..... than i just don;t have the cash to fight back (and i would prefer to invest this upon a second generation bike!)

John

GT had a filed for US patent in 1997 for the floating design. As far as i can see you're initial filing was in 1998.

 

[drizzle]

Well its is true about the retail being 7000.00 bucks for the complete and 4 grand for the frame and rear shcok. The main reason you are not seeing bryn on this bike is because GT decided to to sign new riders for the 09 season. No more Jil or Bryn for Gt.

 

[Transcend]

I was told at Interbike by GT people that the Fury probably will not be available until 2010 as a production bike.

 

[UncaJohn]

GT had a filed for US patent in 1997 for the floating design. As far as i can see you're initial filing was in 1998.

Yep, true.
But.
Then why both the Greek & European patent offices grand me a cat. A patent? Category P design status with consideration to the EP 0 913 322 (GT BICYCLES INC) 6 May 1999 (1999-05-06).
Now don't forget that all patent offices are under that international rule to file an international search in order to establish the real status of a requested patent....

The truth is written within this thread:

A "small" guy (money wise) cannot fight the big bucks of a company. Thus the rule is that lots of interesting patents are ripped from the big companies either directly or with slight modifications.....

All i know is that this design has lots of potential especially if you consider that the rider has the ability to actually interfere with the bike's geo by changing his stance while ridding. Something we all do...
I could publish a PDF report that exlaing how this interaction occures but i am not sure if it can be done here (as an uploading file)

UncaJohn

 

[WBC]

7000 is not that much for a complete MSRP.

The Sunday WC was 6600 last year, right? At least 6200. Factor in the exchange rate changes, the increased price of material, labor and transportation and it's where a $6000 bike was for 2008.

 

[Zutroy]

Yep, true.
But.
Then why both the Greek & European patent offices grand me a cat. A patent? Category P design status with consideration to the EP 0 913 322 (GT BICYCLES INC) 6 May 1999 (1999-05-06).
Now don't forget that all patent offices are under that international rule to file an international search in order to establish the real status of a requested patent....

The truth is written within this thread:

A "small" guy (money wise) cannot fight the big bucks of a company. Thus the rule is that lots of interesting patents are ripped from the big companies either directly or with slight modifications.....

All i know is that this design has lots of potential especially if you consider that the rider has the ability to actually interfere with the bike's geo by changing his stance while ridding. Something we all do...
I could publish a PDF report that exlaing how this interaction occures but i am not sure if it can be done here (as an uploading file)

UncaJohn

Even if you have a free and clear patent a little guy can almost never win against a big guy, they'll tie you up in court till you run out of money. It's the grand irony of having a patent.

 

[UncaJohn]

Yep.
This is true.

UncaJohn

 

[rbx]

Doesn't the suspension stiffen up when youre standing?(in theory it should!!??)

 

[UncaJohn]

Yes it does, but partly.

The most important factor is that your stand on the bike (standing on pedals or pulling back your handlebars while pushing the pedals foreward) reflects on the bike's geo.
At first everyone would think that this feature will direct us at a really unstable (scary the least) bike, but the true is that the bike proved to be the oposite!
I am enclosing 4 exports from a PDF presentation of the whole project... (+ 3 more images of the actual bike in my next post)

UncaJohn

 

[UncaJohn]

I still don't know how to attach the whole DPDF pressentation, but these will do for now....
As for the "tiffening" question, please do have in mind that all these factors can be controlled by just altering some of the dimentions between the A,B,C & D axles, demostrated at the previous post, first attachment)

UncaJohn

(of cource this was clearly an experimental bike of 1st generation. Now i am working on a frame that will deliver no chain feedback & will operate witha gearbox transmission. But these projects take time...
One of my major problems is to define some variables, as... which is the widest Q-Factor i may be able to achieve & with what parts!!!!)

 

[P.T.W]

Hey Uncajohn can you please explain to me why you think Gt's idrive infringes on your patent????
To me the two look like they would operate in a similar fashion, but on looking closer they are infact quite different in my IMO.
Plus for a downhill aplication a bike whos geometry steepens under forward weight transfer(ie a g-out) is just about the oposite of what would be ideal IMO

 

[UncaJohn]

Weeeelll,
-For the first question, i do share you're.. doubts! (i mean that this was the major rejection argument by the infamous US patent office)
-For the second question (steepening etc) i can only say that my linkage doesend alter the geo by weight (standing, for instance, on the steering wheel) but by deforming the parallelogram of the linkage system. Try to imaging that the BB is suspended from 2 rods fthat are bolted on the seeling. If you push them (like those swingers at the playgrounds) by pulling your handlebars then the effect is.. taking effect. The weight deforms the linkage way less than this "swinging action"...
And this action (swing) is not.. overaltering the bike's geo (it would be a risk to ride it) but the slight action is all we need.

That's all folks.

UncaJohn
Hey!
Have in mind that it's just the first generation prototype! There are still much more that can be done, especially with a gearbox (eliminating the chain torque forces upon the suspension linkage)

 

[- seb]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, where's my carbon DHI dammit, why can't I find any new info on this bike, cmon GT, give me something to get my teeth into. A firm release date, a price, confirmation as to whether I can buy frame only, an accurate weight, something! Anything!

/sadface

 

[yuroshek]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, where's my carbon DHI dammit, why can't I find any new info on this bike, cmon GT, give me something to get my teeth into. A firm release date, a price, confirmation as to whether I can buy frame only, an accurate weight, something! Anything!

/sadface

it says 6999.99 in the new decline "buyers guide 2009" im sure if you call your local GT shop they can help you get the ball rollin and order it.