Here's a simple question for all the knee-jerk-oh-my-god-he-ripped-off-yeti-and-now-the-world-is-going-to-end-and-yeti-will go-bankrupt-and-all-their-work-will-be-outsourced-to-bangladesh types.
When the first rear suspension bikes were introduced that used a swingarm pivoting on a set of bearings did everyone get all up in arms that they were ripping off motorcross bikes and that it was a horrible crime of corporate espionage that would destroy the motorcross industry? Nope. People were stoked that there was a crossover of technology that made riding better for us.
When more and more bikes started being produced that utilised the same pivot-around-bearings technology and maunfacturing them cheaply in Taiwan was it shrilly claimed that it was end of the earth and the fault of those horrible communist Chinese and that soon we'd all be working for Mr Chan and speaking Mandarin. Nope. We were excited that the standardisation of the new technology made bikes more affordable and put more full-suspension designs within the reach of the average rider.
However, Yeti go and design a new way of suspending the rear of a bicycle, ONE guy in Thailand proves that "Hey, I can make that same system in my own workshop" and all of a sudden it's the worst thing that's ever happened? Please. It's brilliant!
If Yeti's system is so good (and it does ride pretty bloody brilliantly in my opinion) then we should expect other manufacturers to pick up the system, start using it and making it both more commonplace and more affordable. This will be good. Good for everyone involved. Stop being so bloody-minded, just because the guy lives in Thailand doesn't mean he's trying to make a cheap rip-off, flood the market and steal Yeti's business. He's made one bike, a proof-of-capability and done a kick-arse job of it. If he was American you'd all be wildly swinging from his nuts and congratulating him on a job well done.
well done
couldnt have said that better
seems common sense is scarcer in the northern hemisphere this time of year, eh?