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Inmotion V5F Mini-Review


Jason McNeil

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Last Monday I collected a shiny new V5F from the Inmotion office on the outskirts of Shenzhen. This was the standard 288Wh, with the 40x Samsung 22P cell battery pack.

This Wheel is a thing of beauty, for current owners, or those who have tried the V5/V5+, it's practically externally identical to the V5F, the real changes are to be found inside:

  • More powerful motor rated at 550W—similar to the King Song/GW Wheels, there is the distinctive high frequency hum
  • Control-board power rating has been upgraded (need to test peak power) 
  • Improved durability tire
  • In the V5F+ (built for our requirements) contains a 460Wh battery pack that has not only 50% more capacity than the standard model, but these cells (the MH1) have high power output ratings as well. 

V5 vs. V5F: I tried an early V5 in Germany last year, & it's great to see the improvements of this evolutionary upgrade over the previous generation. Acceleration feels very smooth & confidence inspiring, I haven't taken it to the limits yet, but at 25-26kph feels both fast & safe—I'm told that the speed may be increased with a future firmware update.  

Ergonomics: the pedals are amazing, at 14cm high, flat, very grippy & with a larger foot surface area than any of the others model Wheel I have yet tried, they're a real treat. Because the battery pack is housed above the Wheel, the V5F is also extremely thin. Side padding makes it very comfortable for the legs. It should be noted that while high pedals have an advantage in ground clearance for sharp turns, I found a consequence of this height is slightly less control at lower speeds—this is just my initial impression & needs more testing.   

Foldable Handle: probably the best non-integrated handle solution found today, it tucks right around the contour of the shell; unlike most other trolley handles, it doesn't have the appearance of an after-thought. 

Light, buttons, control: to enable the light you can either use the App, or short press the power button. The headlight provides a powerful beam that will give you between 5-10 meters visibility. Tail light is enabled all the time. A small compliant is that there is a 'long-press' to turn-on the Wheel, same for turning it off. One understanding, for safety, the rationale in the long-press to turn-off, but why for powering it on? Some other minor complaints are that the App brings you to the Inmotion social page first—I'd rather that it opens to the control page immediately— & there is no power meter information (latest version of the Ninebot App took this function away, why?!), but the App is still very well designed & has tons of great functionality. Found that disable button below the handle extremely handy in a number of situations.  

From what I recall, out of the box the Wheel is limited to 18kph, but enabling the higher speed is just a matter of moving the speed slider. Speaking of the speed limiter, another distinctive feature is that there are no audible beeps while working your way up to max speed, just the 'Danger' alert when you're approach around 26kph. 

I'd say this Wheel could be the perfect choice for commuters. Although it has some climbing ability, this is considerably less than a 14"-18" King Song.  

 

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@Jason McNeil very nice looking wheel. Kind of looks like Ninebot with glossier finish and different handle and has the lights front and back.  Could be strong competition for NB1.  In the video it looks like it has the flashing brake light like some higher end cars, seemed like the faster you brake the more flashes it does.  Wish I had that on my car.  Forget what that is called.  Would you post another video of the folding handle operation?  Thank You for testing.

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Very elegant, looks better than Ips Zero. Probably a future best seller.

 

How is the side padding? Its located very high, does the wheel surface itself feel nice on the shins?

is there a way to turn off the "danger" message or adjust the speed it comes in at?

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10 hours ago, Cloud said:

 

is there a way to turn off the "danger" message or adjust the speed it comes in at?

Ive got an inmotion v3 which uses the same app as v5. All sounds can be replaced with your own, personal sound. I have replaced the "danger please slow down" with no sound at all ?

And the speed should also be as easily adjustable as the v3 since it uses the same app. I dont know if its possible to adjust the speed the warning sound comes in at though. I would recommend to just turn it off.

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14 hours ago, Sidestreet Reny said:

How strong does the case feel, as strong as the KS?

Inmotion have designed a fabric cover that slides over the shell, for those who want to protect their bodyshell from scratches. In white, I found that some shoes would leave streak from the rubber sole, easily removed with a bit of detergent. 

14 hours ago, JonTheMad said:

It looks really Nice! Will you also do a "Big" Review? ?

Yes definitely! Will also try to get my hands on the S2, of which is the closest Wheel to compare it to. 

14 hours ago, houseofjob said:

@Jason McNeil How is the hardness/softness of the response on the V5F? Is it along the lines of a KingSong, or stiff like a Ninebot or Gotway MSuper? Thx!

Very responsive (hard). In the version of firmware, there was not a pedal-response-model setting as there was with the V3S. 

13 hours ago, steve454 said:

Would you post another video of the folding handle operation?

Yes, I'll see what can be done. 

12 hours ago, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said:

Add in solid construction, good specs, and safety all at a reasonable price hopefully, and it looks like it should be a good seller.  I wish I could switch jobs with you, Jason

Thanks, yep, pretty lucky to be in this business at this exciting time.

11 hours ago, Cloud said:

How is the side padding? Its located very high, does the wheel surface itself feel nice on the shins?

Super comfortable, you've got to try one! TwinFix, who is also in NY, is planning on ordering one, maybe you try his?

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@Jason McNeil

as it has "only" 550 Watt...what do you think about usability for the heavier guys like me (100kg)??? from the looks, the weight, the performance, the price and with a 440 wh pack its like you say...pefect for commuting...what i always do...

But...as i also like commuting above 20 kmh...i think the power reserves for bigger guys are a little to weak?

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2 hours ago, Jason McNeil said:

 

Super comfortable, you've got to try one! TwinFix, who is also in NY, is planning on ordering one, maybe you try his?

Ok, i gotta become best friends with @TwixFix real quick!! 

2 hours ago, KingSong69 said:

@Jason McNeil

as it has "only" 550 Watt...what do you think about usability for the heavier guys like me (100kg)??? from the looks, the weight, the performance, the price and with a 440 wh pack its like you say...pefect for commuting...what i always do...

But...as i also like commuting above 20 kmh...i think the power reserves for bigger guys are a little to weak?

@KingSong69 , i am also 100kg - Ive tried 500w 14" king songs and did not feel any difference with 800w during normal riding. There will be a difference in climbing steep hills. And i suppose in extreme conditions, like overleaning and sudden accelerating. But during normal riding you probably wont feel the difference. I do orefer to know that i have 800w of power under my feet when i ride, though...

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13 hours ago, Cloud said:

Ok, i gotta become best friends with @TwixFix real quick!! 

Hmmm, I might be getting mixed up with someone else. I'm in the DC area and wasn't planning on grabbing an Inmotion but probably could be easily persuaded to get one. :P

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9 minutes ago, TwixFix said:

Hmmm, I might be getting mixed up with someone else. I'm in the DC area and wasn't planning on grabbing an Inmotion but probably could be easily persuaded to get one. :P

Can i also persuade you to move to nyc once you grab the wheel? A wheel like that needs to be flaunted! :) 

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  • 3 weeks later...
19 minutes ago, diegoxxx said:

how am I supposed to tell me please

Not sure. I can't see the settings in the app, since I haven't received my wheel yet (you have to be connected in order to see the settings).

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@diegoxxx I have the V3 model it uses the same app. It's like thefork says, you have to replace the warning sound with "the sound of silence". Go to DIY music settings.

SCV --> Status --> Sound customisation --> DIY --> "danger please slow down" and record silence by pressing the microphone symbol 

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