KS 18A - to buy, or not to buy. That is the question.

[RideMc]

We've decided to go with the King Song 18a.  Seems you can add an extra battery, yes?

Found one on e-bay for $1,150 w/ shipping from credible seller.  1200W, 680Wh. Good deal? (Not waiting for the 18s. lol). Anything I should look out for?

Thanks!!

 

[Marty Backe]

4 hours ago, RideMc said:

We've decided to go with the King Song 18a.  Seems you can add an extra battery, yes?

Found one on e-bay for $1,150 w/ shipping from credible seller.  1200W, 680Wh. Good deal? (Not waiting for the 18s. lol). Anything I should look out for?

Thanks!!

 

I tried to find the relevant post, but was unsuccessful. There are many varieties of the 18A. It might be worthwhile knowing exactly which version you are contemplating buying from EBay.

Somebody posted within the last week or so a table of all the 'A' varieties of the wheel. Maybe @abinder3 knows?

Additional batteries are surprisingly expensive. If your ultimate goal is to have a wheel with greater than 680wh battery, it may be more cost effective to buy the wheel already configured with the capacity that you want.

Depending on your weight and how fast you like to ride, 680wh will give you a riding range of 20 to 25 miles

[RideMc]

Thanks, Marty!!  It was listed as ArtWheel KingSong 18a. 680wh, 1200w.  @Marty Backe

 

Anyone know when the KS 18s will be available stateside?

[Diana@szkingsong.com]

8 hours ago, RideMc said:

We've decided to go with the King Song 18a.  Seems you can add an extra battery, yes?

Found one on e-bay for $1,150 w/ shipping from credible seller.  1200W, 680Wh. Good deal? (Not waiting for the 18s. lol). Anything I should look out for?

Thanks!!

 

@RideMc KS-18S is more powerful than KS-18A. I recommend you to buy a KS-18S instead.

[abinder3]

6 hours ago, RideMc said:

Thanks, Marty!!  It was listed as ArtWheel KingSong 18a. 680wh, 1200w.  @Marty Backe

 

Anyone know when the KS 18s will be available stateside?

@Jason McNeil of ewheels.com expects some KS18S in early July. 

If you can wait until then, I'd recommend getting the KS18S from @Jason McNeil.

Also, if possible, I'd recommend getting the 1680wh version.  Once you get comfortable riding it, you'll find that it's very easy to put more than 25 miles on it in a day.  I weigh about 195lbs/6ft tall and I get about 55-60 miles with about 15% battery left (I have the KS18AY with a 1680wh Sanyo battery) .  I do have a tendency to ride about 3-4 mph from the top speed whenever possible though.  I'm sure that if I limited my top speed to about 15mph, I'd probably be able to add at least another 5 miles onto the range. 

 

Allen

[RideMc]

1 hour ago, abinder3 said:

@Jason McNeil of ewheels.com expects some KS18S in early July. 

If you can wait until then, I'd recommend getting the KS18S from @Jason McNeil.

Also, if possible, I'd recommend getting the 1680wh version.  Once you get comfortable riding it, you'll find that it's very easy to put more than 25 miles on it in a day.  I weigh about 195lbs/6ft tall and I get about 55-60 miles with about 15% battery left (I have the KS18AY with a 1680wh Sanyo battery) .  I do have a tendency to ride about 3-4 mph from the top speed whenever possible though.  I'm sure that if I limited my top speed to about 15mph, I'd probably be able to add at least another 5 miles onto the range. 

 

Allen

Thanks, Allen!   With the KS 18, do I need to do anything special to unlock the highest speed?

4 hours ago, Diana@szkingsong.com said:

@RideMc KS-18S is more powerful than KS-18A. I recommend you to buy a KS-18S instead.

Thank you.  When will they be available in the US?

[meepmeepmayer]

I know, everything here is towards $$$ (18S and bigger batteries), but nobody ever wished they had less battery capacity. If you want to add a battery later, you can do it, but it's not super easy (you have to answer: where to get battery and how much will it cost, does it definitely fit in the wheel, how do I connect it and where do I get possibly extra cables for that, etc - it may require a little bit of knowledge and effort and isn't just super simple plug and play) and I really recommend getting your target capacity right now if you can.

680 Wh and 1360 Wh = 2*680 are the packs with the cheaper 2900 mAh battery cells. 840 Wh and 1680 Wh = 2*840 are the packs with the more expensive 3500 mAh cells. So you might get a comparably good price on the 1360 Wh and have a great battery capacity (680 isn't exactly bad too, just saying, you can probably get 40km out of that [rough guess] but as said, nobody ever wished for smaller battery capacity).

[abinder3]

3 hours ago, RideMc said:

Thanks, Allen!   With the KS 18, do I need to do anything special to unlock the highest speed?

I believe that you will have to unlock the highest speed still or after a certain amount of miles it will already unlock. 

 

Allen

[abinder3]

3 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

I know, everything here is towards $$$ (18S and bigger batteries), but nobody ever wished they had less battery capacity. If you want to add a battery later, you can do it, but it's not super easy (you have to answer: where to get battery and how much will it cost, does it definitely fit in the wheel, how do I connect it and where do I get possibly extra cables for that, etc - it may require a little bit of knowledge and effort and isn't just super simple plug and play) and I really recommend getting your target capacity right now if you can.

680 Wh and 1360 Wh = 2*680 are the packs with the cheaper 2900 mAh battery cells. 840 Wh and 1680 Wh = 2*840 are the packs with the more expensive 3500 mAh cells. So you might get a comparably good price on the 1360 Wh and have a great battery capacity (680 isn't exactly bad too, just saying, you can probably get 40km out of that [rough guess] but as said, nobody ever wished for smaller battery capacity).

Actually, in the KS18, the batteries are rather easy to replace once you have the side covers off and it's just a matter of getting another 840wh battery and plugging it in.

@Jason McNeil has a very good description on the KS18S on the ewheels.com website:

https://www.ewheels.com/product/king-song-18s-840wh-1680wh-1500w-motor/

 

Allen

[meepmeepmayer]

Are the batteries interconnected for balancing (like the Gotways)? If yes and you go from 1 to 2 packs, you also need the cables. But maybe not, then what you say really sounds like plug and play.

About speed limits: for 100 km the KS wheels are limited to 20 km/h (not sure) which can be overridden with unlock code. Then speed limit of KS18S will be 40 and after 1000 km driven it unlocks 50 km/h limit.

[RideMc]

44 minutes ago, abinder3 said:

Actually, in the KS18, the batteries are rather easy to replace once you have the side covers off and it's just a matter of getting another 840wh battery and plugging it in.

@Jason McNeil has a very good description on the KS18S on the ewheels.com website:

https://www.ewheels.com/product/king-song-18s-840wh-1680wh-1500w-motor/

 

Allen

Thanks, Allen!  Very useful.

18 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Are the batteries interconnected for balancing (like the Gotways)? If yes and you go from 1 to 2 packs, you also need the cables. But maybe not, then what you say really sounds like plug and play.

About speed limits: for 100 km the KS wheels are limited to 20 km/h (not sure) which can be overridden with unlock code. Then speed limit of KS18S will be 40 and after 1000 km driven it unlocks 50 km/h limit.

Thanks!!!

[Diana@szkingsong.com]

11 hours ago, RideMc said:

Thanks, Allen!   With the KS 18, do I need to do anything special to unlock the highest speed?

Thank you.  When will they be available in the US?

KS-18S: The top speed is 40km/h after being unlocked with ISN code. When you ride over 1000km, then you can set to highest speed 50km/h. 

[RideMc]

@Diana@szkingsong.com   Are these guys an authorized seller?  http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARTWHEEL-KING-SONG-18-INCH-MOTOR-BLACK-ELECTRIC-UNICYCLE-WHEEL-BY-KINGSONG/282319349961?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3D08f4e96cc8594b94ae1a4eb8610e454c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D232180887302

[Diana@szkingsong.com]

59 minutes ago, RideMc said:

@Diana@szkingsong.com   Are these guys an authorized seller?  http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARTWHEEL-KING-SONG-18-INCH-MOTOR-BLACK-ELECTRIC-UNICYCLE-WHEEL-BY-KINGSONG/282319349961?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3D08f4e96cc8594b94ae1a4eb8610e454c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D232180887302

Yes, they are authorized

[RideMc]

1 hour ago, Diana@szkingsong.com said:

Yes, they are authorized

Great!

[Jason McNeil]

Our KS18S/KS16S, ACMS+ & V8s all arrive at the same time, late June/first week of July delivery. This gives an idea of what the process & lead-times are for getting product shipped to the US:

[RideMc]

@Jason McNeil - That's awesome. Thank you so much!  I wish we could order from you.  Just need the wheel a little earlier for reasons on this end!

[Marty Backe]

9 minutes ago, RideMc said:

@Jason McNeil - That's awesome. Thank you so much!  I wish we could order from you.  Just need the wheel a little earlier for reasons on this end!

Don't forget warrantee and service considerations. Jason will be hard to beat in those departments. But of course time considerations can trump all else.

[RideMc]

Yeah. From what I've seen of Jason's site, charts, follow through, and participation in the community, he seems pretty stellar...
 

[US69]

On ‎08‎.‎06‎.‎2017 at 2:23 AM, RideMc said:

Are these guys an authorized seller?  http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARTWHEEL-KING-SONG-18-INCH-MOTOR-BLACK-ELECTRIC-UNICYCLE-WHEEL-BY-KINGSONG/282319349961?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3D08f4e96cc8594b94ae1a4eb8610e454c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D232180887302

Like someone said before:

There are a LOT of different Versions of KS18....

For ME it seams you get a pretty old Version, because a seller with knowledge would stand our that IT IS the latest Version of KS18AY (or18B called).

SO: The seller has no knowledge or it is a old Version of KS18 (which i think more)

 

Inthe states as far as i know only @Jason McNeil is selling the latest Version of KS18, called KS18AY or KS18B and from July on the Sports Version with more power
= KS18S

I would definitly NOT RECOMMEND to buy a unknown Version KS18, from an unknown seller!

There are huge differences in the Versions, so be warned!

 

Example: KS France made a sellOut of their KS18 2-3monts ago to very good Prices...as i asked if this where the latest AY....they were not...

 

 

[Spark]

does the KS18S come with a new shell design?

at the very least these loudspeaker covers should be black on the black model.

[houseofjob]

5 minutes ago, Spark said:

does the KS18S come with a new shell design?

The KS18S is an upgraded spec'd version of the original KS18 design.

 

According to reports, there is a redesigned KS18, that will not be as tall as the original design, due out end of the year. Details AFAIK have not been released yet.

[Dingfelder]

On 6/15/2017 at 0:59 PM, houseofjob said:

The KS18S is an upgraded spec'd version of the original KS18 design.

 

According to reports, there is a redesigned KS18, that will not be as tall as the original design, due out end of the year. Details AFAIK have not been released yet.

Really?  I actually like how tall it is because it would be easier to ride seated on it.  I've seen wonderful seated KS18 riding videos.

[Marty Backe]

56 minutes ago, Dingfelder said:

Really?  I actually like how tall it is because it would be easier to ride seated on it.  I've seen wonderful seated KS18 riding videos.

I've never really gotten the whole "sitting on the wheel" thing. I remember watching some videos of guys (Asian) sitting on the KS18's, but those guys were probably 5'6".  Take a look at Duf riding his Monster - doesn't look all that comfortable, yet when Cindy does it she looks comfortable.

Most of the riding I do involves weaving in and out of places, etc. I don't want to be sitting. But this is all a very personal.

[Dingfelder]

1 minute ago, Marty Backe said:

I've never really gotten the whole "sitting on the wheel" thing. I remember watching some videos of guys (Asian) sitting on the KS18's, but those guys were probably 5'6".  Take a look at Duf riding his Monster - doesn't look all that comfortable, yet when Cindy does it she looks comfortable.

Most of the riding I do involves weaving in and out of places, etc. I don't want to be sitting. But this is all a very personal.

At a bit over 6'1", I imagine the "sitting on the wheel thing" won't work for me either.  Almost certainly not with my MSuper.  However, that doesn't make it not extremely cool.  And I would love to try it.  So much so that I bought the seat even though it is a ridiculously pricey extra for a piece of hard foam, basically.  The upside is just so cool, in my mind, that it's worth a considerable risk.

The KS18 seated driving in a city video that I've linked here in the forums several times is by far one of my favorite EUC vids ever.  Seated riding like that looks like a dream and can clearly be controlled adequately ... at least if you're the right size to ride comfortably in the first place.  The video is not short, so ti doesn't come off as a fortuitous few seconds..

Importantly for me, too, is that with scoliosis, I think my rides might have to be shorter than those of many people.  It's not terrifically visible at my level and in my particular variation of it, but I'm basically never comfortable unless lying down.  I don't know if I've ever been able to stand up straight in my life,.  When I do try to stand or sit in a chair, I am easily fatigued, sometimes even distracted by fatigue.  I need to vary my position constantly in order not to become sore or exhausted.  I think being able to take seated breaks would be immensely helpful to me.

Unfortunately, I don't think any machine but the KS18 or the Gotway Monster will give me any chance at prolonged comfortable riding -- and even then only because of their height and their seats -- and I did not order either machine.  However, I have far more incentive than most to work on my flexibililty if that will help.  It doesn't look like it will -- but the stakes for me are high enough that I will be happy to try.

And I will always have my eye on tall machines and seated riding going forward ...