Apparently, I have arrived.

[Catlord17]

So today I used my EUC (MSuper V3s+) to replace my car going to lunch and back, a 16.5 mile round trip.  This was the first time I felt comfortable enough to not only ride the whole way, where possible, in the bike lane, but do so during the day in normal traffic.  On top of that, I achieved a new speed record of 28.3 mph, and a new temperature record of 51 degrees C.  Prior to the trip, I used the Gotway app to set the alarm so that only the 80% warning alarm remained active, and I set the tiltback to 47 kph.  During my ride, no alarm sounded and no tiltback was experienced.  It took me 67 minutes to get there and back.  I was able to successfully bring it into the restaurant, as well. Naturally, fully geared up, with a backpack to store everything in while I was there.

So apparently, I have arrived as being able to use almost all of the speed and power this machine has to offer.  This really excites me.  I've started being able to carve at will, and I guess now I can start learning stuff like going backwards.

To those with more experience, a few questions:

1. Is it normal for the wheel to become slightly unbalanced at high speeds when you have slime in it?  

2. Is a tiltback of 47 kph safe, or could it potentially overload the battery and cause a cutout?

3. Is a temperature of 51C something to be concerned about?

Thanks all. 

[houseofjob]

Congrats!

24 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

1. Is it normal for the wheel to become slightly unbalanced at high speeds when you have slime in it?  

Shouldn't I believe. 

The centrifugal force should spread out the slime against the tire as you go, unless you're trying to fill up the tire with slime 

 

24 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

2. Is a tiltback of 47 kph safe, or could it potentially overload the battery and cause a cutout?

Always wondered about this.

Early 67.7V MSuper / Gotway reports said setting tiltback at max/near-max speeds could cause cutouts, but haven't really heard of those issues any more these days, esp after the upgrade to the 84V line.

Personally ride my Monster to the max with no tiltback on.

 

24 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

3. Is a temperature of 51C something to be concerned about?

I'll let the West Coast, King of Hills guys answer this one.

 

[Circuitmage]

Congrats! 

It's a paradigm shift being able to change your habits.

I have only taken my car to the train station 3 times in the last 4 weeks. I have learned how to gear myself up and find the best paths for where I have to go. I only have a 2.1mi ride to train station and 1/2 mi ride from station to work, but that adds up to 5.2 miles per day, and saves me from walking downtown...which puts a toll on my feet.

Since I started, my average speed has gone up from 12mph to 15 mph, but that really depends on 2 horrible intersections I have to go through, in part.

I have reduced the ride from 17 mins (on my Inmotion V3) , down to 8mins 10 seconds on my KS16S.

The only thing I am worried about is IF something happens, as this is the defining risk factor being on only 1 wheel.

You are going faster and farther than I am, so I cannot answer those questions!

 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

1. Not sure, probably not related due to the small mass of the Slime, could be nervous feedback oscillation at higher speeds from your legs.
2. Might be better a little lower?  Some people turn off tiltback and just rely on the third beep of doom to save warn them of potential trouble.  Remember to factor in when your battery is at 20-30%.
3. My measely Ninebot One E+ reaches 50°C on a regular run so it should be fine I would think on a Gotway.

[meepmeepmayer]

I'd put a speed warning 2 km/h below the tiltback so it won't surprise you at high speeds, which would be potentially non-good. Or disable tiltback and only listen for the 80% (or whatever it exactly is) alarm.

The ms3/ACM overheat and stop you at 79°C. 50°C is essentially a little warmer than frozen for them.

[Catlord17]

Thanks for the feedback guys.  The wheel has probably 4.25 ounces of slime in it, and was significantly unbalanced for the first 15 minutes of the ride, after which it faded and there was almost no imbalance during the rest of the first half of the run.  It is possible that the imbalance only happens at 25 mph+, and I was not able to travel that fast for the last 3rd of the first half, because there were no bike lanes and the sidewalks limit my speed to 15-20 mph as a result of their not being truly smooth.  I seriously doubt it's anything to do with my legs, but it does have me somewhat concerned.

If I understand correctly, the third alarm signals that you are using >80% of the remaining battery power, no?

As to the heat, it is good to know that even pushing my wheel to close to it;s limits, I will never overheat it.  I hope.

And last but not least, I think I'll set tiltback to 45 kph.  I was thinking that earlier, so I think I'll go with that suggestion.  Maybe 15 mph, and see if it affects the range.  I took the wheel from 82% to 50% so I'm still getting really good mileage, even though I'm doing high speeds and going over (admittedly small) bridges.

Is it safe to charge the wheel every time I use it, if I charge it up to 80% 9/10 times?

[LanghamP]

Because of the higher speeds that you are enjoying, I recommend you top off your wheel every single time you use it, and make sure that top off is at least 80%. If you know you'll be riding the wheel immediately, then keep charging until it's time to go. Because batteries work on the rubber band principle, that is they are like a rubber band being wound, then it followed you want as much on tap power as possible. All too often riders expect 100% performance at 40% charge, which of course is exceptionally dangerous.

[edwin_rm]

If by unbalanced you mean that you get a wobble, then that means your foot positioning is off. Every single time, that is the cause. The higher the speed, the more that foot positioning matters. As you get more used to the speed, the wobbling will disappear.

But keep in mind, every wheel is different, so different models will require different foot positioning. When it becomes second nature, meaning, when you become one with any specifiic wheel, the wobble disappears. This happens to me every time I buy a new wheel. At first I wobble at high speed, but after a few rides, I become natural when riding the newer wheel, and never again get a wobble. Only smooth riding.

[Catlord17]

3 hours ago, edwin_rm said:

If by unbalanced you mean that you get a wobble, then that means your foot positioning is off. Every single time, that is the cause. The higher the speed, the more that foot positioning matters. As you get more used to the speed, the wobbling will disappear.

But keep in mind, every wheel is different, so different models will require different foot positioning. When it becomes second nature, meaning, when you become one with any specifiic wheel, the wobble disappears. This happens to me every time I buy a new wheel. At first I wobble at high speed, but after a few rides, I become natural when riding the newer wheel, and never again get a wobble. Only smooth riding.

In this case, my wheel exhibits two different types of wobble.  The first is the wobble it gets when I am doing a hard deceleration, which is where it wobbles side to side.  The second, which is what I was referring to in the OP, is one that results from the wheel itself being imperfectly balanced.  There is a distinct rhythmic imbalance and happens in the direction of the wheel's motion, and seems to only happen at speeds above 24 mph.  In my case, neither of these results from improper foot positioning, because I make good and sure every time I step on that my foot positioning is perfect before I accelerate beyond about 5 mph.  Anything higher with a bad foot placement results in a definitely unsafe ride, and "ain't nobody got time fadat".  I want to have fun, de-stress and get places, not kill myself.  So foot placement has been a point of a lot of practice for me, and I usually get it right in one try.  If not, I immediately feel it, and I adjust my feet at low speeds until they're equally placed on the pedals.

I wish it was as simple as foot placement.

[houseofjob]

I concur with @edwin_rm: if your wheel is not wobbling at low speed, then it is most likely the technique you are using at high speeds. 

Moreso than foot positioning though, I would say most important is to favor weight on one side while you are riding, especially at high speeds (this is common ski technique that translates perfectly to EUCs.)

If you are turning right, favor your weight on your left foot, and vice-versa. Even when traveling relatively straight at high speeds, I am still slightly 'turning', favoring the respective side.

Conversely, I can make any of my wheels wobble if I am going fast and straight, with my weight perfectly balanced 50/50 on the pedals; worse if my feet are positioned equally parallel/mirrored to each other. (same phenomenon happens in skiing, both skis will jitter/shudder going downhill this way)

Had a friend who was having wobbling issues on his V5F, and this tip cleared it up right away.

[LanghamP]

Wheels are prone to all sorts of wobbles, at any and all speeds, and under both constant speed and acceleration. My advice is contrary to others because I think wobbles should be embraced instead of avoided.

A wobble isn't the wheel trying to kill you, it's the wheel trying to rebalance itself. A spinning wheel is working as a gyroscope, and it wants to be stable. Wobbles are your friend, not your enemy. Inducing a wobble is just you trying to change the speed and/or the direction of the wheel; you need those wobbles to make the wheel work, so play with those wobbles (within reason) and see how they make your wheel behave <better>.

Caveat; a vibration is entirely different. Means something is broken, like a nail, untrued wheel, bubble in the tire, etc...

Need to fix that.

[Scatcat]

I concur with both @edwin_rm and @houseofjob, but I'd like to add something from my own experience.

Experiment with your foot and knee positioning a bit. You may well find that a "perfectly parallel", "perfectly balanced" positioning is not what gives you the best stability in real life. Most of us favour one leg slightly, and the individual positioning forward backward, side to side, toes outward or parallel affect how strongly this comes through in our riding experience. If you learn to wiggle one foot at a time a bit, toe to heel, heel to toe, without affecting your balance as you ride, you can adjust while you go. Even small adjustments can make all the difference.

I find that my left foot needs to be a few millimeters further forward and out than my right, since my left leg is probably not only a bit weaker but also a few mm shorter than my right. I've not measured it, so I'm not sure, but a small adjustment makes my ride a lot more comfortable and the tendencies to wobble go away.

 

[Catlord17]

Very interesting suggestions.  I realize that it is definitely true that I am new to high speed wheeling, so it cannot be ruled out that this is the case.  I will have to spend some time trying out these suggestions, then, thank you all.

I'm not really wanting to be a speed demon and ride around at 25 mph+ all the time, I was thinking a top speed of about 15 to 20 is good.  But I do want to understand my wheel and how to be safe and in control at all speeds, so I will give this some attention and see if it makes a difference.  Thank you all again for your time and help.

Today I rode around for an hour at speeds not exceeding 15 mph and while I did experience a little bit of the wobble, it wasn't very obvious.  Rode from dropping my girlfriend off at the dentist, to the park where I used to practice, to all over the neighborhood where that park is located.  Found some (Florida style) "hills" (20 degrees, 20 feet tall) and explored them.  Had a blast until my feet went numb.