Phi1osopher

I don't know. I have ridden a few 150+ mile days in about 12 hours. I am reasonably fit, but this was very exhausting -- I would even say brutally exhausting. I think it is a very human challenge, where rider fatigue and critical planning will play a major role for the winner. For me, simple physical fatigue would be the hardest to overcome. Logistical and technical preparations can be made when one is fresh. I hope the competition has some way to clearly verify that all the riding is being done by one person, and not secretly by a team of riders. Either way, I figure I will give it the old college try.

I had a trails race in Austin, Texas in January 2022. It was lightly raining and the trails were that kind of clay that gets very slippery when wet. I had previously never before ridden on anything slippery and I was utterly terrified, but I am pretty good at quickly adapting to these things and gave it everything I had. During the course of the race I learned the beginnings of how to slide sideways on my wheel. I was racing on an original Sherman, as it it was my best wheel at the time. I didn't want to slide sideways, but there was no other option under those conditions. Afterward I realized it was just one more skill that could be learned, and I have been practicing for a year now how to intentionally break traction to do silly things. Also, I won the race. Sadly I do not make videos of my riding, though I really probably should. Anyway, none of that is relevant to the original discussion about capacitors on the mother board, other than it is amazing how our wheel tech has increases such that a trick such as a "reverse burnout" is possible at speeds over 20mph. For my Master, it is holding up well. It has lots of 3D printed armor and a knobby tire. I design custom suspension setups and have the suspension dialed in very well, like a high-end mountain bike with custom designed linkages and a top-shelf RockShock. I am currently working on a 100mm long travel suspension for the wheel to help me ride some particularly horrible trails near where I live. I have also designed a dual-pressure tire system that helps me not damage the rim on big jumps, rocky terrain, and hard drop-ins.... In my opinion the Master with 40t batteries and the LiTech system is an apex-perfect trail wheel when modified with custom suspension, provided that you don't need to go over 35 miles on a charge. It also serves me well on those big jumps that are taller than me, though I am not as good as some of the local bicyclists, nor the few YouTube superstars who are so impressive with their huge jumps.... but the custom suspension and special tire system help protect the wheel and rim as I flail about. Again, my apologies for hijacking a thread. Thank you for asking about my setup.

I have been actively practicing lateral slides or drifting on the wheel on soft or loose ground (not clean, dry pavement), and sometimes will slide out and crash sideways like this. I believe I ride fairly aggressively and crash somewhat often doing all sorts of things.... Learning to slide laterally was a precursor for me to learning to do the reverse burnout while moving forward. On an original Sherman I had it cut out twice under heavy braking, but this was more of an intentionally initiated emergency braking -- as in I was with friends and was showing off how fast and hard I could brake. I braked very hard, the wheel beeped, was overpowered, and dumped me backwards on my butt. I have never actually skidded to a stop on dry pavement, nor have I really tried. With my Master I have never successfully overpowered it on pavement to skid while braking on dry pavement. I can do this on grass or gravel, but it rarely is actually a skid, it usually will be more of a reverse burnout into hard deceleration. When I am doing my "reverse burnout trick" while moving forward with minimal deceleration it feels mostly controlled and predictable. As I do the braking I induce a partial unweighting of the wheel to help it break traction, and I can spray a roostertail of grass or gravel 10 to 20 feet in front of me while traveling 20-30 mph so that the debris strikes the back side of a rider who traveling the same direction and speed who is about 8 to 10 feet in front of me. I have been practicing this fairly hard as a trick and it feels like a controlled move. Did that answer the question?

I have been thoughtfully re-reading the four or five "technically smart" threads related to capacitors since the GOD-MOD thing popped up as I have tried to make heads or tails of it... However, as an aside, Twapie's comment about skidding while braking caught my eye as I have been just recently been practicing some radical braking moves on my 40t battery Master. When I am going along at a quick cli p (say 20-30mph), I can try to brake so hard that the wheel momentarily spins backwards, doing a reverse burnout while I continue moving forward. I was inspired by hockey ice skaters spraying ice while doing a "hockey stop." When on a group ride on loose terrain (gravel, dirt, grass) I can effectively "spray" my friend in front of of me with this very hard braking "reverse burnout" move while more or less maintaining my speed. Aside from its novelty, and the *cough cough JOY it must cause my friends, it utterly astonishes me that my wheel has the raw torque to do this at 20-30mph.

Please read to the end!! I strongly suspect that most of this failure is due to the poor stock suspension geometry, which requires that the shock is significantly over inflated for minimal functionality, and thus over torqueing on those parts, causing the observed failure. The shock on the Master is very similar to a MTN Bike's rear suspension. Except where a mountain bike would require maybe a 300lb/in to 500lb/in rated spring, the Master (because of its bad stock linkage geometry) requires closer to 2000lb/in of force!!! I have long speculated that it was just a matter of time where we would start to see the collateral damage from the absurd amounts of force the stock geometry puts on all the supporting components. So, yes, the parts in the photos would benefit from a slightly more robust design. However, the real solution is a simple suspension linkage upgrade. **While the stock suspension links may apply 1500lb/in to 2500lb/in of force to these components, an upgraded suspension linkage might only apply 300lb/in to 500lb/in!!

https://youtu.be/tgWxYBd9IAg My thoughts on what is wrong with the Begode Master's suspension. The video has low production quality, but hopefully unpacks some good information. I want to preference all this by saying my measurements and numbers are approximate. I made quick and reasonably accurate measurements and calculations that should be good enough to initiate an informed conversation. If your numbers are similar but a little different, please let me know. Basically, the Master's linkage geometry is really really bad and the shock is not good enough for the bad linkage design. Actually no shock is good enough to compensate for the bade linkage design. Let's talk about the Master's suspension. The Master has 70mm of actual wheel travel (as measured from 5mm top bump stop to 5mm bottom bump stop) and 21mm of shock travel (normally you'd want about 50mm of shock travel). This 70mm to 21mm yields a 3.33:1 wheel-to-shock-travel-ratio, which is incredibly bad -- the worst I've ever seen. A typically decent MTB (mountain bike) will have an approximate 2.5:1 ratio, +/- 0.4. When this ratio is higher a stronger spring is required for any given weight; suspension geometry with lower ratios will require less spring for the same load. This means a heavy MTB rider might seek out a bike whose rear suspension geometry has a lower ratio. Remember EUCs are HEAVY. The Master's absurd 3.33:1 ratio means it needs a strong spring. How strong? Most calculators I used suggested the Master would require an absurd >2400lb/in rated spring for an approx 220 lb rider. A typical MTB might use a spring closer to 400lb/in. This HUGE spring is a real problem. This explains why everyone with a Master has to buy a special aftermarket shock pump to over inflate their air shock to >400 psi, even though the shock is only rated up to about 250 psi. Yes, 400-500psi technically will create enough spring pressure to hold up a 220lb rider and mostly reduce bottoming out, but it will also grossly overpower the shock until it has lost all it's value: for instance, the high psi will overwhelm it's compression dampening, and slam back to fully extended, causing constant top outs. these high pressures will physically destroy the shock while utterly ruining any advantageous ride characteristics supposedly provide by having suspension in the first place. Additionally, a mere 21mm of shock travel simply is not enough to make all the magical suspension things happen: good shocks have a lot going on, and all the cool suspension things take time to happen, as measured in millimeters of travel. So, basically, the Master's stock suspension completely sucks. What can be done about this? One suggestion has been to upgrade the shock. There are a few options out there - basically anything is better than the crappy "190-35" stock shock - but even the best shock in the world can't escape the linkage geometry's 3.33:1 ratio and it's miniscule 21mm of travel. (Remember, changing the shock will do nothing to change the 21mm of travel. The shock travel is determined by the linkage's geometry and the wheel's travel, both of which are effectively unadjustable.) The "190-50 RockShox Monarch" is a pretty good shock at a fair price point, and it definitely should make the Master ride a little better. There is also another inexpensive sub-$100 coil shock out there that is fairly nice and can really help change how the Master rides. But in the end I see these as only band-aids to the more serious problem of the geometry. They can't fix the 3.33 ratio and the horrible 21mm of travel. They just work with it a little better than the stock shock. So the geometry. Right now the only marketed solution that I know of happens to be an incredibly good one: the Kuba Link/ Torque Pads linkage kit. (Yes, Kuba and Torque Pads formed a partnership. As far as I know their linkage can only be bought through the Torque Pads website.) Why is this linkage kit so so good? It completely replaces the stock suspension linkage to yield a whopping 50mm of travel, and it does this without compromising space, retaining a mostly standard 190mm eyelet to eyelet shock spacing. 50mm of travel changes the ratio from 3.33 to 1.4! Remember, the lower the number, the more weight it can handle. Several different MTB rear shock spring rate calculators indicate that increasing the shock travel from 21mm to 50mm reduces the amount of spring required for a 220lb rider on a heavy EUC (heavy compared to a bicycle) from 2400lb/in down to about 400lb/in. This is exciting. A 400 spring is a very normal spring. That puts us exactly in the middle of the weight rated range of basically every decent air & coil shock out there. Or in other words 50mm of shock travel means that the shocks can finally work like actual shocks, managing the wheel & rider's weight, providing real bottom-out protection, and allow for real fast & slow compression rebound adjustments. Note the stock shock is a 190-35 air shock with basic adjustable compression dampening - it's maximum compression is 35mm, so when you replace the linkage you will want a shock with at least 50mm of travel. Basically, I believe the only real solution to redeem the Master as one of the Best wheels available is to first replace the suspension linkage geometry, and then put literally any upgraded coil spring or air shock on it. And if you were to install a really good shock it ought to be able to truly shine, providing true high quality, possible real professional racer-quality suspension.

Just so you know, the control board I received is conspicuously different from the one that came in my wheel. I had to break off the 1.5" brass risers from my old board -- the ones that go between the top of the main board to the display. And then I had to drill out the mounts to attach my display using those risers. My board came with a separate chip wrapped in foam, and this was an updated display controller to correct the known "no display in cold conditions" problem. There is also an additional ground strap that I affixed to the black main housing/ display. Finally I had to purchase a replacement thermal mat for under the board. You may wish to pre-order one now, I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SYLVQ47 And finally-finally, after all this work it still didn't work. If yours is the same as mine you will need to update the firmware by connecting to the Begode app, and selecting firmware "Master V2.3 GW2014804" There is apparently a code to these 9- digit codes. The first six digits designate the wheel's hardware, and the last 3 are the firmware. My board's previous firmware was "GW2014803." To get to the firmware, log into your wheel in the Begode app. Then got to "Me" (with the person silhouette icon in the bottom-right corner) > Settings > Firmware Update > then scroll until your find "Master v2.3 GW2014804. Good luck! -Steve Good luck!

That is what I was told from Begode, but it turned out to be wrong information. The issue has been resolved with a fresh official firmware update, v2.3.

Well, I just had a very good experience with my brand new broken Begode V2 Master. Mine is an eWheels with LiTech T40 batteries. It arrived with a faulty control board. There was a defective mosfet that literally exploded on my initial low-speed test ride: I was going slow - around 10-20 mph - I was still just getting my jump pads oriented when it blew. There were horrible loud electrical fire sounds and gobs of black smoke. It was terrifying! Fast forward a bit while eWheels sources me a new control board and fast ships it to me. Begode really seems to be struggling to get things right because the new board also was not working. After a few emails we sorted out that the new board's firmware was wrong and incompatible with normal updates. Fortunately Jason has been dialoging directly with Begode, and over night Begode released a new Master V2.3 firmware (thank you Begode!!), which I was able to install this morning fixing my wheel. I just want to shout out some kudos and my gratitude to Jason and the eWheels team for their top-notch customer support and for going the extra mile. First they fronted the $$ to air ship replacement parts from China, and then when there was an ongoing problem they were dialoguing directly with the manufacture to help coordinate a rapid firmware release to finally solve this issue. I have trouble imagining anyone else putting forth so much effort for their customers. I waited a bit longer to get my V2 LiTech Master from eWheels. We all know our EUC's are sometimes frequented with complicated issues. I have five 'higher end' EUCs, and four of them have had some sort of warranty issue. My decision to purchase my Master through eWheels was based on their impeccable customer support. When I am spending more than $3000 on a cool toy I want to be assured the seller has my back. Additionally, I know from first hand inspection that the LiTech batteries are assembled and manufactured to a higher standard, consistently employing "best practices" while Begode has CONSISTANTLY demonstrated they will cut corners with their battery construction. In the LiTech packs I have personally seen things like the nickel strips being more robust, welded, and routed better, etc. Many of us have seen photos of almost new Begode packs with cracked nickel strips where they were routed poorly or too sharply bent, creating hot spots and real fire hazards that were not even related to unstable battery chemistry issues... I have little kids, and I don't want to worry about my battery packs shorting and burning my house down while I'm sleeping. For me it is worth waiting a bit longer and even paying a bit more for a better product with better support. Am I an eWheels fan boy? Hell yes, I certainly am. It has been well earned.

EDIT #2 Turns out the new board Begode sent me had a bad firmware that was incompatible with updating... Last night (11/15/22) they released Master firmware v 2.3 which solved my problem. I am trying to update firmware on my V2 Master - eWheels version w/LiTech batteries. (My wheel arrived with a defective board, and apparently the new board I just received doesn't support the LiTech packs, so Begode tech support wants me to upgrade the firmware.) ... except I can't get it to install. Where can I download the older Begode app V 1.0.9? The current 1.0.13 is not working for me. EDIT: I downloaded 1.0.9 from here, but it didn't solve my problem. https://m.newasp.com/android/746321.html I have carefully tried to follow the online tutorials but I'm either doing something wrong, or there's something wrong with my new board.

I found where to buy them new: https://torquepads.com/en/begode-master/27-2765-torque-pads-suspension-kit.html#/11-color-black/27-mounting_standard-upgraded_shock

Did you buy a Kuba Begode Master suspension linkage kit and decided you don't want to install it? I would like to give it a try!

Thank you. EWheels had me return my Sherman Max (right) battery packs to be repaired. I got it back abut 2 weeks later, apparently good as new.

Sherman Max I weigh 225lbs (with gear) 25mph (intentionally slow for range test) Flat terrain, mostly roads, with a few dirt trails 80 mile range.

I am a Sherman Max owner that started experiencing extreme tiltback going 20-something mph with 90% battery charge. It is now displaying the "bt LoY" warning. Batteries are fully charged, indicating 99.5 on both sides, as measured at the XT90 connectors with everything unplugged. It will ride normally about 300 feet then fully tilt back. no beeps. Working on finding a solution.