V10F Review: An enthusiast perspective

[Jeffrey Scott Will]

I've had lots of time with the pre-production unit we used to make the launch video a month ago, but yesterday I got the chance to have some quality time with the first production units. So I finally finished my review. Spoiler alert: I like it. ?

https://www.myinmotion.com/blogs/news/v10f-review-enthusiast-perspective

 

 

[WARPed1701D]

Nice write up. Good to see some critical points too to help confirm an honest review. I'm intrigued about the pedal sensitivity option and look forward to hearing the opinions of others about it. You seem to have many of the priorities and needs I do when it comes to wheel design.

I look forward to the day I can move from the V8 to the V10. As much as I love my V8 I see the V10 being a big step up in safety.

[Jeffrey Scott Will]

1 minute ago, WARPed1701D said:

Nice write up. Good to see some critical points too to help confirm an honest review. I'm intrigued about the pedal sensitivity option and look forward to hearing the opinions of others about it. You seem to have many of the priorities and needs I do when it comes to wheel design.

I look forward to the day I can move from the V8 to the V10. As much as I love my V8 I see the V10 being a big step up in safety.

Thanks! You know, I will never stop enjoying V8/G3. It's my daily driver now, and it will continue to fill a more portable spot in my arsenal. I find having wheels that ride very differently keeps me on my toes and allows me to appreciate all the nuances. In the end, the V10F is the one I will choose if I want to hit the road - which might become more necessary if these rental scooter companies keep pushing west coast cities towards banning all things scooter on the sidewalks. 

[UniVehje]

29 minutes ago, Jeffrey Scott Will said:

Thanks! You know, I will never stop enjoying V8/G3. It's my daily driver now, and it will continue to fill a more portable spot in my arsenal. I find having wheels that ride very differently keeps me on my toes and allows me to appreciate all the nuances. In the end, the V10F is the one I will choose if I want to hit the road - which might become more necessary if these rental scooter companies keep pushing west coast cities towards banning all things scooter on the sidewalks. 

Same here. I'm not selling my Ninebot one S2 after getting my V10F now. I might switch it to another small and nimble 14" model, though. The V10 feels very different. It's not a matter of being better or worse, just very different. If I go shopping to the centre or to a pub, I'll take the small wheel. Or if I just want to have fun and do some agility, the V10F is not always the right choice. For a long, fast and relaxed ride it definitely is an amazing wheel!

[Rehab1]

A superb review! Thanks for discussing the footboard sensitivity settings. These adjustments are new to me.

Not to many people would actually thank you for the delay in shipping but I greatly appreciate it. It arrives next week just around the time I can spread my wings again.  

[Esash]

Congrats Rehab!

[Unventor]

16 hours ago, Jeffrey Scott Will said:

I've had lots of time with the pre-production unit we used to make the launch video a month ago, but yesterday I got the chance to have some quality time with the first production units. So I finally finished my review. Spoiler alert: I like it. ?

https://www.myinmotion.com/blogs/news/v10f-review-enthusiast-perspective

 

 

Nice picture...but I had hoped we would see a matt'/rubberized version. I get allergic outbreak of these glossy shinny finnish.

I have been toying the idea to dismount the side panel and test spray paint it in clear matt coat ....itcy trigger finger.. itcy trichy...hmm must resist.

[Rehab1]

1 hour ago, Unventor said:

Nice picture...but I had hoped we would see a matt'/rubberized version. I get allergic outbreak of these glossy shinny finnish.

I have been toying the idea to dismount the side panel and test spray paint it in clear matt coat ....itcy trigger finger.. itcy trichy...hmm must resist.

I agree a matte black finish would look awesome on the V10F.  Not sure why GW chose the same shinny finish for Tesla. I say man up and go for it! You experiment painting your V10F and I will experiment changing out the pedal grips. 

[Rehab1]

3 hours ago, Scouts Honor said:

Congrats Rehab!

Thanks! I like the way UPS personalizes their tracking updates. ?

 

[TechShizzle]

On 5/4/2018 at 12:05 PM, UniVehje said:

Same here. I'm not selling my Ninebot one S2 after getting my V10F now. I might switch it to another small and nimble 14" model, though. The V10 feels very different. It's not a matter of being better or worse, just very different. If I go shopping to the centre or to a pub, I'll take the small wheel. Or if I just want to have fun and do some agility, the V10F is not always the right choice. For a long, fast and relaxed ride it definitely is an amazing wheel!

Agree completely. 

After taking it out for a bit today it made me appreciate how quick and nimble the V8 is. The V8 is easily controlled with a lean, where the V10F is more lean and muscle. Maybe that’s the distinction-the V10F just takes more work to ride. Since I don’t have much experience with the bigger/heavier wheels, perhaps putting some miles on the V10F will make it easier to ride.

I thought I’d retire (or at least not use) my V8 much after the arrival of the V10F, but I think @Jeffrey Scott Will is right on about the 2 wheels having different missions and use cases. 

I think for me, the V10F will be the commuter wheel, and the V8 will be the fun and shorter trip wheel. 

Now if I could only get in on the beta of the inMotion app......

 

Edit: I forgot to mention that while the pedals are higher than the V8 pedals, I still managed to scrape both of them today. They seem a good bit wider than the V8’s pedals, and I think that somewhat negates the added height of the V10’s pedals, at least for sharp turns. 

[UniVehje]

16 hours ago, TechShizzle said:

Agree completely. 

After taking it out for a bit today it made me appreciate how quick and nimble the V8 is. The V8 is easily controlled with a lean, where the V10F is more lean and muscle. Maybe that’s the distinction-the V10F just takes more work to ride. Since I don’t have much experience with the bigger/heavier wheels, perhaps putting some miles on the V10F will make it easier to ride.

I thought I’d retire (or at least not use) my V8 much after the arrival of the V10F, but I think @Jeffrey Scott Will is right on about the 2 wheels having different missions and use cases. 

I think for me, the V10F will be the commuter wheel, and the V8 will be the fun and shorter trip wheel. 

Now if I could only get in on the beta of the inMotion app......

Very similar thoughts here. It’s a completely new type of wheel for me. Today I have realized that it will never feel the same as the S2 or other lighter wheels. In lower speeds doing agility type of riding it just isn’t as fun. But I also found a new fun zone that I could never reach with the smaller wheel. I just needed to drive it faster and harder. This wheel loves speed. It starts to perform at higher speeds, around 20+ km/h. After that the feel changes and it doesn’t feel large and top heavy anymore. There’s just endless grip and power. It’s like made for high speed carving and tight cornes leaning with whole body at speed. 

I think manufactures should start making riding characteristics as one of the most important specs in new wheels. We already have enough range and top speed. These come with draw backs also. A wheel is always a compromise between different features. I can see the challenge with the V10. At lower speeds it really is very top heavy. I’m still not sure if I like it like that. I miss the lightness, ability to turn easily and the acceleration of the smaller wheel. But it was quite promising to ride it faster and harder. 

There are two main forces that affect my riding in my view. The heavy battery back swinging between my legs plus rotational inertia of the chunky wheel. These forces either want to keep the wheel going straight or continue the swinging motion that it started. Every movement takes more energy to counter or initiate as there are so much more mass and inertia. It also reacts quite slow to acceleration with my current settings. This makes it clumsy at slow speeds, especially compared to the small wheels. But at high speeds it’s a totally different story. 

I think all the reviews and spec sheets should include a smile factor of the wheel. 

I can’t wait to get the app and start experimenting and learning more. I don’t like the default feel so much. 

[houseofjob]

@UniVehje Just put in the hours and mess around with body & foot postioning and you’ll get the same low speed feel and agility you get on your S2.

I’ve found over the years the bigger the wheel going slow, the more you the rider on the wheel needs to move around it in order to idle / go slow. 

Wider feet are also another key, as that widens the base of the triangle made by your split legs on the pedals, thus more stable (ie bringing your legs more off of the side pads).

Recently, I’ve found even pronating my feet (-)( )(-) so they are perpendicular to the pedal length, not parallel like the usual (1)( )(1)’s positioning, allows me to go slow on a bigger wheel by rocking the wheel side-to-side, keeping balance at low speed.

[UniVehje]

17 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

@UniVehje Just put in the hours and mess around with body & foot postioning and you’ll get the same low speed feel and agility you get on your S2.

I’ve found over the years the bigger the wheel going slow, the more you the rider on the wheel needs to move around it in order to idle / go slow. 

Wider feet are also another key, as that widens the base of the triangle made by your split legs on the pedals, thus more stable (ie bringing your legs more off of the side pads).

Recently, I’ve found even pronating my feet (- -) so they are perpendicular to the pedal length, not parallel like the usual 11’s positioning, allows me to go slow on a bigger wheel by rocking the wheel side-to-side, keeping balance at low speed.

The wider position I found already and it helps. But still more work as it takes more energy to stop or start swinging motion when there is more weight and especially at the top. But good to know it will come with practice. 

Do you put toes inward or outward?

[houseofjob]

24 minutes ago, UniVehje said:

The wider position I found already and it helps. But still more work as it takes more energy to stop or start swinging motion when there is more weight and especially at the top. But good to know it will come with practice. 

Do you put toes inward or outward?

Hmm, maybe wider feet than that, but not in an uncomfortable way. Your upper torso + hips need to move more for sure, always making the  intended balance turn first, then legs follow in delay.

For riding with perpendicular feet, I’m a righty so will point both feet to the right, which orients your body to also face a bit right, as if you were riding a skate or snowboard. (this positioning also makes you more aerodynamic for head-on wind)

Sometimes I’ll only do halfway, where my left foot points into the wheel body / right, while my right foot is regular / pointing forward, which will still also allow me to rock the wheel body more easily.

[UniVehje]

23 hours ago, houseofjob said:

Hmm, maybe wider feet than that, but not in an uncomfortable way. Your upper torso + hips need to move more for sure, always making the  intended balance turn first, then legs follow in delay.

For riding with perpendicular feet, I’m a righty so will point both feet to the right, which orients your body to also face a bit right, as if you were riding a skate or snowboard. (this positioning also makes you more aerodynamic for head-on wind)

Sometimes I’ll only do halfway, where my left foot points into the wheel body / right, while my right foot is regular / pointing forward, which will still also allow me to rock the wheel body more easily.

Thanks for this. I never thought about going a bit sideways. I must try it soon. 

I've been doing these tight turning practices a lot with this wheel. It really helps learning to ride it. I'm trying to push harder and harder with as much speed as I dare. Now I'm already reaching the default speed limit 25 km/h so I need the app soon. This tire feels very grippy and there's so much power. 

 

[TechShizzle]

1 hour ago, UniVehje said:

Thanks for this. I never thought about going a bit sideways. I must try it soon. 

I've been doing these tight turning practices a lot with this wheel. It really helps learning to ride it. I'm trying to push harder and harder with as much speed as I dare. Now I'm already reaching the default speed limit 25 km/h so I need the app soon. This tire feels very grippy and there's so much power. 

 

Got some more time on the 10F today. For my circle practice what I do is go in circles and “figure 8s” on the corner sidewalk while I wait for green lights so I can cross the street. I’m definitely getting more comfortable on the 10. 

It felt today like the 10 tilts back at a lower speed than the V8, but then it occurred to me to check the speed on DarknessBot. At about 13mph the 10 starts to tilt back, and the alarm goes off at about 16 mph. It doesn’t feel like I was going that fast on the 10 (definitely does on the 8, though).

The V10 wants to go faster, and I cant wait to get the new app also so I can adjust the speed limit. It kind of feels like a Ferrari stuck in first gear right now. 

[houseofjob]

@UniVehje @TechShizzle have you guys tried the DarknessBot unlock at all?

[UniVehje]

21 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

@UniVehje @TechShizzle have you guys tried the DarknessBot unlock at all?

Good point. I haven’t. I think I even have it downloaded but forgot about it. Task for tomorrow. 

[houseofjob]

Just now, UniVehje said:

Good point. I haven’t. I think I even have it downloaded but forgot about it. Task for tomorrow. 

Yes, let us know if you delve into DB!

[UniVehje]

8 hours ago, houseofjob said:

Yes, let us know if you delve into DB!

I got a connection on DB but I didn't find any settings for speed limit. 

The bluetooth on this wheel keeps disconnecting. Same with just using it as a speaker. Probably software issue. 

[TechShizzle]

2 hours ago, UniVehje said:

I got a connection on DB but I didn't find any settings for speed limit. 

The bluetooth on this wheel keeps disconnecting. Same with just using it as a speaker. Probably software issue. 

Same. 

[Jeffrey Scott Will]

@UniVehje New InMotion App update with new features and V10 support should hit any day now - it was submitted to the app stores a few days ago. You're getting tilt back earlier because the speed is limited by slider by default. Soon you'll have the full potential beneath your feet.

[Unventor]

3 minutes ago, Jeffrey Scott Will said:

@UniVehje New InMotion App update with new features and V10 support should hit any day now - it was submitted to the app stores a few days ago. You're getting tilt back earlier because the speed is limited by slider by default. Soon you'll have the full potential beneath your feet.

I have been waiting for this message the past few weeks. Very happy news.

@Jeffrey Scott Will do know if the new app will support second screed e.g.. Samsung smart watch so I can see speed but can tug away my note8 as it is fairly big to have on the arm.

[Rehab1]

Are any members having issues with keeping your feet well planted on the V10F pedals during tight turns? My wheel arrives tomorrow and I’m vacillating back and forth about enhancing the current OEM rubber foot pads with strategically placed grip tape. 

[UniVehje]

26 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

Are any members having issues with keeping your feet well planted on the V10F pedals during tight turns? My wheel arrives tomorrow and I’m vacillating back and forth about enhancing the current OEM rubber foot pads with strategically placed grip tape. 

I don’t have any problem with that in tight turns. If the ground is bouncy then sometimes my feet jump backwards a bit. I don’t think grip tape would help that. I need to shoot slowmo video of my feet and see what is happening.