Recommendations?

[Kevin]

Hey all,

I'm looking into getting an EUC for the first time, and looking for something for under 800 USD (preferably under 600 really, but there doesn't seem to be good stuff for cheap). My criteria are:

• Not going to catastrophically fail (I read the thread on unexpected shutdowns)
• Power to climb hills, as I live in Seattle
• Be easily able to do 10 miles (if it's cheap enough then I don't mind shorter range)
• Ability to go 'off road' is a plus, e.g. gravel, dirt, grass

I was looking at the IPS 122 as it seems to check all the major boxes - 16 inch, 1000 watt, 260Wh, and for 700 USD on Amazon. However it seems pretty barebones, and on the heavier side at 30lb.

I was also considering the King Song 14B at only 600 USD from electricunicyclereviews.com. My reasons for this one are that it gets great reviews, has lots of features and the ability to configure for a 'soft' ride etc. as desired, and with a modular battery I could theoretically get long range when needed but leave the extra battery weight at home when not needed. Overall the form factor seems light and super compact, which is nice. My concerns are whether with a 14 inch wheel it would only be usable on pavement and whether 500 watts is enough for steeper hills.

Can anyone comment on these issues? Or make alternate recommendations?

**P.S. I also have read some reviews that indicated that the software of the EUC is also important in whether it feels fluid and enjoyable when riding, but couldn't find any specific information about this for either of the two I mentioned.

[Cloud]

If you need 10 miles you shopuld get a wheel that advertizes at least 3 times the distance. Id say tht 340 battery is an absolute minimum. I recommend 520wh battery. I have a kingsong 14 inch with 680 battery 800w and its a nice wheel but it only goes for 20 miles on a charge. I mean i dont know your weight, i am 100 kg and distance will depend on weight. But in the colder months distance will decrease, also over time batery will not perform as well. Kingsong Replaceable batteries is an optiion but do you really want to carry the extra battery with you when you are riding? 

509 watts will take you over the hills maybe 15-20 degress but if you want steeper you shoukd go with higher power

i havent tried other wheels so i cannot compare but ips seems to be a reliable brand too

i dont know what your requirements are in terms of speed and whether you need a headlight or not but these are things to think about. Riding at night without the light is dangerous

in terms of the wheel size, for your purpose i wouldnt go with anything less than 14. Get either 14 or 16 inch. 18 will probably be too large and heavy

 

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for the info - you mentioned headlights, do you find that the headlight on the king song is bright enough to be useful? Also, with the 14 inch wheel have you been able to ride on grass/gravel or other non-paved surfaces?

As for weight, I'm only 73kg, so not sure how that would affect the range (I might wear a backpack though, so say 80kg).

[Timothy Kessler]

A great starter euc with the right safety features is the huanxi h1, you can get it from www.electricunicyclereviews.com for around $420, or if you don't mind ordering from China, I can get you a link a seller I've bought from on aliexpress that has it around $350 with free shipping 

[Cloud]

The headlight is bright enough to be useful. Even though i wish it was a bit brighter. But it still makes a different between being able to ride in the dark and not being able to ride. Yes you can ride on grass if its relatively smooth. If not this could be a problem. With 80 kg you will do better than me and my guess is you will get about 25-30 miles out of a 680 battery in the warmer months

A great starter euc with the right safety features is the huanxi h1, you can get it from www.electricunicyclereviews.com for around $420, or if you don't mind ordering from China, I can get you a link a seller I've bought from on aliexpress that has it around $350 with free shipping 

170 wh may not be enough for him to do 10 miles

[robca]

170 wh may not be enough for him to do 10 miles

And I also doubt that a 340Wh motor can take 80Kg load uphill comfortably (esp in Seattle, which is a very hilly city). Definitely the combination of hilly terrain, small battery and 80Kg won't make for a pleasant 10 miles trip. As soon as the battery pack reaches halfway, probably the low voltage warning will kick in as soon as the grade changes

[Gimlet]

Basically you are asking for too much for your money. You need to either increase your spend or decrease your expectations.

[Douglas Ingram]

I agree with Gimlet, my advice is save some more, spend big, but your only spend once. 

 

I was totally desperate to buy so I bought an airwheel x8. Many will say it's a good wheel, but within a few months I was looking into buying ninebot. Which buy the way I'm totally in love with and saving for the new P version. 

[Timothy Kessler]

Well, he said he'd be willing willing to go with a lower range if the item was cheap enough. The huanxi h1 also has the option to swap battery, so that's something to take into account so long as he's okay with a standard low speed low power euc.

Personally, I'm glad I bought a low end euc to start, because by the time I was comfortable riding, my tg t3 looked really messed up, I wouldn't want to buy a ninebot and have it looking severely scratched, I'd rather be competent on a unicycle before getting an advanced one. 

Just my personal preference 

[Kevin]

A great starter euc with the right safety features is the huanxi h1, you can get it from www.electricunicyclereviews.com for around $420, or if you don't mind ordering from China, I can get you a link a seller I've bought from on aliexpress that has it around $350 with free shipping 

And I also doubt that a 340Wh motor can take 80Kg load uphill comfortably (esp in Seattle, which is a very hilly city). Definitely the combination of hilly terrain, small battery and 80Kg won't make for a pleasant 10 miles trip. As soon as the battery pack reaches halfway, probably the low voltage warning will kick in as soon as the grade changes

Basically you are asking for too much for your money. You need to either increase your spend or decrease your expectations.

Thanks, I actually was considering getting the H1 - as Tim noted, I did say I would consider something not meeting my requirements if it was cheap enough, as I would then just play around with it and learn rather than trying to use it seriously (in all honesty, that's probably what I'll be doing either way). At $350 that is actually very tempting, though I'd prefer not to wait a month for China shipping so I'd probably end up getting it at the $420 price point.

At that point, it's not a lot more to get the cheapest King Song instead, which from what I've read sounds like a much more enjoyable experience due to the higher power and max speed.

Then I noticed that the IPS122 is available on Amazon for $100 more, so was wondering if the 1000watt and bigger 16 inch wheel was worth it (a bit longer range too), although it has a lower top speed of 20kph instead of 30(?). Does the larger wheel make much of a difference to stability?

[Gimlet]

The ips is definately worth the extra $100 as it's a much better safer more solid wheel but it won't come up to your original specified requirements.

[Kevin]

The ips is definately worth the extra $100 as it's a much better safer more solid wheel but it won't come up to your original specified requirements.

When you say safer/more solid, is that mainly due to the wheel size? I see in your signature that you have both IPS 132 and Gotway MCM wheels, which seem comparable to the two I've been considering. Would you say that you prefer the IPS over the Gotway?

[Timothy Kessler]

King song does have a good reputation, and I think you'll really appreciate the higher top speed, when driving straight the 12km/h tilt back and beeping comes very very early. It will feel fast at first, but as soon as you get comfortable you'll like that extra speed, so if you aren't planning to buy cheap then move up later, I'd go with a faster wheel. 

The general consensus  is that 16“ wheels feel smoother and deal better with imperfections in the road. 14“ is lighter and more nimble 

[Kevin]

Argh. All the attention to the new 800W king song has me halfway persuaded to up my price range... which opens a whole new category of contenders.

[Casey]

Tim, I recently ordered a KS14(c) 500 watt 340wh wheel.  It has not shipped yet. There has been great reviews on the 800 watt version of the same.  Based on your experience with the Gotway 14 and the other machines, do you consider the 500 watt 340wh machines to be adequate for hills and speed for 185lbs. 90kilo man?  Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Donafello]

If it has not shipped yet is there a way to upgrade to the 800w. Based on Jason's review the thing is a beast and based on your weight might be a better option for you. I myself am about to buy a wheel and I'm torn between the gotway msuper and the kingsong 18in 680 800w. I can buy the msuper tomorrow and have it delievered to my house or buy a king song and wait a couple weeks for it to ship.  I love the look of the kingsong and the the added featured like lights and speakers but I know the msuper is a beast and there are a lot of people that have them. The kingsong is very new and nobody here has a 18in yet so I cant get someones take on it. Where did you order it from?

[Casey]

Electric unicycle reviews.com.  I really want to stick with 500 watts for budgetary reasons and I want a unit that will not freak out my wife.  If it is too torquey, my wife will never get on it a second time.  Hoping the 500 eventually becomes her machine, or that it is enough for me over the long haul.

[Gimlet]

The KS 800w  that I have is my favourite machine at the moment but that is because of the safely delivered high power that it puts out. I cannot see that the cheapest KS with the lower powered motor and more importantly smaller battery can possibly deliver the promised high speeds safely and reliably. Of course I could be wrong as I haven't tried it, but the figures tend not to lie and we are all bound by the laws of physics.

The IPS doesn't try to attain the high top speed of the KS and I know it delivers it's power reliably and safely and is a solid safe wheel.

Torque is you're friend. Don't be afraid of it. It's what keeps you up!

[Casey]

It appears that King Song is going to ship the new 14(c) 500 watt units after they ship the 800 watt units so I upgraded to the 800 watt unit.  Electric unicycle Review.com was very informative, helpful and accommodating.  I was going to protect my wheel with a good layer of gaffers tape.  Due to the added expense, I will double up the tape.