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My Z10 Triumphs, Tribulations, and Failures


Marty Backe

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6 hours ago, Ziiten said:

I am constantly struggling with one particular thing, also mentioned by Ian in his first impressions video. E.g., riding on asphalt and there is a ridge, say, some reparations have been made and there are to plates of asphalt joined but one is slightly (~<1 cm) higher than the other; if I ride on that ridge and it is the same way I am going, it will always make me get thrown of the wheel. Even the slightest difference in their hight will do it. And I am riding with my tire pressure lower than 20 psi (~1 bar) (I weigh 140lbs/70kg). One way is of course not to ride into them but you can't really avoid it because the roads are so patched up and at times you don't even see them. I do not really even pay attention to these when riding a bike, but with an euc it's like constant vigilance and stress.

To give you another example: riding through a pedestrian bridge made of narrow wooden boards assembled longitunally, but not quite equally vertically (as they never quite will be).

I am guessing increasing pressure to the recommended 32 psi would make it much worse.

I know exactly what You mean, I had this issue at the beginning.  Suggest 3 solutions:

  1. place your feet wider on the pedals - do not hold the wheel with your ankles that much but rather (if you need) more with your knees
  2. experiment with tire pressure. My riding weight with backpack is around 87-90 kg, I ride with 25psi. The higher the pressure, the "thinner" the strip of tire which touch the ground so less side-kick effect, but general ride comfort will get lower...
  3. ride, ride, ride more. You will adopt to the problem and your reactions will be instant and automatic.  I did around 1700 km  in around 3 months  on Z10 ... and the problem is not that big any more...
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Thanks for all the tips.

I went out for a sub 10 mile ride after putting on about 30+ psi. I tried to ride in all the possible ridges I could find. I definitely still get pulled by them but maybe the wheel somehow gets out of them easier or faster and doesn't stay there plowing along the ridge. I think.

@Vanzen I also looked for some inclines; I found that slightly bending your opposite knee while twisting it outwards a bit, helps - kinda like motorcylists do in turns but less pronounced.

@Lukasz I had heard that suggestion to widen your stance relating to other issues and have also tried it - maybe I will try that what you said about leaning to the wheel with my knees and keeping my ankles clear of it. And yes, I think the more confident you become riding the less impact these small imperfections of the road will have on you.

Edited by Ziiten
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So you raised from under 20psi to 30+psi in one step? Just try something in the middle and ride a while (50 miles or more to get used to it) i also tried many diffrent pressures at the beginning, from very high (~38 - 40psi) which made me fly of my wheel after.some bumps... ?? To ~26 psi at the moment and with that i have the best controle and comfort. Riding since 200miles with this pressure and my weight ~90kg -95kg with backpack.

What i learned on the z10?: A pressure difference of 2,3 psi is perceptible directly. Much more than on my wheel before (V8)

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I dont believe you need more than around 24 maybe up to 26. Maybe first try something like ~28 and after a few miles just lower the pressure to ~22 that you feel the difference by your own.  So you can choose better depending on your riding style and on how comfortable you like the feeling. Just be careful with your weight and pressures above 28, it could react like a rubber ball after hitting some bumps and throw you up in the air ? (happend to me with 210lbs and 38psi while testing)

Edited by MaiKi
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1 hour ago, SanDiegoGuy said:

I weigh only 130 lbs.  What should the ideal psi be for the z10 for me?  Thanks.

you need to understand what terrain you will be riding on... if you are going to be on roads, then you need to understand that the lower tire pressures will cause the wheel to follow grooves in the road and will make turns suddenly that you don't want... as you raise the pressure, it will not do this but the ride will be more "harsh" when you hit bumps. If most of your riding will be off road, then you will find lower is better, if on roads, a bit higher will be better for control... take @MaiKi's advice and experiment a bit...

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2 hours ago, SanDiegoGuy said:

I weigh only 130 lbs.  What should the ideal psi be for the z10 for me?  Thanks.

You weight about as much as Chouch does and he rides his almost empty:) Did you see his Z10 videos where he talks about tire pressure. His advice is probably perfect for you (no so much me and my weight).

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Hi all

I posted some questions on this video and couldn't find all their answers : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuffeeVcIa4&amp;t=912s&amp;frags=pl%2Cwn

 

So, here they are :

Quote

Were pads delivered with the production wheel ?

Apparently, yes

Quote

Is there an anti-theft lock like on Ninebot One S2 ?

If the app hasn't changed, probably, so just to be sure, is there one ?

Quote

Do you feel the imbalance because the battery pack aren't placed symmetrically ?

 

Quote

Is it a good wheel for "small shrimps" (around 60 kg) ?

Apparently yes : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuffeeVcIa4&amp;t=912s&amp;frags=pl%2Cwn

 

Quote

Can it reach 60 km without charging ?

It seems kind of hard to reach it right ? I mean depends heavily on speed so when driving at around 30 km/h...

Quote

Have you tried it on paved roads ?

 

Quote

Compared to the Inmotion V10 that have high pedals, what do you think of Z's pedal height ? What about the comfort of the pedals ?

 

Quote

Can the wheel switch off while you ride it because of the power button ? I've had a similar issue with the Ninebot S2, my grocery bag touched it, fortunately it was at a traffic light and I wasn't really riding

Apparently yes

Quote

How loud are the speakers (compared to the V10) ? (can you hear them through your full helmet/wind ?)

 

Quote

Do you feel like the lights are bright enough at night ?

 

Quote

How is the Z' braking compared to the V10's ?

There's some advertisement that says "less than 4m at 20 km/h" so that can't be that bad, can it ?

Quote

Finally, for a mostly urban use (and some rare rides of possibly 50 km), would you recommend Ninebot Z, Inmotion V10F or Gotway MSX/MS3 ?

 

Thank you for your answers, I will try to edit as I get/find more answers

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59 minutes ago, Steef Klonoa said:

The bluetooth for the speakers on my Z10 is requesting a pin password. Does anyone know how to figure out what the password is? Looked through the manual and checked the forums but I didnt see it mentioned.

0000

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In yout bletooth device list ahould be a second ninebot, try the other :) or first start the ninebot app, connect, and then lock in device list where yiu can see which one is connected through the app.

 

Edit: code 0000? Am i the only one who see 2 ninebots in device list? :huh:

Edited by MaiKi
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Ok, so it seems that i have a little errer 8n the list:D are you trying to pair manually or wirh the app??? 

It seems to be a little problem with initial connection on some phones. Because with my huawei mate 10 lite i often need more than one try to connect the app. But with my tablet i never had a problem. Just retry some times

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Grrrrr! At Ninebot. I finally got enough confidence to put the trolley handle on. Top screws on the mudguard pulled the brass inserts clean off. Included key didn’t limit torque to prevent it. Also, there was almost no plastic on the inserts. So it might be a small defect in production. Anyway, be careful with these screws. 

4B924BDB-5EA8-4EFC-A3A1-37CAB270BB16.jpeg

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32 minutes ago, Sergei Dubovsky said:

Grrrrr! At Ninebot. I finally got enough confidence to put the trolley handle on. Top screws on the mudguard pulled the brass inserts clean off. Included key didn’t limit torque to prevent it. Also, there was almost no plastic on the inserts. So it might be a small defect in production. Anyway, be careful with these screws. 

 

I guess it's too late to warn you now, but yeah, generally one should loosen and tighten all screws in all wheels with a delicate hand. Unless you're working on an engine, torque wrenches aren't usually associated with consumer goods.

Just another datapoint for other readers of this thread; my mounting screws for the handle and mudguard have been holding up just fine. I've installed everything a couple of times so far.

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1 hour ago, Sergei Dubovsky said:

Top screws on the mudguard pulled the brass inserts clean off.

I had the opportunity to do various mods on Z10 - including front lamp angle mod which include a lot of screws to unscrew -  on 3 units of Z10 already - and in general those inserts are loosely fitted and not really sitting strong in plastic. Be careful while screwing it back together

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1 minute ago, Lukasz said:

I had the opportunity to do various mods on Z10 - including front lamp angle mod which include a lot of screws to unscrew -  on 3 units of Z10 already - and in general those inserts are loosely fitted and not really sitting strong in plastic. Be careful while screwing it back together

Would it be worth adding some epoxy to the threaded brass parts to keep them more secure? 

Is the front lamp mod absolutly necessary? I plan to do some night riding but was wanting to avoid trying to fit the lamp back in at an angle (assuming this is the mid you mean). Doesn't seem like the best solution? 

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2 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

Would it be worth adding some epoxy to the threaded brass parts to keep them more secure? 

You can do it, but please be careful to keep the epoxy only on the outside of the brass insert... as if epoxy gets inside into the screw thread - You may have serious problem...

 

3 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

Is the front lamp mod absolutly necessary? I plan to do some night riding but was wanting to avoid trying to fit the lamp back in at an angle (assuming this is the mid you mean).

In my PERSONAL opinion angle correction mod is necessary. Lamp is quite powerful - 5W and without the mod: 

  1. Shines only into the eyes of the incoming traffic/bikers/pedestrian  making them angry and blindfolding them - dangerous!
  2. In civilized countries would never be approved by authorities for any road legal mean of transport with such angle
  3. Does not even reach the road surface - only the tree tops - so You will see nothing on the road.
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10 minutes ago, Lukasz said:

You can do it, but please be careful to keep the epoxy only on the outside of the brass insert... as if epoxy gets inside into the screw thread - You may have serious problem...

 

In my PERSONAL opinion angle correction mod is necessary. Lamp is quite powerful - 5W and without the mod: 

  1. Shines only into the eyes of the incoming traffic/bikers/pedestrian  making them angry and blindfolding them - dangerous!
  2. In civilized countries would never be approved by authorities for any road legal mean of transport with such angle
  3. Does not even reach the road surface - only the tree tops - so You will see nothing on the road.

Yeah, I think it's going to be needed as well. Don't really want to attach a separate light. I would rather not have to file anything though, I like being able to return the unit to standard.. Although i plan to modify the mudguard so perhaps I'm being a little contrary.. ? In any case, I wonder if removing the lens and blocking the top half of the holes will achieve a good result.. In your post about the mod I see the other poster removing the lens giving good ground coverage but also too high as well. Maybe some light "eyelids" would rectify with the lens themselves removed? 

Edited by Alex_from_NZ
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4 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

Don't really want to attach a separate light

Lamp when modified works really good - due to the low placement it shows road  bumps well

5 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

I would rather not have to file anything though, I like being able to return the unit to standard.

You only file the lamp - nothing more, and in fact You just "return the unit to the standard" by making this mod as original setup is a bug.

7 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

Although i plan to modify the mudguard

Your wheel, your mudguard...  BUT I suggest not to cut it in any way - as it is really needed to cover the back as much as possible - wide tire means a lot of dust and mud getting into the air , back on the wheel (and handle which will soon get blocked by dust ... You will see..)  Wheel without the mudguard is useless in any wet weather *unless you feel ok having all your back dirty and wet

 

8 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

I wonder if removing the lens and blocking the top half of the holes will achieve a good result.. In your post about the mod I see the other poster removing the lens giving good ground coverage but also too high as well. Maybe some light "eyelids" would rectify with the lens themselves removed? 

Those methods just do not work. 

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10 minutes ago, Lukasz said:

Lamp when modified works really good - due to the low placement it shows road  bumps well

I do not doubt the effectiveness, it looks very good. I just have an aversion to permanent changes. 

10 minutes ago, Lukasz said:

You only file the lamp - nothing more, and in fact You just "return the unit to the standard" by making this mod as original setup is a bug.

Haha, I admire your thinking, but not what I am meaning.. ??

10 minutes ago, Lukasz said:

Your wheel, your mudguard...  BUT I suggest not to cut it in any way - as it is really needed to cover the back as much as possible - wide tire means a lot of dust and mud getting into the air , back on the wheel (and handle which will soon get blocked by dust ... You will see..)  Wheel without the mudguard is useless in any wet weather *unless you feel ok having all your back dirty and wet

I plan to shorten the mudguard by an inch or two for aesthetic reasons only, replacing it if I have to come winter and rain is not a big deal so I am okay with this. 

10 minutes ago, Lukasz said:

 

Those methods just do not work. 

Why do you say this? I agree your method is a better approach but I am hesitant to sand or file parts and try fit the light unit in at an angle to how it was designed. I am sure you have done a good job but I would rather modify the light itself rather than angle the whole lighting unit..

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4 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

I just have an aversion to permanent changes. 

It is nothing permanent in this mod - You only file back invisible parts of the lamp. so You can always "return to the original state" just by putting it back high...

 

6 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

I plan to shorten the mudguard by an inch or two for aesthetic reasons only, replacing it if I have to come winter and rain is not a big deal so I am okay with this.

hmm. seems to be more permanent as only replacement will work to "bring it to the original state"

...  BTW do you have access to the replacement unit?  parts are not so easy to get... 

9 minutes ago, Alex_from_NZ said:

Why do you say this? I agree your method is a better approach but I am hesitant to sand or file parts and try fit the light unit in at an angle to how it was designed. I am sure you have done a good job but I would rather modify the light itself rather than angle the whole lighting unit..

Sorry no time to explain all aspects. You file only back of the lamp - it does not have to be done in very precise way. Wrong angle is the design failure reported by initial Chinese testers , but engineers just did not care about it. Please do what You like, but lamp dismantling, removing lenses and similar modification may bring more problems - and give you less light on the road than just filing the back of the lamp.  I am close to such LED lamp projects for cars in my professional work, hmm also see my helmet...   www.youtube.com/lukluk 

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@Lukasz I haven't opened the wheel so I don't know what I am talking about but I am just wondering: instead of filing material off from one side, could the same be achieved by adding material on the other. Some material that could be easily taken out if need to return to original state.

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6 hours ago, Ziiten said:

I am just wondering: instead of filing material off from one side, could the same be achieved by adding material on the other.

It is slightly theoretical discussion ;-)   but please have a closer look on the pictures I have published in the lamp mod thread - there is also the need and space to "add" material (to adjust the angle) but first You have to remove some material from the lamp body in order to be able to change the angle, as now it fits very tight in the chassis opening and it is not possible to change the angle without creating some room first... 

Opening of the side panels does not void warranty (stickers are on the battery and on the electronics compartment stay unopened in this mod)

 

Edited by Lukasz
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