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KS18L vs GW Tesla


enigma35

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Hey guys,

Wondering if some of you who have ridden both the 18L and the Tesla can chime in. I'm coming from the KS16B, and I outgrew it speed-wise about a year ago but have been waiting for the 18L.

I love pretty much everything about the 18L from what people are saying, but in looking at the Tesla, I'm wondering if that extra 7mph in top speed (from 30mph to 37mph) will be something that bugs me a few months after getting an 18L. I know with my KS16B, the ~19 mph max speed felt pretty slow within a few months of riding in bike lanes and streets, and if I had had the option of getting something faster (which didn't really exist at the time), I would have wanted that.

Those of you guys riding the 18L, are you pushing against the 30mph limit and wishing you had the extra 5-7mph of something like a Tesla?

And are 30mph / 37mph speeds relatively comfortable cruising speeds for each? Or is it too crazy cruising at ~37mph on a 16" wheel? My 16B isn't terribly unstable, but it also doesn't go 30+ mph.

Last thing -- i've heard somewhere of something called the "gotway glide" which is supposed to be some ethereal quality that GW EUCs have that make them really smooth or something. Does this apply to the Tesla? And is it noticeably absent from the KS18L?

Thanks in advance.

 

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Probably better to quote the whole verbage regarding that bullet item on the product page and note the warning:

 

Quote

Has the maximum speed been increased?
Yes, Gotway claim the Tesla has a 7MPH higher speed margin (37MPH) over the ACMs+ (30MPH). Considering the minimal redundancy within an Electric Unicycle & that the probability of failure is not negligible, we strongly advise against pushing the speed/performance limits of a Wheel & keeping the speed down to within 30MPH while wearing protective equipment such as wrist/knee/elbow guards & a helmet.

 

I hit the 25MPH barrier on my KS18AY+ often when on bike trails or on the road trying to get to a safer place away from cars.  I just recently unlocked (yesterday) the 31MPH speed on my KS18L and think that will be more than enough for me.

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The 100V Monster is built for cruising comfortably, and can exceed 30mph easily due to the 22 inch diameter, it is stable and planted. For speeds of 30mph and above you need high level of Skill which includes technique, braking skill and experience as you are facing strong headwind as well as other factors. At 35mph it is very hard to hear the final alarm due to the fierce headwind.

Edited by Edddeus
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@Marty Backe, I agree that the 100V Monster is not practical enough, for me it isn't an everyday wheel, I ride my V8 always. For brute speed, the wheel of the moment has to be the MSX. It comes with an extension handle, making it easier to live with. For high speed, the bigger diameter wheel is needed, not 16 inch. 

Edited by Edddeus
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10 minutes ago, Jerome said:

The reduction in speed can be a hindrance on the smaller KS wheels but not on the KS18L. I hit 29+ mph going up hill at 50% battery weighing 240 lbs. At the end of a 30 mile ride I could still hit 25 mph. It will do 20 mph or more down to 20% battery (240 lb rider). Other than emergencies no one should be draining their batteries much passed 20%.

For those who want to ride at high speeds for long periods of time then the MSX is the way to go. The Tesla is a 16 inch wheel which is more susceptible to bad road conditions, especially at high speeds and is not "practically" faster than the KS18L. The MSX has a bigger wheel than the KS18L, a larger battery and can ride at full speed down to 20%. Hard to go wrong with the MSX if you truly have the need for speed.

Good to know that the speed throttling on the 18L is less severe than their other wheels :thumbup:

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@Jerome, very impressive feedback on the KS18L performance. I used to ride the Kingsong 18a 680wh battery and I could only enjoy maximum performance for 20% before the throttling started. At 50% It would beep constantly at 15mph, was very annoying. 

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20 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Good to know that the speed throttling on the 18L is less severe than their other wheels :thumbup:

This is the good old Marty....just driving at a  max of 20-22mph...but bashing about speed throttling :-)

Actually the speed throttling is about the same than on 18S...not really noticable before 20-25 %...and even then it would still fit your needs :P

Edited by US69
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8 minutes ago, US69 said:

This is the good old Marty....just driving at a  max of 20-22mph...but bashing about speed throttling :-)

Actually the speed throttling is about the same than on 18S...not really noticable before 20-25 %...and even then it would still fit your needs :P

I know you're just having some fun, but to be fair, the OP is emphasizing very high-speed riding so he would experience the speed throttling whereas I wouldn't (because I'm such a slow rider).

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Just now, Marty Backe said:

know you're just having some fun, b

Yeah ...exactly, just having some fun! I also always recommend GW to the people who are looking to kill themself riding 30mph plus...

KS is not their brand, definitly! Much to safe and conservative....but the KS brand can live with that ;-)

(Thats just all kidding folks...dont take that serious!)

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26 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

I usually rode around 48 kph on the Tesla routinely on my past trips :w00t2:.  It was fun hitting the beep warnings, but I'd rarely hit five beeps.  Mostly it was a couple to four.  Once you get used to the wind, it's actually not that scary.  Considering Ron flew off at about 52 kph, and guessing his weight must be around 200 pounds, maybe someone who's 120-130 pounds might be able to hit 58 kph, downhill with the wind at their back?  Who wants to test that upper limit?  :popcorn:  I'm a little leery now about gyro instability since my accident at 22 kph.  The bump I went over didn't seem that large, but something went amiss.  :efeec46606:  I think my days of flying around at 48 kph are likely over except inside a car.  :crying:

oh god you daredevil.. I'm 120 but no way in hell I'm pushing anything that isn't the monster to near 60 kph.. even to go 45 I have to lean a little more than is comfortable to get the wheel to do it but it's often very windy here on the coast so the wind can be brutal at those speeds

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Yeah I was young and crazy once.  :w00t2:  Now I'm just injured and crazy.  :whistling:  Not a good combo.  I think the Tesla could be still pretty stable going up to 55-60 kph in a version 2.0.  You'd have to know the road conditions really well though, but it's probably possible.  I'm 167 lbs so I kept it under 50 kph for a good safety measure to have some spare power available for bumps and wind gusts.  I think the Russians took the 100 V Monster to around 72 kph on the highway!  Now that's cray cray!  :rolleyes:

Here's my last ride log.  Those peaks above 40 were fun until that crash near the end.  :crying:

Screenshot_20180818-215442.png

Edited by Hunka Hunka Burning Love
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8 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Yeah I was young and crazy once.  :w00t2:  Now I'm just injured and crazy.  :whistling:  Not a good combo.  I think the Tesla could be still pretty stable going up to 55-60 kph in a version 2.0.  You'd have to know the road conditions really well though, but it's probably possible.  I'm 167 lbs so I kept it under 50 kph for a good safety measure to have some spare power available for bumps and wind gusts.  I think the Russians took the 100 V Monster to around 72 kph on the highway!  Now that's cray cray!  :rolleyes:

of course they were Russian xD

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Thanks for the feedback, guys.

I'm actually not that concerned with riding at top speed all the time, was more just wondering if I would outgrow the 18L's top speed the way I did with the ks16b.

I ride on streets and on relatively smooth bike lanes in dtla mostly, and just want the ability to keep up with slower traffic at times when I lane change.

A couple of you guys mentioned the msuper x. Is that actually a faster wheel or just a more stable one? Every site I look at either won't quote the actual top speed or quotes a "this is the fastest speed we would recommend" number.

Whats the realistic top speed for this wheel? 

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20 minutes ago, enigma35 said:

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

I'm actually not that concerned with riding at top speed all the time, was more just wondering if I would outgrow the 18L's top speed the way I did with the ks16b.

I ride on streets and on relatively smooth bike lanes in dtla mostly, and just want the ability to keep up with slower traffic at times when I lane change.

A couple of you guys mentioned the msuper x. Is that actually a faster wheel or just a more stable one? Every site I look at either won't quote the actual top speed or quotes a "this is the fastest speed we would recommend" number.

Whats the realistic top speed for this wheel? 

So many people are comparing 16" and 18" together in their decisions... not sure why they always get compared together... ANYWAY... like @Rywokast was saying above, you want to decide about nimbleness and handling, vs smooth and higher speed that feels Solid... that being said, my personal decision for you would be an ACMv2... it is quick, solid feel like it is heavier, I think because of the lower center of gravity, and handles like a typical 16" wheel...

I own a Tesla and love it... I had an 18S and traded it in for the ACM... I also have an MCM5 which is a killer wheel but a whole other animal all together (14")... Marty is near you, he does not have a KS18L but he has everything else, you could possibly be nice to him and he will let you try them out... :whistling: or come to Fl and you can try Mine...:D

Oh yeah, and over 50 mile range on the ACM also

Edited by Marcglider
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1 hour ago, enigma35 said:

A couple of you guys mentioned the msuper x. Is that actually a faster wheel or just a more stable one? Every site I look at either won't quote the actual top speed or quotes a "this is the fastest speed we would recommend" number.

 Whats the realistic top speed for this wheel?

Until Wheels get shock absorbers, going anywhere above 30 mph in DTLA or any L.A. streets is a numbers game where you get thrown from the Wheel. The MSuper is indeed faster, but not faster at braking from 40 mph than a car, so theres another area that makes that speed unsafe in a commuter application. DTLA traffic speed is around 20mph with very few areas for over 30mph around the Staples center or on the other side around Alameda. I would not try going that fast on Alameda from Temple to Olympic.

Stability is not the issue here. Centrifugal forces are centrifugal forces above 20 mph and the larger tire smoothes out the road wrinkles, but not the bumps, since there is no Suspension system save for the tire rubber and air. The Shock absorbers would absorb the force that will launch you into the air without them. So its a numbers game, and you can ride for a while at those top speeds, but not for long... :facepalm:

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Since MSX is in these posts I will add few thoughts.  What makes MSX is the tire, it must have a lot of rubber in the compound of the tire which gives it a flex even at the max pressure.  Add to that the diameter almost 20 inches gives very smooth ride much more so than 16 inch wheels, MSX can go through pot holes much easier with less drama.  Another huge factor for MSX is the battery (1600 wh), with multiple wheels I think I've become a battery snob especially with wheels 16 inches and up.  My MCM5 have 650 wh but it works for me as my utilitarian work horse for commuting and ride at work wheel, all I need is ~20 mile range.  However for my wheels that I ride for fun 1K wh is not enough thus the decision not to get Z10 at close to $2K.  I will wait for the Z20 that's been mentioned in this Forum and hope that they will make it with larger battery.  :thumbup:

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