2019 Which is best for short daily travel? Korea.

[Anthony Wong]

I am looking to purchase some form of electric transport. I was wondering if anyone can help me. Of course I am posting in this EUC forum, so I am sure I will get an EUC as an answer haha. Simply I have many newbie questions. 

I live in South Korea. I need something to travel to and from the subway stations. Distance won’t be too far daily. Perhaps less than 10km as a round trip. I am unsure the laws here, but I need something that I can take on the subway during peak hours. The subway will be crowded and I will have to stand. Would I simply hold the EUC between my legs?

Summer time in Korea is hot! So I want some electric option. Even walking in Summer will cause me to have a full on workout before work. 

So I have been looking at something like the Xiaomi m365 scooter, Kingsong 14S, Kingsong 16S, or equivalent. Are there any newer options? Once again I live in Korea, and these seem to be pretty decently priced here in comparison to the other brands. I also understand a scooter and an EUC are very different. The sole purpose is for transport. I believe I will only stick to riding on footpaths and bicycle lanes.

I have never stood next to an EUC so I have no idea how big they are. Sure I can use a measuring tape, but I have no true visualization of them. Is a 14inch wheel much better in terms of taking it on the subway, bus, or storing somewhere, or is a 16inch pretty much the same? 

I am pretty sure I will buy a brand new one, unless I can find a second hand one with low mileage. I would prefer to have some type of warranty as I have heard they occasionally have problems. Would it be fine to purchase one second hand? What kind of mileage or age do they usually last for? I see a lot of listings say they have had electronic part replacements. 

I would be really interested to know if there is anyone from South Korea here, or if anyone knows any English speaking communities in Korea. Perhaps I can pick your brain some more. 

I always try to do my own research before hand, but with things such as electronics I feel some info can be easily outdated. If there are any posts I should read, please link me. 

Please inform me of any common tips and recommendations, or anything to a new buyer. Thank you.

[UniVehje]

One good option would be InMotion V8. It's not very new but seems to be very reliable. For this kind of commuting you will want the cut-off switch under the handle and a good trolley. Speed and range come with more weight and price. V8 might be fast  enough (max 30 km/h) and very light (13 kg). Enough range for your commute, cut-off switch and a good trolley handle. It is already quite cheap and has a good reputation for reliability. 

Other options are the KingSongs you mentioned, they are very good and a bit faster. The biggest downside on those models for your usage is the lack of cut-off switch on the handle. 

EUC is absolutely the best option for your use. 14 or 16 inches would work well. 16" is a bit more stable but still very small. 

[houseofjob]

13 hours ago, Anthony Wong said:

I live in South Korea. I need something to travel to and from the subway stations. Distance won’t be too far daily. Perhaps less than 10km as a round trip. I am unsure the laws here, but I need something that I can take on the subway during peak hours. The subway will be crowded and I will have to stand. Would I simply hold the EUC between my legs?

Summer time in Korea is hot! So I want some electric option. Even walking in Summer will cause me to have a full on workout before work. 

So I have been looking at something like the Xiaomi m365 scooter, Kingsong 14S, Kingsong 16S, or equivalent. Are there any newer options? Once again I live in Korea, and these seem to be pretty decently priced here in comparison to the other brands. I also understand a scooter and an EUC are very different. The sole purpose is for transport. I believe I will only stick to riding on footpaths and bicycle lanes.

Yes, a compact/lightweight EUC would be a good choice for this scenario, as I'm quite familiar with Korea myself, being Korean and having visited there plenty.

I'm assuming your in Seoul? If so, you know the subway system can be layers upon layers of stairs deep, and even with the escalators, I would want something relatively lightweight enough and have a motor disengage handle switch, so you can transition from pushing/trolleying the powered-on wheel on flats, to quickly picking up the wheel for stairs, without the hassle of powering off the wheel (no button means the wheel will spin like crazy if you pick it up with any remote angle of tilt).

With these constraints, I would say this limits things to the following wheels: 14" InMotion V5D, 16" InMotion V8, 14" Gotway MCM5. (FYI, the King Song 14S & 16S do not have any motor disengage feature, unfortunately. The Ninebot S2/A2 I wouldn't include either, because there is no built-in trolley).

The 10" Gotway MTen3 could also fit here, as it is very lightweight, but has no handle disengage switch, and requires an aftermarket trolley, which isn't that bad (I've owned one myself). 

 

13 hours ago, Anthony Wong said:

I have never stood next to an EUC so I have no idea how big they are. Sure I can use a measuring tape, but I have no true visualization of them. Is a 14inch wheel much better in terms of taking it on the subway, bus, or storing somewhere, or is a 16inch pretty much the same? 

Logistics-wise, trolleying round an EUC in a subway is great, very compact. I usually either will tuck the wheel flat under a seat, or prop it between my legs or a wall if I'm standing. Storing the wheel vertically will usually take up the least space, but under a seat, most of these wheels, except the Gotway MTen3 usually won't fit (hence why I lay them flat under a seat). 

But the Korean subway cars in general (especially the main lines) are super spacious, so I can't imagine you'll have issue outside of rush hour, and even then, I would just hug it between my feet at worst.

Buses might be more of an issue on space, especially older town buses or the longer distance, touring-style buses, but it's do-able. Except, I personally would probably try to cover most distances with wheel + subway, and try to avoid the bus outright.

 

13 hours ago, Anthony Wong said:

I am unsure the laws here, but I need something that I can take on the subway during peak hours.

Legality-wise, last I heard (and like most of the world), EUC's & PEV's in general are a grey area, no regulations or carveouts in the law. 

Practically, I think you'll be fine riding, as I've seen more egregious motorized vehicles on city streets in the past. But note, as you probably have seen, EUC's aren't really ridden in city centers of Korea, more niche and popular in the countrysides.

 

13 hours ago, Anthony Wong said:

I am pretty sure I will buy a brand new one, unless I can find a second hand one with low mileage. I would prefer to have some type of warranty as I have heard they occasionally have problems. Would it be fine to purchase one second hand? What kind of mileage or age do they usually last for? I see a lot of listings say they have had electronic part replacements. 

Personally, I could never bring myself to purchase second hand, as you never know what has happened to the wheel. At the very least, if you go used, I would make sure the wheel did not have a lot of miles on it from a heavyweight owner. Also, there should be quite a few A/S centers, even in Seoul, so I would try to see if they would take a look under the hood post-purchase.

In general, EUC's are pretty durable and long-lasting. 

 

13 hours ago, Anthony Wong said:

I would be really interested to know if there is anyone from South Korea here, or if anyone knows any English speaking communities in Korea. Perhaps I can pick your brain some more. 

There is a Naver café for EUC, but not English-speaking unfortunately.

I think your best bet might be to search the FB EUC forum for Korean users, as there are 1 or 2 semi-English speaking members on there that post time-to-time (the same guy(s) occasionally post here, but I don't get the feeling they check this forum as much).

[Gergana]

Hello!

Fresh expat in Seoul with even fresher interest in EUCs!

What did you get and where from?

I'm looking at ali express, did you find something local?

Regards,

Gergana

[M640x]

On 2/21/2019 at 12:39 AM, Anthony Wong said:

I am looking to purchase some form of electric transport. I was wondering if anyone can help me. Of course I am posting in this EUC forum, so I am sure I will get an EUC as an answer haha. Simply I have many newbie questions. 

I live in South Korea. I need something to travel to and from the subway stations. Distance won’t be too far daily. Perhaps less than 10km as a round trip. I am unsure the laws here, but I need something that I can take on the subway during peak hours. The subway will be crowded and I will have to stand. Would I simply hold the EUC between my legs?

Summer time in Korea is hot! So I want some electric option. Even walking in Summer will cause me to have a full on workout before work. 

So I have been looking at something like the Xiaomi m365 scooter, Kingsong 14S, Kingsong 16S, or equivalent. Are there any newer options? Once again I live in Korea, and these seem to be pretty decently priced here in comparison to the other brands. I also understand a scooter and an EUC are very different. The sole purpose is for transport. I believe I will only stick to riding on footpaths and bicycle lanes.

I have never stood next to an EUC so I have no idea how big they are. Sure I can use a measuring tape, but I have no true visualization of them. Is a 14inch wheel much better in terms of taking it on the subway, bus, or storing somewhere, or is a 16inch pretty much the same? 

I am pretty sure I will buy a brand new one, unless I can find a second hand one with low mileage. I would prefer to have some type of warranty as I have heard they occasionally have problems. Would it be fine to purchase one second hand? What kind of mileage or age do they usually last for? I see a lot of listings say they have had electronic part replacements. 

I would be really interested to know if there is anyone from South Korea here, or if anyone knows any English speaking communities in Korea. Perhaps I can pick your brain some more. 

I always try to do my own research before hand, but with things such as electronics I feel some info can be easily outdated. If there are any posts I should read, please link me. 

Please inform me of any common tips and recommendations, or anything to a new buyer. Thank you.

Have a look at the Gotway mten3 and see if it fits what you want to do.  My initial thoughts are that it can easily handle the distance you want to travel.  It's very light and small which should work for you on the subway.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Senior Coffee

[Marrrkyyy]

On 2/22/2019 at 4:24 AM, houseofjob said:

Yes, a compact/lightweight EUC would be a good choice for this scenario, as I'm quite familiar with Korea myself, being Korean and having visited there plenty.

I'm assuming your in Seoul? If so, you know the subway system can be layers upon layers of stairs deep, and even with the escalators, I would want something relatively lightweight enough and have a motor disengage handle switch, so you can transition from pushing/trolleying the powered-on wheel on flats, to quickly picking up the wheel for stairs, without the hassle of powering off the wheel (no button means the wheel will spin like crazy if you pick it up with any remote angle of tilt).

With these constraints, I would say this limits things to the following wheels: 14" InMotion V5D, 16" InMotion V8, 14" Gotway MCM5. (FYI, the King Song 14S & 16S do not have any motor disengage feature, unfortunately. The Ninebot S2/A2 I wouldn't include either, because there is no built-in trolley).

The 10" Gotway MTen3 could also fit here, as it is very lightweight, but has no handle disengage switch, and requires an aftermarket trolley, which isn't that bad (I've owned one myself). 

 

Logistics-wise, trolleying round an EUC in a subway is great, very compact. I usually either will tuck the wheel flat under a seat, or prop it between my legs or a wall if I'm standing. Storing the wheel vertically will usually take up the least space, but under a seat, most of these wheels, except the Gotway MTen3 usually won't fit (hence why I lay them flat under a seat). 

But the Korean subway cars in general (especially the main lines) are super spacious, so I can't imagine you'll have issue outside of rush hour, and even then, I would just hug it between my feet at worst.

Buses might be more of an issue on space, especially older town buses or the longer distance, touring-style buses, but it's do-able. Except, I personally would probably try to cover most distances with wheel + subway, and try to avoid the bus outright.

 

Legality-wise, last I heard (and like most of the world), EUC's & PEV's in general are a grey area, no regulations or carveouts in the law. 

Practically, I think you'll be fine riding, as I've seen more egregious motorized vehicles on city streets in the past. But note, as you probably have seen, EUC's aren't really ridden in city centers of Korea, more niche and popular in the countrysides.

 

Personally, I could never bring myself to purchase second hand, as you never know what has happened to the wheel. At the very least, if you go used, I would make sure the wheel did not have a lot of miles on it from a heavyweight owner. Also, there should be quite a few A/S centers, even in Seoul, so I would try to see if they would take a look under the hood post-purchase.

In general, EUC's are pretty durable and long-lasting. 

 

There is a Naver café for EUC, but not English-speaking unfortunately.

I think your best bet might be to search the FB EUC forum for Korean users, as there are 1 or 2 semi-English speaking members on there that post time-to-time (the same guy(s) occasionally post here, but I don't get the feeling they check this forum as much).

Hello whwre is this naver cafe? Would love to rent one. I'm here in Seoul now 

[mrelwood]

Btw, the new version of the KingSong 16S has a cut-off switch in the handle. For anyone even a bit larger the 16” wheel will be godsent compared to a 14” one. And more stable for others as well.

Since the KingSong handle extends straight up, it has the best control and ease of use when walking around. Inmotion is a good second, but the handle opens up with a larger range of motion.

Also, Inmotion V8F has been announced. More speed, more power, firmer ride, and slightly more weight. Still noticeably lighter than the 16S though.

Edited November 11, 2019 by mrelwood

[Sesquicanthus]

I will be in Seoul and Daejeon for a week toward the end of January and was wondering if anyone knows of a place in Seoul that I can rent maybe a KS16S for the week, and if there are any other riders out there who would be interested in doing some exploring!