Gotway Nikola EUC.NYC Post-Demo Impressions

[houseofjob]

Thanks to Dmitry / EUC.NYC for arranging the Nikola demo that took place in NYC today!

Some impressions for those who were curiously awaiting a chance to demo the Nikola:

- The Nikola body width is as previously reported, pretty wide, but not Monster wide, so guys who are sticklers for that will probably not like this wheel. Personally, I was fine with the width, as I naturally place my feet that wide on any wheel I ride, legs touching or not touching the wheel body, plus going this wide places the rider in a good position not to wobble.

- The Nikola body height was unfortunately not high enough to ride comfortably seated sans seat, which was one of the only reasons why I was entertaining this wheel in my wheel shopping; my butt still has to stick behind the wheel ala MSX, or even the KS18S to a lesser degree.

- As a first brief impression, the performance of the wheel was what I expected in a Gotway, albeit I personally don't see this as such a big departure from the typical 18x3 form factor. I'm sure it will have a smidge more torque than an18" for true hill climbing folk, but as a city flatland rider, I don't see enough dramatic difference in torque from the MSX, the dramatic degree of difference you would see comparing against an MCM5, which obviously makes sense. If you told me blindfolded the tire was an MSX tire, I would believe you. For the true hill climbing test, obviously @Marty Backe has that area down pat, we'll see how he fares with the torture test 😄😄

- Nikola soft mode is softer than the MSX, but not as soft as the MCM5 or MSV3 soft modes, unfortunately😞

- Nikola hard mode is not as rock hard as the MSX in my short testing of it.

- Nikola no load test via Gotway app was a solid 70kph, so the purported 50kph max I think is legit, putting it in Tesla max speed spec.

- The new Nikola pedals with non-abrasive grip tape was pretty legit IMHO, less slippery than the InMotion V10F rubber insets. Size on these pedals was good too, plus no dramatic V-ing to the pedals ala MSX, albeit I kinda like a V.

- Might be wrong, as I didnt closely check here, but the tire seemed to be a Chao Yang, so felt very comfortable spongy, reminiscent of the CYT tire used on the MSX.

- Now I'm a fan of the scorpion style trolley, but we were all surprised that the Nikola trolley didn't lock out completely when fully extended. We weren't sure if there was more to the button mechanism that sits at the base of the trolley, but it seemed this was how it functioned(?) The build quality of the trolley handle plus shaft was legit though, sturdy.

- The new speakers are damn loud and full when cranked up! Unfortunately all highs and mids, no lows, which is typical.

 

Overall, now having experienced the Nikola, I'm still a bit puzzled what customer this wheel is exactly targeting. It's a bit on the large side for those who like compact 16's, but not tall enough for guys like me who want a faster "small" seated wheel. Again, the tire width/sizing is good, but the torque and feel doesn't make me want to trade the benefits of the larger 18x3 wheel tires, especially since they feel relatively the same, I'd rather have the bigger tire diameter to protect better against potholes. And for the typical Gotway performance hungry guys, the speed gains aren't really there over a more svelte Tesla, while you're not getting a more compact wheel.

Puzzling 🤔

Edited April 21, 2019 by houseofjob

[Lutalo]

23 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

Thanks to Dmitry / EUC.NYC for arranging the Nikola demo that took place in NYC today!

Some impressions for those who were curiously awaiting a chance to demo the Nikola:

- The Nikola body width is as previously reported, pretty wide, but not Monster wide, so guys who are sticklers for that will probably not like this wheel. Personally, I was fine with the width, as I naturally place my feet that wide on any wheel I ride, legs touching or not touching the wheel body, plus going this wide places the rider in a good position not to wobble.

- The Nikola body height was unfortunately not high enough to ride comfortably seated sans seat, which was one of the only reasons why I was entertaining this wheel in my wheel shopping; my butt still has to stick behind the wheel ala MSX, or even the KS18S to a lesser degree.

- As a first brief impression, the performance of the wheel was what I expected in a Gotway, albeit I personally don't see this as such a big departure from the typical 18x3 form factor. I'm sure it will have a smidge more torque than an18" for true hill climbing folk, but as a city flatland rider, I don't see enough dramatic difference in torque from the MSX, the dramatic degree of difference you would see comparing against an MCM5, which obviously makes sense. If you told me blindfolded the tire was an MSX tire, I would believe you. For the true hill climbing test, obviously @Marty Backe has that area down pat, we'll see how he fares with the torture test 😄😄

- Nikola soft mode is softer than the MSX, but not as soft as the MCM5 or MSV3 soft modes, unfortunately😞

- Nikola hard mode is not as rock hard as the MSX in my short testing of it.

- Nikola no load test via Gotway app was a solid 70kph, so the purported 50kph max I think is legit, putting it in Tesla max speed spec.

- The new Nikola pedals with non-abrasive grip tape was pretty legit IMHO, less slippery than the InMotion V10F rubber insets. Size on these pedals was good too, plus no dramatic V-ing to the pedals ala MSX, albeit I kinda like a V.

- Might be wrong, as I didnt closely check here, but the tire seemed to be a Chao Yang, so felt very comfortable spongy, reminiscent of the CYT tire used on the MSX.

- Now I'm a fan of the scorpion style trolley, but we were all surprised that the Nikola trolley didn't lock out completely when fully extended. We weren't sure if there was more to the button mechanism that sits at the base of the trolley, but it seemed this was how it functioned(?)

- The new speakers are damn loud and full when cranked up! Unfortunately all highs and mids, no lows, which is typical.

 

Overall, now having experienced the Nikola, I'm still a bit puzzled what customer this wheel is exactly targeting. It's a bit on the large side for those who like compact 16's, but not tall enough for guys like me who want a faster "small" seated wheel. Again, the tire width/sizing is good, but the torque and feel doesn't make me want to trade the benefits of the larger 18x3 wheel tires, especially since they feel relatively the same, I'd rather have the bigger tire diameter to protect better against potholes. And for the typical Gotway performance hungry guys, the speed gains aren't really there over a more svelte Tesla, while you're not getting a more compact wheel.

Puzzling 🤔

Thanks for the review man. Very interesting points. 

[Marty Backe]

26 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

Thanks to Dmitry / EUC.NYC for arranging the Nikola demo that took place in NYC today!

Some impressions for those who were curiously awaiting a chance to demo the Nikola:

- The Nikola body width is as previously reported, pretty wide, but not Monster wide, so guys who are sticklers for that will probably not like this wheel. Personally, I was fine with the width, as I naturally place my feet that wide on any wheel I ride, legs touching or not touching the wheel body, plus going this wide places the rider in a good position not to wobble.

- The Nikola body height was unfortunately not high enough to ride comfortably seated sans seat, which was one of the only reasons why I was entertaining this wheel in my wheel shopping; my butt still has to stick behind the wheel ala MSX, or even the KS18S to a lesser degree.

- As a first brief impression, the performance of the wheel was what I expected in a Gotway, albeit I personally don't see this as such a big departure from the typical 18x3 form factor. I'm sure it will have a smidge more torque than an18" for true hill climbing folk, but as a city flatland rider, I don't see enough dramatic difference in torque from the MSX, the dramatic degree of difference you would see comparing against an MCM5, which obviously makes sense. If you told me blindfolded the tire was an MSX tire, I would believe you. For the true hill climbing test, obviously @Marty Backe has that area down pat, we'll see how he fares with the torture test 😄😄

- Nikola soft mode is softer than the MSX, but not as soft as the MCM5 or MSV3 soft modes, unfortunately😞

- Nikola hard mode is not as rock hard as the MSX in my short testing of it.

- Nikola no load test via Gotway app was a solid 70kph, so the purported 50kph max I think is legit, putting it in Tesla max speed spec.

- The new Nikola pedals with non-abrasive grip tape was pretty legit IMHO, less slippery than the InMotion V10F rubber insets. Size on these pedals was good too, plus no dramatic V-ing to the pedals ala MSX, albeit I kinda like a V.

- Might be wrong, as I didnt closely check here, but the tire seemed to be a Chao Yang, so felt very comfortable spongy, reminiscent of the CYT tire used on the MSX.

- Now I'm a fan of the scorpion style trolley, but we were all surprised that the Nikola trolley didn't lock out completely when fully extended. We weren't sure if there was more to the button mechanism that sits at the base of the trolley, but it seemed this was how it functioned(?)

- The new speakers are damn loud and full when cranked up! Unfortunately all highs and mids, no lows, which is typical.

 

Overall, now having experienced the Nikola, I'm still a bit puzzled what customer this wheel is exactly targeting. It's a bit on the large side for those who like compact 16's, but not tall enough for guys like me who want a faster "small" seated wheel. Again, the tire width/sizing is good, but the torque and feel doesn't make me want to trade the benefits of the larger 18x3 wheel tires, especially since they feel relatively the same, I'd rather have the bigger tire diameter to protect better against potholes. And for the typical Gotway performance hungry guys, the speed gains aren't really there over a more svelte Tesla, while you're not getting a more compact wheel.

Puzzling 🤔

Wow! Great report.

Was this some big announced event? I didn't even know that there was a Nikola in the United States. Seeing that Gotway is now shipping these, I'm wondering if @Jason McNeil is even going to get this or forgo it for the 16X.

Anyway, very cool that you got to ride one. Envious   Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Were any videos made of the 'event'?

Edited April 20, 2019 by Marty Backe

[houseofjob]

3 minutes ago, Lutalo said:

Thanks for the review man. Very interesting points. 

Thanks, always about the knowledge share.

 

3 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Wow! Great report.

Was this some big announced event? I didn't even know that there was a Nikola in the United States. Seeing that Gotway is now shipping these, I'm wondering if @Jason McNeil is even going to get this or forgo it for the 16X.

Anyway, very cool that you got to ride one. Envious   Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Were any videos made of the 'event'?

Thanks! 

The event was a bit of a last minute announcement by Dmitry of our local EUC.NYC, as he had an initial Nikola unit shipped by Gotway early apparently.

Unfortunately I didn't even think I was going to be able to go, game time audible, so no video from my end. Perhaps one of the many other attendees might have filmed after I left.

[Marty Backe]

45 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

Thanks, always about the knowledge share.

 

Thanks! 

The event was a bit of a last minute announcement by Dmitry of our local EUC.NYC, as he had an initial Nikola unit shipped by Gotway early apparently.

Unfortunately I didn't even think I was going to be able to go, game time audible, so no video from my end. Perhaps one of the many other attendees might have filmed after I left.

Can't believe Jason wasn't able to get one. Guess he doesn't sell enough Gotway's 

[Jason McNeil]

2 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Can't believe Jason wasn't able to get one. Guess he doesn't sell enough Gotway's 

Nonsense!   The first batch of 30x Nikolas are shipping out next week. Thanks @houseofjob for the summation of the Nikola's qualities, they seem to align with Kuji's assessment in chats. 

[houseofjob]

1 hour ago, Jason McNeil said:

Nonsense!   The first batch of 30x Nikolas are shipping out next week. Thanks @houseofjob for the summation of the Nikola's qualities, they seem to align with Kuji's assessment in chats. 

LOL.

FWIW, I didn't really agree with Kuji's general off-the-record boxiness assessment of the Nikola, and I actually like the look and over-sizedness of the form factor, albeit, I was hoping, again, for it to be taller for seated riding (might as well if you're gonna make the shell this big anyways, no?)

But given what's already out in the market, Gotway and non, personally IMHO as a multi-wheel owner, the Nikola doesn't really outshine or fulfill a need better than anything else in my current rotation, to my early adopter dismay 😐 (nice single wheel owner purchase though, possibly)

I'll also disclaimer that I'm, as usual, biased against 16" wheels in general, FWIW. 16 to me is still jack of all trades, king of none. After this demo, I'm even more of the mind of all big & small, no middle.

Dear Lord, can these wheel manufacturers finally come to their senses and make a damn super fat 14" compact already?! 🤠

Edited April 21, 2019 by houseofjob

[eddiemoy]

I got a roll of the non-abrasive grip tape from here:

https://brailleskateboarding.com/product/non-abrasive-grip-tape/

The version on the nikola is slightly different.  doesn't feel as sticky.  also the pattern i noticed is a little bit different.  it had bigger squares pyramids ending in a point.  where as the one i bought and reviewed by skaters is more like smaller squares with a flat top.

A couple of folks that showed up for the demo was riding it seated with no problem.  I didn't try to ride seated, like @houseofjob, I don't like the height of it for seated rides.  The unit we had had no seat, they were sitting on top of the rounded plastic.  

It is a little wide, not my cup of tea.  Kind of reminds me of the old Msuper V3S+ with the big pads that stick out.  Although I was able to idle on it easier than the 18" wheels and easier than on the V10F.  Means the hesitation is not there, i.e. acts more like a 16" when changing momentum.

Would I get it?  No.  Although it isn't as ugly as the photo's, it still isn't a looker for me.  A couple of folks were able to take the Nikola up to 80% warning before the park rangers came and kicked us out.  Almost had a confrontation with them.

Ergonomics makes you stand wide which I don't like.  But some of you probably don't mind.  Some mention that it seems lighter than it looks.  The body had lots of flex, Dmitry mention he talked to gotway and they said they used the wrong thickness on the foam inserts.  Will have to open up the first batch and put new foam inside to stop it from making the creaking noise when you step on or use one legged riding.  

I don't like the scorpion tail but it is more sturdy than the Inmotion that it copied.  The locking mechanism was faulty on the wheel we tested.  Dimtry tried to fix it on site and ended up breaking altogether.  

 

 

 

[Darrell Wesh]

@houseofjob damn crushing my hopes of selling my Ks18s and getting the Nikola as my faster, way cooler looking seated wheel. Was seated at least easier than on the MSX?

Edited April 21, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[houseofjob]

18 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

@houseofjob damn crushing my hopes of selling my Ks18s and getting the Nikola as my faster, way cooler looking seated wheel. Was seated at least easier than on the MSX?

Yeah, I'm right there with you on that!

Yes, a little 'easier' seated on the Nikola than the MSX seated, but they're both still miserable seated, squat-a-potty experiences IMHO when comparing next to proper seated height EUCs like the Monster and KS18S; you would need to still DIY a tall Nikola seat for proper seated control height, something I'm not really interested in DIY-ing myself. The egg shape of the Nikola really compounds things, as the back section slopes downward, making it deceptively shorter on the part where you actually sit, and I'm not even that tall myself at 5'8".

And besides that, unless they truly go 100v in a later version, the Nikola isn't that much faster than the great, but now long-in-the-tooth KS18S.

[Darrell Wesh]

15 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

Yeah, I'm right there with you on that!

Yes, a little 'easier' seated on the Nikola than the MSX seated, but they're both still miserable seated, squat-a-potty experiences IMHO when comparing next to proper seated height EUCs like the Monster and KS18S; you would need to still DIY a tall Nikola seat for proper seated control height, something I'm not really interested in DIY-ing myself. The egg shape of the Nikola really compounds things, as the back section slopes downward, making it deceptively shorter on the part where you actually sit, and I'm not even that tall myself at 5'8".

And besides that, unless they truly go 100v in a later version, the Nikola isn't that much faster than the great, but now long-in-the-tooth KS18S.

Well.... the 16x promises to have a seat so maybe it’ll rival that Ks18s experience! Supposedly has a subwoofer too, very interested to hear that. That’s a big a$$ Bluetooth speaker I won’t have to carry if it works well 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[houseofjob]

3 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Well.... the 16x promises to have a seat so maybe it’ll rival that Ks18s experience! Supposedly has a subwoofer too, very interested to hear that. That’s a big a$$ Bluetooth speaker I won’t have to carry if it works well 

I'm mildly intrigued, but nowhere near enough to buy a 16X, still looks like riding a garbage can to me. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I think.

Last comment was the response from customers on a possible 16X seat was lackluster at best I believe, so dunno if one will really happen 😞

But more importantly, it's not gonna be any faster than the KS18S , and the smaller 16 will be less effective for potholes, so easy pass for me, I'll exercise patience and wait for more future unknown wheel offerings I guess. (Speaker does sound cool though, 4.1 system😄)

[LanghamP]

Are the components of the Nikola better than any previous Gotway? That is, even if the wheel is unimpressive to the riders here, is the Nikola a more reliable and safer wheel? If so, then most riders here would be better off buying the Nikola over previous generation wheels, simply because a new more reliable wheel invalidates previous generation wheels, if it doesn't blow up and has more reliable power.

[houseofjob]

26 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

Are the components of the Nikola better than any previous Gotway? That is, even if the wheel is unimpressive to the riders here, is the Nikola a more reliable and safer wheel? If so, then most riders here would be better off buying the Nikola over previous generation wheels, simply because a new more reliable wheel invalidates previous generation wheels, if it doesn't blow up and has more reliable power.

Yes, in general, I would usually agree with this sentiment, but there are fairly new options like the MSX, 2019 version Tesla, etc, that IMHO essentially cannibalize the potential market for the Nikola here, especially considering both aforementioned models have proven pretty reliable now. And since all are in the same price ballpark, if it were me purchasing my first and only wheel, I'm not sure why I would pay the same money for a master-of-none Nikola, instead of the other recent and popular models, unless I really liked the aesthetics (which I actually kinda do here).

Might be just me though (?)

BTW, I personally went into the demo really wanting to like this wheel. While in a vacuum, it's still a solid offering overall, it doesn't make sense, at least for me, amongst the current wheel market. My stance would totally be different if this wheel was significantly cheaper.

Edited April 21, 2019 by houseofjob

[Darrell Wesh]

4 hours ago, houseofjob said:

I'm mildly intrigued, but nowhere near enough to buy a 16X, still looks like riding a garbage can to me. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I think.

Last comment was the response from customers on a possible 16X seat was lackluster at best I believe, so dunno if one will really happen 😞

But more importantly, it's not gonna be any faster than the KS18S , and the smaller 16 will be less effective for potholes, so easy pass for me, I'll exercise patience and wait for more future unknown wheel offerings I guess. (Speaker does sound cool though, 4.1 system😄)

I thought I was the only one that thought the 16x looked..... well, downright ugly. The Nikola at night must be an eye catcher with the high density ring LEDS

[Nils]

7 hours ago, houseofjob said:

Yes, in general, I would usually agree with this sentiment, but there are fairly new options like the MSX, 2019 version Tesla, etc, that IMHO essentially cannibalize the potential market for the Nikola here, especially considering both aforementioned models have proven pretty reliable now. And since all are in the same price ballpark, if it were me purchasing my first and only wheel, I'm not sure why I would pay the same money for a master-of-none Nikola, instead of the other recent and popular models, unless I really liked the aesthetics (which I actually kinda do here).

Might be just me though (?)

BTW, I personally went into the demo really wanting to like this wheel. While in a vacuum, it's still a solid offering overall, it doesn't make sense, at least for me, amongst the current wheel market. My stance would totally be different if this wheel was significantly cheaper.

Good point about the other wheels cannibalizing the potential market (and good points in general, thanks for the review!). I actually have a Nikola shipping as I write this, and for me as well the Nikola doesn't seem to add anything particularly new spec-wise either, compared to the MSX at least. I think it's fair to say that if one already has one of the other newer high-end wheels (MSX, KS18XL) then Nikola doesn't add anything making it a worthwhile buy. If you're looking to buy a new more powerful one however, it seems like an viable alternative to me. I'm going Gotway with this wheel (obviously), and then the options were the MSX or the Nikola (Tesla seems nice, but battery is too small). People rag on Nikola's appearance, but to me the MSX is frankly not a beauty so I'll go with Nikola here. Don't mind me some bling either. The softer mode options on the Nikola seems good to me. Pedals seems better, with the not as steep pedal angle. I don't do enough trollying that the handle is much of a factor for me, but even if I did I'd say that while I have my share of complaints for the V10F, the handle has not been one of them.

 Well, I guess I'll know more about whether this was a good decision or not soon enough. Also, hey, early adopter again, hoping this goes better than the V10F debacle last year

[Darrell Wesh]

I think the Nikola is beautiful I don’t get why people say it’s ugly but glow about the 16x? My eyes must be messed up 

[meepmeepmayer]

11 hours ago, LanghamP said:

Are the components of the Nikola better than any previous Gotway? That is, even if the wheel is unimpressive to the riders here, is the Nikola a more reliable and safer wheel? If so, then most riders here would be better off buying the Nikola over previous generation wheels, simply because a new more reliable wheel invalidates previous generation wheels, if it doesn't blow up and has more reliable power.

It has a brand new board. The msuper X type board (MSX, Monster 100V and the newly built 84V Monsters, MCM5) is the best, most robust board in existence right now (all brands). The Nikola has slightly smaller mosfets/mosfet packages (but not by much) and a new motor control algorithm that is supposed to reduce currents by 2x and more than make up for it.

While nobody stress-tested the new Gotway board/Nikola yet, I 95% expect it to be as amazing as the MSX board and therefore beyond all doubt, and give them a 5% chance to fuck something up Marty's mountain testing will tell us more, and ideally someone gets a Nikola to @EUC GUY so he can push a car with it (my favorite stress test ever).

[stephen]

1 hour ago, Darrell Wesh said:

I think the Nikola is beautiful I don’t get why people say it’s ugly but glow about the 16x? My eyes must be messed up 

Each to there own 😊i don't like all them lights or the round shape ,  i also think it depends where your from if i ride in the UK with a disco wheel I'd get some abuse, that's just how it is here in Bradford

[houseofjob]

4 hours ago, Nils said:

Good point about the other wheels cannibalizing the potential market (and good points in general, thanks for the review!). I actually have a Nikola shipping as I write this, and for me as well the Nikola doesn't seem to add anything particularly new spec-wise either, compared to the MSX at least. I think it's fair to say that if one already has one of the other newer high-end wheels (MSX, KS18XL) then Nikola doesn't add anything making it a worthwhile buy. If you're looking to buy a new more powerful one however, it seems like an viable alternative to me. I'm going Gotway with this wheel (obviously), and then the options were the MSX or the Nikola (Tesla seems nice, but battery is too small). People rag on Nikola's appearance, but to me the MSX is frankly not a beauty so I'll go with Nikola here. Don't mind me some bling either. The softer mode options on the Nikola seems good to me. Pedals seems better, with the not as steep pedal angle. I don't do enough trollying that the handle is much of a factor for me, but even if I did I'd say that while I have my share of complaints for the V10F, the handle has not been one of them.

 Well, I guess I'll know more about whether this was a good decision or not soon enough. Also, hey, early adopter again, hoping this goes better than the V10F debacle last year

You picked the right wheel I think! By no means is the Nikola a bad wheel, in fact quite the opposite, it's excellent. Just miffed about it being a 'tweener in the spec and size department.

I'd be perfectly happy picking the Nikola over all the wheels you mention above (MSX, KS18XL, Tesla, V10F), mainly because:

1. I like the Nikola looks;
2. it's the best spec version of that Ninebot One E+/KS18XL/V10F spinning LED design
3. I dislike the Tesla design / body shape, always looked like riding a desktop gaming computer to me
4. I dislike the MSX design being an MSV3 re-tread / re-cycle (don't mind the looks, just don't wanna pay today money for a yesterday design)
5. I absolutely dislike the ergonomics of the Tesla (pedals are too low) and MSX (too stiff across all modes, plus the body height vs pedal height ratio is imbalanced, since they're just shifting the pedals up higher on the existing MSV3 shell.)

But I know, contrary to my tastes, that the MSX and Tesla were very popular models, so I imagine fans of those wheels would pass on the NIkola.

Either way, great times we live in to have so many wheel options!

 

1 hour ago, Darrell Wesh said:

I think the Nikola is beautiful I don’t get why people say it’s ugly but glow about the 16x? My eyes must be messed up 

Great minds think alike 

The Nikola is the same 💩to me as any of the other spinning LED circular designs (Ninebot One, KS14/16/18, V8/V10F), and those were popular for a reason, so I'm a bit perplexed at all the Nikola design complaints (the edge-to-edge LEDs really pop at night to me!).

Personally I think it's because they kept the white borders, which don't really bother me anymore.

 

22 minutes ago, stephen said:

Each to there own 😊i don't like all them lights or the round shape ,  i also think it depends where your from if i ride in the UK with a disco wheel I'd get some abuse, that's just how it is here in Bradford

Interesting.

I always thought the majority of wheel buyers preferred round EUC's, hence the prevalence of circular designs. I don't have a preference either way on wheel shape per say.

And I never understood this LED argument, as a wheel like the Nikola can be ridden in stealth mode (LEDs off), as many V8 and V10F owners do. To each their own~

[EUCGUY]

59 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

It has a brand new board. The msuper X type board (MSX, Monster 100V and the newly built 84V Monsters, MCM5) is the best, most robust board in existence right now (all brands). The Nikola has slightly smaller mosfets/mosfet packages (but not by much) and a new motor control algorithm that is supposed to reduce currents by 2x and more than make up for it.

While nobody stress-tested the new Gotway board/Nikola yet, I 95% expect it to be as amazing as the MSX board and therefore beyond all doubt, and give them a 5% chance to fuck something up Marty's mountain testing will tell us more, and ideally someone gets a Nikola to @EUC GUY so he can push a car with it (my favorite stress test ever).

sounds good. just send me a wheel O:) 

[Nils]

1 hour ago, houseofjob said:

And I never understood this LED argument, as a wheel like the Nikola can be ridden in stealth mode (LEDs off), as many V8 and V10F owners do. To each their own~

In general there seems to be a lot of negativity regarding the Nikola's appearance, the amount of which surprised me a bit . While tastes certainly differ, I consider it a good thing that Gotway now seems to focus more on the aesthetics, starting with this wheel. They've had the performance/range thing going for them for some time, but other manufacturers are now catching up in that department, while having a history of offering (IMO) better looking wheels with better build quality. I hope that Gotway also as a part of this apparent shift also up their build quality and attention to details as well.

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, houseofjob said:

You picked the right wheel I think! By no means is the Nikola a bad wheel, in fact quite the opposite, it's excellent. Just miffed about it being a 'tweener in the spec and size department.

I'd be perfectly happy picking the Nikola over all the wheels you mention above (MSX, KS18XL, Tesla, V10F), mainly because:

1. I like the Nikola looks;
2. it's the best spec version of that Ninebot One E+/KS18XL/V10F spinning LED design
3. I dislike the Tesla design / body shape, always looked like riding a desktop gaming computer to me
4. I dislike the MSX design being an MSV3 re-tread / re-cycle (don't mind the looks, just don't wanna pay today money for a yesterday design)
5. I absolutely dislike the ergonomics of the Tesla (pedals are too low) and MSX (too stiff across all modes, plus the body height vs pedal height ratio is imbalanced, since they're just shifting the pedals up higher on the existing MSV3 shell.)

But I know, contrary to my tastes, that the MSX and Tesla were very popular models, so I imagine fans of those wheels would pass on the NIkola.

Either way, great times we live in to have so many wheel options!

 

Great minds think alike 

The Nikola is the same 💩to me as any of the other spinning LED circular designs (Ninebot One, KS14/16/18, V8/V10F), and those were popular for a reason, so I'm a bit perplexed at all the Nikola design complaints (the edge-to-edge LEDs really pop at night to me!).

Personally I think it's because they kept the white borders, which don't really bother me anymore.

 

Interesting.

I always thought the majority of wheel buyers preferred round EUC's, hence the prevalence of circular designs. I don't have a preference either way on wheel shape per say.

And I never understood this LED argument, as a wheel like the Nikola can be ridden in stealth mode (LEDs off), as many V8 and V10F owners do. To each their own~

Bingo. That's the one design element that I really dislike. I know it'll grow on me, but right off the bat, it detracts from the otherwise good looks of the wheel. IMO of course.

[eddiemoy]

Some folks think the Nikola looks like an ugly version of the V10F.  There are similarities and you can tell GW bit off the design from the V10F.  But where as the V10F was pleasing look at, the Nikola is not.  Although to me it isn't as ugly as the first time I saw it, it is still not a good looking wheel to me.  The best looking wheel that GW made to this day is the Monster.  

I think the KS16X seems to trigger some of the same reaction but in reverse.  There a lots more people that think the 16X looks good vs bad.  I know there are a few that think it is a copy of the  GT18 which never came to be.  Maybe KS took some of the design cues from the renderings of the GT18 and I can certainly see the similarities as I do with the Nikola and the V10F, but to me it looks so much better than the GT18 and I'm glad they made the design changes to make it look better.  IMO the GT18 is the ugly version of the 16X.  

Seems like the masses like the 16X 10:1 vs the Nikola at least that are the sales numbers I'm hearing from the grapevine.  

It's all a matter of appealing to the masses.  As a manufacture I would try to make something that is appealing to most.  Then I would get the most sales.  Otherwise I won't be in business long.  At this point it seems like the Nikola is a total failure as only a few folks are buying it.  

At the meet up I couldn't help but noticed most of the folks that showed up had a KS18L/XL.  I think I counted 8 of them. 

[meepmeepmayer]

42 minutes ago, Nils said:

In general there seems to be a lot of negativity regarding the Nikola's appearance, the amount of which surprised me a bit .

I'd say it's not so much the looks but the sheer (unnecessary over)size of it. The proportions are just strange. What sense does that ultra wide top handle (not the scorpion one) make?