^tom^ Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Hi all This will be the third review of a GotWay 18. So let's see my experience with it. My experience is based on the around 250 Kilometers I've ridden with my electric unicycles and they are: Rockwheel GR12, GotWay 14, GotWay 18 and a NoName 14 inch. I have been driving since the end of December 2014 and learned with the Rockwheel. First impression during unpacking....oops big, very big and oops heavy, oh yes it must be the GW18 (middle version). So, it has to be charged first, but no, now I have to ride it immediately for a few meters. So I did and I needed quite a bit of space to make a half turn and I felt it was also not so easy to handle. Ok, first it needed a charge so I plugged it in. It needs about 8 hours to a full charge if it is empty. MORE ABOUT THIS LATER. So I went with my 100 Kilo body to my favorite roads (away from traffic) to ride it the first time. Again, not easy to handle was my impression and so I changed the mode to the stiffest one, because I can not drive in soft modes. With this change it improved to a better ride and surprisingly to a better handling. After around 10 Kilometer I was very comfortable riding AND handling the wheel. Smooth, easy and like on tracks it was rolling. Even slowly...very slowly (below 5kph), even straight is not really a problem. My favorite movement is doing like skiing and this driving sligthly downhill and doing slalom is a pleasure to do! The only thing is...you get faster quickly if you do not watch your speed, because it is as I wrote before...like being on tracks (even slalom). If anybody is skiing, I would say the difference between the GW14 and GW18 is that the GW18 are the longer curving skis! Until now I am very happy so far with the GW18. There are two points bothering me. The first point is a very loud peepsing/beeping sound so a poti is a must! Otherwise, the whole city wakes up or all the animals are running crazy. The second point is that whining sound (I think it is the inverter) which is very disturbing to me and can be heard very good when there is no traffic around. Then I changed to the GW14 to see the difference directly. Oh Oh, the GW14 feels like a little little toy to play with between your feet. And I would say my GW14 skill raised at this point by at least 20% maybe even 50%. After a couple of Kilometers with the GW14 I went to my hometown roads (440 people population with farms but asphalt roads) and took the GW18 again for the next 10 Kilometers. I realized that the GW18 is much easier for me to hop on because it is so high and pushes against my legs almost at the knee-level. The pedals are big and wide, but the wheel by itself is wide too (it has a big belly) and so your feet are not so close to the wheel. So if you soften the belly (what I did a little) make sure your feet can still stay comfortable on the pedals and do not come too far out. I will probably remove the soft foam later and will try without it. What happens with the GW18 is that you are speeding more often, even uphill! Driving up a hill....it is like butter in the sun, easy! Even 10°, easy. But if I would go offroad I am not so sure that I would take the GW18, because it is too stable left and right (it can not go anywhere), where as if you have a smaller wheel then you have more options to balance on whichever surface you drive on. If you have to or like to drive far and often on asphalt/concrete or normal surfaced roads, I would say, the GW18 is very good wheel for it and maybe even the best choice. If you ride on lots of roads other than plain surfaces or if you like to play more with it, and especially if this would be your only wheel then I would not recommend the GW18 at all! In this case I would recommend the GW14. About charging the battery: The fact is, you could get properly tired before you run out of juice; so then you never have to charge it for 8 hours again and you have plenty off battery juice left for speeding up the hill! So far my GW18 never touched the ground (exept the tire) in my first 55 Kilometer in 3 days. And yes, I would buy it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Sounds like you're having fun on it ^tom^ making me jealous, still not long to wait now hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 oh i can't wait for mine! If only it weren't so expensive. I will get the GW18 too. Do you have the "big" batter with 800 something wH? Now that you have ridden it for more miles - do you think it is more nimble than when you weren't used to it yet? I mean - can you dodge in and out of crowds for example? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 why would you prefer a smaller wheel to the 18 inch in off road conditions? It seems that is what you write. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 oh i can't wait for mine! If only it weren't so expensive. I will get the GW18 too. Do you have the "big" batter with 800 something wH? Now that you have ridden it for more miles - do you think it is more nimble than when you weren't used to it yet? I mean - can you dodge in and out of crowds for example? No it easy to answer, but I can drive it more easily then when I started. But I have not tried to drive it in a crowd of people. I think it could be too heavy and too big for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 why would you prefer a smaller wheel to the 18 inch in off road conditions? It seems that is what you write. If you can answer this question: you know more. I think in rough conditions (like in the woods) the GW 18 is too heavy and too big for it. You have to handle a 1/4 mile semi-race car in the woods! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you can answer this question: you know more. I think in rough conditions (like in the woods) the GW 18 is too heavy and too big for it. You have to handle a 1/4 mile semi-race car in the woods! I think the 18 inch possibly suffers from the "lever effect" when dealing with uneven inclined terrain. Refer to this excellent post from John Chew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I think the 18 inch possibly suffers from the "lever effect" when dealing with uneven inclined terrain. Refer to this excellent post from John Chew. The power of the GW18 is enough to keep up with you. But is is big an heavy and like a rocket, if it goes in one direction you can not change this direction so quick like with a 8 Kilogramm less EU. Also the high of the wheel does not allow you this so easy/quick. Yesterday I was driving my Rockwheel again and as I told...driving the GW18 improved my wheel ride level extremly. I do not why exactly, but it could be of the size of the GW18. If you can handle this weight and size you have no problem at all with smaler ones. After a week I drove my GW18 longer (in distance) then all my other weels together in 3 month.....so my legs hurts my again......but not the bones...the muscles from my skiing style. I really love the GW18 and for me it is worth every cent I payed for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 So, yesterday I drove the GW18 again, but without any padding (stock version) and it was even better. Nothing did hurt not even the muscles. So with a extra padding, the belly of the GW18 is getting bigger and maybe if you have O-legs it will help, but not for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 So, yesterday I drove the GW18 again, but without any padding (stock version) and it was even better. Nothing did hurt not even the muscles. So with a extra padding, the belly of the GW18 is getting bigger and maybe if you have O-legs it will help, but not for me. Yes the GW18 doesn't hurt. It also has a CURVED edge on the top which helps. My only concern is the lack of friction with the plastic. Perhaps adding a very thin soft material to add more friction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Yes the GW18 doesn't hurt. It also has a CURVED edge on the top which helps. My only concern is the lack of friction with the plastic. Perhaps adding a very thin soft material to add more friction? You are right arbee, this is a point it changed as I removed the "extra" padding. For driving it was I have the get use to it, what I did so far, but I was not be able do to sharp curves like with the padding. So I have to figure out, if I get used to this too, or do I have do add a extra thin antslip foam to get a little bit of a friction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I've never added any padding to any of my eucs. The EYU had some built in but the IPS is smooth and slippery why do you want to grip the euc? Only time I try to grip a little is when hopping up kerbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetricUSA Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Oh, I wish someone near me had one, so I can try.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villac Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 My experience with the Gotway Msuper2 18 inch MS (middle speed) version: I just got an Msuper from @johnc415 and wanted to share my first impressions. First off, John was a model vendor and made the purchase extremely easy. I sent him a signed waiver and paid using a credit card, and he shipped it to me from NJ to PA in a couple of days. He answered all questions expertly, and kept open constant, helpful communication. I highly recommend him to anyone considering a purchase. I installed a trolley, foam padding, and reflective tape. I have commuted the 2 mi journey to work several times and have ridden on and off road around town. - Pedals are big, I ride with the "V" shape open to the front (power switch on right) the pedals are a ridged metal, I think aluminum. When riding in the rain they get really slippery. I may add grip tape, but it might be hard to get to stick with the ridges. -The 18" wheel is wobbly at low speeds and it is hard to balance. As soon as I put on even a little speed, it becomes rock steady and wants to cruise smooth. It ignores bumps, potholes, and manhole covers. Turning is easy at high speed, but wobbly at low speed. I have been dismounting at intersections where I used to be able to slow to a crawl and even pause for a moment without hopping down. - There is a constant high pitched whine/whistle from the motor. From what I have read here, they all sound like that. The beeps for on/off, and high speed are very loud. This makes them easy to hear even with ears covered. - In smooth mode, the EU feels sluggish, and slow/faulty responding to acceleration and braking prompts. In Madden mode, it responds smooth and fast. The acceleration is easy to control, not jumpy. I find it easy to cruise at 25 km/hr. Above that I only briefly touch the higher speed and then ease back down. - The case body is tall and wide. The smooth plastic is comfortable against the legs. With foam padding, I like it better to have a little more lean influence with the inside of the knees. I used part of the packing foam to make a seat to place on top of the body. It makes the body a little wider when standing, and provides a great place to exert pressure for faster acceleration by leaning forward with the knees, and a nice grip point between the shins. I know lots of others prefer no padding on the Msuper because it is already very wide. Sitting on the pad is tough to master: at low speeds it is even more wobbly than standing. At speed it will stay straight when I am sitting, but it is hard to make a tight radius turn while sitting. When I sit, I lean forward a lot to keep the right balance, and lift my heels so I'm contacting the pedals with the balls of my feet. (My son is a lot better at sitting on the Msuper: He can sit on it without padding and even sits on his much smaller 14" TG T3 and the 16" IPS Lhotz Xima. Going back and forth between the Lhotz and the Msuper really accentuates the massive difference in body size. I much prefer the stable bulk of the Msuper. - Off road, the Msuper feels smooth on grass/dirt, probably due to the large wheel size. However, I often separate from the EU when I contact a big bump: I keep going forward and the EU stops. I'm better on big bumps/curbs with the Lhotz because by squeezing my ankles in and jumping a little I can lift it a bit. The Msuper is 10 lb heaver and much harder to get off the ground. - Lastly, I used the bottom third of the box and the bottom piece of packing foam to make a convenient stand for the Msuper. It makes me wish I had thought of this before I threw away my other boxes! - I have cautiously not probed top speed, which should be 34 km/hr on this MS model. The cutouts without tiltback scare me. I always wear my helmet/knee pads/elbow pads/wrist guards/gloves/mouthguard. Here are a few pictures, and I'll try to get some video soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMo Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 1 hour ago, Villac said: My experience with the Gotway Msuper2 18 inch MS (middle speed) version: - Pedals are big, I ride with the "V" shape open to the front (power switch on right) the pedals are a ridged metal, I think aluminum. When riding in the rain they get really slippery. I may add grip tape, but it might be hard to get to stick with the ridges. You can use some rubber contact cement to stick the grip tape in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villac Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilmann Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 @Villac Put grip tape on mine some 200km ago and it sticks just nicely where I put it. I made an effort massaging the tape into the grooves and that seems cause better adhesion to the pedals. It's a bit harder to clean when I catch a a leaf under my foot and tha gets massaged into some grooves, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villac Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Thanks for this advice. I'll make it work somehow! If I can't handle getting the tape to stick to the pedals, maybe I'll get it to stick to the bottom of my sneakers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirGeraint Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 17 hours ago, Villac said: My experience with the Gotway Msuper2 18 inch MS (middle speed) version: I just got an Msuper from @johnc415 and wanted to share my first impressions. First off, John was a model vendor and made the purchase extremely easy. I sent him a signed waiver and paid using a credit card, and he shipped it to me from NJ to PA in a couple of days. He answered all questions expertly, and kept open constant, helpful communication. I highly recommend him to anyone considering a purchase. I installed a trolley, foam padding, and reflective tape. I agree @johnc415 is a great salesperson to buy from. He seems very concerned with service after the sale. I am having an issue with mine and he has offered to go above and beyond what I believe he needs to do. We are in a holding pattern at the moment but I have no doubt that he will do whatever needs to be done to get my issue resolved. Where did you get your trolley handle? I am planning on getting one soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villac Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 A bit of an update. I've been commuting to work on the Gotway 18 and enjoying myself. I made a saddle out of the packing foam in which it was shipped. Although it is more comfortable to stand, I sit when riding around the driveway for fun. Tonight I finished the saddle with tape, lights, and reflector tape. I like the feel of the thick padding up at the top of the Gotway because it lets me lean body and EU as a unit, it is especially helpful when offroading and extra lean is needed to overcome torque and bumps in the trail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Looks interesting When you ride standing up do you still have the seat on? Its not too wide to interfere with your stance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villac Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 @Cloud , yes, I'm a little bow-legged when I'm riding it! It may be hard to see, but I've cut indentations into each side where my legs fit. Also, it is compressible foam, so I kind of squeeze in as I ride: it helps me keep control on leans and turns. Probably because I'm accustomed to it now, I prefer to ride with the saddle on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villac Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Here is the view from above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Looks pretty cool and even better from the top view! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetricUSA Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 When you come to a stop, do you grab it or lean it against leg? To lift it, you have to take seat off? How wide when folded up? In case you have to slide it under something, like bus seat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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