Mrd777 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 @Marty Backe , I knew you were going to like the wheel, as I like it too. Besides the speed and acceleration this wheel is very agile going slowly too. I was able to very tightly maneuver around people with 60 pounds of groceries in my hand in the city. My one big complaint is the shell on the right side creaks with pressure, almost like it’s not seated correctly. This drives me crazy, as I can hear it and feel it dimple in.. Does your wheel have this issue ? I might take it apart it see if I can shore it up from behind.. The shell on the left seems fine. Other then that, this wheel is a beauty, and speeds along immediately. I’d like to try a 84v to feel the difference. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Eisenman Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 12 minutes ago, Mrd777 said: right side creaks with pressure On the Monster that bespeaks either cracks along the shell pedal column or simply the need to tighten the axle nut against the pedal column. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post eddiemoy Posted June 8, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted June 8, 2019 On 6/5/2019 at 8:29 AM, Marty Backe said: Who said I'm not getting the 16X? But I have the Nikola now. It may be 2+ months before the 16X is available. I was more excited about the 16X, but now that I've ridden the Nikola, I'm not quite as excited because I know the 16X will ultimately have more speed limitations. Absolutely. Marty, not sure why you would mention speed limitations since you don’t really take advantage of the top speed of any of the faster Gw wheels. As for the imitation non abrasive grip tape, go get a roll of real stuff by DKL. They are amazing and don’t lose grip when wet. I think it even seems to have more grip when wet. I love them on my KS18S. Some of the guys around here are already sold on it and will be putting it on all their wheels. Lol 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiemoy Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 7 hours ago, Marty Backe said: Why I Think The Nikola Is The Best Wheel At This Moment I’ve ridden it about 100-miles since Monday. I’ve taken on my first mountain test (picture above), climbing 5100-feet to ~11,000-feet. I’ve ridden it on tough rocky trails which demonstrated to me that it has superb low speed power (torque). First, if you have a MSX, KS18XL, etc., I’m not saying to necessarily run out and buy one. My commentary is for those of you who want to move up and have been torn as to which wheel to get. You can now safely skip the MSX, KS18XL, etc. The tire. It’s huge like the MSX. It’s wonderful like the MSX for dealing with crappy trails, roads, etc. But it’s a little bit smaller so you get better handling like a 16-inch wheel. I think this is the perfect size, between 16 & 18 inches. The tire is the main reason I say skip the KS18XL. The shell. It looks big (wide) but it’s an optical illusion because of the handle. But the shell actually has a nice taper away from the legs, unlike the MSX (which is more boxy). So it’s actually very comfy to ride and took me zero adjustment period like the Tesla, MSX, etc. The pedals. They don’t have the large dihedral angle like the MSX. Just your typical semi-flat angle. And they are huge. I did ride it through some snow (11,000-ft) and the ‘plastic grip tape’ does suck - slippery when wet 🙁 However, because your feet are lower compared to the MSX and the top of the shell isn’t ‘digging’ into your upper leg, The Nikola rides and handles like a dream. I don’t know of course until I ride one, but the 16X shell looks boxy like the MSX, where it hits your leg. Time will tell. Based on my rugged trail riding with the Nikola, it exhibits superb low speed power to slowly climb up and over very large rocks, etc. Going downhill also feels very secure. I have lots of wheels that I will continue to use for variety, etc., But I think The Nikola is now my wheel of choice for mountains, trails, long group rides, just about everything. And for you speed freaks, just buy the 100-volt version. Yes, there are negatives, but where it really counts (riding), The Nikola rules IMHO On a side note, I have now retired my ACM as the best all purpose wheel. Here is my topic on the DRL grip tape I put on my KS18S. Amazing stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 7 hours ago, Marty Backe said: On a side note, I have now retired my ACM as the best all purpose wheel. Looks like I have to buy a Nikola How would you compare the two for mountain riding? Especially any notable torque differences? Overheating? Can't wait for an overheat hill video. Btw. that photo is glorious! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Mrd777 said: @Marty Backe , I knew you were going to like the wheel, as I like it too. Besides the speed and acceleration this wheel is very agile going slowly too. I was able to very tightly maneuver around people with 60 pounds of groceries in my hand in the city. My one big complaint is the shell on the right side creaks with pressure, almost like it’s not seated correctly. This drives me crazy, as I can hear it and feel it dimple in.. Does your wheel have this issue ? I might take it apart it see if I can shore it up from behind.. The shell on the left seems fine. Other then that, this wheel is a beauty, and speeds along immediately. I’d like to try a 84v to feel the difference. I have noticed creaking sometimes but haven't bothered to isolate which side it may be coming from. Over time so many of my wheels creak that I guess it doesn't bother me anymore. Yes, love this wheel and totally agree that the low speed handling is great, even when traversing a mini uphill trail rock garden :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 58 minutes ago, eddiemoy said: Marty, not sure why you would mention speed limitations since you don’t really take advantage of the top speed of any of the faster Gw wheels. As for the imitation non abrasive grip tape, go get a roll of real stuff by DKL. They are amazing and don’t lose grip when wet. I think it even seems to have more grip when wet. I love them on my KS18S. Some of the guys around here are already sold on it and will be putting it on all their wheels. Lol I mention the speed for others. You're right, it's perfect for me. That's for the grip tape info. I'll look into but I may not do anything in my case because I rarely ride where things get wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 53 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said: Looks like I have to buy a Nikola How would you compare the two for mountain riding? Especially any notable torque differences? Overheating? Can't wait for an overheat hill video. Btw. that photo is glorious! Except for possible overheating I think I've ridden in all the tough trail conditions that I normally encounter. It has superb low-speed torque but is so much nicer for climbing over small rock gardens because of the fat tire. I did think it was going to be tough to take a bad picture here :-) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiemoy Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 55 minutes ago, Marty Backe said: I have noticed creaking sometimes but haven't bothered to isolate which side it may be coming from. Over time so many of my wheels creak that I guess it doesn't bother me anymore. Yes, love this wheel and totally agree that the low speed handling is great, even when traversing a mini uphill trail rock garden :-) The creaking is because they didn’t put enough padding between the case and battery. You need to open it up and put more of the squishy tape they use. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxLinux Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 2 hours ago, eddiemoy said: Here is my topic on the DRL grip tape I put on my KS18S. Amazing stuff. The product page describes it this way: "Instead of abrasion, we use concepts like molecular adhesion and the plow effect to achieve the same friction as sandpaper" and "its material is similar to the rubber found on ping pong paddles." That sounds very interesting. I bookmarked this so I can try it when I need new grip tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Alexander Oliver Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 10 hours ago, Marty Backe said: Why I Think The Nikola Is The Best Wheel At This Moment I’ve ridden it about 100-miles since Monday. I’ve taken on my first mountain test (picture above), climbing 5100-feet to ~11,000-feet. I’ve ridden it on tough rocky trails which demonstrated to me that it has superb low speed power (torque). First, if you have a MSX, KS18XL, etc., I’m not saying to necessarily run out and buy one. My commentary is for those of you who want to move up and have been torn as to which wheel to get. You can now safely skip the MSX, KS18XL, etc. The tire. It’s huge like the MSX. It’s wonderful like the MSX for dealing with crappy trails, roads, etc. But it’s a little bit smaller so you get better handling like a 16-inch wheel. I think this is the perfect size, between 16 & 18 inches. The tire is the main reason I say skip the KS18XL. The shell. It looks big (wide) but it’s an optical illusion because of the handle. But the shell actually has a nice taper away from the legs, unlike the MSX (which is more boxy). So it’s actually very comfy to ride and took me zero adjustment period like the Tesla, MSX, etc. The pedals. They don’t have the large dihedral angle like the MSX. Just your typical semi-flat angle. And they are huge. I did ride it through some snow (11,000-ft) and the ‘plastic grip tape’ does suck - slippery when wet 🙁 However, because your feet are lower compared to the MSX and the top of the shell isn’t ‘digging’ into your upper leg, The Nikola rides and handles like a dream. I don’t know of course until I ride one, but the 16X shell looks boxy like the MSX, where it hits your leg. Time will tell. Based on my rugged trail riding with the Nikola, it exhibits superb low speed power to slowly climb up and over very large rocks, etc. Going downhill also feels very secure. I have lots of wheels that I will continue to use for variety, etc., But I think The Nikola is now my wheel of choice for mountains, trails, long group rides, just about everything. And for you speed freaks, just buy the 100-volt version. Yes, there are negatives, but where it really counts (riding), The Nikola rules IMHO On a side note, I have now retired my ACM as the best all purpose wheel. Great stuff Marty 👍🏼 It’s good to hear how much you love you nikola too.. I finally got mine last night. And I am loving it so far. Only about 8 miles in right now but it’s great. It rides and handles really perfectly, I can’t wait to do some trails and get a feel for it. 10 hours ago, Marty Backe said: Why I Think The Nikola Is The Best Wheel At This Moment I’ve ridden it about 100-miles since Monday. I’ve taken on my first mountain test (picture above), climbing 5100-feet to ~11,000-feet. I’ve ridden it on tough rocky trails which demonstrated to me that it has superb low speed power (torque). First, if you have a MSX, KS18XL, etc., I’m not saying to necessarily run out and buy one. My commentary is for those of you who want to move up and have been torn as to which wheel to get. You can now safely skip the MSX, KS18XL, etc. The tire. It’s huge like the MSX. It’s wonderful like the MSX for dealing with crappy trails, roads, etc. But it’s a little bit smaller so you get better handling like a 16-inch wheel. I think this is the perfect size, between 16 & 18 inches. The tire is the main reason I say skip the KS18XL. The shell. It looks big (wide) but it’s an optical illusion because of the handle. But the shell actually has a nice taper away from the legs, unlike the MSX (which is more boxy). So it’s actually very comfy to ride and took me zero adjustment period like the Tesla, MSX, etc. The pedals. They don’t have the large dihedral angle like the MSX. Just your typical semi-flat angle. And they are huge. I did ride it through some snow (11,000-ft) and the ‘plastic grip tape’ does suck - slippery when wet 🙁 However, because your feet are lower compared to the MSX and the top of the shell isn’t ‘digging’ into your upper leg, The Nikola rides and handles like a dream. I don’t know of course until I ride one, but the 16X shell looks boxy like the MSX, where it hits your leg. Time will tell. Based on my rugged trail riding with the Nikola, it exhibits superb low speed power to slowly climb up and over very large rocks, etc. Going downhill also feels very secure. I have lots of wheels that I will continue to use for variety, etc., But I think The Nikola is now my wheel of choice for mountains, trails, long group rides, just about everything. And for you speed freaks, just buy the 100-volt version. Yes, there are negatives, but where it really counts (riding), The Nikola rules IMHO On a side note, I have now retired my ACM as the best all purpose wheel. Great stuff Marty 👍🏼 It’s good to hear how much you love you nikola too.. I finally got mine last night. And I am loving it so far. Only about 8 miles in right now but it’s great. It rides and handles really perfectly, I can’t wait to do some trails and get a feel for it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nils Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 4 hours ago, Mrd777 said: @Marty Backe , I knew you were going to like the wheel, as I like it too. Besides the speed and acceleration this wheel is very agile going slowly too. I was able to very tightly maneuver around people with 60 pounds of groceries in my hand in the city. My one big complaint is the shell on the right side creaks with pressure, almost like it’s not seated correctly. This drives me crazy, as I can hear it and feel it dimple in.. Does your wheel have this issue ? I might take it apart it see if I can shore it up from behind.. The shell on the left seems fine. Other then that, this wheel is a beauty, and speeds along immediately. I’d like to try a 84v to feel the difference. I''ll confirm the same with my Nikola. Doing some one-legged riding it creaks on the right side when pressing with the right leg, but not on the left. The fact that we both have the same creaking pattern makes me think it's something to do with the construction, and not an individual defect. I've read earlier somewhere on the forum that someone reported creaking upon pressure as well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Anyone know if there is a difference in pedal height between the Nikola and MSX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiemoy Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 43 minutes ago, MaxLinux said: The product page describes it this way: "Instead of abrasion, we use concepts like molecular adhesion and the plow effect to achieve the same friction as sandpaper" and "its material is similar to the rubber found on ping pong paddles." That sounds very interesting. I bookmarked this so I can try it when I need new grip tape. It's less than 15 bucks and a few minutes of time. It is kind of a no brainer. This stuff is amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8ps Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 8 hours ago, Mrd777 said: My one big complaint is the shell on the right side creaks with pressure, almost like it’s not seated correctly. This drives me crazy, as I can hear it and feel it dimple in.. Does your wheel have this issue ? Oh man, that would drive me nuts, especially if I'm going to spend $2,800 on a 100 volt. Please let us know if you are able to fix the creak if you ever decide to take the wheel apart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 6 hours ago, Scully said: Anyone know if there is a difference in pedal height between the Nikola and MSX? I haven't measured it yet, but I would guess it's a little lower. But it's the lack of a severe dihedral angle that really keeps your closer to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Alexander Oliver Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 (edited) Ok.. so I got My nikola last night and have put about 30 miles on it today. But I can’t go above 15 -20 mph without serious ridiculous wobbles. Like about to throw me off wobbles. I only have a ks16s and a inmotion v8 so this is my first high powered wheel. But damn am I doing something wrong. Is there something wrong with my wheel. . ? The motor has a very noticeable grrrrowl or groan. It’s defff. Not silent. It doesn’t have the ks height pitch whine but it grinds inside kinda. Is that normal ? And I can’t get the hang of it. Some one please reassure me and tell me that I’ll figure out how to ride my 2000$ wheel. Lol. I’m kinda stressin Edited June 9, 2019 by Lucas Alexander Oliver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, Lucas Alexander Oliver said: Ok.. so I got My nikola last night and have put about 30 miles on it today. But I can’t go above 15 -20 mph without serious ridiculous wobbles. Like about to throw me off wobbles. I only have a ks16s and a inmotion v8 so this is my first high powered wheel. But damn am I doing something wrong. Is there something wrong with my wheel. . ? The motor has a very noticeable grrrrowl or groan. It’s defff. Not silent. It doesn’t have the ks height pitch whine but it grinds inside kinda. Is that normal ? And I can’t get the hang of it. Some one please reassure me and tell me that I’ll figure out how to ride my 2000$ wheel. Lol. I’m kinda stressin It'll be you - you just need to relax and practice. You'll soon get used to the wheel and the wobbles will go. 8 hours ago, Marty Backe said: I haven't measured it yet, but I would guess it's a little lower. But it's the lack of a severe dihedral angle that really keeps your closer to the ground. Even so, you're happy with the height for trail riding and rocky paths? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Alexander Oliver Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 You have to try very hard imo to scrape the pedals. They are perfect 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mike Sacristan Posted June 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted June 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Lucas Alexander Oliver said: Ok.. so I got My nikola last night and have put about 30 miles on it today. But I can’t go above 15 -20 mph without serious ridiculous wobbles. Like about to throw me off wobbles. I only have a ks16s and a inmotion v8 so this is my first high powered wheel. But damn am I doing something wrong. Is there something wrong with my wheel. . ? The motor has a very noticeable grrrrowl or groan. It’s defff. Not silent. It doesn’t have the ks height pitch whine but it grinds inside kinda. Is that normal ? And I can’t get the hang of it. Some one please reassure me and tell me that I’ll figure out how to ride my 2000$ wheel. Lol. I’m kinda stressin The growling is normal. Powerful motors and large magnets. 20mph is fast. As you become more used to the balance on the Nikola you will wobble less and be able to go faster and faster. That's one of the benefits of riding an EUC. You don't get high speeds for free where you can just get on and ride 30mph out of the box. You have to earn it. Wobbling can sometimes be amplified by bad foot placement. To find the center of your foot placement you can try this: 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nils Posted June 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted June 9, 2019 2 hours ago, Lucas Alexander Oliver said: Ok.. so I got My nikola last night and have put about 30 miles on it today. But I can’t go above 15 -20 mph without serious ridiculous wobbles. Like about to throw me off wobbles. I only have a ks16s and a inmotion v8 so this is my first high powered wheel. But damn am I doing something wrong. Is there something wrong with my wheel. . ? The motor has a very noticeable grrrrowl or groan. It’s defff. Not silent. It doesn’t have the ks height pitch whine but it grinds inside kinda. Is that normal ? And I can’t get the hang of it. Some one please reassure me and tell me that I’ll figure out how to ride my 2000$ wheel. Lol. I’m kinda stressin In addition to what the others have said one thing to check (unless you've already done so) is the tire pressure. Make sure you're at a good level, and you can also try experimenting a little bit with the pressure to see what you prefer. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Alexander Oliver Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Thanks everyone. I will practice practice practice 😉👌👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Marty Backe Posted June 9, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 9, 2019 9 hours ago, Scully said: It'll be you - you just need to relax and practice. You'll soon get used to the wheel and the wobbles will go. Even so, you're happy with the height for trail riding and rocky paths? Yes, I was riding on some knarly trails with very large rocks and the pedals we're fine. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourtoys7 Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 @Marty Backe could you post some pic. MSX vs Nikola, few different angles, please.... :)) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 2 hours ago, yourtoys7 said: @Marty Backe could you post some pic. MSX vs Nikola, few different angles, please.... :)) The pedals feel like the ACM pedals, just bigger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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