KS 16S or KS 18l for my first wheel? Help please

[Thatmustache]

Hey guys, I'm completely new to Electric unicycles. I've never ridden one, but am itching to get on one. I don't make a lot of money currently to spend on things I want, so I've been saving for a while now to buy my first EUC. Ive finally just saved up enough. My thoughts are this - I understand most people buy a beginner wheel to learn on and beat up until they become proficient, and then upgrade to a better faster wheel. My thing is that I probably will only be able to afford one wheel for now, and won't be able to buy another one in the foreseeable future. If I want I have just enough for a Kingsong ks 18l, or I can go with the ks 16s. I think both are sweet. Will it be too hard to learn on an 18l? My use will be riding for fun, more in the country, longer rides and exploring. Not really any commuting and not much city riding for me. Thoughts please? Thanks!

[Rywokast]

glad you provided more details on your planned usage.. 18L hands down if those are the two you have decided on.. I can't tell you from experience as I learned on a 16" but actually many people say an 18" is easier to learn on.. just be sure you pad it up very well, it will be dropped a lot in the learning phase.

[Thatmustache]

@Rywokast thank you for your response! What's your opinion on the best way to pad it up?

[RoadRunner]

Get the 18L or even better save a little more and get the XL straight away.

Iam talking from experience, i first bought the KS16C half a year later got the XL.

The Xl is easy to ride, on or off-road plenty of power, speed and range.

[RoadRunner]

I first used the baby protection foam stuff worked well, now i use the EUC bodyguard.

[Rywokast]

5 minutes ago, Thatmustache said:

@Rywokast thank you for your response! What's your opinion on the best way to pad it up?

i have seen many hilarious ways that people have padded their wheels, if you ask me, the best way is to make a cover from a yoga mat or similar material any dense foam really just wrap it around and duct tape.. what works good also is this bumper strip foam but thats for more of an aesthetically pleasing, selective padding.. of course i cant recommend enough the beautiful custom made euc covers by @The Fat Unicyclist.. a bit more pricey but well worth it, i would definitely not recommend for the training phase anything more expensive than a yoga mat from walmart lol, and then after training the euc bodyguard... i also like to use some hard rubber edge trim for the corners and places that are most vulnerable, including the pedals as they will probably be scraped up during learning as well

[Thatmustache]

 @RoadRunner Awesome! Thanks for the help, I definitely don't want my wheel all broken before I even get good at it lol

[Joker10]

18l for your purposes.

[Chriull]

1 hour ago, Thatmustache said:

If I want I have just enough for a Kingsong ks 18l, or I can go with the ks 16s. I think both are sweet. Will it be too hard to learn on an 18l? My use will be riding for fun, more in the country, longer rides and exploring. Not really any commuting and not much city riding for me. Thoughts please? Thanks!

I have the ks16s and like it very much! One has to be just immune or to the high frequency whine. For many older people its no prob - i just have the prob to still hear it and get very annoyed by this despite getting around 50 by now. If you visited enough loud concerts and discothecs its no problem and s great wheel! Although not powerwise up to date still a great wheel if one doee not need a huge range, high speeds and incredible mountain climb powers. But this depends mostly on your expectations - they still could be more than fullfilled with the ks16s.

But today i rode the first time the ks18xl from my brother - a really great wheel! Still some whine but so much less annoying! With this wheel its more or less just some kind of speed indicator. The bigger pedals are just a dream. The huge battery gives one a great range if one gets into this once, if not its a not to underestimate safety margin!

You should also not restrict yourself to kingsongs - the Gotway wheels, especially mcm5, msx and also tesla v?2? have very good reports here.

Nikola had some problems at the start, but could be one of the most sophisticated wheels by now - maybe a bit too much battery consumption. But this gives torque and more safety margin?!

Also the ks16x is about to hit the market soon and could/should be an extraordinary wheel!

So since you are about to make a solely one time investment reconsider as exactly as possibly your requirements and no goes (for example how high frequencies you still hear) and add a good surplus for range and speed - the forum here is full of storys from people upgrading because they got the kick...

And a very very very important point - big batteries are not only for range, their biggest advantage is safety! Although that's were the money goes...

.... but this forum is full of reports from people who bought outdated underpowerd (battery and motorwise) wheels, having faceplants and nasty injuries ...

So think thourougly on your needs and expectations, calculate some surplus for getting used and accomoded to this, so you don't get bored and still stay save! And if you are young (at heart) or just have from time to time some "storm and stress phase" take the strongest wheel available?  Live is to short and health too often underrated until one is really injured...

Edit: sorry for my "english, its late around here and i had a "nice" evening  - but i'd assume the main content can be understood. 

Ps: if you're not in a too hilly enviroment the inmotion v10f could also be a nice choice for you!

But as written before sum up your exoectations with sone surplus for the future and @Marty Backe can give you some great advice - he has ridden them all!

Edited July 6, 2019 by Chriull

[Thatmustache]

9 minutes ago, Chriull said:

You should also not restrict yourself to kingsongs - the Gotway wheels, especially mcm5, msx and also tesla v?2? have very good reports here.

@Chriull Out of these wheels what would be closest to the range and speed and power of the KS18l? Oh and also the price!

If I could I would buy a Kingsong KS 18xl, but right now I only have enough for an 18l.

I hope the 18l is not outdated or underpowered like you said with some wheels. I want something reliable, safe and fun!

[meepmeepmayer]

Hi!

18XL right away. Not buying the biggest battery you can is the same mistake (if you have limited funds) as buying a learner wheel first - it just will cost you more money in the end or you're stuck with less than the best you could have had.

Or maybe an MSX, a Nikola, or a 16X (coming soon) instead of an 18XL. Whichever one (all great!): 1600Wh! Especially for your exploration plans. 1000Wh (18L) at 25 kph (not fast at all) is 2 hours of riding (not long at all), no more (50km range is a good estimate - 20Wh/km... maybe a little more range on the 18(X)L) if I'm a little range-pessimistic.

There's nothing fundamentally wrong if you get an 18L because the 18XL (or alternative) is too expensive. But it would be no optimal use of your money. The very best bang for your buck is right at the biggest battery size unless you absolutely definitely guaranteedly never need it (not the case for you!).

Safety isn't an issue with ~1000Wh (18L) vs. 1600Wh (18XL or the others). The batteries are "big" enough either way.

Also consider the cost of protective gear (wrist guards, full face helmet, knee guards, potentially more like elbow gaurds and a motorcycle jacket - these are in order of importance). It's not too much, but it is part of the bill.

And don't stress out. Other than the daily growing urge to get you hands on a EUC, you have all the time and great models to choose from. In the end, all current brand EUCs are great.

It also depends on the concrete prices. E.g. you could save some money by buying a Gotway on AliExpress. What actual numbers are we talking about for the 18L vs 18XL?

Edited July 6, 2019 by meepmeepmayer

[Chriull]

17 minutes ago, Thatmustache said:

@Chriull Out of these wheels what would be closest to the range and speed and power of the KS18l? Oh and also the price!

I have absolutely no experience with gotway wheels - wait for the recommendations of the orher more experienced members here!

Quote

If I could I would buy a Kingsong KS 18xl, but right now I only have enough for an 18l.

But you want to invest just once! Buying twice will be much.more expensive...

Quote

I hope the 18l is not outdated or underpowered like you said with some wheels. I want something reliable, safe and fun!

No - the L should be great, too. But it has "just" 4 cells in parallel. That's enough for a "low" powered wheel like the Ks16s - don't know if this is sufficient too for a high power wheel as this new KS18.

... But depends also much on your "temper" - how "aggressiv" you will/could enjoy your rides... Or how save you want to stay once you hit a pothole you did not see before at low battery charge ..

Ps.: One could stay forever satisfied and happy with the ks16s, too - as said before i own it and like it - just had a ks18xl ride today 

So the final decission is yours - i(we) don' t know anything about you...

Edited July 6, 2019 by Chriull

[Thatmustache]

16 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

It also depends on the concrete prices. E.g. you could save some money by buying a Gotway on AliExpress. What actual numbers are we talking about for the 18L vs 18XL?

@meepmeepmayer Whoa i never knew this site existed! Thanks lol!

18l coming to $2250 (Canadian) the 18xl coming to $3160 (Canadian)

Edited July 6, 2019 by Thatmustache

[meepmeepmayer]

4 minutes ago, Chriull said:

No - the L should be great, too. But it has "just" 4 cells in parallel. That's enough for a "low" powered wheel like the Ks16s - don't know if this is sufficient too for a high power wheel as this new KS18.

... But depends also much on your "temper" - how "aggressiv" you will/could enjoy your rides... Or how save you want to stay once you hit a pothole you did not see before at low battery charge ..

I really don't believe there is a safety difference between 4p and 6p. Never heard any reports for 3p or more. I don't think you can drive that crazy so a 4p wheel will be overleaned but a 6p wheel will not. Would have to be a very very fringe case, wouldn't it?

[meepmeepmayer]

1 minute ago, Thatmustache said:

Whoa i never knew this site existed! Thanks lol!

It may be nice to buy from a local dealer, especially with a first and expensive wheel. Because if there is any problem, Ali may be time-consuming or even futile. But saving money is also nice. Depends on the details.

1 minute ago, Thatmustache said:

18l coming to $2250 (Canadian) the 18xl coming to $3160 (Canadian)

That seems... overpriced? On freemotionshop.com (seems to be a Canadian business) it's $2000 vs $2800. Also check out what the ewheels.com prices would be, that is the reference for everyone else.

[Marty Backe]

Everyone here has already provide you with great advice. I'll add some of my thoughts.

The KS16S is a nice wheel, but it's showing its age now.

The KS18(X)L is a great wheel and actually straddles the feel of a 16 & 18 inches wheel (e.g., nobody would ever confuse the MSX for a 16-inch wheel). It could nicely serve you as your only wheel.

People I know who have bought the "L" have subsequently wish they bought the XL. Particularly as you write that this wheel will be used for country and long rides, I can't stress enough that you should find a way to buy the XL instead. @Rama Douglas was going to buy the L but was convinced otherwise and he may be able to elaborate on why the XL was the best choice. Now one consideration that could alter this advice is your weight. If you're 130-pound wet, the L would be great. But if you're 200-pounds, please don't buy the L.

@Lutalo can also offer advice on the L vs XL, but I'm really honing in on your described use case (country exploring, etc).

I think the (X)L would be a fantastic wheel to learn on. Just pad the hell out of the wheel (don't worry if it looks ghetto) until you get past the crashing phase. Maybe a month or two.

[Chriull]

16 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

It also depends on the concrete prices. E.g. you could save some money by buying a Gotway on AliExpress. What actual numbers are we talking about for the 18L vs 18XL?

I have heard rumours too that also KS wheels can be bought via aliexpress if one asks for them.

As this establishef wheels normaly are "ok" there should not be too much risk. But if you are not the skilled electrician a save buy from some known and well reputated local reseller could save much trouble, just in case...

4 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

I really don't believe there is a safety difference between 4p and 6p. Never heard any reports for 3p or more. I don't think you can drive that crazy so a 4p wheel will be overleaned but a 6p wheel will not. Would have to be a very very fringe case, wouldn't it?

For my ks16s 4p is sufficient. For "aggressive" riding/safety i personally would go for more with the newer, more powerfull wheels today. But that's just a gut feeling and very personal opinion...

[Thatmustache]

9 minutes ago, Chriull said:

... But depends also much on your "temper" - how "aggressiv" you will/could enjoy your rides... Or how save you want to stay once you hit a pothole you did not see before at low battery charge ..

So the final decission is yours - i(we) don' t know anything about you...

@Chriull I don't know about me either lol. Because I'm yet to start riding I'm not sure what type of style my riding will be. All I know is that once I become proficient, I would probably be frustrated with only being able to go 25 kmh. Not sure if I would want to ride super fast all the time, but because I'll be going longer distances I will probably want the option to cruise a little faster. That's the reason I'm not looking at getting a King song 14d, or an inmotion v8, (even the Ks16s is a little faster than the v8)

But likewise range and comfort is important too

[Chriull]

5 minutes ago, Thatmustache said:

I don't know about me either lol

+1. That gave me a nice smile!

 

5 minutes ago, Thatmustache said:

But likewise range and comfort is important too 

What do you mean with range?

Somehow i get the feeling you need the big battery MSX or KS18XL

[Thatmustache]

5 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

That seems... overpriced? On freemotionshop.com (seems to be a Canadian business) it's $2000 vs $2800. Also check out what the ewheels.com prices would be, that is the reference for everyone else.

@meepmeepmayer That's actually the website I was getting my numbers from. The prices I said are taxes included. (The taxes always add more and mess up my plans lol)

Freemotionshop is the cheapest prices I could find. Ewheels looks like a sweet place, but I compared and it was a bit more expensive from there. Or as stated above if I choose a Gotway like an MSX or something it's cheaper on Aliexpress

[Chriull]

18 minutes ago, Chriull said:

aliexpress

 

18 minutes ago, Chriull said:

 have heard rumours too

that bargaining/?mongering? can work out nicely, too

 

10 minutes ago, Thatmustache said:

Ewheels looks like a sweet place, but I compared and it was a bit more expensive from there

Ewheels is one of the EUC starters - was here before most others. And has a great reputation for hassle free service - if any probs arise they'll (normally) solve it.

... But that beeing "risk free" costs a bit extra...

 

[Thatmustache]

23 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

People I know who have bought the "L" have subsequently wish they bought the XL. Particularly as you write that this wheel will be used for country and long rides, I can't stress enough that you should find a way to buy the XL instead.

@Marty Backe Im trying to think of ways that I can get the 18xl now lol. Not sure if I can but I'm thinking.

Thanks for the advice btw, it helps. Yes ill be doing country riding, perhaps dirt trails, maybe gravel? But that will be much later once I feel comfortable. I'm not far off from your 130 lb soaking wet advice lol, I weigh in around 140, so I'm not a heavy rider by any means

Edited July 7, 2019 by Thatmustache

[Thatmustache]

20 minutes ago, Chriull said:

Somehow i get the feeling you need the big battery MSX or KS18XL

@Chriull yeah that seems to be the general consensus, and I'm feeling like that might be better too. I was considering the Kinsong 18 Because I've heard many good things about it (comfort, maneuverability, ease of riding) I always thought the M Super X to be Super cool (no pun intended) but heard it's harder to learn to ride on? Not sure.

But as of right now I think the MSX is cheaper than the KS18xl, especially on aliexpress it's a lot cheaper. Which is more friendly towards my budget.

[Rywokast]

thank me later https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33053629272.html?storeId=2488062&spm=2114.12010608.0.0.4e9d52e9f3MmPx

[Thatmustache]

2 minutes ago, Rywokast said:

thank me later https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33053629272.html?storeId=2488062&spm=2114.12010608.0.0.4e9d52e9f3MmPx

@Rywokast I'm going to thank you now! I didn't know you could get a Kingsong 18xl for that price!

I've never heard of aliexpress.com until today. Do you know or does anyone know of people who have bought euc's from there before. Thanks in advance everyone this is really helping me!