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"Clunky" Nikola


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I have a brand new Nikola and I know something is wrong with it.  Doesn't hold balance at all.  New control board on the way.

But aside from that issue...  this feels and sounds like a very "clunky" machine.   When I go over bumps it sounds like something is loose or moving around in the wheel.  As if the wheel is not securely bolted to the case or the batteries are moving around (they are not ... I taped them again just to make sure).  I thought maybe my pedals were coming up slightly and then dropping back down but this also happens at slow speeds.  I can feel it and hear it.   I don't know anyone else who has a Nikola so I can't try another one.  I just know my ACM and 18XL made a heck of a lot less noise than this baby.

Looking for impressions from other riders.   Are your units basically silent or noisy and clunky?

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mine is dead silent... but ive opened it and made sure everything is safe and stuck down tight.. i dont really know what you mean would need to hear an audio clip to gauge what it could be or for you to pinpoint where the noise is coming from, i could tell you if i rode it but obviously that cant happen.. also what do you mean by doesnt hold balance? like does it dip forward and back, or wobble? mine is like a solid tank glued to the pavement, have you re calibrated it perhaps its just a calibration issue or if not possible something is loose on the board?

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On 8/18/2019 at 8:37 AM, Dreman said:

I have a brand new Nikola and I know something is wrong with it.  Doesn't hold balance at all.  New control board on the way.

But aside from that issue...  this feels and sounds like a very "clunky" machine.   When I go over bumps it sounds like something is loose or moving around in the wheel.  As if the wheel is not securely bolted to the case or the batteries are moving around (they are not ... I taped them again just to make sure).  I thought maybe my pedals were coming up slightly and then dropping back down but this also happens at slow speeds.  I can feel it and hear it.   I don't know anyone else who has a Nikola so I can't try another one.  I just know my ACM and 18XL made a heck of a lot less noise than this baby.

Looking for impressions from other riders.   Are your units basically silent or noisy and clunky?

if the wheel doesn’t spin smoothly by hand when off, the motor is bad. crunchy sounds = bad motor. 

My Nikola isn’t dead silent, but it functions perfectly. 

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On 8/18/2019 at 5:35 PM, Rywokast said:

mine is dead silent... but ive opened it and made sure everything is safe and stuck down tight.. i dont really know what you mean would need to hear an audio clip to gauge what it could be or for you to pinpoint where the noise is coming from, i could tell you if i rode it but obviously that cant happen.. also what do you mean by doesnt hold balance? like does it dip forward and back, or wobble? mine is like a solid tank glued to the pavement, have you re calibrated it perhaps its just a calibration issue or if not possible something is loose on the board?

I've calibrated it and tried every mode multiple times.     It sounds as if the batteries are not secured or the pedals are loose.  Neither is the case because I have checked.  I go over railroad tracks, pot holes, curbs and there is this noise that this thing is not put together correctly.   As if the wheel and shell are not quite connected to each other.   What i mean my doesn't hold balance...   I have to focus all my energy to ride this wheel.   Both feet on the pedals, ride slow and straight.  It "fishtails".  It fights me when I want to turn and it tries to take me in a different direction.   Some times I have to put all my weight and concentration on one side to get it to turn.   I never have full control of this wheel.    The other day I got speed wobbles at approx 15mph.  I barely pulled out.  I can always feel it shifting underneath me.   I've got almost 2000 miles on other wheels.  No problem.    I know this thing isn't right.    I don't think anyone could ride it with just one leg.   I've parked it.  I am waiting for Jason to send me another control board to see if that fixes the issue.  

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12 minutes ago, Dreman said:

I've calibrated it and tried every mode multiple times.     It sounds as if the batteries are not secured or the pedals are loose.  Neither is the case because I have checked.  I go over railroad tracks, pot holes, curbs and there is this noise that this thing is not put together correctly.   As if the wheel and shell are not quite connected to each other.   What i mean my doesn't hold balance...   I have to focus all my energy to ride this wheel.   Both feet on the pedals, ride slow and straight.  It "fishtails".  It fights me when I want to turn and it tries to take me in a different direction.   Some times I have to put all my weight and concentration on one side to get it to turn.   I never have full control of this wheel.    The other day I got speed wobbles at approx 15mph.  I barely pulled out.  I can always feel it shifting underneath me.   I've got almost 2000 miles on other wheels.  No problem.    I know this thing isn't right.    I don't think anyone could ride it with just one leg.   I've parked it.  I am waiting for Jason to send me another control board to see if that fixes the issue.  

very odd.. something is definitely off.. i have known GW pedals to be a bit random theyre definitely drilled by hand, ive had wheels where they didnt match, one pedal went on easily and could slide back and forth and the other i struggled with for 20 mins to get on and it was ridiculously snug.. one having an angle slightly sharper than the other etc etc.. quality control is definitely bad.. so, could be the pedals yes... as for the battery sliding around, no way.. it has adhesive on it holding it very securely to the casing and also the casing presses it tightly in its compartment,, theres no way i could ever see it shifting around at all, theres foam on either side of it also.. it sounds more like to me that you have a crooked wheel.. perhaps damaged rim, poorly seated tire, or just assembled improperly/not tight.. i suggest you lay it on its side, and put something under the tire that comes close to touching it, now lay down and spin the tire slowly and look at the distance between the tire and the object you put under it... you should not see a variation of more than 2-3mm... fish tailing is what makes me think it would be this.. nikola is a heavy and powerful wheel with a thick tire, if anything it should easily go much straighter than most other EUCs, mine does.. fighting you on turns sounds just like a gyro effect induced by these very same things, larger, thicker tire and a very grounded wheel, could also be inexperience on that type of EUC, your past experience matters little in this regard if it was not on an EUC of the same or very similar form factor.. 18 XL has a taller and thinner tire that it more nimble and maneuverable at higher speeds and your stance is different so it would be a different experience.. but if you couple it with the fishtailing then that definitely sounds like something wrong with the tire/rim.. the board controls only forwards and back so that wouldnt be affected.. forwards and back, shaking of the wheel... those would be symptoms of a bad board,, i would really like to hear this noise you speak of though to see if its just some bad QC on something that wont affect safety, or if its a risk. im assuming you havent disassembled the wheel at all?

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We might have trouble identifying the issue(s) due to misunderstood terminology. It helps if you try to be as precise as you can when describing the issues, and what you have already tried to do to fix them.

5 hours ago, Dreman said:

As if the wheel and shell are not quite connected to each other.

Check if it is the handle. Put something in between the handle and the shell and go for a ride. If it didn't help, tap or shake the wheel and try to make the noise appear. I'd also open it up to check that the screws that indeed hold the shell to the pedal brackets are tightened properly. 

5 hours ago, Dreman said:

It fights me when I want to turn and it tries to take me in a different direction.

  • There is nothing that the control board can do to affect the turning of an EUC. The only thing the EUC does is spin the wheel front and back. Rider does all turning.
  • Check the tire pressure.
  • Check that the tire runs straight and smooth (as suggested by Rywokast above).
  • Check your foot positions. Too far front or back forces you to have your weight on the heels or the balls of your feet, which is unstable and causes wobbling. Too close to the shell doesn't give enough room for tilting or turning.

Which wheels have you ridden before?

 

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On 8/20/2019 at 4:30 PM, Ben Kim said:

if the wheel doesn’t spin smoothly by hand when off, the motor is bad. crunchy sounds = bad motor. 

My Nikola isn’t dead silent, but it functions perfectly. 

motor seems to spin fine. 

 

8 hours ago, Rywokast said:

you should not see a variation of more than 2-3mm..

Not exact but I would say the variation is closer to 6-7 mm.    its about a quarter inch from when the tire touches the object to when it is furthest away.

 

8 hours ago, Rywokast said:

18 XL has a taller and thinner tire that it more nimble and maneuverable at higher speeds and your stance is different so it would be a different experience

Yes .. figured that part out  when I first received the Nikola.  Had to be more "assertive" in my riding style.  At first it was completely unusable.   Changing my stance helped greatly but still not right.

8 hours ago, Rywokast said:

the board controls only forwards and back so that wouldnt be affected.. forwards and back, shaking of the wheel... those would be symptoms of a bad board

I don't think it is the board at all.  Just trying to be a good customer and try this option before requesting another wheel.

 

9 hours ago, Rywokast said:

i would really like to hear this noise you speak of though to see if its just some bad QC

i will try to get out tonight and see if it translates to a recording.

3 hours ago, mrelwood said:

Which wheels have you ridden before?

ACMS+  and 18XL

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1 hour ago, Dreman said:

 

6-7mm is too much you would likely feel that.. ahh ok I see just sucks you have to go through the trouble of changing the board when these symptoms really couldnt be solved by board change imo.. maybe you'll discover something about what's being annoying when you open it though.. cool hopefully comes out in the recording

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https://youtu.be/5fOCm_2sgS0

12 hours ago, Rywokast said:

6-7mm is too much you would likely feel that.. ahh ok I see just sucks you have to go through the trouble of changing the board when these symptoms really couldnt be solved by board change imo.. maybe you'll discover something about what's being annoying when you open it though.. cool hopefully comes out in the recording

I am attaching the video now . Hopefully it is audible

 

 

 

Edited by Dreman
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25 minutes ago, Dreman said:

Here is another...

tape down the handle, if its not the handle.. i wouldnt ride that.. something significant is definitely loose that doesnt sound like any cable or slightly loose pedal that sounds pretty severe

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oh and a tip while opening it up, do one side at a time and only while its laying down,, stick your hand in (try not to touch the board) and hold down the battery while lifting hard to separate the adhesive thats holding the outer shell piece down tight.. when that side panel is off, if you dont immediately notice the problem, use masking tape or something just to pin the battery down, flip it over and do the same thing to the other side

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52 minutes ago, Rywokast said:

tape down the handle, if its not the handle.. i wouldnt ride that.. something significant is definitely loose that doesnt sound like any cable or slightly loose pedal that sounds pretty severe

Thanks!... I knew I wasn't crazy.    This thing sounds awful, tracks bad and has only 110 miles on it ..   But it's sounded and acted this way since mile one.  I think I am done with this wheel.

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58 minutes ago, Ben Kim said:

definitely something loose in there, open it up and check! god forbid it’s something you stand on! 

No, sorry..  not opening it up!  Not happening.  I just purchased this wheel and I am not going to do surgery on it to figure why it is broken.   It needs to go back and I need to get another one.  I do thank you for your response though.   

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8 minutes ago, Dreman said:

Thanks!... I knew I wasn't crazy.    This thing sounds awful, tracks bad and has only 110 miles on it ..   But it's sounded and acted this way since mile one.  I think I am done with this wheel.

it is unsafe to ride until you open it and find out what that is

3 minutes ago, Dreman said:

No, sorry..  not opening it up!  Not happening.  I just purchased this wheel and I am not going to do surgery on it to figure why it is broken.   It needs to go back and I need to get another one.  I do thank you for your response though.   

i should reiterate.. it is not safe until surgery is done to it lol, whether by you or not.. but it should not be your problem, let us know how much better the new one rides

Edited by Rywokast
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2 minutes ago, Rywokast said:

no skin off my back.. let me reiterate.. is not safe until surgery is done to it lol

You have been awesome! .. I've sent the same videos over to Ewheels.   I'll see what Jason has to say. 

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5 minutes ago, Dreman said:

You have been awesome! .. I've sent the same videos over to Ewheels.   I'll see what Jason has to say. 

i have no doubt he will agree with you, the proof is undeniable and there is no way you can expect someone to have to crack open and investigate a brand new item, especially if they havent (im assuming) done so many times in the past.. i wouldnt have ridden that one block let alone 100 miles

Edited by Rywokast
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