KS16X vs KS18XL

[null]

The big 4 now all have fat tyre 16“ wheels. They provide comfort and torque.

But what is left as benefits for the 18” wheels? Wouldn’t range be one? Fat tyres are the opposite of slim racing bike tyres: they should use more energy due to ground grip. An 18” would also require less RPM at speed: possibly they drain more when accelerating but less when rolling, like high gear on bicycles?

Do we have some proper observations yet? I get about 60Km of my 16S, hoping for 120 from a 18XL if not too agressive riding, where would a 16X situate?

i ask because 1- benefits of new wheel class, 2- I’m looking at a second hand 18XL and main priority is range (city use is covered by the 16S). The 16X is an option but I suspect the range per Ah might not be as good.

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by Mimolette

[Oh Dyr]

I can't comment a whole lot on the range because I haven't tracked mine closely. But I will start to now and report back. I do have input on one advantage of the 18". 

Kuji Rolls has a recent YouTube video where he reviews the 16x production model. In that video he praised the agility and power of 16x,  but said the 18 inch wheels are more stable. This makes sense to me because of the gyro effect. I have not ridden the 16x, but I own a 16s and an 18xl. The xl is for sure MUCH more stable than my 16s. I feel safer riding it at speed. 

I can't comment too much on the range of my 18xl as I dont really look at it too much. It's more than enough for my use. My riding weight is around 220lbs and I remember going from 90% charge down to 30% during a 53km ride, while riding almost full speed the whole time. 

[neurokinetik]

The gyro effect is much less on the KS-18L than it is on the Nikola+, at least for me, anyway.  Whether that is down to the default tire remains to be seen, but I find high speed cornering much easier on the KS-18L.  The Nikola is very quick to pivot on that fat tire, but it resists leaning.

I think from a range standpoint, the 16X and 18XL should be very close, except the firmware on the 18XL will allow more of the battery capacity to be used (3.0V on the 18XL vs. 3.15V on the 16X).

[Rywokast]

2 hours ago, Mimolette said:

The big 4 now all have fat tyre 16“ wheels. They provide comfort and torque.

But what is left as benefits for the 18” wheels? Wouldn’t range be one? Fat tyres are the opposite of slim racing bike tyres: they should use more energy due to ground grip. An 18” would also require less RPM at speed: possibly they drain more when accelerating but less when rolling, like high gear on bicycles?

Do we have some proper observations yet? I get about 60Km of my 16S, hoping for 120 from a 18XL if not too agressive riding, where would a 16X situate?

i ask because 1- benefits of new wheel class, 2- I’m looking at a second hand 18XL and main priority is range (city use is covered by the 16S). The 16X is an option but I suspect the range per Ah might not be as good.

 

comfort.. i havent tried the 16x but the nikola, and i can say i prefer the 18xl to the nikola in every single aspect besides steep hills in which case the torque of the nikola far exceeds the 18xl.. but thats it, everything about the 18xl riding and just in general is better and more comfortable on the 18xl from the shape and size to the handling, plus it rolls over bumps better.. 3" tires are too wide imo, at least for my weight they resist cornering so much at high speeds that it goes from being fun to being annoying lol.. i cant say the same for someone who is much bigger than me but thats my experience, i suspect it to be extremely similar on the 16x though at least the 16x is a bit thinner than the nikola, both thicker than the 18xl which for me has been the most comfortable cruising wheel ever, can do all day on it with zero fatigue.. as for range i get similar to you on the 16s maybe a little more when its not freezing here.. but dont expect to get 120 km from any wheel (besides monster).. you wont, unless you never surpass 30 kph lol.. expect around 80 km with good conditions unless youre a featherweight and drain the battery right down.. what 18" wheels save in rpm they sacrifice in acceleration/deceleration.. ive found it to be pretty even comparing.. BUT you will almost always be going much faster on an 18" wheel compared to say your 16S which significantly effects battery range.. you can expect roughly double your 16S' range only if you never exceed the 16S' top speed and are riding on a straight path xD what it really comes down to is personal preference... a modern 16" will provide more torque while having a slightly more bumpy ride especially over rough terrain.. thats really the only difference the 16x and nikola are bigger than an 18" wheel for some reason lol so theres not much else to say except for 3" vs 2.5" tires which is that obviously 3" will be more stable and 2.5" will be more agile again personal preference for me i hate 3" tires because they are too stable, i would prefer a 2.125 but 2.5 is good on an 18" as theyre mainly used for long distance cruising wheels anyways

[The Fat Unicyclist]

i've spent the last few days switching between the 16X and 18XL. I'm tempted to do a full review, but until I can find the time...

• Regarding range, they are really close (based on battery % shown on the KS app.
• The 16X is noticeably more agile than the 18XL - And I think, more agile than the 16S (due to the control you can get with the taller wheel / higher weight).
• 16" wheels have more torque than 18" and that is backed up by our testing.
• As a fatter heavier rider though, I still prefer the 18XL as it provides a different sort of comfort when riding...

[null]

Thanks for the insight everyone, it’s kind of what I suspected. As I look at the 18L as a distance countryside cruiser it might have its benefits.

The new fat wheels seem to create a new category rather than replacing anything. Would be interesting to see thick 14” wheels for city use.

[Guest]

So agile refers to acceleration and torque in a straight line but not turning?

Edited September 22, 2019 by Vince23heat

[Rywokast]

8 hours ago, Vince23heat said:

So agile refers to acceleration and toque in a straight line but not turning?

depends who you talk to i guess.. for me agile means how easy it is to throw the wheel around... technically the word agile means able to move quickly and easily but thats refering to a person.. when i say agile i mean it is usually easy to influence like a 14" wheel would be extremely agile just because it is so tiny, one wheel can also be more agile than another due to the shell shape which works with how you can manipulate it and the tire width, there is no question the 18L is more agile than the MSX for example.. when im saying torque i speak of its ability to start and stop quickly, and build up speed.. just about every smaller wheel has more torque than its larger equivalent simply due to physics, they start moving faster, stop quicker, and can go from 0 to their top speed faster than any larger wheel could get to that same speed.. at least with current technology thats how it is... when comparing two vehicles of the same size with one another one could outdo the other in how the board is built and its firmware.. like how most gotway wheels have more torque than their KS or IM equivalents.

for me i use agile and nimble interchangeably meaning maneuvering in general and how easy it is or how little resistance there is.. torque is acceleration/braking, coming to speed, and hill climbing.. 

[Guest]

48 minutes ago, Rywokast said:

for me i use agile and nimble interchangeably meaning maneuvering in general and how easy it is or how little resistance there is.. torque is acceleration/braking, coming to speed, and hill climbing.. 

That's how I understood it. I think I was thrown off since the 16x has a wider wheel yet smaller diameter. So what has a greater effect on nimbleness/maneuverability between tire diameter and width?

Edited September 22, 2019 by Vince23heat

[Rywokast]

1 hour ago, Vince23heat said:

That's how I understood it. I think I was thrown off since the 16x has a wider wheel yet smaller diameter. So what has a greater effect on nimbleness/maneuverability between tire diameter and width?

low speed tire diameter effects maneuverability.. high speed tire width effects the maneuverability... of course all dimensions effect all aspects but it is greatly pronounced in these instances

for an example at high speeds a wider tire with a smaller diameter will be less maneuverable, at low speeds it will be more maneuverable than larger diameter tire that is not as wide.. a larger diameter tire will be more maneuverable at high speeds than a smaller diameter tire that is wider

Edited September 22, 2019 by Rywokast