Is this a bad time to buy a V8?

[▪Kyle▪]

TL;DR: a new one's gonna be out soon? Can anyone roughly estimate how soon? 

Hi there.. Brand new to the world of EUC - been absolutely soaking up information regarding a first wheel and am really looking forward to learning with much anticipation.

According to one tutor, a background in skateboarding is a plus point for a beginner but I imagine this is only marginal.

The Inmotion V8 seems like a good wheel to start with, especially that it's possible to fit a cover on it and potentially save some of its aesthetics (aka resale value). I definitely see the ~30kmh/18mph top end becoming too little sooner rather than later, though it seems apps like darknessbot/wheellog can welcomingly nudge it up some.. Pedal height and that biscuity 16 are more apt for my commute. 

Was really attracted to the torque of the mcm 5, though it's been mentioned that it isn't a good wheel for beginners. The idea of the "nothing touching the body" stance does seem a few too many steps forward for an absolute noob. Also the build quality has come up a few times, esp regarding the trolley and the single sided carry handle (beginners are initially advised to attach some kind of harness to catch the wheel). That power though. 

Anyway it seems Inmotion has recently teased at a new V8 being released soon. So I'm worried that I'll purchase mine (looking to visit the distributor as early as next week) and then the price will come down dramatically shortly afterwards. 

Does anyone have an idea as to the pace of Inmotion's euc releases? What's a realistic time frame to expect the updated version to come out?

[Old Glider]

Probably never a bad time to buy a v8. Great unit , light weight, good power, app is not as bad as others probably and is very easy to resell quickly if u outgrow it and don’t want to keep it. There are definitely times when its light weight and good trolley handle makes it extremely useful.  Get the cover with it- not much padding but it helps! 

There is a thread on the rumored new inmotion units supposedly being proposed but no concrete info in weeks!

There’s always something shinier coming up. (Alternatively, a kingsong 16 s is a bargain right now and offers much more range and owners seem very happy with them).. 

Don’t overthink the learning curve, it’ll be over soon and you’ll be off and running, but it can be a little frustrating at first and then you are moving and thinking about protective gear. Start on one of those rubber tracks or fields like @Mike Sacristandoes in his videos with all his cuties, and then u won’t be tempted to tie a rope to it which will only cause the unit to whack u in the ankle at some point.

My experience is I outgrew the v8 quickly at my 6 ft, 200 lbs ish, due to it feeling slightly toyish now and having somewhat limited range of about 25 kms realistically in warm weather, but I would keep this wheel for its light weight and many useful traits.

The main thing is to get something and get going, its a blast @kyle! 

Cheers

Edited September 25, 2019 by Old Glider

[Pingouin]

Hi,

The V8 is a great beginner EUC, it is also great for small to moderate commuting distances. The advantages it has is a good reliability, it's versatility, it's not very heavy and even though it is 3 years old it has everything a rider needs (except a real rear light).
I have one with 10 100km still working great, never had an issue. I guess it will depend on your needs (mostly speed and range). The power it has is not the best but it is still ok if you are not a heavy rider.

Having experience as a skateboearder really helps, a taught a friend who is into skateboards, took him 5 minutes to fly off ! But still be carful because the first hundred miles are the hardest because you sometimes have to gain experience the hard way.

The MCM5 is a much pricier and heavier EUC, but you can easily add pads (making in touch your legs), I can't see why it wouldn't be a good EUC for beginner, it is quite tough and reliable.
The single carry side is a little downside even if you can get used to it, some have cut through the other side.

Regarding the new V8, I bet it will be heavier, and more pricy. I don't think that the price of the V8 will come down (from past experiences).
I think that whatever EUC you go for, each one will have adv/disadv. but that you will be happy with either of them.

[alcatraz]

I've done 10000km on my V8 and just unlocked it to 33km/h. It feels really nice now. I have no plans to change wheels. The other wheels are simply too heavy. I only looked a bit at the tesla v2 but it's 2-3 times the price of a V8 and is not bringing nearly the same increase in benefit. 19kg and high speed which is nice but I'd rather take the lightweight 14kg V8 with 33km/h that can ride in all weather reliably, has quick disengage (use several times daily).

Edited September 25, 2019 by alcatraz

[z3n]

3 hours ago, ▪Kyle▪ said:

Does anyone have an idea as to the pace of Inmotion's euc releases? What's a realistic time frame to expect the updated version to come out?

AFAIK the updated version of V8 will be officially announced as soon as next month, max speed of 35 km/h and 520 Wh battery. While their entirely new designed wheel won't be out until year 2020.

[BarrettJ]

If you want a V8 as your starter wheel then I'd say it's probably not worth waiting for the next version of the V8 - it's not like that next version is going to be so much better than you won't ever out grow it.  I'd personally rather take the extra month (if not months) of ride time - but I'm impatient and I really like wheeling.

[Brandin J. Mercer]

I Agree with BarretJ, i'd just get the v8 to get riding. its an absolute blase and you'll want to upgrade eventually anyway. i started on a kingsong14m, and within a week bought the v8 as a upgrade. 2 months later i want to upgrade again. The V8 in retrospect should have been my starting wheel. woulda saved 400 bucks lol. 

[Chriull]

10 hours ago, ▪Kyle▪ said:

The Inmotion V8 seems like a good wheel to start with

I've never ridden a V8, but it has a bit low batter capacity. That's not just a range limitation but also gives a reduced "safety margin by less current delivery capability by less parallel cells"

Maybe a KS16S with the 840Wh battery could be an alternative, but it still has a (too) much higher price not really making it worth for such an "old" wheel. Although it got refurbished?

Would be imo a great chance for the manufacturers to refurbish these "low" weight, medium performance wheels with 21700 liion cells with much higher current capabilities (much lower internal resistance and hence voltage sag) to increase their safety margin.

By now i get the impression that the manufacturers concentrate too much on the high capacity/high performance/heavy/expensive wheels. This should open a niche for an up to state of the art medium weight/buget/performance wheel?!

@Jason McNeil? Maybe a stupid idea? Maybe a great idea to push the manufacturers to not only push the limits but also design great products for relaxed/"not power"/safety aware users!?

 

[alcatraz]

12 hours ago, z3n said:

AFAIK the updated version of V8 will be officially announced as soon as next month, max speed of 35 km/h and 520 Wh battery. While their entirely new designed wheel won't be out until year 2020.

Hey cool! Where did you learn this information? I'd like to check it out...

[Tazarinho]

The V8 is a great commuter wheel! Easy to ride, pick up or push around even if the range leaves a little to be desired for.
Yesterday I forgot my charger at home and had to take the bus back home, took me one hour extra! Reminds me why I bought the V8 in the first place.

[Guest]

I'm waiting for an updated V8 to compare with the 16S. If the new V8 can go faster, have bigger pedals, and maintain the same weight, I might prefer it for short commutes involving stairs.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Vince23heat

[Singletrack]

There is likely some used V8s for sale if you suspect that you will out grow of it quickly or are unsure about your riding future.

[Guest]

If you were in the US, used/like new V8's and King Songs come up very often on ebay and craigslist for much less than retail. You can buy to learn and sell it without losing much if any at all.

Not sure about Thailand.

[Biped Phil]

The V8 is a known quantity, which has the benefit of few distractions. 

Early adopters of new products (for example the 737 MAX) sometimes discover problems.  The footplates crack, the battery catches fire, a steep hill fries the motherboard,-- that sort of thing.  They need to organize repairs and live without the product in the meantime.

Unless your needs are exotic, the question is not "will the next one be a lot better?" but rather "how much longer will I still be able to get the one that works?" 

[M640x]

All opinion here.  One of the first things to figure out is riding style.  Once that is figured out finding what type of wheel to buy is easier.

Some folks like trails.  Some people like riding in the city streets. And then there are others that like to get out on the open road and go for 50 miles.  For me I like shorter rides with stimulus. LOL.  I usually won't go beyond 15-20  miles on any given ride.  After approximately a mile of going straight I'm looking for sidewalks to ride on, curves, anything else but going straight.  For the most part a smaller size wheel means more maneuverability and carvability.  A larger size wheel will give you the stability on the long open roads. 

I have a Kingsong 14s which works great for my riding style. It handles the straights just fine and it really does well with the maneuverability department.  When I want to do even more carving I have my Gotway mten3. 

[▪Kyle▪]

On 9/25/2019 at 7:31 PM, Old Glider said:

Alternatively, a kingsong 16 s is a bargain right now and offers much more range

On 9/26/2019 at 4:24 AM, Chriull said:

Maybe a KS16S with the 840Wh battery

On 9/26/2019 at 8:40 PM, Vince23heat said:

compare with the 16S

 

 

Thanks for pointing me towards the 16S guys. Nearly 200kms in and loving it! The 1200W motor 840wh battery with an extra 3mph/5kmph on top is much appreciated..