King Song S18 Discussion

[Feynman]

23 minutes ago, Elliott Reitz said:

I've had my S18 for almost 2 weeks now.  I've ridden it about 40 miles mostly under 10 mph on grass and sidewalks with my dog.  Curb shots are easy now.  As for the suspension, it was a pain in the a## getting it set because the shock-pump couldn't make the bend, especially after the buggered threads from the 1st pump when I had to pry it off. 

Interesting... I had zero issues when using the block provided.  

25 minutes ago, Eric plam said:

Now riding it in the wild.. but it's not birds you're hearing. The wheel started to sing!

Now its everything but silent. Sqweeking !

https://photos.app.goo.gl/w9M6BtfPSnVG7gcCA

Maybe that's the tire rub reviewers were describing in the pre-production units?

[Mark Wilson]

2 hours ago, Eric plam said:

So, me again

So I pumped it again.

At 100psi, the suspension wasn't close to hit the block on the pedals. It touched it at 150psi

I don't find the shock is entered in the shell enough.

See me just while mounting it. The shock already goes out. 

And then me jumping..

Is it normal, again

Sorry for wasting your day!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gCkFkt9oqQ1bqeuM7

Judging by how far the shock enters (or doesn't in this case) the wheel when you get off of it, I think that something is wrong with the suspension or maybe the metal sliders on the wheel. It looks like there is too much friction (I don't know why) and this is causing the suspension to seize. I could be wrong but I think something is faulty with your EUC.

edit: What happens if you have little or no pressure in the negative chamber? Does the shock fully extend?

Edited August 13, 2020 by Mark Wilson

[eve]

@Eric plam Just take the wheel to your nearest moutain bike shop. They will tell you if the shock is bad or not in a few seconds.

[Elliott Reitz]

1 hour ago, FinRider said:

Hmm, did you follow the instructions from jacks video? I had zero issues with the pump/valves while following his directions.

No.  I just pumped it up according to the directions in the box.  The pump wouldn't come off the upper chamber without prying it off.  The threads were only slightly buggered by that but buggered enough that I couldn't get it back on to adjust.  The elbow makes it easy.

1 hour ago, Feynman said:

Interesting... I had zero issues when using the block provided.  

Maybe that's the tire rub reviewers were describing in the pre-production units?

And no, I had no idea what that block was for until after getting the pump stuck, and after ordering the elbow. 

-_________________

So fuk the block, and fuk the hole on the left... get the elbow.  The elbow makes the pump easy on/off, and makes it interesting to try more pressure variations more often. 

Also, I've notice the shock has slow-leaks (as any tire will, but especially a 200 psi shock).  The upper went from 175 psi to 150 in a week.  The lower went from 75 to 25 in a week.  So I'm glad to have the elbow.  I did buy a replacement pump to replace the one with buggered threads... but with the elbow its not needed.  And even the new pump is a pain in the a## to attach without the elbow... my fingers struggle to get it tight enough to pump it while fighting that bend and its resistance w/ no clearance for my big fat d### em mean fingers. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tyre-Valve-Extension-Adaptor-Motorcycle-Air-Tire-Stem-Extender-45-Degree-Brass/293654996430?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

@Eric plam your shock assembly seems to stick out way more than mine does.  Mine did when it first arrived deflated.  Maybe you've got the pressures mixed up or wrong from upper/lower?  I did have the impression you were only runing 100lbs upper pressure.  I'm running 200 psi upper, 100 psi lower.  A normal ride with only a curb-shot and a few bunny hops brings my band down 3/4 of the travel and I'm just under 200 lbs. 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Elliott Reitz
+ reply to @Eric plam

[LeGiroquoi]

31 minutes ago, Elliott Reitz said:

No.  I just pumped it up according to the directions in the box.  The pump wouldn't come off the upper chamber without prying it off.  The threads were only slightly buggered by that but buggered enough that I couldn't get it back on to adjust.  The elbow makes it easy.

And no, I had no idea what that block was for until after getting the pump stuck, and after ordering the elbow. 

-_________________

So fuk the block, and fuk the hole on the left... get the elbow.  The elbow makes the pump easy on/off, and makes it interesting to try more pressure variations more often. 

Also, I've notice the shock has slow-leaks (as any tire will, but especially a 200 psi shock).  The upper went from 175 psi to 150 in a week.  The lower went from 75 to 25 in a week.  So I'm glad to have the elbow.  I did buy a replacement pump to replace the one with buggered threads... but with the elbow its not needed.  And even the new pump is a pain in the a## to attach without the elbow... my fingers struggle to get it tight enough to pump it while fighting that bend and its resistance w/ no clearance for my big fat d### em mean fingers. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tyre-Valve-Extension-Adaptor-Motorcycle-Air-Tire-Stem-Extender-45-Degree-Brass/293654996430?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

@Eric plam your shock assembly seems to stick out way more than mine does.  Mine did when it first arrived deflated.  Maybe you've got the pressures mixed up or wrong from upper/lower?  I did have the impression you were only runing 100lbs upper pressure.  I'm running 200 psi upper, 100 psi lower.  A normal ride with only a curb-shot and a few bunny hops brings my band down 3/4 of the travel and I'm just under 200 lbs. 

Thanks in fact I just upgraded the psi in both chambers and it does seem a little better. 

Me fool. Trying to follow the instructions...🤔

I'll try again 

Thanks

[LeGiroquoi]

1 hour ago, RockyTop said:

No offense intended. I think that it is fair to say that the people that do not push their wheels very hard are not going to see a big difference with the S18  Suspension unless they hit an unexpected pot hole. While the S18 can make speed bump disappear at 20 mph the V11 suspension is more likely to give the commuting rider a smooth ride to work. In my opinion the S18 suspension surpasses my expectations by a large margin. I am still blown away when riding down stairs or jumping off a curb at 27mph. With smooth riding you are not going to see a big difference. I set mine to a high Pressure at first. I set the blue O-Ring and jumped off a two step curb. I checked the O-Ring and lowered pressure each jump until the O-ring was in the max position according to the book. I kept the lower chamber at half the top.

Thanks. In fact you are right. The suspension seems to do its job while riding fast. 

I first tried to calibrate it while slowly going around my street. But then I went riding till the beeps and yeah it does smoothen the bumps.. still not to my expectations, but I'll try tuning it again

[RockyTop]

22 minutes ago, Eric plam said:

Thanks. In fact you are right. The suspension seems to do its job while riding fast. 

I first tried to calibrate it while slowly going around my street. But then I went riding till the beeps and yeah it does smoothen the bumps.. still not to my expectations, but I'll try tuning it again

Time vs movement and least resistance. When going slow it is easier to move you. When going fast or hitting hard, it is easier to move the suspension. While the V11 is better at small bumps, The unsrung weight is going to give problems hitting hard at higher speeds. 

Edited August 13, 2020 by RockyTop

[redfoxdude]

2 hours ago, RockyTop said:

No offense intended. I think that it is fair to say that the people that do not push their wheels very hard are not going to see a big difference with the S18  Suspension unless they hit an unexpected pot hole. While the S18 can make speed bump disappear at 20 mph the V11 suspension is more likely to give the commuting rider a smooth ride to work. In my opinion the S18 suspension surpasses my expectations by a large margin. I am still blown away when riding down stairs or jumping off a curb at 27mph. With smooth riding you are not going to see a big difference. I set mine to a high Pressure at first. I set the blue O-Ring and jumped off a two step curb. I checked the O-Ring and lowered pressure each jump until the O-ring was in the max position according to the book. I kept the lower chamber at half the top.

It's such a fun wheel, I'm always looking for things to jump off or hit, that I normally would avoid. =] I have also really enjoyed playing around tweaking the shock, but I'm a tinkerer, ha!

1 hour ago, Elliott Reitz said:

So ### the block, and ### the hole on the left... get the elbow.  The elbow makes the pump easy on/off, and makes it interesting to try more pressure variations more often. 

Also, I've notice the shock has slow-leaks (as any tire will, but especially a 200 psi shock).  The upper went from 175 psi to 150 in a week.  The lower went from 75 to 25 in a week.  So I'm glad to have the elbow.  I did buy a replacement pump to replace the one with buggered threads... but with the elbow its not needed.  And even the new pump is a pain in the a## to attach without the elbow... my fingers struggle to get it tight enough to pump it while fighting that bend and its resistance w/ no clearance for my big fat d### em mean fingers. 

Hmm, I've had no issues with the block, though I am playing around with an anti air-loss 90 degree adapter for shiggles. The elbow adds a little volume to the positive chamber, which might actually improve the spring rate a bit, hmm 🤔
And is it really leaking, or is that the PSI lost when you connect the pump? Pumps with long hoses can take out a good bit of air when they are attached. Mine doesn't really leak at all. Also, checking the PSI at different levels of compression will change the numbers too. Like if you just barely compress the shock a bit, the negative pressure you read will go down noticeably, but that's because the negative volume increased with the compression.

[Dogtaoist]

 I’ve got 160 miles on mine and so far (7 days) it’s a beast! I’m jumping off curbs and sailing over potholes. The elbow is a great idea, thanks man. I’m keeping it the shock at extreme setting and pushing my skills and the S18 to its limits. I got the battery down to 12% one day. Its performed perfectly so far in every situation I love it!! 
What’s up with the “magic light” settings in the app? Is this working for anyone? I just get the “failed to change value” error message when I try to make changes. 

 

 

[redfoxdude]

26 minutes ago, Dogtaoist said:

 What’s up with the “magic light” settings in the app? Is this working for anyone? I just get the “failed to change value” error message when I try to make changes. 

That's related to the RGB lights in other wheels, so it won't do anything on the S18.

[Chetticus]

I have heard multiple reports of cutouts. Sure would like to know what Kingsong is going to do before I decide whether or not to cancel my order.  Maybe 2020 is not the year to get a wheel. 

[fbhb]

EcoDrift's Kingsong S18. First impressions.

Kingsong S18 arrived. Meet.

Black and white, who is what? White looks better in the photo, live black I personally liked more. But this wheel is still new and has not seen dust and dirt.

Set.

I was waiting for a combo pump like in the Kingsong video. But alas. We have a regular high pressure pump included.

The pump is different from what comes with the Inmotion V11. Here we have a button, but there is no lock on the hose.

Charger 84V@2.5A. The black block is the suspension spacer so the shock can be inflated.

Electric unicycle weight.

Now to the exterior.

With the weight, it was a cruel joke. In fact, the S18 weighs 25.3kg.

The white S18 is very photogenic.

Yes, and live, every girl notes how attractive the new Kingsong looks. And he wants to take him by the handle.

The girls love the opening design of the pendant. "It looks so futuristic!" They say.

A pen. I like it. There were a lot of questions until I just took it and tried it. When folded, the handle is slightly fixed and can be easily pulled up, you do not need to press the button. Those. we grab the handle with our fingers, pull it up, hear a “peak”, pick it up and can be carried. Very fast and convenient. The only point is that the wrist should catch the handles from the back, not the front. It is in this position that the wheel must be lifted, then it will not spin. The S18 engine does not completely sleep when the handle is raised. This prevents the wheel from falling forward facing forward. In sleep mode, the S18 has a very limited current, i.e. the wheel is not able to spin instantly, is not dangerous and you can safely rearrange or move it. If the hand is behind the handle, then it does not even have time to unwind. The front grip changes the balance

You will need to press the button on the handle to switch from carry mode to the down or up position. The extended handle height is also suitable for tall people. The handle is fixed in the upper position. It is convenient to control, but since it is not directly above the center, turns are a little more difficult.

The headlight is bright. The default is automatic mode. If you press the button, the full light turns on and switches between the modes: low beam, high beam, full light, no headlight. In automatic mode, only the dipped beam works so as not to blind passers-by so much. The light intensity in this mode depends on the driving speed. Very convenient and understandable. I drove 30 km / h on a relatively dry road without fear, risk, and even with some light margin.

The beam is very wide, so there are no problems with turns. But there is no clear cut-off line. The headlight shines above the horizon, so oncoming passers-by, though not so much, frown and mutter something. The high beam is switched on manually and is needed for travel in deserted places. For example, in the forest. On the road, in my opinion, does not shine at all. Apparently it is needed in order not to crash into an elk running across the road in the forest.

The outer part of the pedal is made of plastic. This is very unexpected. The pedal can be easily folded back with a foot, fixed with a spring in the folded position. Anyone who loves old Kingsong spring pedals will appreciate how easy and convenient everything is here.

From the very beginning I did not understand why people in the community the open part of the case scares. The wheel arch is covered with a casing. Suspension, like any bicycle, or even a scooter (where all the dirt is guaranteed to fly to the suspension). On a bike, nobody thinks about protecting the suspension elements. As a last resort, gently wiped the order with a cloth. So I don't see any problem. All suspension arms are of high quality. Connections inspire confidence. And in key places, rolling bearings are pressed in. The only thing is that the shock itself works through the slide bushings. But their service life is designed for the life of the shock absorber itself, which sooner or later will need to be replaced. In the case of bearings, the design would be greatly complicated, and replacing the shock absorber would require repressing the bearings. Therefore, I have no doubt that the suspension is well designed. And, to be honest, you can immediately see

While the Inmoton V11, with its imitation suspension, is the first thing to service, the S18's leverage will surely outlive everything else in the wheel, even if it's never kept clean.

View from above. I want to note the width around the pillows. Kingsong changed their thickness from the pre-production image.

You can even see this thickening here. And I absolutely did not like this decision. The wheel is already wide.

Moreover, the new pillows also do not stick to the stern. They stick out too much. They are rather limited in height, there is no deep fit to the lower leg. So they just bite into it. The material of the pillows also raises questions. They are not soft enough. In addition, the wide tires negate all the advantages of the anatomical design. The wheel has nothing to hook on for acceleration and braking, and you don't want to place your legs in special niches from below, as this increases the pressure on the lower leg. Of course, all this applies to my crooked legs. Anyone who likes the 16X shape, Tesla, is very likely to be comfortable with everything.

Due to the fact that my ankles did not really reach the body, I completely forgot about changing the position of the pedals. The S18 is unique in this respect. You can lower the pedals if you feel uncomfortable standing and ankle rest. The height was fine for me, so I didn't check what would happen when the height changed. In addition, if the pedals are made lower, then one more point is amplified, which I will write about below.

The shock absorber is the most mysterious part of the Kingsong S18. The puzzle is how to set up? The shock absorber allows you to solve a whole range of different tasks: comfortable driving, off-road and extreme stunts. And these are not nice words. The kit includes instructions for pumping recommendations. The manufacturer also released a video that talked about setting 10-15% sag (punching through). I tried to achieve comfort in city driving. I put it softer, pumped up the lower chamber, so that it compensates for the pressure in the upper one and there is adequate sag. There was not much time. I wanted to skate the first ten kilometers, but did not take the pump with me. Therefore, I set it up indoors, and then left. Most likely I was wrong with the settings. I lacked comfort. Pumping about 180psi under my weight gives very little stroke on small bumps, so you can feel them all perfectly. But on the other hand, when passing recumbent, dismounting from large curbs, the suspension travel seems to be simply endless. Speed, height - in my opinion all this does not matter for the progressive component of the suspension. Shock travel gets stiffer, but you don't feel the hard kick to your feet on a breakdown like the Inmotion V11. I got the feeling that I have such a tenacious elastic sports equipment in my legs.

Rebound speed? Twisted - twisted. It's easy to do on the go, no pumping required. I think this is the simplest setting and everyone will figure it out. I would call this adjustment viscosity. The further we twist, the more the suspension becomes viscous and it is not for nothing that the instructions say about extreme. Because it really only helps in certain narrow tasks, in order to maintain maximum grip on the pedals. If you try to drive with the shock absorber fully clamped just on the road, then it very quickly falls to the lower position and the wheel begins to give unpleasantly to your feet. Even if the rebound is set to zero, then, as I expected, there is no spring (or trampoline) effect at all. Even at 0, the suspension is still much more viscous than the Inmotion V11. Moreover, it is viscous in both directions. Compression speed is still not ideal. That is why all small irregularities are felt so well. I tried to set the average value - 15. There is no fundamental difference with 0. Personally, I don’t like extreme sports, I don’t practice tricks, and I don’t understand why a damper is needed. Perhaps it does not affect exactly in the current settings of the shock absorber, but if I reduce the pressure for comfort, it will be better. May be. I dont know. I drove about 15 km, very little experience. Plus, it may take time to run in for the mechanisms to develop and make their movement easier. I dont know. I drove about 15 km, very little experience. Plus, it may take time to run-in, so that the mechanisms are developed and their movement becomes easier. I dont know. I drove about 15 km, very little experience. Plus, it may take time to run-in, so that the mechanisms are developed and their movement becomes easier.

I emphasize once again that this is all just my personal opinion. I am 146% sure that there will be diametrically opposed opinions of users who will confidently say that the main detail in this suspension is precisely the oil damper. How many people, so many opinions. The main thing is that they say it after the ride, not before.

Very useful lever for locking the suspension. I clamp it and immediately understand what the shock absorber gives. And while you are driving, it seems that he does not seem to give so much. But you block the suspension and get a culture shock from the way the wheel goes. The difference is very large and the lever quickly returns to the working shock absorber state. There can be no doubt about this, whatever the shock absorber is, it is much more pleasant to ride with it. Therefore, the suspension is definitely a new level of wheels. And even the increased weight no longer justifies the lack of suspension.

Very nice backlighting. It is simple, a few LEDs on the board, but it shines very cool and creates a separate interesting kind of suspension arms.

It was very annoying to hook the body over a small curb. These protruding corners remain beyond my understanding. On the V11, of course, everything is even worse, but here the corners stick out, and inside there is nothing at all. I would advise you to disassemble the whole thing and cut it down directly. I don’t know how, I don’t know how, but it’s better not to leave it as it is.

The pillows don't seem to fit. They always bulge from behind, no matter how you stick them, they immediately leave.

Mudguard. It was wet and dirty. It didn't splash on the back. But I did not go through deep puddles, so I cannot guarantee that it will not spray. But judging by the corners, the mudguard is quite working. And by the way, it's easy to replace. There are no problems at all. For the design of the tail, I personally give Kingsong an A. I liked the original idea of the second overhang.

There remains only a question of space between the arch casing and the tail itself. Dust and dirt are driven there by air currents. And the most unpleasant thing is that the dust reaches the lower shock absorber bush. I thought it was asking for a lightweight foam seal. It will not be visible from the outside, and it will not interfere with anything.

In front of the wheel, alas, it also throws dust from the tire at the wheel. The front overhang is not low enough for design. I thought I could add exactly the same overhang to the front as the rear. The parts are compatible and not expensive. But the design is likely to be flawed.

These holes in the front part also remained a mystery to me. They certainly add to the design. There is nothing inside, and moisture will not spoil anything, but dirt will accumulate there, and this is additional weight at least.

The upper part of the “pants” of the shock absorber stays clean and does not interfere with anything.

But from below. The reason is that the wheel arch cover is missing at the bottom. Dirt flies a little even on the ankles.

This is what happens to the wire when you try to jump. It sticks out to the side, and it is him that you catch with your feet. Need some kind of overlay to cover the wire.

The spring does not fix the pedal in the unfolded state. And the spring, unlike the magnets, will require care

I don't want to disassemble the wheel yet. There is video from three cameras online. Where you can see all the details of this wheel. But I'm interested in seeing what happens to the wheel after a period of operation. Then I will take it to the service and together we will check everything.

But what really excited me was the plastic pedal pads. I find screws under the sandpaper and unscrew them.

There is also a fifth screw in the center. These are not screws. Namely self-tapping screws.

The cover is removed. I have a question: why is this pad needed?

 

Even the appearance of such pedals seems interesting to me personally.

In short, you have to drive the S18. I still have a lot of questions about the tire, I still need to study the shock absorber, traction, speed, etc. etc ..

Follow the blog: https://ecodrift.ru/2020/08/13/kingsong-s18-pervye-vpechatleniya/

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by fbhb

[Zopper]

13 hours ago, Patton250 said:

Welp the S18 threw my son off of it. He said once he hit 10 mph at tilted forward 15° or so and then he got up to 15 mph and it tilted forward another 15° to the point where it threw him forward and off the wheel and he had to tumble on the pavement. Banged up the stupid wheel pretty good too. He’s all right thank God. What the heck is going on with this wheel?

Sad to hear. Was a higher max speed set in the app? The wheel comes with a factory-set low speed and has to be rode for some miles at such speed before it can be raised AFAIK. Also, it might be the thing with handle not set in the lowest position and an older firmware.

And anyway, why did he continue riding after the tilt? 

[Patton250]

1 hour ago, Zopper said:

Sad to hear. Was a higher max speed set in the app? The wheel comes with a factory-set low speed and has to be rode for some miles at such speed before it can be raised AFAIK. Also, it might be the thing with handle not set in the lowest position and an older firmware.

And anyway, why did he continue riding after the tilt? 

I appreciate it. Everybody else he didn’t see that post or ignored it. Top end speed is unlocked. I’ll ask him if the handle was up a little. I know it didn’t have the new firmware and I was thinking maybe that caused it. Thank God the kid is 16 years old and can’t handle it. That would’ve messed my 50-year-old ass up pretty good.

[Patton250]

2 hours ago, fbhb said:

EcoDrift Kingsong S18. First impressions.

Kingsong S18 arrived. Meet.

Black and white, who is what? White looks better in the photo, live black I personally liked more. But this wheel is still new and has not seen dust and dirt.

Set.

I was waiting for a combo pump like in the Kingsong video. But alas. We have a regular high pressure pump included.

The pump is different from what comes with the Inmotion V11. Here we have a button, but there is no lock on the hose.

Charger 84V@2.5A. The black block is the suspension spacer so the shock can be inflated.

Electric unicycle weight.

Now to the exterior.

With the weight, it was a cruel joke. In fact, the S18 weighs 25.3kg.

The white S18 is very photogenic.

Yes, and live, every girl notes how attractive the new Kingsong looks. And he wants to take him by the handle.

The girls love the opening design of the pendant. "It looks so futuristic!" They say.

A pen. I like it. There were a lot of questions until I just took it and tried it. When folded, the handle is slightly fixed and can be easily pulled up, you do not need to press the button. Those. we grab the handle with our fingers, pull it up, hear a “peak”, pick it up and can be carried. Very fast and convenient. The only point is that the wrist should catch the handles from the back, not the front. It is in this position that the wheel must be lifted, then it will not spin. The S18 engine does not completely sleep when the handle is raised. This prevents the wheel from falling forward facing forward. In sleep mode, the S18 has a very limited current, i.e. the wheel is not able to spin instantly, is not dangerous and you can safely rearrange or move it. If the hand is behind the handle, then it does not even have time to unwind. The front grip changes the balance

You will need to press the button on the handle to switch from carry mode to the down or up position. The extended handle height is also suitable for tall people. The handle is fixed in the upper position. It is convenient to control, but since it is not directly above the center, turns are a little more difficult.

The headlight is bright. The default is automatic mode. If you press the button, the full light turns on and switches between the modes: low beam, high beam, full light, no headlight. In automatic mode, only the dipped beam works so as not to blind passers-by so much. The light intensity in this mode depends on the driving speed. Very convenient and understandable. I drove 30 km / h on a relatively dry road without fear, risk, and even with some light margin.

The beam is very wide, so there are no problems with turns. But there is no clear cut-off line. The headlight shines above the horizon, so oncoming passers-by, though not so much, frown and mutter something. The high beam is switched on manually and is needed for travel in deserted places. For example, in the forest. On the road, in my opinion, does not shine at all. Apparently it is needed in order not to crash into an elk running across the road in the forest.

The outer part of the pedal is made of plastic. This is very unexpected. The pedal can be easily folded back with a foot, fixed with a spring in the folded position. Anyone who loves old Kingsong spring pedals will appreciate how easy and convenient everything is here.

From the very beginning I did not understand why people in the community the open part of the case scares. The wheel arch is covered with a casing. Suspension, like any bicycle, or even a scooter (where all the dirt is guaranteed to fly to the suspension). On a bike, nobody thinks about protecting the suspension elements. As a last resort, gently wiped the order with a cloth. So I don't see any problem. All suspension arms are of high quality. Connections inspire confidence. And in key places, rolling bearings are pressed in. The only thing is that the shock itself works through the slide bushings. But their service life is designed for the life of the shock absorber itself, which sooner or later will need to be replaced. In the case of bearings, the design would be greatly complicated, and replacing the shock absorber would require repressing the bearings. Therefore, I have no doubt that the suspension is well designed. And, to be honest, you can immediately see

While the Inmoton V11, with its imitation suspension, is the first thing to service, the S18's leverage will surely outlive everything else in the wheel, even if it's never kept clean.

View from above. I want to note the width around the pillows. Kingsong changed their thickness from the pre-production image.

You can even see this thickening here. And I absolutely did not like this decision. The wheel is already wide.

Moreover, the new pillows also do not stick to the stern. They stick out too much. They are rather limited in height, there is no deep fit to the lower leg. So they just bite into it. The material of the pillows also raises questions. They are not soft enough. In addition, the wide tires negate all the advantages of the anatomical design. The wheel has nothing to hook on for acceleration and braking, and you don't want to place your legs in special niches from below, as this increases the pressure on the lower leg. Of course, all this applies to my crooked legs. Anyone who likes the 16X shape, Tesla, is very likely to be comfortable with everything.

Due to the fact that my ankles did not really reach the body, I completely forgot about changing the position of the pedals. The S18 is unique in this respect. You can lower the pedals if you feel uncomfortable standing and ankle rest. The height was fine for me, so I didn't check what would happen when the height changed. In addition, if the pedals are made lower, then one more point is amplified, which I will write about below.

The shock absorber is the most mysterious part of the Kingsong S18. The puzzle is how to set up? The shock absorber allows you to solve a whole range of different tasks: comfortable driving, off-road and extreme stunts. And these are not nice words. The kit includes instructions for pumping recommendations. The manufacturer also released a video that talked about setting 10-15% sag (punching through). I tried to achieve comfort in city driving. I put it softer, pumped up the lower chamber, so that it compensates for the pressure in the upper one and there is adequate sag. There was not much time. I wanted to skate the first ten kilometers, but did not take the pump with me. Therefore, I set it up indoors, and then left. Most likely I was wrong with the settings. I lacked comfort. Pumping about 180psi under my weight gives very little stroke on small bumps, so you can feel them all perfectly. But on the other hand, when passing recumbent, dismounting from large curbs, the suspension travel seems to be simply endless. Speed, height - in my opinion all this does not matter for the progressive component of the suspension. Shock travel gets stiffer, but you don't feel the hard kick to your feet on a breakdown like the Inmotion V11. I got the feeling that I have such a tenacious elastic sports equipment in my legs.

Rebound speed? Twisted - twisted. It's easy to do on the go, no pumping required. I think this is the simplest setting and everyone will figure it out. I would call this adjustment viscosity. The further we twist, the more the suspension becomes viscous and it is not for nothing that the instructions say about extreme. Because it really only helps in certain narrow tasks, in order to maintain maximum grip on the pedals. If you try to drive with the shock absorber fully clamped just on the road, then it very quickly falls to the lower position and the wheel begins to give unpleasantly to your feet. Even if the rebound is set to zero, then, as I expected, there is no spring (or trampoline) effect at all. Even at 0, the suspension is still much more viscous than the Inmotion V11. Moreover, it is viscous in both directions. Compression speed is still not ideal. That is why all small irregularities are felt so well. I tried to set the average value - 15. There is no fundamental difference with 0. Personally, I don’t like extreme sports, I don’t practice tricks, and I don’t understand why a damper is needed. Perhaps it does not affect exactly in the current settings of the shock absorber, but if I reduce the pressure for comfort, it will be better. May be. I dont know. I drove about 15 km, very little experience. Plus, it may take time to run in for the mechanisms to develop and make their movement easier. I dont know. I drove about 15 km, very little experience. Plus, it may take time to run-in, so that the mechanisms are developed and their movement becomes easier. I dont know. I drove about 15 km, very little experience. Plus, it may take time to run-in, so that the mechanisms are developed and their movement becomes easier.

I emphasize once again that this is all just my personal opinion. I am 146% sure that there will be diametrically opposed opinions of users who will confidently say that the main detail in this suspension is precisely the oil damper. How many people, so many opinions. The main thing is that they say it after the ride, not before.

Very useful lever for locking the suspension. I clamp it and immediately understand what the shock absorber gives. And while you are driving, it seems that he does not seem to give so much. But you block the suspension and get a culture shock from the way the wheel goes. The difference is very large and the lever quickly returns to the working shock absorber state. There can be no doubt about this, whatever the shock absorber is, it is much more pleasant to ride with it. Therefore, the suspension is definitely a new level of wheels. And even the increased weight no longer justifies the lack of suspension.

Very nice backlighting. It is simple, a few LEDs on the board, but it shines very cool and creates a separate interesting kind of suspension arms.

It was very annoying to hook the body over a small curb. These protruding corners remain beyond my understanding. On the V11, of course, everything is even worse, but here the corners stick out, and inside there is nothing at all. I would advise you to disassemble the whole thing and cut it down directly. I don’t know how, I don’t know how, but it’s better not to leave it as it is.

The pillows don't seem to fit. They always bulge from behind, no matter how you stick them, they immediately leave.

Mudguard. It was wet and dirty. It didn't splash on the back. But I did not go through deep puddles, so I cannot guarantee that it will not spray. But judging by the corners, the mudguard is quite working. And by the way, it's easy to replace. There are no problems at all. For the design of the tail, I personally give Kingsong an A. I liked the original idea of the second overhang.

There remains only a question of space between the arch casing and the tail itself. Dust and dirt are driven there by air currents. And the most unpleasant thing is that the dust reaches the lower shock absorber bush. I thought it was asking for a lightweight foam seal. It will not be visible from the outside, and it will not interfere with anything.

In front of the wheel, alas, it also throws dust from the tire at the wheel. The front overhang is not low enough for design. I thought I could add exactly the same overhang to the front as the rear. The parts are compatible and not expensive. But the design is likely to be flawed.

These holes in the front part also remained a mystery to me. They certainly add to the design. There is nothing inside, and moisture will not spoil anything, but dirt will accumulate there, and this is additional weight at least.

The upper part of the “pants” of the shock absorber stays clean and does not interfere with anything.

But from below. The reason is that the wheel arch cover is missing at the bottom. Dirt flies a little even on the ankles.

This is what happens to the wire when you try to jump. It sticks out to the side, and it is him that you catch with your feet. Need some kind of overlay to cover the wire.

The spring does not fix the pedal in the unfolded state. And the spring, unlike the magnets, will require care

I don't want to disassemble the wheel yet. There is video from three cameras online. Where you can see all the details of this wheel. But I'm interested in seeing what happens to the wheel after a period of operation. Then I will take it to the service and together we will check everything.

But what really excited me was the plastic pedal pads. I find screws under the sandpaper and unscrew them.

There is also a fifth screw in the center. These are not screws. Namely self-tapping screws.

The cover is removed. I have a question: why is this pad needed?

 

Even the appearance of such pedals seems interesting to me personally.

In short, you have to drive the S18. I still have a lot of questions about the tire, I still need to study the shock absorber, traction, speed, etc. etc ..

Follow the blog: https://ecodrift.ru/2020/08/13/kingsong-s18-pervye-vpechatleniya/

 

What camera did you use? It took some very good macro shots.

[Chriull]

10 minutes ago, Patton250 said:

What camera did you use? It took some very good macro shots.

The post is a translated copy of 

10 minutes ago, Patton250 said:

Follow the blog: https://ecodrift.ru/2020/08/13/kingsong-s18-pervye-vpechatleniya/

 

[eve]

7 hours ago, Dogtaoist said:

 I got the battery down to 12% one day. Its performed perfectly so far in every situation I love it!! 

When does it throttle and what FW are you on?

[Zopper]

37 minutes ago, Patton250 said:

I appreciate it. Everybody else he didn’t see that post or ignored it. Top end speed is unlocked. I’ll ask him if the handle was up a little. I know it didn’t have the new firmware and I was thinking maybe that caused it. Thank God the kid is 16 years old and can’t handle it. That would’ve messed my 50-year-old ass up pretty good.

From what I have seen here, it might be hard to spot if it is slightly out. I would certainly use the new firmware where the wheel is unable to balance a rider even when going slow, so you won't get even to those 10 miles. I guess this might be why KS were so urgent about people updating the firmware.

[Dogtaoist]

2 hours ago, eve said:

When does it throttle and what FW are you on?

I’ve updated it twice since taking it out of the box, firmware 3.0 or 3.2 now with no issues. No cutting out, no motor issues at all. Obviously if the trolley handle comes up to first position then it’s going to cut out. 
 

The housing has issues with padding, the mud guard fell off and stupid stuff like that. But the wheel works exactly like should. I’m running this thing like Kuji haha I’ll hit over 200 miles this weekend and I’ll update my progress here. 

I’m sorry Eve I don’t know what you mean by “when does it throttle”? 
 

 

[Dogtaoist]

9 hours ago, redfoxdude said:

That's related to the RGB lights in other wheels, so it won't do anything on the S18.

Ok gotcha thank you! I figured but wasn’t sure. 
 

I really want purple breathing lights in the back lol
 

 

[Dogtaoist]

3 hours ago, Patton250 said:

I appreciate it. Everybody else he didn’t see that post or ignored it. Top end speed is unlocked. I’ll ask him if the handle was up a little. I know it didn’t have the new firmware and I was thinking maybe that caused it. Thank God the kid is 16 years old and can’t handle it. That would’ve messed my 50-year-old ass up pretty good.

Is he still riding it? I agree maybe FW or the handle was the culprit. 

[Not Sure]

Well I had my first crash on the s18. About 270 miles on it. Sunk into some soft ground right before hitting some pavement and flew off. Slid out on my pads perfectly but then the wheel came up from behind and landed on my hand. Pretty swollen, bruised and painful. Even more painful, the trolley came up during the crash and bent to where it doesn't go down past the lift position. I'm going to try and straighten it out once my hand works again, really hope I don't have to wait on a new part. Nothing else broken or damaged though!

[RockyTop]

6 hours ago, Not Sure said:

Well I had my first crash on the s18. About 270 miles on it. Sunk into some soft ground right before hitting some pavement and flew off. Slid out on my pads perfectly but then the wheel came up from behind and landed on my hand. Pretty swollen, bruised and painful. Even more painful, the trolley came up during the crash and bent to where it doesn't go down past the lift position. I'm going to try and straighten it out once my hand works again, really hope I don't have to wait on a new part. Nothing else broken or damaged though!

First off I love your name Not Sure and thanks for saving the world. Sorry for your injury. Hope it heals quick. I was not very concerned about the handle not latching down until hearing about    your damage. I might have to build my own latch.

its got what plants need.  

Edited August 14, 2020 by RockyTop

[Feynman]

20 minutes ago, Not Sure said:

Well I had my first crash on the s18. About 270 miles on it. Sunk into some soft ground right before hitting some pavement and flew off. Slid out on my pads perfectly but then the wheel came up from behind and landed on my hand. Pretty swollen, bruised and painful. Even more painful, the trolley came up during the crash and bent to where it doesn't go down past the lift position. I'm going to try and straighten it out once my hand works again, really hope I don't have to wait on a new part. Nothing else broken or damaged though!

I wish the handle locked in the fully down position.  Glad you're ok.

[Mark Wilson]

20 minutes ago, Not Sure said:

Well I had my first crash on the s18. About 270 miles on it. Sunk into some soft ground right before hitting some pavement and flew off. Slid out on my pads perfectly but then the wheel came up from behind and landed on my hand. Pretty swollen, bruised and painful. Even more painful, the trolley came up during the crash and bent to where it doesn't go down past the lift position. I'm going to try and straighten it out once my hand works again, really hope I don't have to wait on a new part. Nothing else broken or damaged though!

Sorry about the crash. I was worried about the trolley handle when we found out it wouldn't lock down in the lowest position. People have said that it makes the transition from riding to carrying easier but I don't know if that's worth the trade-off of a handle that easily breaks in the event of a crash (like the MSX/MSP).