King Song S18 Discussion

[Scottie888]

@Paulo Mesquita sorry to hear bout your dead S18. It's certainly a bummer to have the wheel cutout & go at 14kms! I feel for you brother.

My S18 (1st batch & all) has ~1700km on it & still running strong 🤞. Rear mudguard's fallen off & the few front rubber flaps are either super loose or way outta their rightful locales. O & the bottom screws (underneath the pedals) are kinda rusty, at least on the outside.

Other than that, no other issues. No fixes on the suspension besides spraying some liquid silicon lubricant on the joints & shafts. I've been riding it daily since the weather's been hot & going offroad every chance I get. If there's grass or a dirt path right beside asphalt, I take the uknowwat.

I think its just bad luck. 

[Paulo Mesquita]

Hello friends.

First of all...thanks for the kind words you all shared here. It really helped a lot my getting less demoralized and angry. @null, @enaon, @fbhb, @Rehab1, @Tawpie, @ShanesPlanet, @Scottie and @Scottie888... you guys really made my morning breakfast a whole lot easier to swallow while I read your posts.

As a result two things happened:

1) I got on my KS 16X and furiously went for 36kms non stop, with wind gushes up to 37km/h (not easy), until my legs couldn't ride anymore! ...nothing better than getting back on the horse. In this case a different horse!!!

2) I am considering, depending on MYEWheel's response, in giving another shot at a S18 after I return this miserable one. The truth is that I really was enjoying those 14kms before it died on me. I'll see what comes out of my talks with the store and I'll take it from there.

As a footnote... a few things I found interesting (some annoying9 about the S18:

1) Charging the suspension above 200psi ( due to my fully equipped weight of 98/99kgs) caused one stupid snag: even with me sitting on the wheel the suspension elevates it slightly and to a point where it's virtually impossible to unscrew the pressure pump hose. It gets jammed onto the chassis. MY SOLUTION: I followed another YT video where the guy teaches us to fill the suspension... with it all extended. This way the hose fits through a hole in the metal frame and is easier to unscrew at the end of the filling of the suspension with 240psi.

2) The rotator at the top of the suspension wasn't easy to tune at first. I had to use a lot of finger pressure to make it loose. I got it and tuned it to about halfway of the (about) 24 clicks, which meant 50%. Don't know if it was correct for my weight 98/99kg) and type of riding (nice smooth roads, horrible roads, very uneven cobblestone sidewalks and roads)... the instruction manual and videos weren't clear enough...or I wasn't smart enough (it happens on occasion).

3) I noticed that the blue ring/washer, after my calculations and tuning, went down about 30mm of SAG, which according to some videos was OK. Still not sure...not enough riding, obviously....BLOODY CUT OUT!!!

4) Finally, and I could use some help here: I noticed that on all small bumps and holes the suspension responded very nicely. However, on the long speed bumps in my neighborhood I felt the suspension too squirrely and I even felt my feet losing contact with the pedals at a fraction of a second. This never happened with the 16X or the V11. Any clues? 

warm regards to all

Edited June 5, 2021 by Paulo Mesquita

[fbhb]

@Paulo Mesquita Good to hear that you were able to resolve this with a replacement S18 and I do hope you have a better experience second time around.

3 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

1) Charging the suspension above 200psi ( due to my fully equipped weight of 98/99kgs) caused one stupid snag: even with me sitting on the wheel the suspension elevates it slightly and to a point where it's virtually impossible to unscrew the pressure pump hose. It gets jammed onto the chassis. MY SOLUTION: I followed another YT video where the guy teaches us to fill the suspension... with it all extended. This way the hose fits through a hole in the metal frame and is easier to unscrew at the end of the filling of the suspension with 240psi.

You do not mention here what pressure you used in the lower chamber, which may have an impact on your final suspension set up? Also, did you try using the supplied plastic block when filling each chamber, which should allow the release of the pump nozzle?

3 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

4) Finally, and I could use some help here: I noticed that on all small bumps and holes the suspension responded very nicely. However, on the long speed bumps in my neighborhood I felt the suspension too squirrely and I even felt my feet losing contact with the pedals at a fraction of a second. This never happened with the 16X or the V11. Any clues?

Again, in relation to your answer to my first question, I think you just need to experiment with a balance between the top (positve) chamber & the bottom (negative) chamber. In my own experience, I consistently found that on release of the fill tube, I lost 30psi and so I always pump up to 30psi above the required number. Once you get that balance correct for your weight, the S18 should be really plush over the conditions you describe, with absolutely No jarring. The red rebound ring also plays a big role in this by controlling how fast/slow the shock responds. Play around with your settings initially until you feel that everything feels more comfortable, then you should not really have to touch it again too often! Just as a ball park figure, if you are aiming for 240 in the top, you will need around 100 - 130ish in the bottom chamber. Start there and see how you go.

Edited June 5, 2021 by fbhb

[Paulo Mesquita]

12 minutes ago, fbhb said:

@Paulo Mesquita Good to hear that you were able to resolve this with a replacement S18 and I do hope you have a better experience second time around.

You do not mention here what pressure you used in the lower chamber, which may have an impact on your final suspension set up? Also, did you try using the supplied plastic block when filling each chamber, which should allow the release of the pump nozzle?

Again, in relation to your answer to my first question, I think you just need to experiment with a balance between the top (positve) chamber & the bottom (negative) chamber. In my own experience, I consistently found that on release of the fill tube, I lost 30psi and so I always pump up to 30psi above the required number. Once you get that balance correct for your weight, the S18 should be really plush over the conditions you describe, with absolutely No jarring. The red rebound ring also plays a big role in this by controlling how fast/slow the shock responds. Play around with your settings initially until you feel that everything feels more comfortable, then you should not really have to touch it again too often! Just as a ball park figure, if you are aiming for 240 in the top, you will need around 100 - 130ish in the bottom chamber. Start there and see how you go.

@fbhb I did 250 psi on top and 100psi on the bottom and I was counting on loosing some pressure while detatching. It's a pity the KS pump doesn't have an air lock button like the V11 pump. It helps a lot to avoid pressure loss. 

When I get another s18 I'll try and play with the red ring ( for obvious reasons I had no time to do it) 

Can I ask 3 questions? 

1) how does the brick avoid the jamming of the pump on top when we're sitting on the wheel and pumping? (not well explained, as usual, on the manuals) 

2) for me to avoid the loss of contact with the pedals whe going over long sowed bumps, should I have the red ring more to the "open- counter clockwise" dial or to the " close clockwise" dual end? 

3) what exactly does the blue + and - lever work for? The videos recommend Tha it must be to the "-" position when pumping the suspension. But after that do we keep the lever there or do we move to to the "+" position? 

Sorry about all the questions but the instruction manual sucks. It has all these diagrams of diferent suspension models and very little instructions. The s18 doesn't even come with the proper pressure chart that they announce in the KS tutorial video... 

[fbhb]

2 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

Can I ask 3 questions?

No problem at all, I'm happy to offer any help I can.

2 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

1) how does the brick avoid the jamming of the pump on top when we're sitting on the wheel and pumping? (not well explained, as usual, on the manuals) 

As you may know, there are various methods that people use and for me the block seems to work well in enabling the filling of both chambers and removing the fill tube from the top chamber easily. I also believe that it helps to pump the balanced amount of air into each chamber, remembering to over-pump 30psi of course.

What I found was with both chambers empty of air, you can sit on the wheel to compress it enough to put the block in and then there is No need to sit on the wheel whilst pumping both chambers. Pump your top chamber to 30psi above the required amount and then release the fill tube and repeat for the bottom chamber. You need to remember that the bottom chamber is really tiny and so over-pumping to maintain the correct pressure is more critical here, as you can easily loose close to everything you've just pumped in! Once the bottom chamber has been filled, you will then need to sit on the wheel to release the block and you should be All Good.

2 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

2) for me to avoid the loss of contact with the pedals whe going over long sowed bumps, should I have the red ring more to the "open- counter clockwise" dial or to the " close clockwise" dual end?

I really believe that your initial set up with the pressure in the bottom (negative) chamber may have played a greater role in this, but the rebound ring can be used to tune the response over long slow bumps with some trial and error. My personal preference is to to wind the ring All the way to the Fast end and then back it off about 5 clicks back towards the slower setting (Arrow marked on top of shock)

Again, play around with this as your preference/required setting may vary and also I'm a lighter rider than you are.

2 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

3) what exactly does the blue + and - lever work for? The videos recommend Tha it must be to the "-" position when pumping the suspension. But after that do we keep the lever there or do we move to to the "+" position? 

The Blue lever is basically just a "Lock Out" for the shock so that it is either in a working/suspension travel mode (- position) or a locked out/No suspension travel mode (+ position). In the "Lock out" position there is actually just a little amount of movement, but essentially the wheel can be ridden like a regular No-suspended wheel.

It is Always best to pump with the lever in the "-" position and then pretty much leave it there, unless you really wanted to lock out the suspension travel in some riding situation that actually benefits using the lock out mode! 

2 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

Sorry about all the questions but the instruction manual sucks. It has all these diagrams of diferent suspension models and very little instructions. The s18 doesn't even come with the proper pressure chart that they announce in the KS tutorial video... 

Absolutely No need to apologise for the questions, that's what this community is here for to draw from others experience. Maybe your suspension chart was mislaid/omitted in the original packaging, but if you don't get one second time around and need the chart I can sort out posting a copy of mine here for you, so just ask?

Edited June 5, 2021 by fbhb

[Paulo Mesquita]

33 minutes ago, fbhb said:

I can sort out posting a copy of mine here for you, so just ask?

@fbhb, mate... you're better at explaining things than the KS guys!!!

If you could post a copy of you chart here that would be great, thanks a million! 

[fbhb]

3 minutes ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

If you could post a copy of you chart here that would be great, thanks a million! 

No problem, just let me take a little time to get a good photo of it that I can upload here for you.

[fbhb]

@Paulo Mesquita Here you go, I took a photo of both sides for you:

 

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by fbhb

[Paulo Mesquita]

1 hour ago, fbhb said:

@Paulo Mesquita Here you go, I took a photo of both sides for you:

 

 

Thanks mate. I never got this 🙏🙏🙏

[mrelwood]

On 6/5/2021 at 11:52 PM, fbhb said:

I consistently found that on release of the fill tube, I lost 30psi

You probably don’t after all.

 

[RagingGrandpa]

On 6/4/2021 at 8:06 PM, Paulo Mesquita said:

The wheel couldn't even be pushed because it felt like the motor was sticking

Bad board.

(Maybe additional problems too, but at least that...)

Sorry, it happens. This is part of the hobby. Be patient, fun riding ahead.

[5Cauac]

First off, glad to hear our friend @Paulo Mesquita was not seriously injured. Second I too now have a dead S18.

Will not turn on. I experienced the exact same thing that Adam from Wong Way did when his S18 went dead after a dirt jump and would not turn back on.

I was riding a dirt trail as I often do, took a turn a bit too wide and slid off my wheel. I went to pick it up and it was off. Tried to turn it on but nothing happened other than a quick flashing of the head light. When I got home, I plugged in the charger, headlight flashed and the red light on the charger came on. I was able to connect with EUC world and saw a charge of 96% . This was right before my Yosemite trip and was hoping it wouldn't happen during my trip.

A week later, my S18 was turning it's self back on after turning it off and putting it in the trunk of my car. This happened at least twice. Then, over the Memorial day weekend while on the same trail, the same thing happened but this time I was about 4 miles out. I was pissed!! Took me 2 hrs to get back to the car.

Plugging it back into the charger but it did nothing this time. Just a flash of the light, light stays green and no Bluetooth. If charger is unplugged and an hour has passed, the S18 does a power cycle (Light flashes, two beeps and the brake light turns on but then that is it, it stays dead.

I opened her up and everything seem nice and tight, no loose plugs, no visible burns on the control board and no burnt smells. Both times my wheel was fully charged and balanced with 84v at the start of my rides.

I still need to contact eWheels with my issue just haven't had time. (will be doing so after this posting)

What is up with our S18's all of a sudden?????

Edited June 7, 2021 by 5Cauac

[Paulo Mesquita]

1 hour ago, 5Cauac said:

First off, glad to hear our friend @Paulo Mesquita was not seriously injured. Second I too now have a dead S18.

Will not turn on. I experienced the exact same thing that Adam from Wong Way did when his S18 went dead after a dirt jump and would not turn back on.

I was riding a dirt trail as I often do, took a turn a bit too wide and slid off my wheel. I went to pick it up and it was off. Tried to turn it on but nothing happened other than a quick flashing of the head light. When I got home, I plugged in the charger, headlight flashed and the red light on the charger came on. I was able to connect with EUC world and saw a charge of 96% . This was right before my Yosemite trip and was hoping it wouldn't happen during my trip.

A week later, my S18 was turning it's self back on after turning it off and putting it in the trunk of my car. This happened at least twice. Then, over the Memorial day weekend while on the same trail, the same thing happened but this time I was about 4 miles out. I was pissed!! Took me 2 hrs to get back to the car.

Plugging it back into the charger but it did nothing this time. Just a flash of the light, light stays green and no Bluetooth. If charger is unplugged and an hour has passed, the S18 does a power cycle (Light flashes, two beeps and the brake light turns on but then that is it, it stays dead.

I opened her up and everything seem nice and tight, no loose plugs, no visible burns on the control board and no burnt smells. Both times my wheel was fully charged and balanced with 84v at the start of my rides.

I still need to contact eWheels with my issue just haven't had time. (will be doing so after this posting)

What is up with our S18's all of a sudden?????

Yep, the only sign of life I get from mine, is a double flashing of the headlight... nothing else. According to a hint from Andrey at Myewheel it might be a defective motherboard. I suspected that too, but your on-and-off synthoms due to several off road bumps and driving in the car (more bumps) might also mean loose wiring somewhere... 

I don't know sh*t about these things and I'm just speculating so I don't get mad again... 😏😏😏😏

[Roadpower]

@Paulo Mesquita  I'm wondering if you got a fully bad wheel or perhaps just an internal connector that was not fully connected. Another question is; do vendors need to be proactive by opening wheels shipped to them and giving them a full quality control check. It seems to me that if they aren't already doing this then they need to be. They can use it as a sales point. IE get more sales by including a default behavior for QC assurances for the customer. I believe Jason of eWheels was doing this but I'm not sure what their current policy is.

It seems like the entire industry is going through a bad period but that isn't necessarily the case. It might be the the number of actual failures is very low but just heavily talked about because they are after all extremely concerning to all of us. I would really like to hear from the manufacturers or at least the major vendors to hear their thoughts on these matters.

I hope not only for you Paulo but for everyone that this issue is addressed in a satisfactory manner.

[Paulo Mesquita]

1 hour ago, Roadpower said:

@Paulo Mesquita  I'm wondering if you got a fully bad wheel or perhaps just an internal connector that was not fully connected. Another question is; do vendors need to be proactive by opening wheels shipped to them and giving them a full quality control check. It seems to me that if they aren't already doing this then they need to be. They can use it as a sales point. IE get more sales by including a default behavior for QC assurances for the customer. I believe Jason of eWheels was doing this but I'm not sure what their current policy is.

It seems like the entire industry is going through a bad period but that isn't necessarily the case. It might be the the number of actual failures is very low but just heavily talked about because they are after all extremely concerning to all of us. I would really like to hear from the manufacturers or at least the major vendors to hear their thoughts on these matters.

I hope not only for you Paulo but for everyone that this issue is addressed in a satisfactory manner.

Well actually I'm in this hobby/sport for only 5 months. In that period, I ha 4 wheels ( two KS 16x, one V11 and the S18) thd s18 blew at 14kms of usage. The V11 that I sold to a friend burned the motherboard with 500kms ( only 100km after I sold I to him) and the poor guy has a Gotway) that had its new bearings trashed.

Now, adding up my close and short experience with EUCs, I'd say that statistically, 3 out of 5 wheels, one out of the box and two almost new and still in the guarantee, burning out... Is clearly a bad percentage. We're talking 60% of lemons coming out of the three major market brands ( with the exception of the Sherman rolls royce)!!! 

It's a bit like you buying 5 great German cars, say Mercedes, BMW and Audi... and having 3 back at the shop, still in the guarantee. And one of the three... Back in the shop after a short trip leaving the car dealership!!! 

I don't pretend to know a lot about EUC's. Honestly I don't know sh*t! But having been a marketeer and advertiser for 30 years, pardon my French, but I know quite a bit about quality control, a how when it doesn't work, I can destroy a great brand image 😁. 

It is true when you say that we talk a lot more about a lemmon and not as much as when we get the sweet deals, but man, either I'm jinxed or someone is getting very sloppy while manufacturing and assembling these wheels. 

Anyway... Just my $0.02

Lets see what @ShanesPlanet thinks about these percentages... 😉😉😉

[Paulo Mesquita]

1 hour ago, Roadpower said:

@Paulo Mesquita  I'm wondering if you got a fully bad wheel or perhaps just an internal connector that was not fully connected. Another question is; do vendors need to be proactive by opening wheels shipped to them and giving them a full quality control check. It seems to me that if they aren't already doing this then they need to be. They can use it as a sales point. IE get more sales by including a default behavior for QC assurances for the customer. I believe Jason of eWheels was doing this but I'm not sure what their current policy is.

It seems like the entire industry is going through a bad period but that isn't necessarily the case. It might be the the number of actual failures is very low but just heavily talked about because they are after all extremely concerning to all of us. I would really like to hear from the manufacturers or at least the major vendors to hear their thoughts on these matters.

I hope not only for you Paulo but for everyone that this issue is addressed in a satisfactory manner.

@Roadpower BTW, just for you to get a clear picture of my local worries, as far as I know, in Portugal we might be about 50 guys using EUCs fro the 3 major brands. In my short period of 5 months as a rider I've read on local forums, of about 5 or 6 more issues with EUCs that have had little usage and are still in the guarantee. This puts the statistic at about 15% of factory lemons. No quality brand image, in the long run, can survive these numbers. And as you very well put it, we talk a lot more about the problematic ones. Thus the bad image gets naturally amplified... not good for the 3 leading brands. 

[Tawpie]

4 minutes ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

This puts the statistic at about 15% of factory lemons

and yet we continue to hand them our money... and I'm guilty as charged. I bought an MTen and have been in finger crossing mode that whatever else is going to go south (still dealing with a slow leak in the tire) does so before the warranty expires. I've over 200 miles on it now and it's still in one not-smoking piece so hopefully I'm out of the infant mortality woods. I should probably bark about the slow leak to eWheels but that means I'd have to do tire surgery with no assurance that the hassle will be worth it. It's a real crying shame this is so dang much fun.

[Roadpower]

@Paulo Mesquita Yeah that is not good. My vantage point however is one of a commuter and professional user (used to expedite work). For me it is not a hobby or sport, it is simply a means of transportation that ticks enough boxes to make it a preferred method of transport. Granted I post here because the devices hold a significant interest to me. It is worth questioning how the industry views these products. From there answers should flow as to why we are seemingly experiencing an unacceptable failure rate.

[Scottie]

3 hours ago, Roadpower said:

It seems like the entire industry is going through a bad period but that isn't necessarily the case. It might be the the number of actual failures is very low but just heavily talked about because they are after all extremely concerning to all of us. I would really like to hear from the manufacturers or at least the major vendors to hear their thoughts on these matters.

This has a familiar ring to it. The V11 thread had a similar tone for a few posts. @Unventor made a similar comment over there.

On 4/26/2021 at 2:43 PM, Unventor said:

The problem is you only see the number of people moaning when they have a problem. You never get the full story.

And many that have a fully functional wheel never bother to write about it.

 

For @Roadpower, hopefully this will go a small way toward complying with your request. Ian at Speedy Feet did a show with @Marty Backe. They talked about many things. But the discussion on this subject starts at 4:24 and goes to about 9:30. Pay close attention at 6:45 and 7:45, and you will hear Ian say very much the same thing as what @Unventor and @Roadpower alluded to. I will start it at 4:15 where the discussion starts warming up in that direction.

There is a saying ... "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Or in our case, the broken wheel gets the attention, which is very much the same as what Unventor has said.

It is sad or disappointing when it happens to one of our friends like @Paulo Mesquita, and is traumatic ... such as what happened to the Black Cobra. Everyone wants better quality, and even system redundancy.

When I do my inner soul searching about riding and the possible consequences, I still choose to ride, but control mitigate my risk by riding slower. But I am old and happy to go slower. If I were 30, I am sure I would sing another tune about that. Even with the slower riding I know I could eat pavement, but hopefully it will not taste as bad.

P.S. There were lots of updates to this thread when I was putting my post together. I hope I did not late to the party!      

Edited June 8, 2021 by Scottie
should have been 6:45 and 7:45

[Scottie]

56 minutes ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

but man, either I'm jinxed or someone is getting very sloppy while manufacturing and assembling these wheels. 

Anyway... Just my $0.02

Lets see what @ShanesPlanet thinks about these percentages... 😉😉😉

Could it be a bit of both? ... generally lower quality mixed with a bit of bad luck ... and we have ... (fill in the blank).

 

40 minutes ago, Tawpie said:

and yet we continue to hand them our money... and I'm guilty as charged. I bought an MTen and have been in finger crossing mode that whatever else is going to go south (still dealing with a slow leak in the tire)

Guilty here too. And I also have an MTen that needs the leak fixed. Luckily that is all I have to report. I am going tubeless soon. But other than that, my wheels have been flawless. Am I overly lucky, or the average guy? 

[.....]

3 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

Lets see what @ShanesPlanet thinks about these percentages... 😉😉😉

Sounds about right. THIS is why I continue to mention that a used wheel in good shape is a STEAL! Even brand new ones are a dice roll. Warranty means very little as you watch your summer and life tick by. I have owned 6 wheels and only ONE left me feeling abused.  I'd say 20% fail sounds right. Im at 15% but thats simply because of my 6, MOST are of a proven and simpler/older format. I also open them all up and verify they were built properly. I implore people to NOT buy into the newest wheels as their only wheel. Don't make a video about how a wheel disappoints you, your intellect and personality will be attacked.

2 hours ago, Scottie said:

Guilty here too. And I also have an MTen that needs the leak fixed. Luckily that is all I have to report. I am going tubeless soon. But other than that, my wheels have been flawless. Am I overly lucky, or the average guy? 

A little luck and we all know the mten has little to go wrong.  Still yet, I'd rely on my 1992 toyota before ANY of this crap. It seems that some people overlook quality as a factor because they just WANT their wheel to be great. These are the same people who claim EVERY new wheel they get is now 'the best'. It rides great, but dont drop it or look inside it and surely assume itll drop you soon.... ugh, pathetic.

Edited June 8, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Flying W]

I have....I'll call it 3.5 wheels (one is a 132wh airwheel clone so it gets a half). 

Cheap knock off "toy wheel" with the least range or power has had no issues, but also doesn't get the miles put on it. It's fun to practice slow speed stuff, like a really bad version of an mten. 

Mcm5 version one, 330 mile in needed a new board. It didn't burn out, and I rode home on it but it did the oscillating front to bad thing so Jason sente a new board. It's been great for another 3800 miles and counting. 

16s, no issues at all, 4300miles.

RS HT version 1, breaking alignment knocking withing the first 8 miles. Jason replaced the whole wheel right away (I won't buy from anywhere else, he always comes through!) and it now has 1k miles on it. 

On the RS I re routed some wires, found lose trolly handle screws and some loose pedal hanger bolts. I didn't some other things just to keep dirt out like covering the motor wire bore hole, taping off the trolley handle and putting some silicone on the holes going into the led lights. I didn't not cover the vents, a little bit of dust still gets in but it's minor. 

I also replaced the side panel screws with ones of a known metal haha. I pull the board side every 250 miles or so to blow out the dust so the stock screws had to go. I love this wheel, it climbs crazy stuff off road and runs cool, but the heat has to escape and that does let in dust. If it looks like any kind of sprinkling of rain can be possible it also doesn't leave the house. 

I'm at a 50% rate for needing warranty support in short order for something. That's also why I don't save a little and buy direct or from am Ali store. 

I'm still addicted though, yes I'd buy a more expensive wheel if the quality, more important the quality control, was there but I'm still happy with what I can get for the prices offered. This much range and power for a few grand still feels like a bargain compared to an while or scooter....and I'm not interested in scooters. Once they allow ebikes at the local mnt bike spots I'll have to get one though. I just wish an e mnt bike that can handle the down hill beating didn't cost so much. 

@Paulo Mesquita I hope you get another S18 and that it works great, there are many happy S18 owners out there. The two most common complaints, range and top speed, don't seem like issues for your riding and the suspension should help out a lot if your hit a bump you don't see.

My 70yr old dad just last week came off again from hitting bump he didn't see at about 18mph. It was a lump in the pavement cause by tree roots. He doesn't wear gear accept for wrist guards and he has no business eating a pavement sandwich. If I could afford it I'd buy a v11 or an S18 for him to ride just for that extra safety.

Needless to say I carry a decent first aid kit. 70yr olds don't stop bleeding like us young middle aged kids! 

[Scottie888]

17 minutes ago, Flying W said:

 

 there are many happy S18 owners out there. The two most common complaints, range and top speed, don't seem like issues for your riding and the suspension should help out a lot if your hit a bump you don't see.

I won't say I'm a happy S18 camper but my main complain & perhaps one true complaint is the lack of a good dual sport tire. KS coulda pkg the S18 with a good knobby option (ala Sherman which incidentally isn't much of a offroad wheel in comparo) or at the very least, made the fender with enough spacing (of which there's lotsa room) to accommodate the various ones out there.

This is my main beef. More topend would be nice & ofcos, more range is always good. But as an offroad wheel, 60kms is a plenty. I don't know if many do mtb trails but 40kms is a 2-3hr ride if not longer. That's more than enough pounding on the knees & back to keep me occupied aplenty. 

For a wheel with range, there's lots of choices out there. There isn't much for strictly offroad. KS coulda wouda shoulda grabbed this segment but they blew it.

[John Jones]

Chiming in with my experience, strength and hope for my new-dead S18

 

Day 1: rode to unlock.

Day 2: rolled unit on a grassy knoll, say 100 feet of unit driving itself and hit a cement drain box. Damage Report: cosmetic skeletal damage to exterior shell.  Days after, tire is flat, flat, flat.
 

Ordered replacement parts. Watched the KingSong Disassembly yt vid twice at full speed.

When the parts arrived, I disassembled the exterior shell and got to the hall sensor, (this playing the same Disassembly Video at half-speed where appropriate)

I decided not to replace the tire/tube since “the leaker” seemed to be holding pressure after sliming it a second time.

Upon powering up the unit I got 3 short beeps and 1 long beep. No audio “please decelerate” or a POST indication (Power On Self Test). Headlight on. Bluetooth pairs up. Firmware v1.00 is reported. 4 apps (Sotftuner, KS, DarknessBot) on iOS, and EUC World on the Android but I don’t recall EUC World prompting to update firmware.

*Note* On EVERY attempt, the firmware update process appeared to run to completion and shuts off the unit. Powering up, FW v1.00.

I opened a ticket with Euco… so far, I’ve got the list of Rates to get this fixed. About what I expect. 
So….while we tactfully negotiate a replacement controller/motherboard, a process that *may* take more rather than less time, I drove 600 miles round trip and shelled out even more money for a used 18L. Just so I can ride!

I own 3 wheels and started in March of this year.

I don’t expect much from the seller but I do know Computers and this thing is a “Brick” and will not accept a Firmware update.

My brand-new S18 is now a “Project”. My Toaster.

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by John Jones

[Roadpower]

Hmm, I'm tempted to order a S18 just to spit in the face of the odds. This whole thing is getting at my curiosity bone now.