King Song S18 Discussion

[NewB]

On 11/4/2022 at 2:50 PM, fbhb said:

There have not been any other teardowns of the New suspension slider model S18, as far as I am aware.

Ecodrift will be the most thorough teardown, with the best incite into any possible issues anyway IMHO.

None of the usual YouTubers really come close to the Russian's engineering knowledge of EUC's IMO, so I'd be more inclined to ONLY follow their take on any possible issues!

Problem is - Ecodrift did not point out any issues the wheel may have. If it is perfect as delivered, I don't want to start taking things apart. I'd rather be able to learn from someone who knows what they are doing, and I haven't seen anyone critique the latest batches.

[novazeus]

On 12/5/2022 at 6:52 PM, OldFartRides said:

There’s worse wheels than S-18’s. I guess that’s not saying much. Luck of the draw too, with wheels.

Still, I do like mine. I got the one used from a member here….$1500. shipped. Too bad the fellow in TN doesn’t want to ship.

Best,

after watching kuji, and as i suspected, the v13 looks great and i applaud inmotion on their safety efforts, the v13 would not work in my pastures.

so even though i have the s22 coming soon, i couldn't resist the amg studio price of the molicel version s18. so now i have two wheels coming, maybe three with the mten4 order with jason.

before my motivation was just a package pick up device at my gate and a way to exercise 165 pound Bob. that didn't work. i might try again. Bob is a little more mature and cooperative now. now my motivation is learning how to go off ranch because like some of my friends on  the forum, i don't have driver's license, insurance or registration, so my only off ranch transportation will be by wheel.

[novazeus]

i know there's lots of eco warriors here. 

be proud of me living off grid and now charging my new s18 using solar.

every tesla should come with it's own solar charging station to make a difference.

if it wasn't cool and sunny today, i'd be running a gas generator to charge it. basically what tesla owners do. coal, lp, nukes, generators.

[novazeus]

haven't ridden either yet, but i just watched kuji demo and besides aspiring to be able to ride like kuji someday, he did seem very enthusiatic about it, moreso than the v13.

the v13 looks great and i'm glad inmotion is trying to please, but for the portability factor, i bet i wind up liking the s18 better than the s22. wheel weight is a big deal for me on pasture.

i like them both on the bench. lightyears from the offerings 5 years ago.

[novazeus]

this is why u buy at least two. 

setting up the s18 suspension and the top valve doesn't hold air. 

ordered a slime kit overnight from amazon. hopefully replacing the needle valve will solve the problem.

bottom valve works fine.

as soon as i unscrew the pump, every bit of air flows out.

i'm amazed at the goods china can produce for so little money comparatively speaking, but their quality control is lacking. 

[OldFartRides]

I forget what angle they are, but the severely bent valve stem extensions are helpful on the top of the s18 shock.

maybe 120* ? 

[novazeus]

well, for anyone following my new s18 shock not holding air, the good news is i'm too impatient to wait for overnight and replacing the needle valve, the valve assembly comes out with a 6mm wrench. 

took it out and there was a burr on the needle valve. i worked it back and forth, added some spit for extra credit, and voila, i'm rolling.

i've experienced owned, s1, s2, ks 16s ks 18s, the 16" ninebot e i think, and a z10.

and now s22 and s18. 

i think i know why kuji loved this wheel. it is the first wheel i've ever been on, comfortable right out of the box. i mean i can't wait to ride it tmrw. kingsong really made this wheel ergonomic, for me at least. i'm 6' 185 pounds, and i am the mad padder, but i don't think i'll touch this one.

ya, this is the perfect beginner wheel. i'm definitely a beginner mounting. i laugh at forward and back because that's all i do on my road. half a mile forward, and back.

did 200km that way on the 18s to unlock it. forward and back.

[novazeus]

if i had this wheel starting out, i'd almost be as good as kuji now.

i mean the 16s was painful for me to ride. 

the s18 is gonna be my off ranch wheel for sure. i'll be on sidewalks and multiuse paths and finally i know what one leg control feels like.

and i like i can jump on it barefoot in the container. gotta put on shoes to get on those spike pedals on the s22 but i'm gonna make the pedals less spikey.

with the spikes and the waffle soles on van's, i mean u can't disengage. u gotta lift ur foot straight up a quarter of an inch or more. 

if ur a beginner, and 5'10' like kuji, or 6' like me, get this wheel. 

the others were design by the marquis de sade.

btw, both wheels display mph in the kingsong app. mph is ur sign in preference on the app.

[novazeus]

the s18 is 52 pounds 10 oz. the tire has a weight capacity of 265 pounds leaving the difference for the rider and all his camera equipment.

if it had a kickstand! 

7 mph is really slow. kingsong should make it 12 at least. 7 is hard to balance on.

about 15 trips forward and back, haha, on my road.

well, i guess since we're the guinea pigs, 7 is better to run off from if there's defects.

kuji said he worked with king song on the pads and for me, excellent job. i think anybody on the fence should watch that kuji video on the s18. u can tell kuji loves this wheel. first comfortable wheel for me.

[NewB]

On 12/14/2022 at 5:28 PM, Funky said:

First winter - where i didn't ride for ~3 months.

First day riding was little bit awkward.  I could ride, but idk why it felt scary.. By 3rd day everything was fine. Also legs hurt bit for first 1-2 weeks, as you didn't use those muscles for 3 months.

It's more or less same as bike. You won't forget it, when you have learned how to ride. Now it's second winter for my. Will see how first ride in spring will be.  I bet it will be much better.

Time to time i turn it on and simply ride true my apartment.  From kitchen to living room.   Going forwards and then backwards. I think i will be available to ride backwards next year. 

 

On 12/15/2022 at 11:37 AM, Funky said:

Put the wheel in car and drive somewhere - where no one is around.  

That's how our family learned. And because we learned on grass/gravel/sand. We learned much faster. 1 hr off-road is like at least 5 hrs on smooth straight pavement. First time i rode on smooth pavement. I was like WTF!! It felt like i'm flying, because no bumps and nothing. It was so effortless riding on smooth ground.

If you are new ridder - wobbles ARE YOU.. Not the wheel. I weigh 280lbs and i could not go any PSI higher than 28. Or wheel would start wobbling, if i went over 25km/h speed. And overall it felt like i was riding on "knife edge", if i went over 30.

Try lowering PSI while you are "learning". I could ride 35+psi only after ~400km ridden. (And i had zero problem riding from the start.. No falling over, etc.. First day i was already going left/right and in circles.)

 

Till "new" riders have put at least 500km on the wheel - They don't know anything. I'm closing to my first 1000km. (I don't ride long "distances" much..) And only now i can do most of the things. Like hard braking. Duck down riding - while touching ground. One legged riding. Mounting on/off with both legs. Pendulum. (Still learning backwards riding. As i never really need to do that..)

 

 

How to check if tire is centered: Lift the wheel by pedals and let it "speed up" while holding it by pedals. If it isn't shaking left~~right very much at speed. Tire is straight.

 

 Free spin test: His wheel isn't shaking left/right at high speed = centered tire. (Little shake is okey.)

 

How to check if tire is "centered"

 

 

12 hours ago, novazeus said:

this is why u buy at least two. 

setting up the s18 suspension and the top valve doesn't hold air. 

ordered a slime kit overnight from amazon. hopefully replacing the needle valve will solve the problem.

bottom valve works fine.

as soon as i unscrew the pump, every bit of air flows out.

i'm amazed at the goods china can produce for so little money comparatively speaking, but their quality control is lacking.

My top valve seems to have the same issue. Where to get a replacement?

[novazeus]

i just unscrewed the little valve assembly on the shock with a 6mm wrench and then worked the needle valve back and forth. seems to be holding now. 

i bought slime last night because they give u a needle valve tool to tighten or remove them, also ordered a little slime kit from amazon overnight of needle valves and the tool.

[Paul A]

3 hours ago, NewB said:

My top valve seems to have the same issue. Where to get a replacement?

 

Valve core replacement and tool?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225195353541?hash=item346eb065c5:g:pesAAOSwLJRjQEA7&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4H4aLOWSAp4BXSMWyrXk6Nc9AFFDpsuHviqy4CvHCUef%2FYwtaCPpIPCy%2BjM3056gbV1vLHD5ZFkZQHRpb6H3gzzdOQg%2BtaKUmpndVtCPiuyZIfNjmOzLV88DcHaN5zlLOpoLRvN%2Bi9XgG7WXlpr%2FEYK94%2F90T1F4FhG0Blbkmhr1Q14HHB1w4acofnOaIuiMApQkridgV9JMKSzt0lqlfhN3nEXkVwtMjZbaf3oSkNsIh%2BIqQLIu8lv%2FlR87qBio8Xv858MT63BPhNMsVi3pVho%2Fo1YoWRhBF12pNG6n99Xc|tkp%3ABFBMmOjwi6Rh

US $7.99

[novazeus]

the slime tool is only $2.68 at amazon.

Slime 20088 4-Way Valve Tool with 4 Valve Cores

[NewB]

2 hours ago, Paul A said:

 

Valve core replacement and tool?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225195353541?hash=item346eb065c5:g:pesAAOSwLJRjQEA7&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4H4aLOWSAp4BXSMWyrXk6Nc9AFFDpsuHviqy4CvHCUef%2FYwtaCPpIPCy%2BjM3056gbV1vLHD5ZFkZQHRpb6H3gzzdOQg%2BtaKUmpndVtCPiuyZIfNjmOzLV88DcHaN5zlLOpoLRvN%2Bi9XgG7WXlpr%2FEYK94%2F90T1F4FhG0Blbkmhr1Q14HHB1w4acofnOaIuiMApQkridgV9JMKSzt0lqlfhN3nEXkVwtMjZbaf3oSkNsIh%2BIqQLIu8lv%2FlR87qBio8Xv858MT63BPhNMsVi3pVho%2Fo1YoWRhBF12pNG6n99Xc|tkp%3ABFBMmOjwi6Rh

US $7.99

Huzzah! Thanks. I didn't even know where to start.

 

[NewB]

20 hours ago, OldFartRides said:

I forget what angle they are, but the severely bent valve stem extensions are helpful on the top of the s18 shock.

maybe 120* ? 

I have one, and it is indeed helpful.

[novazeus]

https://share.icloud.com/photos/043dVEJ1JRPLH7jr_Xoam2nmA

well, after almost exactly 4 years of not riding an euc,

i can safely say, it’s not the same as getting back on a bike.

plus, i like to do things the “hard” way. max pressure on the tire, expert mode, and it feels like what riding a regular cycling type unicycle is like, because u are up there pedal wise. i’m gonna like it.

s18 doesn’t pad for shit because tape doesn’t stick, so after getting the feel for it between my 2x4’s on my sawhorses, i decided i had to pad it because i was too wonky.

after padding it, i felt more comfortable on two levels, besides protection, it forces my feet to the outside of the pedal, and weird me, that’s how i rode, so i got comfortable enough to head for my gate a half mile away. we’re talking maybe two minutes of practice inside the boards. i made it forward and back, but what was really disconcerting was the aggregate getting picked up on my road by the tire and scraping against the inside of the fender.

haha, didn’t get into the 7 mph tiltback. going that slow does make u work on ur balance. no gloves, no helmet, just van’s and coveralls. i need gloves and wrist protection and a helmet like kuji but not that brand because japanese have rounder heads and europeans have elongated heads like me. i had one like my hero kuji, but it was uncomfortable, and it’s in helmet heaven now because of the fire.

and idk if @houseofjobplanted in my mind, but yeah this tire does pull left.

that and the fender thing, only complaints so far.

btw, i did not fall.

Edited December 18, 2022 by novazeus
inserted short video

[NErider]

If you mean "pad it" to make power pads, you can buy factory type power pad from aliexpress. I used EWL 6000 adhesive to put them on. And sometimes I need to re-apply some if the wheel tumbles. These pads increase the grip you can get on the wheel to accelerate. The braking part work much better than stock. 

The wings for forward power don't function so well for me, but this wheel does not really tolerate being pushed too hard. 

[novazeus]

i’m just starting over after 4 years of non riding and i wasn’t any good before.

my main goal is point a to point b without falling.

i know when i try to do the pasture i’ll drop them constantly, so the padding makes kicking them out of the way nbd.

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by novazeus

[Funky]

10 hours ago, novazeus said:

i’m just starting over after 4 years of non riding and i wasn’t any good before.

my main goal is point a to point b without falling.

i know when i try to do the pasture i’ll drop them constantly, so the padding makes kicking them out of the way nbd.

 

My wheel looked the same for the first week. Only "white". Took unused shower mat and duct tapped it all around. - It looked very @Funky, but did the job.

[Cerbera]

11 hours ago, novazeus said:

i’m just starting over after 4 years of non riding and i wasn’t any good before.

my main goal is point a to point b without falling.

i know when i try to do the pasture i’ll drop them constantly, so the padding makes kicking them out of the way nbd.

 

I would consider removing the padding under the pedals so that should they touch the ground momentarily as you turn, they might slide over it rather than instantly dig into it and unmount you. Pedals are very robust and don't need padding.

Edited December 19, 2022 by Cerbera

[novazeus]

10 hours ago, Cerbera said:

I would consider removing the padding under the pedals so that should they touch the ground momentarily as you turn, they might slide over it rather than instantly dig into it and unmount you. Pedals are very robust and don't need padding.

i could never get close to scraping pedals on either of these. and the foam would peel right off if i did.

but yeah on a lower foot plate wheel, that would be dangerous.

 

[novazeus]

11 hours ago, Cerbera said:

I would consider removing the padding under the pedals so that should they touch the ground momentarily as you turn, they might slide over it rather than instantly dig into it and unmount you. Pedals are very robust and don't need padding.

i would never in a million years scrape these pedals, they are up there. i think the wheel might turn off before leaning that far over. but i appeciate ur advice. if i lean far enough over to scrape a pedal, i'm stepping off. 

just rode the s18 after riding the s22. the aggregate scraping the fender is annoying and this pulling left tire is too. 

i just gave up and let the wheel lay against my left leg because that's where it wanted to be.

fyi, when i got to my corner, my 4 donkeys were hanging out on my road and they went crazy. i was thinking i might have to dismount because they were running towards the road like a bear was after them. i was afraid one of the idiots would try to jump my gate or fence. they didn't thank goodness and they ran back the other way when i headed back. i have all kinds of obstacles out here.

hopefully a bunch of protective gear will be here friday and maybe they'll be unlocked by then.

haha, i was thinking to myself how nice the trolley worked in my rough terrain, and when i got back to the container i realized i had it backwards. but hey, works fine for me.

barky weeds are my nemesis. i'm not riding manicured trails like y'all, this is florida jungle here.

Edited December 19, 2022 by novazeus

[OldFartRides]

If you’re going to be riding your place mostly, then I’d say you got some trail work to do. 
I used to maintain/ groom x/c ski trails on the farm and next door on the state. 
Trail work never ends.

[novazeus]

2 minutes ago, OldFartRides said:

If you’re going to be riding your place mostly, then I’d say you got some trail work to do. 
I used to maintain/ groom x/c ski trails on the farm and next door on the state. 
Trail work never ends.

nope, if i can't ride the patures raw, then it's gonna be backhoe or tractor, maybe jeep  if i fix it. 

haha, with only 2160 hours to live, i spend that time stingily. that's just the amount my doctor predicted i'd hang on, almost 9 years ago. 

spend everyday like it's ur last one, because it might be.

[NewB]

Sooooooo... My new S18 has a bad controller and the top valve of the shock won't hold air. EWheels has come to the rescue and is sending me a new shock and a new controller. I was prepared for a slog, but they made it painless. Yay me, and hooray eWheels!