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WTB first EUC. $700-$800 budget. I'm in East Texas


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Hey all, looking to buy my first EUC. Used and beat up is fine as long as it works as it's supposed to. Not sure what to expect in price. I'm in East Texas (in regards to shipping). I'm looking for something to learn on and will hopefully buy something nicer in the future. What all is out there for sale?

I'm trying to stay in a $700-$800 budget and having never owned one I don't know if that will get me just a "beginner" wheel that I'll want to replace rather quickly of if I can end up with something that I'll like and want to stay with for a while. 

I appreciate any help you guys can offer. 

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  1. When requesting wheel recommendations, it is important to include your approximate weight, price range, and general usage scenario(s).
  2. Check out my comparison table at: https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ag0ky7mWfH9cm9dMfvYothdqZtIsdw . You can probably find several of the $1k-1.5k models used for $700-800.

Good luck and welcome!

Edited by AtlasP
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What a great reference spreadsheet! I greatly appreciate the resource! I'll edit my post to add my weight and general use scenario's. Thanks for the info and I'm keeping a sharp eye out for what pops up. 

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Oh, at that weight you should have no problem with pretty much anything (weight-limit-wise). I'd still recommend against any of the 500W motors outright, but the 800W motors are technically sufficient for someone in that weight range (particularly as a cheap first/learner wheel), and for that price used you should be able to find something a bit bigger than that yet.

For off-roading in that price range the main specs that would make a difference are just ground clearance and tire width, so something like the V10 with great pedal clearance and 2.5"-wide tire would have an edge over the lower pedals and narrower 2.125" tires normally found on wheels of that class, unless you could find a used KS-16XS but they're pretty uncommon and I've never seen one even used for less than $1k.

Edited by AtlasP
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Well that's great to know. Someone on Facebook was offering an InMotion V8 for w/ less than 200 miles for $550 shipped. Which seemed reasonable to me. With that said, I have a feeling I'm going to "outgrow" something with an 800w motor pretty quick and want something bigger. What are your thoughts on the V8 vs something with a bigger motor? I'd also like to take it off-road if possible and from what I was reading the V8 has low peddles so I don't know if that would even be possible with that wheel. I ask since I see that you own(ed) one. 

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Both of your premises are correct.

1. A V8 with less than 200 miles for $550 shipped *is* a good deal for someone your weight just getting started with a very limited budget.

2. You *are* statistically likely to outgrow it fairly quick. But then lots of people still happily put many hundreds or thousands of miles on a V8 before upgrading, either because they can't afford it or they take more time to build up the confidence/desire for higher speeds. But there are also those that will complain they outgrew it in a week. It really comes down to your personality and attitude/history with regards to speed.

In the end, if you can get a better wheel in your price range you should absolutely try to do so. But if you can't find one (or your financial situation would really be much better off with another $250 in your pocket, especially given current circumstances) then I say getting a used V8 for only ~$500 is far superior to not getting a wheel at all or putting it off another year.

--

The only caveat here is the question of off-roading. The V8 will ride off-road on grass & flat packed dirt fine, but the especially-narrow tire and lower pedal clearance certainly limit its ability to deal with ruts/mud/rocky terrain/etc.

Essentially, on a super tight budget the V8 can be ridden off-road if your idea of off-roading is this:

But it is simply inadequate if your idea of off-roading includes this:

--

Honestly I think your best bet at that price is a used V10. It has a super cushy 2.5"-wide tire and crazy high pedal clearance compared to anything else that cheap, and it should be fairly easily findable used for $700-800.

Unless you find a very old/very beat up larger wheel like an 84v MSX that somebody is dumping for cheap because its in rough shape. I just can't forsee finding one of the newer 3"-wide wheels for that price unless there's something wrong with it. Or /maybe/ an old Z10, although that's such a gamble as it's damn near impossible to get parts for them if anything goes wrong.

Edited by AtlasP
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Thanks so much Atlas for taking the time to break all that down for me. That is exactly what I needed to hear. I also appreciate the examples of the terrains you gave. It gives a much clearer picture of what the V8 is capable of. I would agree that having a wheel is much better than not having a wheel. Nor do I really want to put it off for another year. I think I'm going to mull it over a bit more, but the direction I'm leaning is to keep a sharp eye both on the boards and in the groups on FB to see what else comes up for sale. At the same time I think I'm going to work to see if I can't stretch my budget a bit further and get a wheel that I will enjoy in all capacities and terrains. I think in the end I would be much happier with my purchase if I can put a few more bucks towards something I can ride all over our property as well as on the road. I do enjoy speed as well so I'm sure that will factor into it. I'll keep my ear to the ground and see what else comes my way. Again, thank  you so much for your time in explaining you experience. 

 

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