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16X vs. 18XL


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I have been researching this and basically, it seems like 16X is a Corvette EUC whereas the 18XL is a Cadillac. Neither is really better than the other, they're both superb wheels that are just different. Pretty fair estimation? (I recently ordered an 18XL without having looked at the 16 and am wondering if I should return it and get the 16 instead.)

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Dont canel the order. The Ks18 series is a great all rounder. Its ergonomically superb, it looks understated and its of proven design origins. I'm biased and havent ridden a 16x, but my fav wheel IS the Ks18L. With a RollNz cover, its my comfy goto wheel. If i were to want to join a naked ride group, I'd snag the ks18 for sure. I learned on an 18L and it still looks marvelous. I have a video link in my signature. Its obvious I ride my 18L a lot and it gets the most smiles out of me. (shameless plug). The best solution is to keep the order and prepare to place many many many more in the near future! Welcome to the club, you will learn to LOVE how an euc can read your mind.

Having said all that, remember that its completely biased and only applicable to MY specific needs and standards. I'm mostly a street rider and enjoying the ride at reasonable speeds with a large safety margin and music playing on a hot summer afternoon... hell, euc's are cheap when you put it that way!

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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On 1/5/2021 at 12:21 AM, Michael Robert Ryan said:

Neither is really better than the other, they're both superb wheels that are just different. Pretty fair estimation?

Completely fair estimation. :eff034a94a: 

I would give the edge to the 16X for off road and the 18XL has an edge for hard surface because it feels a little more stable and secure at speed. And as @Bumblebees said, the 16X is a tad more comfy due to the 3 inch tire so you can run a little lower pressure. I learned on the 16X because I'm a heavier guy and just went for the torque of the smaller wheel diameter. But the 18XL is also well torquey enough.

It is too bad we can't take these things for a test ride before we buy. The lucky few that live in an area with a high wheel population can do that. But most of us have to watch the videos and read the forum, then take a leap of faith. 

I fully enjoy each one, and think you really can't go wrong with either. It boils down to the subjective feel of each one if you are the type to have a strong preference. When it comes to wheels, I have a weak preference and enjoy variety.

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Each of those wheels have pros and cons. You cant get best of both worlds in any of them. 18Xl is generally faster wheel -you can sustain top speed for the longer time and because of higher wheel diameter its more stable at that speed. Since fw 2.0 upgrade its really a beast with silent motor. Another pro for 18xl is that its more weatherproof. 

On the other hand 16x will accelerate faster than 18xl because of lower diameter. 3'' tire makes it feel more comfy but don't think its night and day.

For me, 18xl its safer choice. You won't be disappointed with its performance.

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Yes the 18XL is a very good EUC.
It doesn't get so much spotlight because it is not the most outrageous at anything, but it gets the job well done as an all allrounder. It is handy enough for the city (weight, design) and has range and confort enough for long trips. The 16x has an edge for off-road and just fun zipping around, but the 18XL will be better for distance cruising and speed. It is also one of the most rain resistant EUCs.

Edited by null
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  • 3 weeks later...

I’ve been thinking my first wheel beyond my learning wheel will be one that I use as a commuter wheel. Enough to get me from home to the train station, then the train station to the company building, Somewhat hilly on the route both ways. I’m a heavier rider, 6’1”, at 230 lbs., probably close to 250 with backpack and gear.

I narrowed cut out wheels that were too heavy for me to lug up and down stairs, didn’t have a friendly trolly handle, and those that probably won’t be able to bring me up hills (so, cut out the V8F, Tesla V2, V10F) I narrowed it down to the 16x, but there are some really compelling arguments in this thread for the 18XL. Weight between the two wheels are comparable, trolley handles look great on both too. Would the 18XL have as much torque as what I’ve read in the KS16X to get me where I want to go?

Anyone know other wheels around this price point that should be considered too?

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Im fairly certain the 16X seems more torquey as its a smaller diameter wheel. End all power should be very similar tho. You want more speed off the line or you want a shade more comfort at 20mph+? I am a HUGE fan of the KS algos and power delivery. Not a huge fan of geolocking protocol. I dont think you can go wrong with either. Im a tall guy and the 18" format fits me just right. Definitely in love with the understated and refined nature of the 18Xl/L. They're like the honda accord of wheels. Not spectacular except that it simply works. That in itself is spectacular in the euc game. My 18L looks unassuming and trolleys so well that it goes unnoticed a lot in stores. Fat pedals and rollNZ cover, and the 18XL is hard to beat.

Edited by ShanesPlanet
removed an apostrophy as my mom taught me better than that
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Sounds like the right description for a commuter wheel! I figure it’ll be my wheel after that if I’m craving something more fun for off roads, trails, or street, but right now I’m looking for reliability and comfort just as long as it can carry me and my gear up hills decently. The water resistant advantages for the 18XL are also appealing.

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I only have experience with the 16XS and it’s the only wheel I’ve ridden so I can’t compare. But I can say that my wheel has been 100% up to what I’ve done so far as a learner. Zero problems despite a lot of drops and some pretty good tumbles. Ridden in the damp after rain (no “puddles”, they hide potholes!) and on trails in the snow. The hills around here can be pretty steep and while I weigh a lot less than you there’s been no hesitation. As I recall WrongWay crowned it the king of the 16” hill climbers, and I do believe it holds the record for coolest running on overheat hill.

18 inchers should be better on bad roads, I wouldn’t know though.

@ShanesPlanet has it right, KS makes a Honda wheel. The 16X will do most everything except keep up with the built for speed wheels. At least for me, I can’t imagine a better general purpose choice. Hurry up summer, I wanna try out the trails when it’s not 17F.

Edited by Tawpie
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On 1/27/2021 at 12:05 AM, TheSlyGiraffEV said:

I’m a heavier rider, 6’1”, at 230 lbs., probably close to 250 with backpack and gear.

You say "somewhat hilly". I am just a tad heavier than you at 250 lbs without gear. The 16X is the torque king and also makes that initial speed acceleration easier, with a little less effort through the pedals... zippier. The 18XL can also haul you up a hill well, but not as easy as the 16X. If the hills are your deciding factor, go with the 16X. The 18XL feels a little better (more stable) at cruise speed and is still a strong wheel.    

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Thanks for the clarification! I thing I also noticed when looking over 18XL in both the used marketplace and new on ewheels is the the 18XL comes in 2000W and 2200W versions.

 

Per your impressions of the 18XL related above, were those for the 2000W, or the 2200W? Or is the extra 200W too small of an increase to be a noticeable factor for these situations?

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10 hours ago, TheSlyGiraffEV said:

Thanks for the clarification! I thing I also noticed when looking over 18XL in both the used marketplace and new on ewheels is the the 18XL comes in 2000W and 2200W versions.

 

Per your impressions of the 18XL related above, were those for the 2000W, or the 2200W? Or is the extra 200W too small of an increase to be a noticeable factor for these situations?

Just bought a used 18xl myself. EWheels talked it out with me and said essentially I should look for the 2200w motor. It’s had no complaints reliability wise, as long as the  motor came that way stock (and not a retroactive upgrade which is also possible). 
 

and that way you can reason that your used wheel is newer too. For wheels bought through ewheels, the 18xl started coming with the new motor stock around December 2020. Newer generally means you can expect better battery health, as long as it wasn’t abused of course. 

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12 hours ago, TheSlyGiraffEV said:

Thanks for the clarification! I thing I also noticed when looking over 18XL in both the used marketplace and new on ewheels is the the 18XL comes in 2000W and 2200W versions.

 

Per your impressions of the 18XL related above, were those for the 2000W, or the 2200W? Or is the extra 200W too small of an increase to be a noticeable factor for these situations?

My 18XL is the newer 2200W motor version. Older versions were the 2000W. Since the 16X and 18XL now are both 2200W motors and 1554 wh batteries, the perceived  difference is mainly due to the tire size and body shape. The 16X has the fatter cushier tire. The smaller diameter tire of the 16X makes the wheel torque easier to apply with the pedals.  The body shapes are equally comfortable for me but in different ways.

A small something I've noticed is that the 18XL is easier to handle in such ways as loading into a car trunk or moving it about on its side, which is due to the folded pedal making a nice grab handle for the lower end of the wheel. This might be a consideration when on the train. 

Edited by Scottie
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I would like to try both, but in southern Italy it is difficult to find shops that sell euc wheels.  but given my weight of about 260 lbs I think I opt for the 18xl.  what do you think?

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as of owner of 18XL (2000W motor) I can say it's very trusty wheel and rock solid ....
it's very comfortable (I highlyyyyyy recommend buying with large pedals !!!!) and well built.

regarding weather proofing, there is no issue with it after some riding on light rain or on a wet road.

now it's my wife day-to-day wheel, and she likes it very much.
you can go with it over 100km if you are not so fast or heavy rider.

Edited by Meserias
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5 hours ago, Joe82 said:

but given my weight of about 260 lbs I think I opt for the 18xl.  what do you think?

My geared up weight is about the same as yours. The 18XL will handle your weight just fine on moderate or fairly steep inclines. But as the hills become steeper and longer, 16X slowly becomes the better choice. So if you have to grind up and down Italy's hills and mountains, keep that in mind. I am not saying the 18XL can't handle it, just that the 16X can handle it better.

Maybe evX can help here!

 

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I wouldnt expect a mere STATED 10% increase in motor size, wouldnt matter much. Mine's of the older 2kw motor and I've yet to overpower it. Maybe its because Im a shit rider, maybe because I weigh so little, or maybe because the shape and lack of power pads, makes it harder to tap into the last few watts. At your weight, you are definitely pushing specs harder than I would. The 16X may seem a bit more powerful, as its a smaller diameter for the motor to torque around. I would suspect that things are eerily similar between the two. I seriously doubt these euc manufacturers are redeisgning the peices anymore than they have to. You know how goes, stick to a format and save $$ in manufacture processes. Good news is that both the 16x and 18xl are proven formats.  I do know the 18xl/l are the perfect compromise in weight and size to be easy to load in/out of a car. Isnt it odd how the 16 & 18 are so near in overall height?

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It almost always comes down to what kind of riding are you planning for—I can't speak about the 18 but it would seem that it's going to be a bit more comfy if you don't plan on much off road. If you do see yourself on trails a lot, the wider tire on the 16 has theoretical advantages. But I'd be willing to bet a nickel that the tradeoffs between the two are subtle and dealing with what one is not-as-good-at won't be a problem.

The 16 has more LEDs!

Edited by Tawpie
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There is one thing to add....
16X lacks of weather proofing while 18XL (already proven so many times) that can withstand very well on wet road or tire water-spraying.
16X was improved over time by reducing top speed....so many issues over time.

on 16X side-leds get dirty very quickly with dust, while 18XL leds are still clean over long time.

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