Upgrading shortly but cant decide - KS16x or Nikola 100v?

[Gasmantle]

Hi all,

The Covid lockdown has had the positive effect that I have now saved up nearly enough to upgrade from my trusty little KS16S, I'm looking at the £1500 range (in the UK) and kinda dont think I need a suspension wheel so I've now narrowed things down to either the 16x or the Nikola 100v.

The 16x seems to be a highly regarded wheel but it would appear the Nikola has a higher speed and I think looks nicer.

90% of my riding is on tarmac with little off road.

Any thoughts guys? Anyone owned both wheels or have experience in riding both?

[Ádám Szitás]

Hi, this is a very easy question.

Do you plan to go higher than 28mph? Nikola+

Do you plan to ride in the rain? Nikola+

If the answer is no to these questions, the 16x is a better wheel, otherwise get the nik.

[DjPanJan]

9 minutes ago, Gasmantle said:

Hi all,

The Covid lockdown has had the positive effect that I have now saved up nearly enough to upgrade from my trusty little KS16S, I'm looking at the £1500 range (in the UK) and kinda dont think I need a suspension wheel so I've now narrowed things down to either the 16x or the Nikola 100v.

The 16x seems to be a highly regarded wheel but it would appear the Nikola has a higher speed and I think looks nicer.

90% of my riding is on tarmac with little off road.

Any thoughts guys? Anyone owned both wheels or have experience in riding both?

Exactly rain = nikola normal ride KS16X nikola is weak incline climber ks16X can climb 40 degree incline.

Take what you prefer for my ks16X is convinience KING of all EUC. 

[Gasmantle]

Thanks guys, I wasn't aware that the 16X could have waterproofing issues. I live in the UK and although I don't ride in heavy rain I do occasionally get caught in a light shower, is that likely to be a problem?

I've also seen in a video on youtube that the 16X suffers speed reduction when the battery reaches 40% - is that still the case? It kinda sounds a bit overly cautious to me and defeats the object of me buying a 30mph wheel.

[Planemo]

I would have thought your first port of call for a good honest opinion of the 16X would have been @stephen

But yeah, the 16X, as nice as it is, will never have the safety headroom of the Nik, which at 30mph isn't even breaking a sweat.

[DjPanJan]

@Gasmantle I recomended you buy euc bodyguard for 16X i own this and is great addon. Light rain OK. Take 16X like 35-43 Km/h +-25 miles EUC. Stability over 25+ miles is not ideal my opinion.  This is nimble fun comuter with amazing aceleration. Take 16X in future you can buy another POWER EUC like me later if you outgrow 16X.

For realy "rainproof" is only V10F can be used but is weak EUC compare to 16X. My history of euc is v10f to 16x to MSP 2500W. 

V10F sold because 16X is inmotion on steroids. 

I own batch 2 16X now is 3 or 4 batch maybee is fixed some desing problems.

[mike_bike_kite]

I'm in a similar position to you. I have the KS16S and like the wheel but I find I need a bit more speed to feel safe on busier roads and also wanted a bit more range. I order the Nik+ because it offered the speed and range I wanted even though I prefer the utility and design of the 16X. What I couldn't except was that the 16X didn't really offer much of a speed increase - I'm 96Kg and the safe speed for me on a 16X at anything other than full battery is about 24mph which meant I'd be spending a lot of money to get a extra 4mph. The waterproofing on the 16X used to be bad but it may of been fixed now. It's also risky buying any KS wheel from China as they get disabled here in the UK and local prices for the 16X tend to be higher than £1500. The waterproofing on the Nikola is pretty good as everything is completely sealed. The only downsides of the Nikola compared to the 16X is it's easy to scratch unless you get a cover and the 16X's handle is better.

[Gasmantle]

3 minutes ago, mike_bike_kite said:

I'm in a similar position to you. I have the KS16S and like the wheel but I find I need a bit more speed to feel safe on busier roads and also wanted a bit more range. I order the Nik+ because it offered the speed and range I wanted even though I prefer the utility and design of the 16X. What I couldn't except was that the 16X didn't really offer much of a speed increase - I'm 96Kg and the safe speed for me on a 16X at anything other than full battery is about 24mph which meant I'd be spending a lot of money to get a extra 4mph. The waterproofing on the 16X used to be bad but it may of been fixed now. It's also risky buying any KS wheel from China as they get disabled here in the UK and local prices for the 16X tend to be higher than £1500. The waterproofing on the Nikola is pretty good as everything is completely sealed. The only downsides of the Nikola compared to the 16X is it's easy to scratch unless you get a cover and the 16X's handle is better.

Mike, have you now got a Nikola 100v ? What do you think of it?

[mike_bike_kite]

I ordered mine from China almost 3 months ago and I'm still waiting for the bloody thing! Don't get me started  If you want a higher top speed and more range then the Nik+ is an obvious choice. If you just want more range but want to keep the easy ability of walking with the wheel through crowded supermarkets then I'd say go for the 16X. 

[Gasmantle]

20 minutes ago, mike_bike_kite said:

I ordered mine from China almost 3 months ago and I'm still waiting for the bloody thing! Don't get me started  If you want a higher top speed and more range then the Nik+ is an obvious choice. If you just want more range but want to keep the easy ability of walking with the wheel through crowded supermarkets then I'd say go for the 16X. 

That's taking a long time even with the added delays due to Covid, have you contacted the seller for an update?

[mike_bike_kite]

You just get emails back starting "Dear friend ..." which provide no info. Their tracking facility tells me it "might" be in Europe. UPS tells me someone printed a label in Poland last November??? I spoke to paypal yesterday and told them what was happening. An hour later I got an email from aliexpress saying "Good news your package is on the way!" but this was balanced by the fact that none of the tracking info had changed apart from the status which now showed "order frozen". WTF?

Green and fashion travaling shop is the name of the aliexpress seller. It's fair to say I'm unimpressed.

[Gasmantle]

22 minutes ago, mike_bike_kite said:

You just get emails back starting "Dear friend ..." which provide no info. Their tracking facility tells me it "might" be in Europe. UPS tells me someone printed a label in Poland last November??? I spoke to paypal yesterday and told them what was happening. An hour later I got an email from aliexpress saying "Good news your package is on the way!" but this was balanced by the fact that none of the tracking info had changed apart from the status which now showed "order frozen". WTF?

Green and fashion travaling shop is the name of the aliexpress seller. It's fair to say I'm unimpressed.

I'm sorry to hear that, I hope you get the wheel shortly and all is ok once it arrives. 

Keep us updated once it arrives.

 

[stephen]

On 02/02/2021 at 2:37 PM, Gasmantle said:

Hi all,

The Covid lockdown has had the positive effect that I have now saved up nearly enough to upgrade from my trusty little KS16S, I'm looking at the £1500 range (in the UK) and kinda dont think I need a suspension wheel so I've now narrowed things down to either the 16x or the Nikola 100v.

The 16x seems to be a highly regarded wheel but it would appear the Nikola has a higher speed and I think looks nicer.

90% of my riding is on tarmac with little off road.

Any thoughts guys? Anyone owned both wheels or have experience in riding both?

 

9 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

Thanks guys, I wasn't aware that the 16X could have waterproofing issues. I live in the UK and although I don't ride in heavy rain I do occasionally get caught in a light shower, is that likely to be a problem?

I've also seen in a video on youtube that the 16X suffers speed reduction when the battery reaches 40% - is that still the case? It kinda sounds a bit overly cautious to me and defeats the object of me buying a 30mph wheel.

 

9 hours ago, Planemo said:

I would have thought your first port of call for a good honest opinion of the 16X would have been @stephen

But yeah, the 16X, as nice as it is, will never have the safety headroom of the Nik, which at 30mph isn't even breaking a sweat.

The 16x has and still is my favourite wheel,  I've ridden in light showers and ridden in snow just for fun, I have  first batch and opened it up when I changed the tyre , and not one bit of moisture dust inside,  if any of you watched my videos I've done speed runs upto 30 mph but tbh I usually ride at 25- 28mph if its an open stretch but as @Gasmantlewill know on our road/paths  etc they are hard to find, @Gasmantleyour not a speed freak either so the 16x would be plenty good enough,  range is excellent in the 16x 40+ miles and I'm heavy ish ,, the style, the looks, the range, good speakers, good lights, euc bodyguard, 3"tyre,excellent trolley handle, people under  estimate the power of the 16x is safe if your safe , ride it at 30+ mph and your asking for trouble and wouldn't recommend riding near the top on any wheel tbh ,, I really think 16" 3" tyre is hard to beat especially with your short of riding @Gasmantle bigger wheels are better for big straight roads but for nimbleness and torque  the 16X is excellent  ,, dont pick up and some bad points you've heard look at all the positives ,I might even sell my v11 as I still like the 16x so much and prefer my 16" , the v11 is so comfortable its super smooth but because of that your battery depletes more because you don't worry or slow down for bumps ,, anyway your choice that's just my input 👍

Edited February 4, 2021 by stephen

[Gasmantle]

10 hours ago, stephen said:

 

 

The 16x has and still is my favourite wheel,  I've ridden in light showers and ridden in snow just for fun, I have  first batch and opened it up when I changed the tyre , and not one bit of moisture dust inside,  if any of you watched my videos I've done speed runs upto 30 mph but tbh I usually ride at 25- 28mph if its an open stretch but as @Gasmantlewill know on our road/paths  etc they are hard to find, @Gasmantleyour not a speed freak either so the 16x would be plenty good enough,  range is excellent in the 16x 40+ miles and I'm heavy ish ,, the style, the looks, the range, good speakers, good lights, euc bodyguard, 3"tyre,excellent trolley handle, people under  estimate the power of the 16x is safe if your safe , ride it at 30+ mph and your asking for trouble and wouldn't recommend riding near the top on any wheel tbh ,, I really think 16" 3" tyre is hard to beat especially with your short of riding @Gasmantle bigger wheels are better for big straight roads but for nimbleness and torque  the 16X is excellent  ,, dont pick up and some bad points you've heard look at all the positives ,I might even sell my v11 as I still like the 16x so much and prefer my 16" , the v11 is so comfortable its super smooth but because of that your battery depletes more because you don't worry or slow down for bumps ,, anyway your choice that's just my input 👍

Thanks, to be honest I really don't know which I prefer - one day I want a 16x the next day a Nikola - I may as well flip a coin.

I've got a milestone birthday coming up in a few weeks and promised myself a new wheel as a treat for the summer so I intend to buy one shortly.

You are right I'm not a speed freak but I do wonder if with 30mph wheel I'd still want a bit more? Does your 16x limit your speed at 40% battery ?

The Nikola seems to offer better speed but I'm told it is heavy and cumbersome to carry, I don't need to carry upstairs at home but I do regularly use the train so I'd don't want something that is a pain to carry.

[Ádám Szitás]

20 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

Thanks guys, I wasn't aware that the 16X could have waterproofing issues. I live in the UK and although I don't ride in heavy rain I do occasionally get caught in a light shower, is that likely to be a problem?

I've also seen in a video on youtube that the 16X suffers speed reduction when the battery reaches 40% - is that still the case? It kinda sounds a bit overly cautious to me and defeats the object of me buying a 30mph wheel.

The waterproofing issue is still there, even with the bodyguard on, almost after every rain my power button wasnt working for hours. The inside of the wheel is also full of dirt everytime. You might not get issues with these, but the possibility is not low.

Speed reduction is necessary in this wheel, it has low power headroom at all % so accelerating near the corresponding topspeed could be unsafe..

As I said before, if these are not issues for you, get it, it is an amazing wheel otherwise, but the nikola has way less limitations, even if the other parts of the wheel are slightly worse.

[D3m0nzz]

Get the Nik+. I have killed a 16x riding in light rain and have never had a problem with the Nik in even heavy rain.

[Gasmantle]

Just as a matter of interest with people mentioning weatherproofing, where is the rainwater getting into the wheel?

[Ádám Szitás]

Pretty much everywhere, the power button dies in the rain, there is a HUGE hole at the bottom of the wheel fully exposed, the mudguard does not fit perfectly so things get inside there too, and I had some water ingress at the handle as well...

[Tawpie]

Newer batches are better, but it’s not a bad idea to cover it in the rain... KS has made very little effort to “seal” it beyond goobering more white gunk on the power switch connector, but a shower cap or roll.nz goes a long way. Riding in real rain isn’t a very fun experience anyway, the roads are slick, you can’t see road hazards (potholes), you’re all wet, drips on your visor/goggles, cars can’t see you nearly as well etc.

Knock on wood, but my 16 has been fine here in wet SEA. I don’t ride when it’s raining hard, but I have that option because I’m entertaining myself, it’s not a commute or anything that would force me out in the rain.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Tawpie

[Dreygun]

I've had zero issues with puddles, light rain on my 16x....so far

[stephen]

I've had my 16 nearly 2 years it's held up well no wet inside at all ,I go on trains all the time with my wheel , if you don't ride in the rain constantly get the 16x ,, who really wants to ride in the rain, even if I was caught out in the rain I'd stop riding , in the UK you have always got to look at the forecast before riding,,, I wouldn't ride in the rain on any wheel

[Gasmantle]

1 hour ago, stephen said:

I've had my 16 nearly 2 years it's held up well no wet inside at all ,I go on trains all the time with my wheel , if you don't ride in the rain constantly get the 16x ,, who really wants to ride in the rain, even if I was caught out in the rain I'd stop riding , in the UK you have always got to look at the forecast before riding,,, I wouldn't ride in the rain on any wheel

I agree on avoiding the rain, I don't do it normally but there has been the odd occasion where I've been caught out a mile from home and took the risk.

Does your 16x suffer much of a speed reduction at 40% battery?

Edited February 5, 2021 by Gasmantle

[Tawpie]

I've never ridden it down that far (still new at this wheeling stuff and haven't built up the endurance) but the owner's manual https://support.mykingsong.com/article/126-king-song-16x-electric-unicycle-user-manual-ks-16x says the speed throttle kicks in at 30%.

Low Battery Protection: Activated on 30% battery, speed will decreases linearly. When the battery is lower than 5%, a voice alarm will sound asking the rider to charge. When battery at 0%, the pedals will tilt back increasingly requiring the rider to stop and dismount.

• NOTE: The EUC will have less torque / power / speed at low charge. Riding on a low battery should only be done with extra caution. It is not recommended to ride all the way to an empty battery. Allowing your battery to frequently discharge to an empty state can result in faster degradation and shorter battery life span. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Tawpie

[stephen]

4 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

Does your 16x suffer much of a speed reduction at 40% battery

I think it's at 25% battery but by time it gets to they're you've done 30-35 miles and even the last 25%you'll still be able to go 25mph comfortably  I watch my speed at about 15% but the wheel warns you know your over doing it anyway,,, so basically you can do 25mph right down to 15% give And take ,, I'm 90kg without gear and get 40-50 miles , I really don't why people cling on to the odd negative,,, watch my videos I've done plenty on the 16x from speed to range to backwards etc I've tested every firmware that's been out for the euc community 👍 plus your more than welcome to try mine anytime but I have the cx tyre on which I love but not many do but you can't buy that tyre anymore 👍

Edited February 5, 2021 by stephen

[Gasmantle]

Thanks guys, 25mph at perhaps 15 - 20% battery isn't bad - I think it would very rare that I'd get that low (even on my KS16s I don't often get down to 20%).

I use to do a lot of back packing in my younger days and want to maybe do a few days with my tent and a better wheel in the summer - if I could get maybe 35 - 40 miles on a charge and still be able to achieve a speed of 20+ mph I'd be happy.