Deciding between RS and Sherman

[Bone]

Hey guys, I've been lurking here for a while and decided to sign up in order to ask for some advice.  I'm currently riding a Kingsong 16S (1200W 840 Wh) which I really love, but I'm hitting the tilt-back speed constantly and it's driving me crazy.  I actually cut a ride short yesterday because I was so sick of fighting with it.  I'm looking for another wheel with enough speed overhead that I won't have this trouble again for a while.  I've currently narrowed down the field to the Sherman and the RS19 HS.

It seems like everyone has nothing but but good things to say about the Sherman, but I'm concerned that the extra weight is going to reduce the agility of the wheel.  I don't think I need the massive battery capacity, so an extra 10-15 pounds seems like an unnecessary burden.  I also think the handle and lift sensor on the RS would make a big difference in convenience.  RGB lights and speakers aren't important to me but they're nice to have.  I'm on the heavier side, about 215 pounds before any gear, so the RS's torque seems like it would make it more fun for me, especially off-road.  It's also a fair bit cheaper, so it leaves some room in my wallet for that inevitable third wheel...

That Sherman still is very tempting though.  I really admire the high speed stability, the fat knobby tire, and the confidence in knowing that I'll probably never come close to running out of battery.  The build quality and waterproofing seem to be a lot better on the Sherman as well.  It has a 5 mph higher "safe" top speed than the RS, and I'd probably trust the safety of it all around a little more than GotWay/Begode.

I know either of these wheels would make me extremely happy, and will be a whole new world compared to the 16S.  I'm just trying to satisfy that voice in my head that won't settle for less than the "best" choice for me.  I'm hoping someone that has both, or maybe went from an MSP to a Sherman, can give me their own pros and cons to help me decide.

Sorry for the novel, thanks for reading.

 

tl;dr Sherman or RS19 HS?

[shellac]

I just wrote about the Sherman vs the RS here.

It seems you already have a good idea of the differences between the two, as all the points you make are accurate. 

So I guess it’s up to you as to what you want. I find the RS to be more conducive to padless riding, cheaper, and a bit more torquey and nimble. The Veteran is slightly worse in those regards but after getting used to the wheel I probably won’t notice the difference. 

You likely can’t go wrong with either unless you have some specific requirement. For example if you’re ever going to have to ride in the rain I wouldn’t buy the RS.

[.....]

As @shellac said, you have it pretty much nailed down to the pros and cons. The sherm is a heavy beast and agility isnt really one of its strong suits. Its is stable and smooth, but not agile. I also think the sherman is a bit of a dog when it comes to on demand torque for off road. I enjoy my sherman and its a goto wheel for any kind of distance or speed riding.  I havent ran my sherm flat on a run yet, but i know eventually enough battery: won't be. Dont uderestimate how easy it is to sag even these big batteries. I guess the REAL answer is... buy both now, or buy one now and just KNOW that youll be wheel shopping again regardless

Seems to me like it all kind of boils down to where you plan on riding most? I dont think you can go wrong with either wheel.

Edited April 26, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Scottie888]

I'm gonna throw a bone in this fight & suggest the EX.N. Its basically the RS with a bigger battery & more powerful (I think) controller. Its currently holds the fastest 0-60kph speed record (again I think) so its got great torque & will free spin to 105kph so 75-80kph is a cinch (provided you're not Kong). Almost everyone who's ridden it spouts its agility.

So basically you're getting torque, speed, range & handling. All for a few hundo over the RS plus bonus's QC & its accompanying issues will be similar so you're not wading into uncharted waters.

That's what I'd do if I don't want the Sherm.

[Bone]

@shellac That's pretty funny that you wrote that up just a couple hours before I asked.  Excellent post, exactly what I was looking for.

@ShanesPlanetGood point about the battery.  And yeah, I'll definitely be buying something else probably sooner than I think.  All this effort to find the "perfect wheel" is probably not worth the headache, since I'm sure better wheels will come out this year, and no one wheel will do it all.  Guarantee that as soon as I put in an order, something much better will come out, like a GotWay wheel that works in the rain.  On that note, I'm having trouble getting excited about the V12, just not feeling it I guess.

@Scottie888I had scratched the EX.N off my list kind of early on, but you have me revisiting it.  I had figured if I was going for the $3k price point that I'd have to go with the big bad Sherman, and spending that much on a GotWay that seems so poorly built felt a little foolish.  Now that I'm taking a second look, it does seem like exactly what I'm looking for, but maybe it's a better idea to wait for the next batch to see if they fix some of the issues. It's just hard to wait when my 16S keeps beeping and tilting me nonstop, I just want to get back to enjoying the ride!

[SorenStarr]

I love my RS HS but honestly in retrospect I do wish I spent a little more and went with a Sherman. The extra range would be great since I do like the speed. The RS will only give me about 20 miles range when I'm moving with the flow of traffic. 25-30mph. The build quality of the RS is also not very comparable to the Sherman. I also really liked the idea of getting a EX.N but I don't think I can bring myself to buy another wheel with bad waterproofing and build quality.

Edited April 28, 2021 by SorenStarr

[Scottie888]

1 hour ago, SorenStarr said:

.. buy another wheel with bad waterproofing and build quality.

I feel ya brother & I don't think there's anyone out there (well besides KS, IM & VS) that doesn't wish/want BW/BG to up their game. That said, I got the MCM5v2 late last year as my winter wheel & since then, I've dumped it numerous, ridden in sub zero roads/trails & I've even tossed it in 8"+ puddle of melting fall slop. Lately I've been taking it to some serious technical trails (where I do double takes on my S18) & its been a rock steady mountain goat! Lov it.

I'm with Forest Gump's mama here with the stupid is as stupid does & there's something to be said for GW's stupid & simple. Its stupid of GW to not fix their dumbass shat but they also made it very simple to open up & do some diy fixes. Based on the vids I've seen, there's really nothing that a tube of marine grease & silicon can't fix. We don't get much rain locally plus I don't ride in the rain anyways but if I do, a roll of transparent waterproof caulking tape will easily proof the panels.

I thought alot about the Sherm but I want a sportsbike equivalent rather than a cruiser. & the EX.N seems more like a liter sportsbike to me. I'm gonna wait abit for things to settle (esp the hollow bearings) but it would seem the EX.N floats my boat the best. As usual, its always gonna be a YMMV

[SorenStarr]

17 minutes ago, Scottie888 said:

That said, I got the MCM5v2 late last year as my winter wheel & since then, I've dumped it numerous, ridden in sub zero roads/trails & I've even tossed it in 8"+ puddle of melting fall slop. Lately I've been taking it to some serious technical trails (where I do double takes on my S18) & its been a rock steady mountain goat! Lov it.

I love this! I was able to get my hands on a MCM5v2 too just a couple of months ago. Rode it like 150 miles but I still feel like it hasn't gotten enough love compared to my RS. I'll have to order some more velcro and slap the jump pads on the 14in mountain climber and go out to the local single track trails. We have some good sized hills around in the area that I haven't ridden yet but I think the MCM5 is up for the challenge.

[EUC Sharkman]

Sherman and the EXN are the two I'm considering for my next wheel. I want that big battery! Performance on the EXN is everything I want a wheel like that to be, but everything else (build quality, headlights, waterproofing, trolley etc.) says it may be wise to wait for the next batch iteration (and video reviews) The question I'm curious about is what will come out first, Veteran with a new wheel with Gotway-like performance, or for Gotway to improve their build quality on the EXN? I think this year has some surprises left in store.

 

If you truly needed to buy a wheel at this very minute though, I'd probably go Sherman. The 2021 improvements with the wider rim, higher pedal height, along with the other good Sherman reviews look like you get a pretty high quality product for the price.

[Scottie888]

3 hours ago, SorenStarr said:

I love this! I was able to get my hands on a MCM5v2 too just a couple of months ago. Rode it like 150 miles but I still feel like it hasn't gotten enough love compared to my RS. I'll have to order some more velcro and slap the jump pads on the 14in mountain climber and go out to the local single track trails. We have some good sized hills around in the area that I haven't ridden yet but I think the MCM5 is up for the challenge.

Do it! I just came home from a very technical trail ride on the MCM5v2 & its was mucho fun. Its so light, manoeuvrable, powerful & give me so much control (without killing my knees) that I vote it the best wheel for serious technical trails. Ofcos Its not good on the bumpy whoops & its not as fast as the S18 overall on dirt but damn if I don't enjoy it more.

Only reason I brought up the MCM5v2's cos peeps love to trash & bash GW/BG (for good reasons at times) but not all their wheels are shyte & the crapola is overblown by some YT influencers. Regardless personally I rather take the GW/BG's simplicity (& not so great QC) over the much complex eg. V11. Nothing against IM's V11 but man, its so much more work to tear it down than the few screws on GWs.

Don't forget its not just about the wheel but also about the maintenance. While there's warranty, its not comprehensive take it to the dealer & fuhgeddabouit warranties we get on autos. They may ship the parts but its still us that do the work (unless one doesn't mind paying shipping).

[OldFartRides]

1 hour ago, Scottie888 said:

......”& its not as fast as the S18 overall on dirt but damn if I don't enjoy it more.”

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by OldFartRides
Can’t get this....

[OldFartRides]

My third attempt o get this posted....

 

Really ? That may be the answer to my dilemma. There’s a bunch of the 460 wh (v1 ?) on fleabay for 899. Shipped. Aside from almost double the batts, are there other improvements on v2 ?

(ah, I just read about the improvements...different beast altogether.)

Im trending towards off road riding.

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by OldFartRides

[Scottie888]

 

17 minutes ago, OldFartRides said:

My third attempt o get this posted....

No worries bud, I get into that funk sometimes! LOLs

18 minutes ago, OldFartRides said:

Really ?

Hmmm let me see how to put this. Maybe its the lightweight or the 14x2.5 tire or its geometry or maybe its all of the above but I feel very connected with telepathic like control of over its nimble handling (without the twitchiness ala Mten3) that I'm able to go exactly on the line I want, avoid the bumps, roots & ruts on command that makes it so fun for me. While the S18's suspension allows me to glide over the harsh stuff, it does not give me the "feel" that the MCM5v2 does. Plus I love the instant power on power off.

27 minutes ago, OldFartRides said:

There’s a bunch of the 460 wh (v1 ?) on fleabay for 899. Shipped. Aside from almost double the batts, are there other improvements on v2 ?

Fuhgeddabout the V1. The increase in pedal height plus the 2.5" tire makes the V2 more comfy & much better on dirt. If ya gonna buy over fleabay, you might's well get the 800wh version on Ali for <$1k but it does take 6-8weeks (& mayhaps more). Otherwise, ewheels & euco sells it for $1.3k

[Giffy]

On 4/28/2021 at 3:14 PM, SorenStarr said:

The RS will only give me about 20 miles range when I'm moving with the flow of traffic. 25-30mph. 

I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing less than desirable range on the RS too.

[Bone]

This video just came out the other day - a PEV store owner that has experience with all three of my top contenders points out his pros and cons with each, which confirm basically everything discussed in this thread.  Bottom line, they're all awesome.  Personally I'm going with the EX.N (thanks for the suggestion @Scottie888).