New Begode "Hero" Suspension Wheel

[EMA]

On 12/13/2021 at 7:10 PM, RagingGrandpa said:

wonder if we'll ever see a suspension EUC that's worthy of tumbling violently over rocks (like today's non-suspension EUC's often survive).

EX is the most solid in this case

[PharmaCyclist]

Alien Rides apparently offers an upgraded shock option, check out the additional options on their preorder page and look at the screenshot.

https://alienrides.com/products/begode-hero-off-road-electric-unicycle

[Eyss]

2 hours ago, PharmaCyclist said:

Alien Rides apparently offers an upgraded shock option, check out the additional options on their preorder page and look at the screenshot.

https://alienrides.com/products/begode-hero-off-road-electric-unicycle

Seems like they found suspension with dampering 

"Our upgraded HERO suspension will enable controllable rebound. This helps you dampen the return and keep you in control during bumpy off-road conditions."

[Whalesmash]

Extra 450 for a feature that should already exist from factory. The wheel is already on the high end of the price spectrum for what it is...

[supercurio]

15 hours ago, PharmaCyclist said:

Alien Rides apparently offers an upgraded shock option, check out the additional options on their preorder page and look at the screenshot.

https://alienrides.com/products/begode-hero-off-road-electric-unicycle

Interesting find.

And they charge $350 for a tire swap to the Duro hf307 2.75-14?  (and keeping the stock tire for themselves I presume) 

[PharmaCyclist]

11 hours ago, supercurio said:

Interesting find.

And they charge $350 for a tire swap to the Duro hf307 2.75-14?  (and keeping the stock tire for themselves I presume) 

Yes I agree the price seems way too high, curious what they're doing, assuming just shock replacement.  I will change my own tire that price is even crazier! Makes me think the actual shock they're using is $125 or so.

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by PharmaCyclist

[gon2fast]

I would hope that the price drops considerably on the Hero since the announcement of the EX2. Not sure why a vendor would offer newer tech in the same frame while trying to squeeze the crap out of consumers price wise with an inferior product.

[PharmaCyclist]

10 hours ago, gon2fast said:

I would hope that the price drops considerably on the Hero since the announcement of the EX2. Not sure why a vendor would offer newer tech in the same frame while trying to squeeze the crap out of consumers price wise with an inferior product.

I suppose I agree but this also depends a lot on the reality of the performance of the ex2 and how well the new batteries really work.  I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of disappointment early on.

[Freeforester]

A test ride of the Hero from UK:

 

 

[Eyss]

4 minutes ago, Freeforester said:

A test ride of the Hero from UK:

 

 

Really doesn't seem like there would be any reason to get the hero over a v11. 

Hopefully alien rides posts what model suspension they use so people outside the US can get it. 

Definitely sounds like you'll need to swap the shock and tire for a usable wheel. 

 

 

[That Guy]

In this video Kevin keeps on complaining about Hero’s suspension - sounds like it is dangerous instead of what it is supposed to be?… 

Edited December 19, 2021 by That Guy

[enaon]

an air shock with no negative pressure or rebound adjustment, is funny. But on his video, what worried me most was the sliders system, they look too weak, this wheel may well be the king of distortion, putting in a bad shock is good way to hide it. 

Edited December 19, 2021 by enaon

[DavidB]

Definitely not the same impression one got after seeing Kuji's clip or the waterproof vids or the 50 degree climb. It is almost as if they read all the negative comments about the price and swapped out all the good parts so they could drop the price and not make a loss.

There have been many negative reviews about the spacing of the knobs on that tire. You have to wonder why they would use it when there are better ones. Maybe supply was an issue. I hope it wasn't to save a dollar or two.

One thing Kevin mentioned but did not expand on was the handle lift motor cut out. Not sure how likely this would be in reality but imagine sitting down and accidentality triggering the handle button. Handle would jump up and cut motor so you'd have an attempted castration to go with your face plant.

I wonder if they will do what they did with the EX. Make a version without the suspension. HeroN so to speak. Approx 30kg, 1800Wh and C38 motor with a good street tire. Now that would be something. 5-6kg lighter, 3 inches lower centre of gravity, 4, better packaged, battery packs and no pogoing suspension. I think Kevin would like that. Need to come up with a better solution for lights. Self levelling?

[That Guy]

A new review just few minutes ago:

(They say the suspension is better than V11.)

[Eyss]

1 hour ago, That Guy said:

A new review just few minutes ago:

(They say the suspension is better than V11.)

Bit more of a positive review. I'm always a bit hesitant trusting reviews from shop owners though. 

I wonder if the variety of opinions about the hero suspension is because begode doesn't provide any guidance?

 

Sucks about tire changes. I had hoped the connectors underneath the clear plastic was for quick motor disconnects but it's batteries instead

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by Eyss

[DavidB]

Very different opinion about suspension. Maybe it is just set-up.  6 foot 1in guy (eevee's) says great on bumps with no pogoing at 180psi. Kevin, 5 foot 61/2in says "horrible" at 300 (250?)psi. Amazing that Begode does not give a recommended pressure. They are kind of shooting themselves in the foot.

[Ecca]

1 hour ago, That Guy said:

A new review just few minutes ago:

(They say the suspension is better than V11.)

Interesting how they talked about build quality right away:

Quote

By far the best [quality] Begode wheel I've ever seen...people were complaining about the price...you're paying for the build quality. You guys have been wanting for Begode to build something [with] more quality, and then they do it, and now you're complaining about price.

 

[Bizra6ot]

4 hours ago, DavidB said:

 

There have been many negative reviews about the spacing of the knobs on that tire. You have to wonder why they would use it when there are better ones. Maybe supply was an issue. I hope it wasn't to save a dollar or two.

They complain about knobs spacing and cornering agility like it's an on/off style but they inflate it like a road tire, how many people I've seen in commentary or group discussion overinflate this tire that isn't intended for

Its behavior in the right pressure range is nice on road and off-road, 25 to 30 psi for 180 to 220 lbs rider not more

4 hours ago, DavidB said:

One thing Kevin mentioned but did not expand on was the handle lift motor cut out. Not sure how likely this would be in reality but imagine sitting down and accidentality triggering the handle button. Handle would jump up and cut motor so you'd have an attempted castration to go with your face plant.

Lift switch doesn't work when riding wheels

[mrelwood]

1 hour ago, DavidB said:

Very different opinion about suspension. Maybe it is just set-up.  6 foot 1in guy (eevee's) says great on bumps with no pogoing at 180psi. Kevin, 5 foot 61/2in says "horrible" at 300 (250?)psi. Amazing that Begode does not give a recommended pressure. They are kind of shooting themselves in the foot.

Setup surely plays a role, just like unit variance etc. But what I noticed with the first round of suspension wheels, is that the lack of a reference point simply means that people don’t know what they should expect, and they don’t know what a good suspension feels like to ride. Then there’s of course the reviewer’s personality and personal preferences, as some people get enthusiastic about everything, and some aren’t very good in distinguishing personal preferences from the quality of the product.

 The S18 is my favorite example. I have examined almost ten units, randomly from the first batch to early fall 2021. Only one of them was what I’d consider usable out the box, all others had the well known sticking suspension issue. Two of them so stiff that we couldn’t even extend it with our full force pulling on the tire. Still, some of the owners were smile-to-the-ears happy about how wonderful the suspension was. Only after riding on an overhauled S18 or my V11 did they realize how badly their suspension works.

One should really only listen to reviewers who and whose tastes one knows well. 

[PharmaCyclist]

7 hours ago, mrelwood said:

Setup surely plays a role, just like unit variance etc. But what I noticed with the first round of suspension wheels, is that the lack of a reference point simply means that people don’t know what they should expect, and they don’t know what a good suspension feels like to ride. Then there’s of course the reviewer’s personality and personal preferences, as some people get enthusiastic about everything, and some aren’t very good in distinguishing personal preferences from the quality of the product.

 The S18 is my favorite example. I have examined almost ten units, randomly from the first batch to early fall 2021. Only one of them was what I’d consider usable out the box, all others had the well known sticking suspension issue. Two of them so stiff that we couldn’t even extend it with our full force pulling on the tire. Still, some of the owners were smile-to-the-ears happy about how wonderful the suspension was. Only after riding on an overhauled S18 or my V11 did they realize how badly their suspension works.

One should really only listen to reviewers who and whose tastes one knows well. 

Well, I would think it's safe to say that Eevees has experienced properly setup/tuned S18s and V11s and he/they seem to like the Hero better than both.  I certainly want that to be the case since my Hero is arriving soon, though I paid $2869 USD plus tax 🙂 I'm 6'4 225 lbs so seem to be in the weight class that likes it more so far, I'll definitely answer questions in detail once I get it.

Edited December 19, 2021 by PharmaCyclist

[DavidB]

Vid by Ecodrift

Google translation

 

https://ecodrift-ru.translate.goog/2021/12/26/begode-hero-ht-razbiraem/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by DavidB
Addition

[fbhb]

Ecodrift's teardown is Always thorough and will guarantee to alert us to structural issues of which unfortunately for the Hero there are many, especially in the poorly executed rusty/corroded suspension system! 

https://ecodrift-ru.translate.goog/2021/12/26/begode-hero-ht-razbiraem/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB

Quoted from the teardown's final summary:

"In part, almost everything is on the video. The rest is missing, because the disassembly of the Begode Hero was very long. A lot of all sorts of incomprehensible different fasteners, a whole bunch of all kinds of screws. This model will be fear and horror for service workers.
I don't see any progress in hero other than trying to copy the Kingsong S18's working suspension concept. For a year after the release of Begode EX, almost nothing has changed. Some crutches and half-measures are complemented by rusty parts and poor assembly. A wheel for perfect weather? But it makes a whole gamut of strange sounds, and what happens next? I'm completely frustrated with the model, at least at the disassembly stage. Of course, we still need to travel, to see how it will manifest itself in real conditions. But how and where? There is snow, salt outside, there is no waterproofing in the wheel. It's very scary to go anywhere on it.
I really don't like to point at the price of the device. Think about what difference it makes how much it costs, who needs it - he will buy, and the rest will just pass by. But the tendency to make wheels more and more expensive is already beyond the bounds of decency. And for the specified price to sell this? It doesn't fit in my head. Commander at least poured many, many batteries. What's going on here?"

Begode/GotWay either takes one step forward and three steps back or "flip flops" from one release/New idea to the next as of late, with No clear direction or clear path forward it seems!

EX2....No sorry, Now it's the EX2s as another example.

Edited December 26, 2021 by fbhb

[meepmeepmayer]

The build looks better than I expected. But it still seems a bit lacking overall. Well, it's still a Begode Looking forward to some real world performance experiences and how this wheel rides!

Very cool that they have individual 4 battery packs with their own BMS.

-

Is the shock absorber in the suspension a standard part than can be replaced with various options, or is it some custom thing?

[Unbihexium]

Just watched Dennis Hagov's review on this thing and can't help but have a laugh at Begode's expense. Paraphrasing:

"According to Begode, they heard the complaints riders had and put all their best expertise and skill into this wheel with all new high quality materials"

"I asked them what kind of PSI I should put into the shock as a 100kg rider and they said they dont know because they never tested it and only used 200 PSI for a 70kg rider... The shock and included pump can only take up to 220 psi before feeling like the pump will fall apart and the shock will explode..." 

Better dust off your old EX pumps. Oh Bagud, never change  or rather PLEASE do... 

 

[Planemo]

4 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

 

Is the shock absorber in the suspension a standard part than can be replaced with various options, or is it some custom thing?

As shocks go thats a pretty short eye to eye length and looks to be a fairly short stroke too. But I think a decent alternative could still be found, which start from around 165mm and 40mm stroke.