Kingsong 18XL Knobby Tire(s)

[Funky]

9 hours ago, vikingto said:

Hi all! So after having my wheel pulled apart for a LONG 3 weeks, ordering and trying a couple different tires, this one fits perfectly and is tons of fun. Btw thanks to mrelwood for your postings, very helpful..

 

We've had a lot of snow up here, and the S20 doesn't look like it's going to get here until June if lucky, so time to turn my beloved 18XL into one sweet snow cruiser!

 

Been playing around with tire pressure, still dialing it in. I weigh 215lbs, and ran the stock tire at 40psi. But this knobby tire is definitely stiff, so removed 5psi but think I could go lower in softer snow.  Either way, the ride was bouncy and fun, just took a little bit of time to get used to the different dynamics of the wheel when turning. But again, so much fun, and just happy to be riding again!

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DCM4YI6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_PYGGY64NCTB0WCRDF40A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

What kind of rubber it had? Very hard/thick compared to classic 5102, 1488 tires? Was it bigger than stock 18x2.5 tire?

[vikingto]

5 hours ago, Funky said:

What kind of rubber it had? Very hard/thick compared to classic 5102, 1488 tires? Was it bigger than stock 18x2.5 tire?

It certainly appears to be thicker rubber. But when put up against the stock tire, not installed and inflated, they were very similar size wise. 

I should probably buy another one to have on reserve, in case they sell out or quit making them.

[TantasStarke]

8 hours ago, vikingto said:

It certainly appears to be thicker rubber. But when put up against the stock tire, not installed and inflated, they were very similar size wise. 

I should probably buy another one to have on reserve, in case they sell out or quit making them.

I've had my eye on that same MMG tire, did you have to cut off any of the outer knobs to fit or was it perfect? I've been thinking of turning my 18XL into my trail wheel since I gotta do a tire swap, and it'll be especially nice over a street tire in the snow

[vikingto]

Nope no cutting off or sanding the outer knobs. Perfect fit.

You could research tires til the cows come home, or put this one on that fits with no fuss and get out riding!

[TantasStarke]

3 hours ago, vikingto said:

Nope no cutting off or sanding the outer knobs. Perfect fit.

You could research tires til the cows come home, or put this one on that fits with no fuss and get out riding!

You caught me I've spent all day researching tires lol. How's it feel? A buddy of mine big into the motorcycle scene who also rides EUC said
"Sketchy as hell on leaning  turns. Great off road. Not good on paved is my guess" when I asked him about it.
Now that my Nik AR+ is coming in I wanna turn my 18XL into my winter/trail wheel

[vikingto]

Yes exactly, I did the same thing lol. Finally I just said screw it and ordered up a few different tires, lined them up against the stock tire, returned the ones that I could clearly see wouldn't work. Hard to trust the vague measurements on different sites.

But just like good snow tires on a car. What you give up in sharp turning on pavement, you gain in grip and traction on loose terrain. Also my cars beefier snow tires definitely have better absorption of potholes and bumps, which is better for the car (and my lower back on long drives).

Your buddy's right tho, sketchy when you wanna really lean into a turn. Which is why I think getting used to riding a knobbed tire in snow will help come summer trail riding, because you can't lean much in snow anyways. On my first knobby tire ride after install, it was mostly on pavement and maybe 20% snow. And it took a good 30-45 minutes before I felt like trying to really whip it around. It's easy to get over-confident tho (just like when first riding euc), probably should have tooled around an empty parking lot for a bit before getting around people and cars, but hey..

[kristof_explorer]

On 1/2/2022 at 9:15 PM, vikingto said:

Hi all! So after having my wheel pulled apart for a LONG 3 weeks, ordering and trying a couple different tires, this one fits perfectly and is tons of fun. Btw thanks to mrelwood for your postings, very helpful..

 

We've had a lot of snow up here, and the S20 doesn't look like it's going to get here until June if lucky, so time to turn my beloved 18XL into one sweet snow cruiser!

 

Been playing around with tire pressure, still dialing it in. I weigh 215lbs, and ran the stock tire at 40psi. But this knobby tire is definitely stiff, so removed 5psi but think I could go lower in softer snow.  Either way, the ride was bouncy and fun, just took a little bit of time to get used to the different dynamics of the wheel when turning. But again, so much fun, and just happy to be riding again!

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DCM4YI6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_PYGGY64NCTB0WCRDF40A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Huh. This is the tire I attempted to install that slipped off the rim every time I inflated it. So you didn't have any issue, I presume?

[vikingto]

6 hours ago, kristof_explorer said:

Huh. This is the tire I attempted to install that slipped off the rim every time I inflated it. So you didn't have any issue, I presume?

No issues at all. Dude that sucks, I wonder if they sent you a different size by accident, or one with a defect. I'd order a second one before questioning your install abilities, because other peeps on here have installed the same one too. That's frustrating for sure.

[TantasStarke]

7 hours ago, kristof_explorer said:

Huh. This is the tire I attempted to install that slipped off the rim every time I inflated it. So you didn't have any issue, I presume?

 

41 minutes ago, vikingto said:

No issues at all. Dude that sucks, I wonder if they sent you a different size by accident, or one with a defect. I'd order a second one before questioning your install abilities, because other peeps on here have installed the same one too. That's frustrating for sure.

That sucks, my tire came in today, just waiting on a spare tube and some patch kits to arrive before I attempt it, hopefully within the week my winter/trail wheel will be ready. What tube did you use, if not the original? I picked up https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5JO7C4 , and damn are angled valve tubes expensive compared to regular tubes

[vikingto]

Yeah I hear ya. I just used the original tube, but put slime in it this time, not necessary tho. But that one should work just fine I'd think.

[kristof_explorer]

On 1/6/2022 at 10:26 PM, vikingto said:

No issues at all. Dude that sucks, I wonder if they sent you a different size by accident, or one with a defect. I'd order a second one before questioning your install abilities, because other peeps on here have installed the same one too. That's frustrating for sure.

It had the correct size printed on the tire, so I don't know. It sort of seemed like the wrong size, it was really easy to put on, but it also had no bead whatsoever along the inner edge of the tire to grab the rim. Actually, since then I've managed to install a Duro 1155 dirt bike tire, not the best euc tire, but I managed to achieve pretty good handling on- and off-road by sculpting the knobs. So, I don't know if I'll end up giving the MMG another try, but it's good to know that it should have fit.

On 1/6/2022 at 11:10 PM, TantasStarke said:

 

That sucks, my tire came in today, just waiting on a spare tube and some patch kits to arrive before I attempt it, hopefully within the week my winter/trail wheel will be ready. What tube did you use, if not the original? I picked up https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5JO7C4 , and damn are angled valve tubes expensive compared to regular tubes

I used that tube too, it works well so far, but the angled valve seems a bit bigger than the stock, at least the way mine ended up positioned, doesn't fit as well within the wheel.

[vikingto]

4 hours ago, kristof_explorer said:

It had the correct size printed on the tire, so I don't know. It sort of seemed like the wrong size, it was really easy to put on, but it also had no bead whatsoever along the inner edge of the tire to grab the rim. Actually, since then I've managed to install a Duro 1155 dirt bike tire, not the best euc tire, but I managed to achieve pretty good handling on- and off-road by sculpting the knobs. So, I don't know if I'll end up giving the MMG another try, but it's good to know that it should have fit.

 

That's great to hear that you got that tire working. Any chance you can post a pic of the knob-job? I mean the sculpting of the knobs, job?

[kristof_explorer]

On 1/8/2022 at 3:10 PM, vikingto said:

That's great to hear that you got that tire working. Any chance you can post a pic of the knob-job? I mean the sculpting of the knobs, job?

 

Here you go. Unfortunately these are with the tire uninflated, as I discovered the valve yesterday torn off the tube, presumably from snow packed in the wheel...

Anyway, I took the center knobs down about half, and the side ones about 1/3 of what they were, trying to maintain the same angle and general shape all the way around. The outer knobs I had removed previously to get it to fit width-wise. I had to build my own extended-handle shears to make this doable!

In addition to improving the handling, the shortened knobs also leave less conspicuous and destructive tracks.

[vikingto]

Wow that's some nice work. Sucks to hear about that valve, I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Any thoughts on how to prevent that? Maybe securing it to one or two of the spokes with wire or fishing line, to keep it from moving around..? Idk.

Edited January 13, 2022 by vikingto

[kristof_explorer]

On 1/12/2022 at 11:13 PM, vikingto said:

Wow that's some nice work. Sucks to hear about that valve, I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Any thoughts on how to prevent that? Maybe securing it to one or two of the spokes with wire or fishing line, to keep it from moving around..? Idk.

Thanks! I'm not sure about the valve, it seems like it is just a bit longer than the original, it doesn't quite fit in the gap between the spokes so it's quite a bit more vulnerable. It probably also didn't help that I was on very low air pressure for the snow, I'd imagine the tube was more likely to fail in that scenario. If only eucs were tubeless like segway ninebots...

[ken-ny]

I also have an 18XL.  I was wondering if there are colored tires available; I think a grey or white tire would look pretty cool.  Anybody know of some?

[Funky]

10 hours ago, ken-ny said:

I also have an 18XL.  I was wondering if there are colored tires available; I think a grey or white tire would look pretty cool.  Anybody know of some?

Can i introduce you to: Spray Paint.

[DavidB]

On 12/24/2021 at 1:55 AM, kristof_explorer said:

Yee haw, I have some success to report! 🤠

After removing the outer rings of knobs from the Duro 1155, I found that this tire fits height-wise without further modifications. Unless you particularly enjoy sculpting tires, I wouldn't recommend it to others, but it's a knobby tire, on an 18xl! After a couple minutes of riding and finding a good pressure (12psi) it only feels sketchy on turns when leaning it a bit too far, scraping the pedals. It was super scary at 35psi. Other than that it actually seems to have more control on pavement than the street tire, and it really doesn't feel too bumpy. I've only gone ~10mph so far but already it gets pretty loud

I'll have to report back on offroad handling after a good ride, but yay!

One year later.... Just looking for tire options for the KS18XL and read this post topic. Following some links I found a tire that looks like they have left off the side knobs already. Not sure how it would handle corners on the pavement but offroad should be fine and may fit an 18xl without modification.

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by DavidB

[vikingto]

That looks promising. I'd say give it a go!

Width wise it looks good, just not sure of the height of the knobs?  That XL has such a tight clearances in the hub grrr..

But let me know if you try it and it fits, with or without snipping every knob down.  I like the name of that tire too, "Favorito".  Sounds fancy.

[Funky]

I still love my Heidenau K66 80/80-14. <3 Cutting that tire is very easy.

[vikingto]

1 hour ago, Funky said:

I still love my Heidenau K66 80/80-14. <3 Cutting that tire is very easy.

Oh snap! So I'm guessing you got the M+S (mud and snow) Snowtex version?  And by cutting I imagine you mean carving..?  Because that tire doesn't look easy to cut up with a knife, but maybe it is

[Funky]

3 hours ago, vikingto said:

Oh snap! So I'm guessing you got the M+S (mud and snow) Snowtex version?  And by cutting I imagine you mean carving..?  Because that tire doesn't look easy to cut up with a knife, but maybe it is

Nah, i bought regular version. (Didn't know 100%, if it will fit.) Next one i'll get snowtex. I used simple box cutter. Took about ~30 min to cut.

K66 has those "new tire" rubber strings. Also check those side knobbies.. It was very easy to follow with eye - how much you need to cut off. (80/80-14 is perfect for non-lifted wheel. Also i cut it, before mounting on rim/motor.)

I'm thinking about getting 80/90-14 next time. Because i still got space in height. (I got lifted wheel case..)

Check out - some photos:

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Funky

[vikingto]

@Funky wow.  Just wow.  I mean, can we vote for post of the year?

That is the most comprehensive winter prep guides, to one of the most solid and proven wheels to date.  I gotta start spending more time on this forum, not just when I need to find something.

Damn I'm gonna miss my XL. Am selling (on the cheap) my 18xl and 14s to my older brother, for my nephews to take possession of in a couple weeks. Should be some good brotherly fights over who gets to ride which wheel. Of course I will gladly help them with maintenance and upkeep.  If they take care of them who knows how long they could keep them running, and this will serve as a valuable reference guide for me and them.  So thanks man.

Immediate bookmark.

[Funky]

3 hours ago, vikingto said:

@Funky wow.  Just wow.  I mean, can we vote for post of the year?

That is the most comprehensive winter prep guides, to one of the most solid and proven wheels to date.  I gotta start spending more time on this forum, not just when I need to find something.

Damn I'm gonna miss my XL. Am selling (on the cheap) my 18xl and 14s to my older brother, for my nephews to take possession of in a couple weeks. Should be some good brotherly fights over who gets to ride which wheel. Of course I will gladly help them with maintenance and upkeep.  If they take care of them who knows how long they could keep them running, and this will serve as a valuable reference guide for me and them.  So thanks man.

Immediate bookmark.

Meh it was nothing.. It wasn't even a "prep". As i was changing the tire. I figured i should waterproof it also. And while i'm inside the motor itself, i could same time change the bearings.  So that i did. If you do something - do it right from the start.  

 

One tip doh - I would not put that grease outside, around the axle anymore. Sand over time gets mixed into that grease and it all goes "jucky/nasty". Simply fill the bearings full of marine grease. And before inserting them back into "motor cover", put some grease inside the groves - where the bearings sits, gets pressed in. (Grease the axle from inside motor - Not outside.)

 

Ps. If you liked that. Check my      "Hot Box" - Fire - Safe Storage.      post. Where i made fire proof storage box. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Funky

[vikingto]

13 hours ago, Funky said:

Ps. If you liked that. Check my      "Hot Box" - Fire - Safe Storage.      post. Where i made fire proof storage box. 

Nice! That was on my winter to do list actually, so thanks for that. Perfect timing.