Begode Master 134V 2400WH Suspension

[Timwheel]

Ahah I think I'll do that. I'm pretty sure I did worse a few months back and didn't think any of it..
I bought a KS18L refresh with the 2200w motor for shorter trips and multimodal commute. It still seems to be the lighest 18 incher out there, with very good reliability, waterproofing, low weight, good cut out switch etc... I had a ks16x that I loved (had a tire with very thin wall, it felt so mushy !), sold it but now I intend to keep a "doomsday wheel" for when my master gives up and when I just don't want to gear up as much (I'll still wear a helmet and motorcycle gloves, but maybe not full face and motorcycle jacket). I have a KS14D  for very small trips but it feels dangerous, it is impossible not to overlean it accidentally

 

I'll keep you updated about my bearings, but it seems my master is golden, 3300km and not a single issue still ...

[EMA]

i used and abused my master more than 6k km before kill the bearings 

[Cerbera]

3 hours ago, Timwheel said:

I'll keep you updated about my bearings, but it seems my master is golden, 3300km and not a single issue still ...

It's nice to know that someone, somewhere is getting that sort of experience

I'll say this very quietly in case it's listening, but I too am going through a highly enjoyable period of 'Master reliability', but mine's a bit overdue that, given the many and various problems I've had with mine in the first year ! Still hasn't dropped me though, and trust in it remains high, as, unfortunately, so do my pedals, which still fucks me up in the wind, but I do like being that tall when it's not blowing a gale. I think that's what stops me ordering lower pedal hangers. That, and relief at having the CST knobby back on there after a highly sketchy week on a street tyre...

[Timwheel]

I have a CST street tire from factory and I adore it. It still looks brand new as I pump it to 40 psi. Great handling, never skipped on me and very easy to curve with it.
The only thing that also bothered me was the pedal height, but it feels nice to be in traffic high, you can also go near sidewalks in Paris and not touch them if you remain untilted. It justs feels that unmounting that thing is taking a bit more effort, but I'm so used to it I don't even think about it.

I am short-ish (1m77) but quite heavy (88kgs naked) and wind is still a concern when it's really blowing. I just sit on it at slow speed like 35/40 km/h and minimize my exposure.

 

Roger answered my question:

Quote

Pedal height means your bearings were getting hit with water. Not that water was being pushed into them. There is a ton of air space in the motor. Put it under water and the air pressure inside is less then outside... that when the water makes its move. You should be good if your bearings were halfway good.

I guess I'll remain optimistic then
 

Edited March 6 by Timwheel

[Rafal]

Just got my Master V4 50s. Out of the box weights 39,7kg with all my pads and fairings 40,65kg. Coming out from Tesla it feels amazing. Build quality is excellent, great pedals, power and tire feels good. Plenty of grip in dirt and sand. Just suspension could be a bit better. But overall I am really satisfied. 

Do you ride torque or speed mode and why? What firmware you guys using that enable field wakening? 

[EMA]

On 5/19/2024 at 9:10 PM, Rafal said:

Out of the box weights 39,7kg

good to know, battery boxes are still with lines ? or they become flat ?

 

[Rafal]

20 hours ago, EMA said:

On 5/19/2024 at 9:10 PM, Rafal said:

Out of the box weights 39,7kg

good to know, battery boxes are still with lines ? or they become flat ?

They are still with lines. I added flat panel to attache pads.

[techyiam]

On 3/6/2024 at 8:37 AM, Cerbera said:

so do my pedals, which still fucks me up in the wind, but I do like being that tall when it's not blowing a gale. I think that's what stops me ordering lower pedal hangers.

Have you considered installing a pedal lowering kit for your Master, assuming you don't currently need all that ground clearance?

[Cerbera]

58 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Have you considered installing a pedal lowering kit for your Master, assuming you don't currently need all that ground clearance?

I don't need quite that much clearance ! I wasn't aware that there was any other solution available other than that guy doing replacement hangers in China, Hou. His are probably the ones I would go for when I eventually make my mind up

Edited May 29 by Cerbera

[Magman116]

I got the 30mm lowering blocks for the Master.  Makes a huge difference.  You will notice right off how much more nimble and easier to accelerate is it.  It also feels more stable at higher speeds.

I ordered mine from https://t.me/ningninghou

You can email him at ningninghou8@gmail.com

Web site, but doesn't list all items: "https://houeuc.com/" 

Just need to send a message letting him know what you want.

The downside is pedal clipping.  I rode the same trails I always have and have clipped several tree roots and rocks I would have normally just gone over. Now I just hop over them.  It is still worth it to lower the pedals. To me, it almost gives the same feeling as my RS19.  With the lower pedals I have been able to over power the wheel for the first time.

Edited May 29 by Magman116

[Aztek]

150$ for a small piece of CNC aluminium to get 3 cm down your pedals seems a bit steep...

Edited May 29 by Aztek

[Planemo]

17 hours ago, Aztek said:

150$ for a small piece of CNC aluminium to get 3 cm down your pedals seems a bit steep...

Its a veritable bargain IMO compared to how much money people spend on tyres, suspension, fairings and of course huge pads to 'improve' their their wheel. My Hou brackets made more of an improvement than all the above. YMMV of course, unless you havent tried lowered pedals in which case your comment is invalid anyway.

[Cerbera]

17 hours ago, Aztek said:

150$ for a small piece of CNC aluminium to get 3 cm down your pedals seems a bit steep...

It is a very big, solid block of metal, and there are 2 of them !

It's probably inevitable I will get them too, he says whilst nervously watching the trees sway outside...

Edited May 30 by Cerbera

[Aztek]

24 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

It's probably inevitable I will get them too, he says whilst nervously watching the trees sway outside...

Lemme know how revolutionary better the master feels after

[Magman116]

I put off getting lowering blocks, because of the cost and didn't think it would make much of a difference.  After I pulled the plug and made the purchase, I couldn't be happier. 

The Master feels like a completely different wheel. I am sure other's that have lowered their Master would feel the same way.  Turning (increased nimbleness), increased high speed stability, and ease of acceleration are all the positive aspects of lowering my Master 30mm.  The negatives are less ground clearance and cost.

For the longest time, I didn't understand why my RS19 felt as though it had quicker acceleration, and was more nimble. I thought my Master had so much more torque and speed, than the RS19, but I could out accelerate my Master with the RS19. The Master was still superior on climbing hills and jumping, but I wanted the acceleration I had in my RS19. Well, lowering my Master gave me that.

Maybe others experienced the same things, maybe not, but I can sure tell the difference. I do not regret the purchase as this made the biggest change in performance for the cost. I spent way more money on the suspension, and only have a moderate improvement. I have gone through 4 different shocks 5 springs, and three different shock linkages. Figure that expense is many times the cost of the lowering blocks. I settled on the EMA linkage, a modified DMR-RCP2S 200mm with a 450lb RockShox spring.

There are options out there and not everyone will choose the same components to setup their wheel the way they like; It is a personal choice. There is no right or wrong, but there are physics that determine how a wheel performs with a given rider. 

My Master is set up the way I like and not anyone else. So, choose what you feel you will like and keep making changes until you find something that works for you.

Edited September 23 by Magman116

[Rafal]

Do some range testing on my brand new Master v4 50s:

1. 101km starting voltage 133.1 end voltage 106.7, ave moving speed 33km/h, tire CST186, 32 PSI, temp. around 22C

2. 112,7km starting voltage 133.3 end voltage 104.1, ave moving speed 25km/h, tire CST186, 22 PSI, temp. around 26C

3. 106km starting voltage 132.9 end voltage 107.8, ave moving speed 31km/h, tire CST186, 30 PSI, temp. around 24C

I am happy with the results. Low tire pressure on 2nd attempt was the reason for lower results. Even if I was riding really slow.

 

 

 

Edited May 30 by Rafal

[EUC Custom Power-Pads]

On 5/29/2024 at 9:07 PM, Magman116 said:

I got the 30mm lowering blocks for the Master.  Makes a huge difference.  You will notice right off how much more nimble and easier to accelerate is it.  It also feels more stable at higher speeds.

The downside is pedal clipping.  I rode the same trails I always have and have clipped several tree roots and rocks I would have normally just gone over. Now I just hop over them.  It is still worth it to lower the pedals. To me, it almost gives the same feeling as my RS19. 

 

20 hours ago, Magman116 said:

After I pulled the plug and made the purchase, I couldn't be happier. 

The Master feels like a completely different wheel. I am sure other's that have lowered their Master would feel the same way.  Turning (increased nimbleness), increased high speed stability, and ease of acceleration are all the positive aspects of lowering my Master 30mm.  The negatives are less ground clearance and cost.

For the longest time, I didn't understand why my RS19 felt as though it quicker acceleration, and was more nimble. I thought my Master had so much more torque and speed, than the RS19, but I could out accelerate my Master with the RS19. The Master was still superior on climbing hills and jumping, but I wanted the acceleration I had in my RS19. Well, lowering my Master gave me that.

Maybe others experienced the same things, maybe not, but I can sure tell the difference. I do not regret the purchase as this made the biggest change in performance for the cost. I spent way more money on the suspension, and only have a moderate improvement. ........... Figure that expense is many times the cost of the lowering blocks.

There are options out there and not everyone will choose the same components to setup their wheel the way they like; It is a personal choice. There is no right or wrong, but there are physics that determine how a wheel performs with a give rider. 

My Master is set up the way I like and not anyone else. So, choose what you feel you will like and keep making changes until you find something that works for you.

Fully agree to all and there are much more advantages.

I've got mine from EUCYOU (Russia) and they are for sure stronger.

[EUC Custom Power-Pads]

22 hours ago, Aztek said:

Lemme know how revolutionary better the master feels after

I've listed all the advantages somewhere, but in short, if there were no lower pedal hangers for the Master, I would have seriously put the Master back in the box after 100 km and sold it and continued riding my MSP.
Yes, you can get used to it, no question, but I would never want to get used to it. I was looking for an upgrade including suspension, not an extreme downgrade with suspension.

[Cerbera]

Even though I unquestionably HAVE got used to it at the height they are, lowering those pedals increasingly sounds like the single biggest thing you can do to improve the ride experience on that machine. I don't think anyone that has done it wishes they hadn't, and as I keep being reminded of how good a thing it is to do in thread after thread, and our local winds are so rarely calm these days I think it's time for me to message Hou as well...

Edited May 31 by Cerbera

[Rafal]

On 5/31/2024 at 2:04 PM, EUC Custom Power-Pads said:

I've listed all the advantages somewhere, but in short, if there were no lower pedal hangers for the Master, I would have seriously put the Master back in the box after 100 km and sold it and continued riding my MSP

For me high pedal is a plus. I feel much more confident in offroad with high pedals. Have over 700km on mine and have no wobbles even once. 

If you need better acceleration just update your firmware to latest one FW2015104. I had FW2015101 previously and new firmware have implemented more torque(FW2015102) and better acceleration. 

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, Rafal said:

For me high pedal is a plus. I feel much more confident in offroad with high pedals. Have over 700km on mine and have no wobbles even once. 

If you need better acceleration just update your firmware to latest one FW2015104. I had FW2015101 previously and new firmware have implemented more torque(FW2015102) and better acceleration. 

I definitely know what you mean. Was out on a 30 miler yesterday where there was almost zero wind, and had the most amazing time on that machine ! I really do love the height when the conditions support it ! If only there was a nice easy convenient way to adjust the pedal height 'per ride'...

Edited June 3 by Cerbera

[techyiam]

On 5/31/2024 at 6:26 AM, Cerbera said:

Even though I unquestionably HAVE got used to it at the height they are, lowering those pedals increasingly sounds like the single biggest thing you can do to improve the ride experience on that machine. I don't think anyone that has done it wishes they hadn't, and as I keep being reminded of how good a thing it is to do in thread after thread, and our local winds are so rarely calm these days I think it's time for me to message Hou as well...

My experience on my S22 alone has convinced me that on suspension wheels, pedal height (ride height) can matter in a very significant way, from the viewpoint of how a wheel rides, akin to tire profile.

However, my recent experience on a Master V3/4 really hit home the point.

I had an opportunity to ride a Master shod with Shinko 244. The suspension setup was tailored for a very light person. I weigh significantly more.

Some weeks later, I had another opportunity to ride the same wheel again, but a much heavier spring was put in in order to accommodate a much heavier rider who weighs well over two hundred pounds.

On the second time I was on it, because the spring rate was so high, when I got on it, the SAG was minimal, if any.

The same Master on the second time had the exact same tire on, Shinko 244.

However, this time when I rode it, I was constantly on the verge of crashing. This was exactly how I felt when I borrowed someone else's EX30 with a street tire on it. I simply couldn't ride it. Back then I really didn't know what could have caused that trait other than tire profile. Whereas, when I was on the same Master the first time with the much softer spring, the Master rode so well. It was easy and intuitive to ride. What a dramatic contrast.

Now on hindsight, I came to realize that ride height is very critical to the way how the Master rides. I suspect it is much more sensitive than on my S22.

When the ride height is too high, it can be very sensitive to crosswinds too.

Having learnt that lesson, and having altered my suspension setup on my S22 accordingly, I now don't need to ride my Abrams anymore, since the Abrams doesn't really buy me anything I need, other than range over my S22. My S22 feels a lot more surefooted now, and a lot less susceptible to wind. I now enjoy riding my S22. My S22 isn't just a good workhorse. It has transformed to something that is enjoyable to ride.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I strictly ride on streets and bike paths, and need very minimal ride height, or ground clearance.

 

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, techyiam said:

However, this time when I rode it, I was constantly on the verge of crashing. This was exactly how I felt when I borrowed someone else's EX30 with a street tire on it. I simply couldn't ride it. Back then I really didn't know what could have caused that trait other than tire profile. Whereas, when I was on the same Master the first time with the much softer spring, the Master rode so well. It was easy and intuitive to ride. What a dramatic contrast.

That would certainly corroborate and explain the horrendous time I had when I first put that street tyre on my Master...

Makes me think my experience would have been very different with lower pedals. 

Ah, well, never mind - back to that nice reliable old knobby now.

[Timwheel]

I did a pretty thorough job on my master. I changed the bearings and discovered that the motor was in a sorry state:

I spent hours meticulously cleaning and de rusting the motor then putting a special varnish once everything was shiny. Rust was surface level, and the magnet were not really rusted per see but got the rust particles from the stator stuck.

I then proceded to replace bearings for the best damn SKF money can buy and sealed everything





 

Not that huge of a process, the master is very easy to work on, but a disapointment for sure.  Now it's as water tight as it gets, and absolutely dead silent, kinda scary ! It's been about 300km since then, and the silence + smoothness of the bearings are really soothing.

Tim

Edited June 4 by Timwheel

[Ben Hatfield]

reading thread convinced me to try Master pedal lowering kit.  Master is my favorite wheel, so going with smaller change, 25mm.  I'll be Very interested how the 25mm lower feels.