Suggestions for a first EUC, bigger guy with a twist

[Yamanator]

I've done a lot of searches, here and on yt. 6'2" 240lbs, yes I'm a big dogger but in relatively good shape. Haven't really seen this question posed. Looking to get a wheel to learn on that will handle my weight, but something that my wife 5'3 120 could ride after (and learn on). Like some of my other hobbies not sure she will ride but I am ever optimistic. If not, maybe my son will try it out. I would then buy another wheel and will cross that bridge when I come to it.

In the spring we're looking to do a long, several month, RV tour of the southern states before we move and head to new jobs. I'd like something we could ride from the RV spot to the beach or wherever, most likely not a ton of miles away. We're in our 40's have motorcycles, snowboard etc. Not looking for anything aggressive but my vision is something that will get us to the beach 5miles away and back and be good for her to do so once we've both learned.

So far my thoughts have been the 16s, 16xs, Tesla 3, Inmotionv10. Any suggestions?

[Big Bad Ron]

I would recommend the 16X for your RV. it’s light enough to throw in the rv great to learn on. Has a nice trolley handle.

 It’s what I throw in our RV. The Sherman is to big to put anywhere safe.

Our next trip is a family get to gather with all the grandkids there, I will be taking all my wheels along for that weekend. 
I made a box that holds all 4 wheels on the rear hitch.

back to your question I have taught 8 different people on the 16X , one as young as six years old. 
HAPPY CAMPING 

you CAN do it, I’m looking at 70 ahead of me, been riding 4 years 

CHEERS

[Big Bad Ron]

You may be selling your yamanator,

I’m down to one bike left.

[Yamanator]

1 hour ago, Big Bad Ron said:

You may be selling your yamanator,

I’m down to one bike left.

I have a couple still haha. My son has two and would have 10 if I agreed to store them... Thank you for the response! Would the 16XS work or should I get the 16x?

[UniVehje]

4 hours ago, Yamanator said:

So far my thoughts have been the 16s, 16xs, Tesla 3, Inmotionv10. Any suggestions?

Out of these definitely 16X.

[Funky]

Could also check 18l or 18xl. Same weight as 16xs and 16x. (18 is more of a cruiser - asphalt, streets. 16 is more off-road friendly.)

I would not go 16s. Sure it will be easier to learn on. But after you have learned (2 weeks max..) You will want something faster, (30kph is the real max speed you will want to ride 16s.) Also 30kph is kinda slow.. You will have "less" safety margin riding at 35kph, because you would be riding wheel max speed. So said limits - fastests way to get a face plant/cutout.

Like saying goes - if you want to ride 40 speed, buy a wheel which can do 50 speed.  

Also if you plan getting 16xs - I highly recommend getting 16x (16XS has 1 battery pack vs 16X has 2 packs.) Go check how much 1 battery pack costs.. You will get better deal buying 16X. (Also if that 1 battery pack suddenly "dies", you will fall on your face!) 2 packs - better, safer. 

In real life you won't notice the 4kg difference.  

 

Your best options would be 18XL or 16X. Highly recommend choosing between them. (Also you mentioned 16xs.. 16X is better.)

 

Some helpful info lower:

16X real top speed is ~45kph not 50kph! (Same as 16xs)

18xl can hold more weight also, if you wanted to know.. I'm 280lbs btw.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Funky

[360rumors]

5 hours ago, Yamanator said:

So far my thoughts have been the 16s, 16xs, Tesla 3, Inmotionv10. Any suggestions?

I have a Tesla 2 and I think it's pretty good for a beginner wheel. You won't outgrow it quickly.  Tesla 3 has longer range, higher pedal clearance, a helpful LCD display, hollow motor, so it's even better.

I tried inmotion v10 once and really liked it. It felt very balanced and more stable than my Tesla.

[Yamanator]

25 minutes ago, 360rumors said:

I have a Tesla 2 and I think it's pretty good for a beginner wheel. You won't outgrow it quickly.  Tesla 3 has longer range, higher pedal clearance, a helpful LCD display, hollow motor, so it's even better.

I tried inmotion v10 once and really liked it. It felt very balanced and more stable than my Tesla.

How do you like it compared to the S18? Is it something my wife could grow in to as well?

[Yamanator]

44 minutes ago, Funky said:

Could also check 18l or 18xl. Same weight as 16xs and 16x. (18 is more of a cruiser - asphalt, streets. 16 is more off-road friendly.)

I would not go 16s. Sure it will be easier to learn on. But after you have learned (2 weeks max..) You will want something faster, (30kph is the real max speed you will want to ride 16s.) Also 30kph is kinda slow.. You will have "less" safety margin riding at 35kph, because you would be riding wheel max speed. So said limits - fastests way to get a face plant/cutout.

Like saying goes - if you want to ride 40 speed, buy a wheel which can do 50 speed.  

Also if you plan getting 16xs - I highly recommend getting 16x (16XS has 1 battery pack vs 16X has 2 packs.) Go check how much 1 battery pack costs.. You will get better deal buying 16X. (Also if that 1 battery pack suddenly "dies", you will fall on your face!) 2 packs - better, safer. 

In real life you won't notice the 4kg difference.  

 

Your best options would be 18XL or 16X. Highly recommend choosing between them. (Also you mentioned 16xs.. 16X is better.)

 

Some helpful info lower:

16X real top speed is ~45kph not 50kph! (Same as 16xs)

18xl can hold more weight also, if you wanted to know.. I'm 280lbs btw.

I really can't find much info about the xs compared to the x except that the xs has only one battery pack. The reason I was considering that was because my wife would take the wheel after and it would be lighter for her. But it's a good point that 9 pounds probably isn't a deal breaker. 

[atdlzpae]

6 hours ago, Yamanator said:

So far my thoughts have been the 16s, 16xs, Tesla 3, Inmotionv10. Any suggestions?

I don't know about 16s now, but 3 years ago when I owned one it was a pain. The build quality on this thing just wasn't good enough. It may be rated as "150 kg" but nobody in China actually battle tested it at that weight.

And the ride stability on 16s is way worse than on a 18'. Way easier to faceplant on the same pothole with a smaller wheel.

IMO 16 inches are not a good fit for a heavy rider.

 

I'd definitely opt for an 18 inches instead. KS18XL and Gotway/Begode Msuper X/RS are both good choices.

[Funky]

44 minutes ago, Yamanator said:

I really can't find much info about the xs compared to the x except that the xs has only one battery pack. The reason I was considering that was because my wife would take the wheel after and it would be lighter for her. But it's a good point that 9 pounds probably isn't a deal breaker. 

If wife takes it and she doesn't want to go faster than 30kph speed. (Regular bike speed.) Then the 16s would be great for lightweight rider. My old man 155lbs uses it daily for job riding. For slower riding it's great.

I also learned on 16s.  But for my weight and needs 16s was simply to "small" literally every possible way.  If you are giving it to wife 100% later, then sure get something lighter. My old man even cries that my 18xl is TOOOOO heavy.

XS is the same X. Just with one battery pack.. (As i mention 1 pack is kinda bad.)

[Funky]

10 minutes ago, atdlzpae said:

I don't know about 16s now, but 3 years ago when I owned one it was a pain. The build quality on this thing just wasn't good enough. It may be rated as "150 kg" but nobody in China actually battle tested it at that weight.

And the ride stability on 16s is way worse than on a 18'. Way easier to faceplant on the same pothole with a smaller wheel.

IMO 16 inches are not a good fit for a heavy rider.

 

I'd definitely opt for an 18 inches instead. KS18XL and Gotway/Begode Msuper X/RS are both good choices.

He's giving the wheel to wife ~100lbs later. (I forgot that part.. ) As a learner wheel 16s will do the job. Later he can buy for himself a "bigger" wheel.

Also 3 years ago - what color was the inner shell plastic? We got the 16s V2 now..

How many "Wh" did your wheel have?

Edited July 17, 2022 by Funky

[atdlzpae]

7 minutes ago, Funky said:

He's giving the wheel to wife ~100lbs later. (I forgot that part.. ) As a learner wheel 16s will do the job. Later he can buy for himself a "bigger" wheel.

As a counterargument my 100lbs sister can ride the MSX.
Msuper X/MSP are very narrow, narrower than Nikola. So it won't be that much of a problem for a small rider anyway.

I agree, 16s will be a good learner. Just keep in mind that there are way better wheels every time you curse it out.

Edited July 17, 2022 by atdlzpae

[Funky]

8 minutes ago, atdlzpae said:

As a counterargument my 100lbs sister can ride the MSX. 
Msuper X/MSP are very narrow, narrower than Nikola. So it won't be that much of a problem for a small rider anyway.

I agree, 16s will be a good learner. Just keep in mind that there are way better wheels every time you curse it out. 

Heck my 10 years old sister could ride sherman max.  We are talking about weight..

If i didn't need to lift my wheel, i would buy the best of the best. EX20S seems sexy and well built. (-water protection.) Doh the weight kills it for me. Try carrying that weel to 3rd floor 2-4 times a day. Jesus. 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Funky

[Yamanator]

1 hour ago, Funky said:

He's giving the wheel to wife ~100lbs later. (I forgot that part.. ) As a learner wheel 16s will do the job. Later he can buy for himself a "bigger" wheel.

Also 3 years ago - what color was the inner shell plastic? We got the 16s V2 now..

How many "Wh" did your wheel have?

That is my intention. Would the one battery pack on the XS be safety bad? or just performance bad? If you're learning and not pushing things.

[UtahRider]

2 hours ago, Yamanator said:

That is my intention. Would the one battery pack on the XS be safety bad? or just performance bad? If you're learning and not pushing things.

For your size and weight, the 16x, 18xl or RS Torque (my preference) would be the minimum if you don’t want to worry about over power cutoffs. The others you mention are safe for lighter riders (175 lbs or less) if you want to ride at any meaningful speed and up hilly terrain, sand, dirt trails, etc., get the bigger battery and motor. The key is to get one and start your riding adventure. You’ll need a good month of practice to safely ride around traffic and pedestrians. Don’t skimp on gear either. Good luck.

[Big Bad Ron]

2 hours ago, Yamanator said:

That is my intention. Would the one battery pack on the XS be safety bad? or just performance bad? If you're learning and not pushing things.

You also have a wheel Worth more to resell with two battery packs. I have two granddaughters six years old that’s probably only 40 pounds riding the 16 X

[Tawpie]

10 hours ago, Yamanator said:

Thank you for the response! Would the 16XS work or should I get the 16x?

As an owner of a 16XS that promptly added a second battery, I suggest you go straight to the 16X. The XS only has 1 battery pack vs 2 on the X, and that means that the XS is limited in current capabilities... and current = ability to keep a rider upright. Heavy riders need more current, simple as that.

I added the second battery to my XS because it was my plan to do so all along if I liked riding, and the added battery pack adds safety margin because it doubles the ability of the wheel to supply current. I do dearly love my 16X, it has earned a place of honor in my stable and shan't be sold.

[Funky]

8 hours ago, Yamanator said:

That is my intention. Would the one battery pack on the XS be safety bad? or just performance bad? If you're learning and not pushing things.

I already mentioned in my first post. 1 pack - if it dies suddenly wheel has no "backup", so you will faceplant into ground. (EUC isn't like bike, scooter, skateboard. If euc dies it loses all balance and you will fall.) Also 2 battery packs gives more safety, like @Tawpie said.

[Funky]

6 hours ago, UtahRider said:

For your size and weight, the 16x, 18xl or RS Torque (my preference) would be the minimum if you don’t want to worry about over power cutoffs. The others you mention are safe for lighter riders (175 lbs or less) if you want to ride at any meaningful speed and up hilly terrain, sand, dirt trails, etc., get the bigger battery and motor. The key is to get one and start your riding adventure. You’ll need a good month of practice to safely ride around traffic and pedestrians. Don’t skimp on gear either. Good luck.

I'm 280 lbs and i learned also on 16s. So as "learner" wheel it will be fine. (If he doesn't jump curbs, etc..) After ~10-30days when he has learned, he can give the 16s to wife and buy himself something bigger.

As the wheel goes to wife, he needs to think more about "her" needs. Because the wheel will be hers.  <<< Logic thinking no?

I would for sure hate to get heavy as duck wheel, if i need to carry it around and would not need the speed/range that it offers. It would be like buying sports car and riding it at 50kph speed.. You are wasting it.  

I would ask the wife to lift something that weights ~17kg or ~24kg. Will she notice big difference? 16s vs 16x And can she even lift that???

Edited July 18, 2022 by Funky

[Yamanator]

8 hours ago, Tawpie said:

As an owner of a 16XS that promptly added a second battery, I suggest you go straight to the 16X. The XS only has 1 battery pack vs 2 on the X, and that means that the XS is limited in current capabilities... and current = ability to keep a rider upright. Heavy riders need more current, simple as that.

I added the second battery to my XS because it was my plan to do so all along if I liked riding, and the added battery pack adds safety margin because it doubles the ability of the wheel to supply current. I do dearly love my 16X, it has earned a place of honor in my stable and shan't be sold.

 

11 hours ago, Big Bad Ron said:

You also have a wheel Worth more to resell with two battery packs. I have two granddaughters six years old that’s probably only 40 pounds riding the 16 X

Thank you, now to find a place that has one in stock. Unless ewheels is generally pretty spot on with their backorder time frames...

[Yamanator]

5 hours ago, Funky said:

I'm 280 lbs and i learned also on 16s. So as "learner" wheel it will be fine. (If he doesn't jump curbs, etc..) After ~10-30days when he has learned, he can give the 16s to wife and buy himself something bigger.

As the wheel goes to wife, he needs to think more about "her" needs. Because the wheel will be hers.  <<< Logic thinking no?

I would for sure hate to get heavy as duck wheel, if i need to carry it around and would not need the speed/range that it offers. It would be like buying sports car and riding it at 50kph speed.. You are wasting it.  

I would ask the wife to lift something that weights ~17kg or ~24kg. Will she notice big difference? 16s vs 16x And can she even lift that???

Yes spot on, logic haha. She is pretty strong and fit so I don't think the extra weight will matter for her. But good to know that I could learn on the 16s as well and that may be the better option honestly.

[Funky]

56 minutes ago, Yamanator said:

Yes spot on, logic haha. She is pretty strong and fit so I don't think the extra weight will matter for her. But good to know that I could learn on the 16s as well and that may be the better option honestly.

If you/she doesn't need to carry it "much" at all, then go get 16X. (By "carrying" i mean like carying to 3rd floor 2-4 times a day.) Then weight is kinda meaningless. As most places you can simply "push" the wheel by handle. As you are pushing it around you don't notice any weight. I can push my 18xl around with 1 finger.

Weight only comes in play if you got many stairs, can't push it somewhere.. (Sure learning will be little bit longer - more weight to learn controlling with one leg.) But in my mind worth all the trouble.  

PS. When you are learning put cardboard box around wheel. Or simply duct tape  shower-mat around the wheel. It will protect it from drops.. Or learn in grass. Best learning place would be those play places with "rubber" soft ground.

[Yamanator]

2 hours ago, Funky said:

If you/she doesn't need to carry it "much" at all, then go get 16X. (By "carrying" i mean like carying to 3rd floor 2-4 times a day.) Then weight is kinda meaningless. As most places you can simply "push" the wheel by handle. As you are pushing it around you don't notice any weight. I can push my 18xl around with 1 finger.

Weight only comes in play if you got many stairs, can't push it somewhere.. (Sure learning will be little bit longer - more weight to learn controlling with one leg.) But in my mind worth all the trouble.  

PS. When you are learning put cardboard box around wheel. Or simply duct tape  shower-mat around the wheel. It will protect it from drops.. Or learn in grass. Best learning place would be those play places with "rubber" soft ground.

Ok, nope no large amount of steps. All good advice, did not think about the protection. Thank you.

[wstuart]

Hi Buddy.  I think I can help.  I'm 6'8" 240 and I've owned a v8s, v10f, 18xl, 16x and even an mten3.

I learned on the v8s, then graduated to a v10f, then 18xl and 16x.

I think all 4 of these wheels would be excellent wheels to start with.  I think your choice should depend on how far you wanna ride it and actually how bumpy the surface is.  Also, you should consider your willingness / ability to resell.

I've been using all of these wheels for the last 5 months (my first 5 months of riding)

I'll list pros and cons for each.

 

V8f or V8s:

Pros:  Extremely light and extremely narrow body makes learning on this very very fast and easy.  These characteristics matter alot less once you learn to ride, but in the first 2 weeks the lightness and narrowness help with shin pain.  Also the flatter and lower pedals of the v8f and v10f are a little easier I found.  Also the v8s and v8f have awesome snappy and fun acceleration. This is my favorite wheel for bike paths where I don't want to go more than 15mph.

 

Cons: With such little weight and a narrow tire (2.15 inches I think), this little guy can get bucked around in bumpy conditions.  Also with guys our size, that narrow tire means less protection for the rim.  You gotta run the tire at 40psi to protect the rim.  Also the lightness and nimbleness is perfect for learning when going like 7mph, but at 18mph this wheel could feel more squirrely and less stable than a v10f or 18xl.  The range of the v8f is limiting for big guys.  I was getting like 10-12 miles on thr v8f if I was riding hard.  I sold the v8f and just purchased a v8s because it has a 50% bigger battery.  I'm really excited about the v8s

 

V10f

Pros:  this wheel is 10-12 lbs heavier than the V8f and v8s and is a little taller.  It's still super narrow and at 45lbs is still portable enough.  Like the v8, this wheel is very comfortable and easy to learn on - low flat pedals.  The v10 is more stable at 20mph than the v8 and with a 2000w motor instead of the 1000w motor of the v8, it's much safer to ride at 18+mph.  For my size, the v10f could do 20mph with a full battery.  The v8f could only do 18 or 19mph and felt a lot sketchier.  The 2.5 inch wide tire gives more rim protection and comfort than the v8.  You also get a 2000w motor and 916wh battery (good for 20-25 miles) for $500 less than an 18xl or 16x.  The lower initial investment is good if you end up not liking this. Also the app for inmotion is better than the kingsongs and the fit and finish are high quality.  

Cons:  I don't like that the v10f is heavier and less portable than the v8f, while the speed and performance are essentially the same.  I guess on paper the v10f is supposed to go faster (24mph) but take it from a big guy - the real top speed is like 21.   I sold my v10f for this reason and I'm now buying a v8s.  I have to go up and down stairs in one of my use cases so the 34lb v8 is better than the 44lb v10.  I have a bad back.

 

18xl

Pros.  This thing is super super stable at speeds from 25-30mph.  Also with the 1500wh battery and the motor designed for speed, this is the only one of the wheels that can safely get a 220lb guy up to 30mph.  When I rode mine I would cruise at 24 and only briefly visit 30 if I had to and if the battery was above 80%.  It's also incredible how speeds feel different on different wheels.  In my first month of riding I would ride all 4 of these wheels back to back.   22mph felt like NOTHING on the 18xl, whereas 22 mph felt very fast and unsafe on the v10f.  The extra weight of this wheel (12 pounds more than the v10f) helps with bumps and stability at speed.

Cons:  this thing is noticeably heavier, wider and more bulky than a v10 and way way heavier than the v8.  You will notice this most when you are first learning - this wheel is much harder to learn on than the v8.  Again this is from a big guy that isn't super coordinated who just learned a few months ago.  If I had started with this wheel instead of the v8f I think it would have taken twice as long to learn.  To be honest I actually spent 3 weeks trying to learn on a 60lb gotway MSP and I went no where.  It wasn't until I got the v8f that I made progress.  Also, the 18xl lacks torque and as you get better this could come into play when trying to accelerate up hills.  Also the 2.5 inch tire is more narrow than the 3 inch tire of the 16x.  I felt a big difference with this 

 

16x:

Pros: TORQUE, TORQUE, TORQUE.  When you weigh 220+ lb, torque=fun on an EUC.  I have a hard time over leaning this thing when I try to accelarate.  One time I got the 18xl to shut down on a steep hill right when I took off.  When I did the same thing on the same hill I got the 16x to yell at me "please slow down", but it didn't cut out.  This thing is crazy nimble too. I think the 16xs nimbleness could be bad when learning but is super fun when you get better. This comes from the smaller 16 inch diameter of the wheel.  It makes the wheel more nimble and a give it more torque than the larger 18 inch 18xl.  My favorite part about this wheel is the 3 inch wide tire.  I've found this makes the ride more comfortable and is safer when going over bumps.  It's possible for me to go offroad with this wheel and not feel like my fillings are gonna rattle out of my teeth or like the rim is about to crack..

Cons:  Big guys like us should not take this wheel over 25mph.  It says 30mph and I've cruised on this at 28mph before I knew it was a bad idea.  A couple times I got the wheel to tell me to slow down when I was accelerating from 24 to 28mph.  I now just keep it under 25.  I find this to be limiting on longer rides.  Also this wheel is squirely!! This is the price you pay for fun nimbleness.  If you brake hard at speeds above 15mph this wheel is gonna wobble on you.  I don't mind it, and this wheel taught me how to manage wobbles, but for a new rider, the 16x could be a handful.

 

The verdict

If you had to get only one wheel, I would get the 18xl.  But you mentioned getting a second wheel and giving the first to your wife.  This is what you should do:

Get a v10f to learn on.  Preferably a used one for around $1200. This wheel is very comfortable and has a 2.5 inch wide tire and a big enough battery and motor to be safe for a big guy up to 20mph.  You however get the nice narrow and easy to ride design of the in inmotion. (The inmotion v8 and v10 are the most narrow wheels because they cram their battery above the tire instead of along the sides).  You and your wife will learn fast on this wheel and this will be a very comfortable stable wheel for your wife.  I've ridden 12 different wheels and the v10f is the easiest, most comfortable wheel I've ever ridden.  

 

Once you get good, I would reccomend getting the 16x over the 18xl.  You give up going 30mph by getting the 16x, but you gain offroad capability, fun handling and a safer 3 inch wide tire.  I happily trade this for higher speed - as I prefer to ride under 25mph for safety.  At our size if you wanna go 30mph, don't get an 18xl or any other  84v wheel.  Get a 100v sherman max or gotway wheel to safely go those speeds.

I do not reccomend the 16x as a first wheel though.  I just think the wobbles are a bit much for a new rider and it feels wider and less comfortable than the 18xl.

 

Hope this helps.  Message me and we can chat on the phone if you want.  Again, I've ridden almost every wheel so I can help.

Edited July 19, 2022 by wstuart