My EX30 Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs

[Marty Backe]

2023 is the year I begin to fully divest myself of non-suspension wheels (except for the Mten's, they can be forgiven). My current suspension collection includes a S22, Hero, Master, and Master Pro. Now I need what I consider a mid-range wheel with suspension. My options are the Commander Pro, Sherman S, and EX30.

Although I love my Sherman's (OG Sherman and a Max) the Sherman is no longer the breakthrough wheel that it was when first released so I don't feel the need to immediately pull the trigger on the S. I've ridden a few S's but not extensively.

I have hundreds of miles on the Commander Pro with zero issues and still have the demo from EWheels (thanks @Jason McNeil). And I just received another Commander Pro flown in from China that supposedly has some of the initial issues smoothed over. More on that in another post.

But the EX30 is probably the wheel that pulls at my heartstrings the most. There's no doubt that I'm a fan of Gotway's (oops, I meant Begode) current design aesthetic. And of all the suspension designs (Inmotion, KingSong, Veteran, Extreme Bull) I like theirs the most. Simple, robust, and easy to modify to fit your needs.

So Lem Ung, a local Southern California rider offered to fly an EX30 to me for evaluation and testing. Lem, against my better judgement, has decided to sell Begode and Extreme Bull wheels at heavily discounted prices. You can think of him as one of a handful of underground sellers that allow us more knowledgeable riders to get wheels at slightly more palatable prices. If you are a newer rider or someone that needs A+ warranty and service support, best to stick with dealers like EWheels. Checkout his Telegram group if interested: https://t.me/+zRFwWpN9l80wMWU5

I've had the wheel for about a week and have finally completed the setup (video shortly). Surprisingly, the weather in Southern California has not been conducive to riding but we're scheduled for blue skies and sunshine very soon so I can finally get to riding this wheel.

My initial impressions of this wheel are very positive. It feels like another iteration of the Master, Master Pro, etc., but maybe more refined. I anticipate the EX30 being the midrange suspension wheel for me for 2023. I'll know shortly.

More to follow as my adventure begins.

[Cerbera]

Nice lid, nice pads, nice wheel !  I shall be following your adventures with great interest and enjoyment ! Thank you for documenting them as well as you do ! You're the only one that suffers a selfie stick that long for our viewing pleasure !

Edited February 28, 2023 by Cerbera

[Cerbera]

Also I do have to ask, how are you getting it to stand up on grass like that with no visible sign of support ?! Doesn't even look like it's leaning against anything ! Is that the joy of Photoshop ?

Edited February 28, 2023 by Cerbera

[Marty Backe]

12 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Also I do have to ask, how are you getting it to stand up on grass like that with no visible sign of support ?! Doesn't even look like it's leaning against anything ! Is that the joy of Photoshop ?

The latest firmware has an additional balancing mode. People are going to love it 

[Cerbera]

12 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

additional balancing mode

Checks calendar to see if it is April 01, but it's not ! Surely you jest ?! How can that work when they can only affect forward / back balance, which isn't enough to prevent tip-over unless at 6 kph+ surely ?!

[Marty Backe]

1 minute ago, Cerbera said:

Checks calendar to see if it is April 01, but it's not ! Surely you jest ?! How can that work when they can only affect forward / back balance, which isn't enough to prevent tip-over unless at 6 kph+ surely ?!

Yes, just joking 

I have a well placed stick under the rear pedal hanger that's keeping it upright.

[Cerbera]

Brilliant - you had me for a second back there  I thought 'well how come Gotway didn't mention THAT in the press release !?' but then thought 'Oh, maybe that would be a Gotway sort of thing to do; maybe they have managed to defy physics at last, but aren't sure enough about it yet to announce it.... Thank you - you started my 50th birthday with a good old laugh !

Edited February 28, 2023 by Cerbera

[Marty Backe]

3 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Brilliant - you had me for a second back there  I thought 'well how come Gotway didn't mention THAT in the press release !?' but then thought 'Oh, maybe that would be a Gotway sort of thing to do; maybe they have managed to defy physics at last, but aren't sure enough about it yet to announce it.... Thank you - you started my 50th birthday with a good old laugh !

I thought I might get someone if only for 5-seconds  Glad you enjoyed the laugh.

[Marty Backe]

Here's my unboxing of the EX30 and how I set it up including the building of the fairings for mounting the pads.

I know that Clark Pads and Grizzla Pads are about to release their EX30 protection system so you don't have to build your own.

 

[Mango]

Let's see how this thread develops. I initially wanted an EX30 but ended up getting a Sherman-S instead.

Basically wanted an alternate suspension system other than the Master and T4 linkage-based, and all the Begode issues I had with those two wheels.

[techyiam]

45 minutes ago, Mango said:

Let's see how this thread develops. I initially wanted an EX30 but ended up getting a Sherman-S instead.

Basically wanted an alternate suspension system other than the Master and T4 linkage-based, and all the Begode issues I had with those two wheels.

Just curious, how are you managing wet weather riding with your T4 and Master? Or you don't ride them in the rain. 

Edited February 28, 2023 by techyiam

[Mango]

Both wheels have had their bearings replaced and packed with grease, so I don't worry if I am caught in the rain. It's the open design that has water splashing on my backside, feet and lower pants no matter what I do.

Sherman-S definitely mores suited for wet weather riding in rainy Vancouver.

EX30 may be better in this regard as the battery boxes extend out further.

[techyiam]

27 minutes ago, Mango said:

EX30 may be better in this regard as the battery boxes extend out further.

If Begode would only put in an inner fender?

[Marty Backe]

3 hours ago, techyiam said:

If Begode would only put in an inner fender?

But they do. It's just not very large 

[Marty Backe]

First Ride Impressions

Did a ~10-mile micro ride today. I decided the EX30 will be my next 3600wh mid-range wheel, not the Sherman S or Commander Pro.

I loved how it rode. This wheel moves fast with rapid acceleration. Don't believe anyone who says this "heavy" wheel is not good at accelerating.

The balance is so much better than the Master. Does not feel top heavy in any way. Feels very agile.

The suspension is not as comfy as the Sherman S or my Master with the coil shock, but it's very nice. And unlike the S or Commander Pro, I can easily put in a coil shock and then it will feel just as nice as the S. I started at 250-psi but rapidly dropped to 150-psi and still no sense of it wanting to bottom out. I'll probably try 100-psi next.

Such a joy to trolley it around in a store compared to the Commander Pro.

So this wheel is really looking good at this early stage.

[trailless]

How did you like the pedals? Could you tell that there were less spikes while riding?

[Marty Backe]

32 minutes ago, trailless said:

How did you like the pedals? Could you tell that there were less spikes while riding?

So far they feel grippy. Might depend on the shoes you wear and how you plant your feet.

[techyiam]

4 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

But they do. It's just not very large 

I think the thin metal strip on top of the tire is more for the protection of the top controller module than to act as a fender. I was thinking more along the lines of the fender on the V13.

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by techyiam

[DavidB]

Nice that you were able to combine 2 of your favorite hobbies on the ex30.

It puzzles me the token mudgard supplied. It moves with the wheel so they could easily have a v13 or s18 type of guard and being inside the suspension it should be clear of the battery packs.

[thendless]

@Marty Backe I plan on making a similar faring and am planning on ordering some panels and was wondering what the approximate H×L is required for each side?

[Marty Backe]

On 3/1/2023 at 6:27 PM, DavidB said:

Nice that you were able to combine 2 of your favorite hobbies on the ex30.

It puzzles me the token mudgard supplied. It moves with the wheel so they could easily have a v13 or s18 type of guard and being inside the suspension it should be clear of the battery packs.

Yeah, the mudguards that they are supplying with all their wheels are the worst. Horrible.

[Marty Backe]

On 3/2/2023 at 7:08 AM, thendless said:

@Marty Backe I plan on making a similar faring and am planning on ordering some panels and was wondering what the approximate H×L is required for each side?

Approx 17" x 17"

[Marty Backe]

Battery Problems

Yesterday I went for my first extended ride. The plan for the day was to ride from my house to @Chris Chaput, about a 30-mile (48-kilometers). I was going to let him play a bit with the wheel and then I'd ride back home. Should be no problem with this wheel.

The three times that I've charged the wheel I've never been able to charge above 131-volts. Not great but I assuming/hoping that after a few complete cycles I'll be able to get the full voltage. Don't know.

So I started with a battery deficit. But as I was riding the battery level was dropping rapidly and as I was within a few miles of Chris's place, that battery was dead. Low battery tilt-back. Chris picked me up and we drove to his place. On the way we noticed a buzzing sound in the car and eventually realized that it was coming from the wheel. It was the battery BMS alarms.

What I Don't Like About The New BMS Alarms

These alarms which are in the Veteran and Begode battery packs are great, I guess, but what are riders supposed to do when they trigger? I can't imagine being able to ship them because what shipper wants to accept a box that's buzzing continuously.

From experience I know that one of the triggers that will set off the alarm is a low voltage condition. If you charge the pack above the voltage the alarm will stop. But you can't charge the pack while it's plugged in because Begode now uses a power distribution board that has FET relays that get triggered by the BMS alarm. Once triggered, you can't charge the batteries. So now, to fix the low voltage condition you need a variable voltage charger and a cable adapter that can connect to the battery pack. How many people have those (I do)?

What Went Wrong

When I received the EX30 from Begode the batteries were shipped separately. I naively assumed that all four battery packs were at the same approximate voltage. I did not measure their voltage before installing. I'm hoping that one or two of the packs were at a substantially different voltage than the other pair. 

I am leaving now for Roger Hajali's to borrow a cable adapter that he has that connects to his "Roger Charger" on one end and a battery pack on the other. Then with my personal "Roger Charger" I can set the voltage to 67.2-volts and charge each battery pack to the same level.

More to come ...

[Marty Backe]

Tilt-Back Voltage Is Wrong

According to Begode's own spec sheet, the tilt-back voltage on the EX30 is 96-volts. I learned during by running-out-of-battery episode above that the tilt-back voltage is actually 100-volts. This sucks.

I've complained to Begode and with Lem's help they have agreed to make a firmware upgrade to put it at 96-volts.

So any of you long haulers out there you'll want to keep an eye out for new firmware.

[Marty Backe]

Battery Pack Bad

After disconnecting the four battery packs and measuring their voltages, three were ~55-volts and one was 33-volts. The 33-volt pack had the BMS alarm sounding (for the last 24-hours).

Begode is shipping me a replacement pack. Should be up and running next week.