Sherman s relearning how to ride……

[Hellkitten]

Picked up a Sherman S yesterday and spent last night adding bumpers, Velcro, pads, pumping up the tire, charging it up, that kind of stuff. The build quality and finish on this wheel is really nice. The suspension is markedly better then the v11 and I haven’t even dialled it in yet. I’m so far very impressed with this wheel. 
Today was my first “real” ride. I left my apartment to meet up with some fellow riders. It was only a few km away, leperkim preset the alarms at 19kms and I couldn’t figure out how to change them. Needless to say it was a slow trek till I met up with @Tryptych who thankfully knew how to reset my speed alarms. 🙏 we connected with a eskater that is local, but we hadn’t met yet. He built his skate even welded his own battery packs! We rolled out from our meeting place and took a bike path which was packed with people, most of them not on bikes. After a lot of low speed maneuvering (man it’s way harder on this wheel then my v11) we finally had a mostly open path. That was the first time I had actually gone at any decent speed on this wheel. It feels stable and mostly comfortable besides the tops of the suspension that kinda hit your legs in a few places. We pulled up to a local pev hangout spot and bumped into a bunch of other riders we knew, hung out for a bit then continued our ride. We took a dirt path through the woods which was a beautiful little section of our trip. Eventually we popped back out into civilization and took a main road back into town, we did a mix of street riding as well as bike paths depending on traffic. And then went our separate ways. It was a great first ride on this wheel, but I feel like I have a lot of kms to put on it before I’m confident. Still feels very top heavy and I’m still working out the way it balances. It made me feel like a newb. I can see how hard this euc would be to actually learn on. Big props to all who did. So far loving this wheel, but I have a long way to go……..

[Clem604]

49 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

It was a great first ride on this wheel, but I feel like I have a lot of kms to put on it before I’m confident. Still feels very top heavy and I’m still working out the way it balances.

This was exactly my experience as well. It took me about 500km's to ride it comfortably and now at 2895km's I am one with the wheel. It's pretty awesome I must say. I couldn't imagine learning on the Sherman S, as it took me a while to learn on my V11, but it's definitely doable.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Clem604

[Hellkitten]

3 minutes ago, Clem604 said:

This was exactly my experience as well. It took me about 500km's to ride it comfortably

Perfect. Only 475kms to go……..🤣

Seriously though thanks for the knowledgeable input. 🙏

[techyiam]

9 minutes ago, Clem604 said:

now at 2895km's

Any issues yet?

[Clem604]

6 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Any issues yet?

No issues so far! The next milestone will be @5000km's and I'll post some updates then.

[Hellkitten]

@Clem604 @techyiam don’t you two ride regularly together? You’re going to burst my BC rider bubble aren’t you. I imagine you two cruising the sea wall and exploring Stanley park together. Then heading to eevees to check out the newest offerings. 🥹🥹

[techyiam]

Just now, Hellkitten said:

@Clem604 @techyiam don’t you two ride regularly together

No, not really. @Clem604 is a real enthusiastic long range electric wheel rider. I wouldn't be able to keep up. I mostly do shortish commuting rides. 

[Hellkitten]

1 minute ago, techyiam said:

No, not really. @Clem604 is a real enthusiastic long range electric wheel rider. I wouldn't be able to keep up. I mostly do shortish commuting rides. 

Bubble burster. 😂😂

[Hellkitten]

Things are slowly progressing for me, I’m feeling a bit more comfortable on the Sherman. Last night I did a few stops without having to grab the handle and just put one foot down. Dropped a few curbs and rode up a root covered dirt track. The suspension is sooooooo much better than the v11 and I haven’t even dialled it in yet. The headlight is fantastic I didn’t even turn on my helmet light on some of the trails I was on. Haven’t attempted seated riding yet, I have to redo my pad setup. I also ended up hitting the first beeps and the buzzer is nice and audible. Loving this wheel. Just need more miles……..❤️

[Hellkitten]

Went on a nice ride today with a buddy who also was on a Sherman S. Bumped into some other riders we knew and did part of our ride with them too. Beautiful day, a bit warm if you’re standing still with gear on decent with the wind. I broke my first 100km today and every time I rode this beast I feel more comfortable. My mounts are (mostly) going well, had a couple of clumsy dismounts, but overall I can keep one leg on the wheel and not grab the handle. I had it in medium mode and my riding partner suggested I try soft mode, which I did. It’s much less aggressive than inmotion seems to be. It helps a bit with acceleration and breaking, but not much dipping. I’ll keep it on for now. I hit the first beeps many times today, so I may try setting the high speed mode and see how that goes. This wheel likes to go fast. It feels great anywhere 40km or so. Very stable and well balanced. I’m getting better at slow speeds too. There were a lot of people out today that I needed to navigate around. I do miss the nimbleness of the v11 though. I dropped a bunch of curbs, hit a tall railroad track, potholes, bad patches of concrete this suspension just eats it up. It’s a really plush ride. I did however see the patton in person that was featured in the ride one video and the suspension was leaking oil. Those guys rode it hard and I shows. Not sure what blew on it, but it needs work. Not super confidence building, but I don’t ride like they do, so hopefully I won’t have that issue. Looking forward to more time on this monster………

[Hellkitten]

Had a great ride tonight, for the first time I felt connected to this wheel. Things are starting to gel. I love this wheel. 

[Hellkitten]

Went on a ride Saturday night through busy downtown traffic. I’m getting better at feeling where the overlean is on this wheel. Carving is fun, the centrifugal force is much more than smaller eucs. Still learning how to do tighter turns, that’s probably my weakest point. Once and awhile I’ll do a sloppy free mount, but most are decent. My riding buddy and I tagged a bunch of potholes and moved some concrete barriers that had been knocked into a bike lane back into place. It was more cumbersome on this wheel then the v11, I don’t even fully dismount to paint a hole. At one point while I shut off the wheel to tag one, I got an error message and it went back to the factory reset. Lost all my mileage and preferred settings. Thankfully turning it off and on then redoing my settings, it was back to normal. I’m updating the firmware soon which apparently should sort that problem out. Not sure what my mileage is now, but I think it’s probably around 200-250kms. I did hear some strange squeaking from the motor area and am kinda worried that I may have bearing issues in my future. They’ve since gone away, but they were persistent for a bit. I’ve got video of it and can hear the audio in it. I’m likely going to contact my local dealer and see if they can get in some replacements while I still have a warranty. At least have some in stock, just in case……..

[mrelwood]

2 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

I did hear some strange squeaking from the motor area and am kinda worried that I may have bearing issues in my future.

I don’t think you need to worry. Bearings don’t squeak, it’s the additional rubber cover that modern EUCs use that was probably a bit dry at some spot. No need for action, unless it disturbs you too much. In that case a small amount of lubricant at the cover edges should solve the issue.

[Hellkitten]

I’ve had a few more great rides on the Sherman now. After it reset itself and I lost my mileage, I think I’m about 450kms. @Clem604 was right about how many clicks it would take to feel comfortable. I’m getting better at slower more precise maneuvering and loving how much torque this wheel has. I switched back to medium mode I think that’s the one I prefer overall. 
I had a chance to test out the patton last night and wow, it’s a fun torquey wheel! I definitely see the appeal. Like many people have said you really don’t feel the weight. The acceleration and braking is impressive, it’s very nimble. It’s not unlike the s22 in a lot of ways. Probably the 126volts give a similar feel. Both wheels felt very natural and didn’t take much acclimating to get used to. Must resist the urge for more wheels…….. 😬😬

[techyiam]

3 hours ago, Hellkitten said:

Must resist the urge for more wheels…….. 😬😬

Yeah, you keep telling that to you S.O., meanwhile the door bell rings, and UPS delivers a mysterious parcel to your front door. And you claim you have no idea why it has the same size as the shipping box you saw in the Patton unboxing videos. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by techyiam

[Hellkitten]

Went on a decently long ride tonight, drained the battery down to 53% from fully charged. I rode over dozens and dozens of speed bumps, dropped a few curbs, bumped up a few, rode over train tracks, over a deep ditch. The suspension is so nice on this wheel and motor power got me over a few things my 84v wheel definitely couldn’t. This wheel likes to be on the road and just go. The more time on this wheel the more I like it. 

[mhpr262]

On 5/28/2023 at 3:23 AM, Hellkitten said:

I feel like I have a lot of kms to put on it before I’m confident

It was the same for me when I first rode my new EX20S after several thousand kilometers on my V11 - it was a bigger jump and it took me far longer to adjust than when I switched from my V10F to the V11. A lot of the problems was probably due to the extremely aggressive knobby factory tire with a protruding line of knobs right in the center of the tire. 

 

[Hellkitten]

4 minutes ago, mhpr262 said:

A lot of the problems was probably due to the extremely aggressive knobby factory tire with a protruding line of knobs right in the center of the tire. 

Yeah I agree. The stock tire has a tipping point if you lean a bit too far. I’ve caught it a few times when it wanted to fall over while leaning. I wanted to try the knobby tire for awhile and see if I like it. I have a street pilot in the wings if I want to swap it out. Did you keep the stock tire on your wheel? 

[mhpr262]

On 6/30/2023 at 7:30 PM, Hellkitten said:

Yeah I agree. The stock tire has a tipping point if you lean a bit too far. I’ve caught it a few times when it wanted to fall over while leaning. I wanted to try the knobby tire for awhile and see if I like it. I have a street pilot in the wings if I want to swap it out. Did you keep the stock tire on your wheel? 

Yes I kept it. Mostly because I was too lazy and too cheap to get another tire, but also because I do a lot of multi day tours a long way from my home and the vey last thing I need on those trips is a flat tire. I am fairly certain such a super aggressive knobby tire protects the tube better against thorns, glass shards and pointy gravel than a "smooth" road tire because it keeps the tube "floating" above the asphalt. Tire puncture protection is just a number one priority for me.

[Hellkitten]

So I’m somewhere around 1500km on my SS now. The app says 1319km, but it reset back to zero around the 200/250km mark. I also bought new boots yesterday and repositioned my pad setup. Boots and pads made a massive difference in control and grip. Should have done it sooner. I’ve been comfortable on the wheel for awhile now, but the new footwear made a huge improvement. I also carved/sanded a foam seat and added it today. It’s much taller than the thin pad that came with it. I’m 6 feet tall and wanted something that I didn’t have to squat like crazy to sit on. I’ll test that out tonight. Loving this wheel still. The range and suspension is fantastic! 👌🏻👌🏻

[Hellkitten]

Minor update. I just passed the 2,000km mark on my SS if I include the mileage from before it reset itself. It was hard to judge how much I’ve acclimated to this wheel besides how much more comfortable I am on it now. I jumped on my v11 for a quick trip to the bank and wow! It feels super sketchy and weak. Lol. I haven’t been on it in about a month and a half. What once felt normal and natural now feels squirrelly and nerve racking. That being said I rode a friend’s patton last week for a good length of our ride and it felt really good. We just had to adjust the toe hooks for my thicker boots. It’s the most amount of time I’ve had on that wheel and I can see the appeal. It has more immediate access to torque and is more playful as a wheel. Really liking what leperkim has put out this season. 

[techyiam]

32 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

I jumped on my v11 for a quick trip to the bank and wow! It feels super sketchy and weak. Lol. I haven’t been on it in about a month and a half.

That's exactly what happened to me.

After not having ridden the V12 for about 6 months (basically has been riding the Abrams), when I got back on the V12, it did feel sketchy. Braking for sure was a lot weaker. The front grab handle on the Abrams really helps for emergency braking.

I don't like riding the V12 very much anymore.

On the other hand, I can jump from the Abrams onto the Patton and enjoy riding the Patton.

So yeah, Leaper Kim did a good job on the Patton.

 

[Hellkitten]

I’m now somewhere past the 5,000km mark, having had a few firmware resets I don’t know the exact number. I’ve switched up a few things from my initial setup. I won second place in our local Halloween contest/ride and received a gift certificate from grizzla! I got some flow pads from them (amazing 4 day delivery to canada!) Those replaced the regular sized grizzlas I had on it. Much better with the larger pads. I’ve also started angling my pedals forward-4 degrees and I’m really enjoying the changes in riding characteristics it brings. Being 6 feet tall I find the low seat like traveling in economy on a plane. So I built a higher seat for it. I added a power bank into it to power some COB LEDS @Tryptych gave to me. Still loving this wheel, even more now with these changes. 

[techyiam]

Regarding my last post above, things has turned 180. degrees around.

Since I was busying working on and riding the S22, I completely ignore the Abrams.

I have been riding the V12 and the S22.

After a few weeks, I can't ride my Abrams anymore. Well, I can but I have to spend a little time to get back where I was.

Now I like riding my V12, and my S22. I still like the Abrams, but I don't ride it because I would have to go through a little learning curve. And that is not convenient since it has been cold, slippery and wet.

As the S22 is becoming better and better, I am less incline to consider a 22" as my next wheel.

Edited December 2, 2023 by techyiam

[Hellkitten]

@techyiam I hear you on relearning to ride after switching between wheels. I jump between my menten4 and Sherman regularly now. I don’t really have to readjust anymore. (Thankfully) It just took a few weeks of doing that to get over it. I’m with you on the 22” wheel. I think 20” is close to perfect. I’d like a smaller diameter one as well, but if there’s enough torque behind a larger wheel it might not matter much.