Speedie Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Hi, I'm looking for advice on selecting a second EUC. My first EUC is an Airwheel X8 which I have had for just on one year now. I use it to travel approximately 2-3km twice a day from home to the train station. While I have enjoyed learning to ride the X8 and it's convenience and overall feeling of using it there are a few things that I would like to improve upon. The features I would like to improve are; being able to configure settings, having a more powerful / torquey motor & battery package (more specifically, the route to the station is up hill and in some parts reasonably steep. I am 85kg and in these sections the X8 really struggles. it feels as though it is ready to give up - it does feel at the very limit of it's ability to climb. I'm not sure how to understand motor ratings - each manufacturer seems to have a different way of describing the wattage plus I suspect the quality and battery discharge capability to feed the motor under load can make big differences, so a bigger motor rating isn't necessarily the right measure on it's own I'm guessing.) and finally the form factor (the X8 does look a little dated now). I'm happy with a top speed of 15 to 18km/h for safety reasons so outright speed is not a priority. Finally the terrain is a little bumpy with curb and guttering to contend with so a 16inch wheel is preferable but not a must. I have been looking at the following EUCs (in no particular order) as a replacement and would be grateful for any advice you may have. Solowheel Xtreme IPS Zero Ninebot One Pro (not sure if these are still available - any other Ninebot applicable?) KingSong 16A Any thoughts you may have are greatly appreciated. Apologies if I have posted in the wrong area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwheel Jack Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 You could add to your shortlist the soon-to-be-launched Uniwheel. http://uniwheel.co.uk Some of us are awaiting the first delivery of this UK designed and made wheel with interest. They claim it has been designed to a higher standard of safety than the earlier generations of EUCs. All the specs look good except the battery capacity - although for your stated use it would be fine. The expected range is somewhere around 6-7 miles but the battery is able to be changed in a few seconds if you have a replacement ready. Price is not cheap but doesn't seem all that much different from the King Song 16 which is also imminent. I'm going for the Uniwheel to replace my first wheel - Airwheel Q3 - which I don't recommend at all because of its two-wheel configuration. I haven't ridden one yet but I have seen it in action in London and it looks like a winner to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponne Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I ride a IPS Zero 240. IMO it could be a good wheel for your needs. My cruise speed is about 18 Km/h (can go faster but at the moment that's my personal limit). Even up hill it maintains that speed despite my 95Kg. Range with my weight is about 15-20Km (i never did one long run until battery was depleted) The looks are ofcourse a personal choice but IMHO the Zero can compete with other desings. Visibility of the LEDs from al sides is also a plus. The wheel is easly portable with 10,5 Kg And then there is the price. i think its the cheapest wheel by much in your list of favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checho Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 On 2/28/2016 at 7:08 PM, Blackwheel Jack said: You could add to your shortlist the soon-to-be-launched Uniwheel. http://uniwheel.co.uk Some of us are awaiting the first delivery of this UK designed and made wheel with interest. They claim it has been designed to a higher standard of safety than the earlier generations of EUCs. All the specs look good except the battery capacity - although for your stated use it would be fine. The expected range is somewhere around 6-7 miles but the battery is able to be changed in a few seconds if you have a replacement ready. Price is not cheap but doesn't seem all that much different from the King Song 16 which is also imminent. I'm going for the Uniwheel to replace my first wheel - Airwheel Q3 - which I don't recommend at all because of its two-wheel configuration. I haven't ridden one yet but I have seen it in action in London and it looks like a winner to me! I would not recommend the uniwheel based on the published specs: motor 1500 w. Battery 132 wh. Tiny battery for a supposedly powerful motor, where is the motor going to get the power from without causing a significant voltage drop and not stressing out the tiny battery pack?. Impossible! These are my recommendations where the attery pack size matches the motor size: King song 18ks 1100w 1360wh Gotway 18 low torque type3 1000w 840wh Ips 151 1000w 680wh And all cheaper then the uniwheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US69 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Just take a Kingsong 14c i am nearly 95 kg and it's moving me no probs! you Can get from 340 to 754 or 680wh! and The Price is nice! i am new to Eu's but for me the uniwheel is a joke! Expensive, low Battery... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 The battery on the uniwheel is a different chemistry. Supposedly it can give bigger outputs down to lower capacities. If it truly works as described it's exactly what we've all been waiting for. It's about time we lost the need to carry 3x as much battery capacity as we need just to guarantee the output rate. I'm looking forward to testing one soon hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US69 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Different chemistry? watthour is watthour....if you have LiOn LiPo etc etc sorry, i don't believe that....this different chemistry Story has been tried to told in some other industries....but always come out that Energy is Energy .... and their is another Story on this : Batterie Safety! 18650 Are much safer than this LiPo's its a hole different Story to have a Short or a damage on a 18650 than on a lipo ... i don't want to have this between my legs on 20kmh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMo Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I 59 minutes ago, KingSong69 said: Different chemistry? watthour is watthour....if you have LiOn LiPo etc etc sorry, i don't believe that....this different chemistry Story has been tried to told in some other industries....but always come out that Energy is Energy .... and their is another Story on this : Batterie Safety! 18650 Are much safer than this LiPo's its a hole different Story to have a Short or a damage on a 18650 than on a lipo ... i don't want to have this between my legs on 20kmh... The battery type mentioned are A123 lifePo4 and not LiPo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US69 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Ok, Sorry! but watthour is Staying watthour...i don't Know how a lifePo4 Could change that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriull Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 By the different chemistry LiFePo has less voltage drop and can deliver higher pulse currents (with less voltage drop?) over most of the discharge cycle. Imho - i am not too much into batteries, but thats more or less what is written in the wiki and was mentioned around here sometimes... the big con is that lifepos have lower energy density. So with the same size pack one has less range but the wheel could be saver, since sudden power demands could be satisfied better. ... Maybe ... edit: with (very) high Wh "normal high quaility" LiIon packs every power demand should be settled too without any probs - but for light low range wheels lifepo could maybe have advantages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedie Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 Hi, thank you all very much for responding to my post. At the moment I quite like both the KS-16 and the uniwheel. Both soon to be released. On the KS, It has a proven track record with most reports sighting a good build quality with sound engineering. For me the downside is its width and weight for my short distance requirements. On the uniwheel, there is some risk as this is their first EUC, however from the reports posted here and the target specifications it does have the hallmarks of a well thought out and designed product. My impressions only, so take with a grain of salt, it does look as though it is being designed and built to a certain standard and quality more so than to a price (which appeals to me). I like the lighter weight and less bulk of it as well. As to the battery size, I am no expert, but if I don't need to travel large distances then a smaller battery is ample so long as it can deliver the power or amperage the engine is calling for during peak load times. Naively I liken it to a small petrol tank for a big engined car. As long as the fuel injectors can deliver the required flow of petrol I can use the full power of the engine as long as the petrol lasts. Again, I'm no expert on batteries, does watt hours (tank size) dictate how much energy can be delivered per unit time? i definitely don't want to start an argument on batteries. I'm no engineer and my petrol tank analogy may be way off. Again, thankyou for your responses they have been most helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 20 minutes ago, Speedie said: Hi, thank you all very much for responding to my post. At the moment I quite like both the KS-16 and the uniwheel. Both soon to be released. On the KS, It has a proven track record with most reports sighting a good build quality with sound engineering. For me the downside is its width and weight for my short distance requirements. On the uniwheel, there is some risk as this is their first EUC, however from the reports posted here and the target specifications it does have the hallmarks of a well thought out and designed product. My impressions only, so take with a grain of salt, it does look as though it is being designed and built to a certain standard and quality more so than to a price (which appeals to me). I like the lighter weight and less bulk of it as well. As to the battery size, I am no expert, but if I don't need to travel large distances then a smaller battery is ample so long as it can deliver the power or amperage the engine is calling for during peak load times. Naively I liken it to a small petrol tank for a big engined car. As long as the fuel injectors can deliver the required flow of petrol I can use the full power of the engine as long as the petrol lasts. Again, I'm no expert on batteries, does watt hours (tank size) dictate how much energy can be delivered per unit time? i definitely don't want to start an argument on batteries. I'm no engineer and my petrol tank analogy may be way off. Again, thankyou for your responses they have been most helpful. Based on my knowledge (I'm no expert either), your petrol tank/fuel injection-analogy isn't that far off (except the injection will also drop once the batteries are more empty, emptier batteries cannot deliver as much current as full ones). One watthour (Wh) would mean that when drawing 1 watt constant power from the battery it should be empty in one hour. Of course the wheels draw a some hundreds of watts per hour (on average), but the draw is very "spiky" during riding (high peaks during acceleration & climbing and even reverse currents during braking and going downhill, ie. it charges the battery). My average power usage has usually been around 260W, but I'm lightweight, and in addition to weight, it's affected by many things like riding style, terrain, head/tail wind, motor power, speeds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I just finished a 35km ride yesterday with my Firewheel that has a 520Wh capacity after the rebuild, and the meter still shows 45 percent. If anything, it is too much battery for me! It is great having that kind of range but you pay for it in extra weight and of course cost (though I lucked out and the extra battery pack was free). I'm really annoyed with the KS16 and Uniwheel because they have taken way too long from announcement to delivery. We heard about both of these last year and it's already March. Yes it's good to know about them in advance so you won't buy something and regret it the next week, but there is also the Osborne Effect where the company gets into trouble by pre-announcing and not delivering. Plus, why let your competition know what you are doing that early? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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