I switched from KS-18XL to KS-S16 Pro - point of view

[Magovec]

To whoever thinks about the same switch as I was continuosly thinking about for several months. And I did it.

I had Kingsong 18XL for 3 years. I loved it. It is perfectly balanced, universal, lightweight and compact, yet powerful and long distance street wheel. For flat surfaces, street city riding it is perfect. It is not an offroad machine. I had 3 main reasons why I was thinking about switching:

• We have a lot of cracks on streets and cycling pavements - so something more comfortable
• My major crashes during last 2 seasons were due to my poor preparedness for the road ahead, e.g. barely visible bump or bigger crack than I expected and without suspension "the kick" I got was too big to handle - so suspension for better safety
• Stability in light offroad because with 18XL (perhaps mainly because of thinner tire with street grip) when I traverse from asphalt to grass or dirt it is very perceivable that the stability drops significantly - so something with better, thicker tire with some offroad grip

S16 came as a rejuvenation. I saw many videos on youtube and read many articles about S16 and its Pro variant. Here are my impressions after 2 weeks:

• It is similarly nimble (to my surprise). The thicker tire and bigger weight does not matter. Only breaking is harder.
• It is relatively small. Without powerpads applied it is very small wheel.
• It is distinctively more powerfull. Even thought I am not a power rider jumping 1m high on every bump and I am not pushing any EUCto its limits when I accelerate it feels way more powerful and easy to gain speed.
• It feels like a “tank” when riding. It "flies" over no matter the surface.
• It is heavy to carry around. Significantly worse manual handling (e.g. caring it 2 floors up in the building etc.)
• It has still not so polished FW – sometimes I feel some “gyro misalignment” when riding. Nothing critical, one can ride normally, just it is obvious it needs some polishing.

Biggest advantages of S16 Pro over 18XL

• Suspension – perfect, enjoyable, comfortable and much safer ride
• Offroad stability – in cases when I cross from asphalt to grass, forest path and back it is super stable
• Overall the ride is faster – because worse roads do not slow you down. In average it is faster
• Kickstand - it is there all the time, it does not get in the way, it looks fine and it is super stable
• Encouragement to "play" - while riding on 18XL I was "commuting" from A to B, finding the best, smoothest way to get there safely and on time. On S16 while you ride it encurages you to "jump over this small bump, go via that short side road and then back to the street...". Never thought I would feel this. It is more fun.

Biggest disadvantages of S16 Pro over 18XL

• Weight – even though it is one of the lightest EUC on the market today it is heavy for day-to-day city manual handling (picking it up stairs, getting in/out of public transport, etc.)
• Range – the range is halved to what I hoped for, which I find disturbing in a view that both have almost identical battery capacity
• Carry handle (the one in front for carring it one handed not the trolley handle used when pushing it, this one is actualy fine) – worse manipulation, it is plastic and cracks when lifted, thus one is affraid to trust it to sustain such load

Hope it helps you guys, who think about switching.

Edited April 15 by Magovec

[BlueCrow]

Hope you're enjoying your new wheel. Do you find the improved ride on the S16 outweigh the convenience of your 18XL? I presume you still have your 18XL. Do you find yourself wanting to take 18XL instead? 

[slippyfeet]

I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.

I was able to have both the 18XL and S16 Pro in my possession at the same time to do back-to-back comparisons and with my leisure recreational street rider style, I'm keeping the 18XL and selling off the S16 Pro to a hybrid commuter/ bike trail rider.

Things I'd miss from the S16 Pro are the kickstand, and the grippy tire.

What I disliked the most is the super loud motor whine.

[Magovec]

1 hour ago, BlueCrow said:

Hope you're enjoying your new wheel. Do you find the improved ride on the S16 outweigh the convenience of your 18XL? I presume you still have your 18XL. Do you find yourself wanting to take 18XL instead? 

I sold my 18XL yesterday (it wa on sale for a while so I did not want to suddenly stop as buyers were already calling). Right now I do have the biggest issue in battery, respective range. My old 18XL was able to do around 85km with 15% charge left. As I described in a different topic on S16 I did today 12km which costed approx 40% of battery. Day before I did 34km ride when battery started at 89% and finished on 4% almost dead. The range is the biggest problem of S16. But I am currently investigating if it is problem of my piece (e.g. fault) or by design and perhaps they can improve this in FW in the future. But still, this stays like the most annoying thing which one cannot fully adapt to it (compare to for example weight which is heavy, but when used to it - manageable).

[Funky]

On 4/9/2024 at 11:53 PM, Magovec said:

Biggest disadvantages of S16 Pro over 18XL
1.    Weight – even though it is one of the lightest EUC on the market today it is heavy for day-to-day city riding and handling
3.    Handle – worse manipulation/handling (between people on a pavement, bus station, avoiding stairs etc.)

And that's why i will not buy any new EUC ever.. If manufacturers keep making heavy wheels without good carry/trolley handle.  (One handed)

I'm waiting for that 20kg wheel that can replace my 18xl.  For daily 5km commutes to/from work going 25-35kmh speeds. Battery size - don't care, i change my 18xl every second weekend.. Meaning i'm fine going for 2x smaller battery and charging it every weekend. (I change it when battery drops around 50%. Luckily it's right on spot every second weekend.)

Edited April 11 by Funky

[DavidB]

It took them years to get rid of the Kingsong whine ( tho' it still wasn't quiet). Now they have a different noise to annoy the rider.

[sidderke]

Magovec, first of all thank you for your post! 

I have an 18XL that I still love very much, so not really looking for an upgrade. But I *was* thinking, IF I should upgrade, if I would upgrade to something like an S16, because it seems like it comes closest in some ways to an 18XL. From all the new wheels, it seems the lightest, cheapest. And of course, suspension sounds nice. That being said, unfortunately your review highlights *exactly* why I'm not keen on replacing my 18XL... 

 Range. I adore the range of the 18XL, and I still think it's one of the best, if not the best, in a weight/range ratio. The thing that comes close seems an original Sherman. It seems like all the new wheels have markedly lower ranges than an 18XL, and it's exactly that '80km-ish' figure that as one of the huge draws for me of the 18XL, and it has pretty much holds true. I'm not a heavy rider, I need to add. (75kg). Don't know if the normal S16 vs S16 Pro would have better range, because of the more powerful motor?

Weight: I use my wheel mostly in the city. Having a good trolley handle and something I can lift with one hand, is nice, and the current weight is already heavy to use on public transport, stairs, etc.  I used an original Sherman for a couple of weeks, and while I adored the range, the feel and the stability, it was a markedly more of a 'drag' to use in public transport/stairs/cafes/... The 18XL does still seems like the perfect in-between between portable and power.

Thanks again for your review, I hope the S16 and S16Pro would make the prices on 18XL significantly lower (which is not the case so far), and that there are still options in the future coming for sub-30kg wheels with a huge range, not the fastest speed, and suspension (although that also adds some maintenance? I love how low-maintenance my previous EUC's - 18XL and InMotion V10f were).  Would love a kickstand as well.

Edited April 14 by sidderke

[rcgldr]

9 hours ago, sidderke said:

I hope the S16 and S16Pro would make the prices on 18XL significantly lower (which is not the case so far)

There is 18XL V2 now, spiked pedals, and power pad like bumps on the upper pads. Some of the smaller dealers with old inventory are discounting 18XL, one for around $1400, but it was over 2 year old stock, and the battery was never maintained. Inmotion V11 selling for $1600 hasn't resulted in much of a price drop either ($1845 for 18XL V2 at EUCO, $1950 for old 18XL at eWheels).

Edited April 14 by rcgldr