My Falcon Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs

[Marty Backe]

7 hours ago, Jayzao said:

They are easier to plug and reinflate on the fly, whereas tubes require unmounting the wheel.
Unless you smash something big enough to unseat the tire, which would mash your rim, you'll rarely be walking your EUC back home.
Car tires have used this approach for a couple of decades now.
I think it's the best option for all PEVs where the wheel is difficult to dismount.
 

Only a couple of decades???  Maybe 70+ years

[Marty Backe]

 

[Funky]

On 6/7/2024 at 5:09 AM, Marty Backe said:

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with the wheel. I'm having wobble issues because of the crappy pads for MY body. I'm still making the new side fairings that will allow me to use my own pads. 

One could argue that by installing side fairings and aftermarket pads you are reviewing completely different wheel.  (Not being stock anymore..)

You could try riding without any pads.. Afterwards add your pads, to see if pads actually are needed.

 

Edited June 9 by Funky

[Ben Kim]

On 6/6/2024 at 2:15 PM, Jayzao said:

They are easier to plug and reinflate on the fly, whereas tubes require unmounting the wheel.
Unless you smash something big enough to unseat the tire, which would mash your rim, you'll rarely be walking your EUC back home.
Car tires have used this approach for a couple of decades now.
I think it's the best option for all PEVs where the wheel is difficult to dismount.

I’d love to see tubeless tires across the board on eucs, plugging a tire is a better solution than calling a taxi to take you home. 

[Funky]

To some it's easier to walk home than try fixing the tire on the road.. Not needing to call taxi even.   (Last mileage users..)

Edited June 9 by Funky

[Marty Backe]

9 hours ago, Ben Kim said:

I’d love to see tubeless tires across the board on eucs, plugging a tire is a better solution than calling a taxi to take you home. 

Better yet, using Slime doesn't require you to do any work. Just keep riding 

[Marty Backe]

11 hours ago, Funky said:

One could argue that by installing side fairings and aftermarket pads you are reviewing completely different wheel.  (Not being stock anymore..)

You could try riding without any pads.. Afterwards add your pads, to see if pads actually are needed.

 

If I am forced to review this wheel as-is, then my personal opinion is that it sucks.

So now that that review is out of the way, I'm going to use my own pads 

And I've been riding wheels long enough to know that I need pads on all wheels that I ride. I'm not a flatland rider in Florida. We have mountains here 

[Funky]

4 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Better yet, using Slime doesn't require you to do any work. Just keep riding 

Doh winter/summer tire change will be slimy situation.  

4 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

If I am forced to review this wheel as-is, then my personal opinion is that it sucks.

Thanks for honest review - deep down i knew it sucks..  Wide body, no carry handle.. It's more or less a trick wheel, not a last mileage, easy to grab and go commuter wheel. It would be nightmare to use it for daily commuting.. Awkward to carry, no lift button, no carry handle. Thanks for opening my eyes.  Another wheel goes in my dumpster list. (Every single wheel released since ~2020 has been there..)  

4 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

And I've been riding wheels long enough to know that I need pads on all wheels that I ride. I'm not a flatland rider in Florida. We have mountains here 

Good thing i got everything flat around here.. Even when i was riding ~35% incline i didn't need pads. I bet it's mostly because i started out without pads and i'm used not having them.

[Ben Kim]

6 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Better yet, using Slime doesn't require you to do any work. Just keep riding 

Yeah then your rim will be a goopy mess on the inside when it comes time to change tires, and it’s not easy to clean up. Perhaps you don’t ride enough on a single wheel for that to be an issue? 
 

If slime was such a godsend you’d see it in car tires, motorcycle tires, but you don’t. 

[Funky]

38 minutes ago, Ben Kim said:

Yeah then your rim will be a goopy mess on the inside when it comes time to change tires, and it’s not easy to clean up. Perhaps you don’t ride enough on a single wheel for that to be an issue? 
 

If slime was such a godsend you’d see it in car tires, motorcycle tires, but you don’t. 

You can simply wash it off with water.. Also it works.. I once pinched my tube while changing tire and while i was putting new tub inside and put together whole wheel about 1 hour later. The pinched tube had already sealed itself simply by sitting on floor. (Mind you it was sitting sideways without air in it and slime wasn't moving. And pinch was 3-4mm long, so quite big hole.) I started to pump it up and it held for a while, till it got too big and stretched out, at which point it started to let air out. I patched it afterwards.

Moral of story - Slime works way better than you think. And that's on thin flimsy tube. Tubeless tire is 10-20 times thicker and it will fill that puncture really fast!

Car/Motorcycle tires are very thick and hard - they rarely, if any get punctures. One could argue than EUC's are now getting tubeless tires and would be same as cars/motorcycles. Yet we still ride them off-road, etc.. Where puncture can happen. (We don't ride euc's same way as other vehicles.)

I personally travel only 3 miles every day and still choose to use slime. Because i don't wanna do unplanned tire change. As it takes much more time to do one compared to regular bicykle.

 

Watch how many holes this guys has in his tire... (Also how to clean.)

 

Edited June 10 by Funky

[Ben Kim]

1 hour ago, Funky said:

You can simply wash it off with water.. Also it works.. I once pinched my tube while changing tire and while i was putting new tub inside and put together whole wheel about 1 hour later. The pinched tube had already sealed itself simply by sitting on floor. (Mind you it was sitting sideways without air in it and slime wasn't moving. And pinch was 3-4mm long, so quite big hole.) I started to pump it up and it held for a while, till it got too big and stretched out, at which point it started to let air out. I patched it afterwards.

Moral of story - Slime works way better than you think. And that's on thin flimsy tube. Tubeless tire is 10-20 times thicker and it will fill that puncture really fast!

Car/Motorcycle tires are very thick and hard - they rarely, if any get punctures. One could argue than EUC's are now getting tubeless tires and would be same as cars/motorcycles. Yet we still ride them off-road, etc.. Where puncture can happen. (We don't ride euc's same way as other vehicles.)

I personally travel only 3 miles every day and still choose to use slime. Because i don't wanna do unplanned tire change. As it takes much more time to do one compared to regular bicykle.

 

Watch how many holes this guys has in his tire... (Also how to clean.)

 

Uhh, 3 plugs in my Ducati rear tire says otherwise. 

[Funky]

15 minutes ago, Ben Kim said:

Uhh, 3 plugs in my Ducati rear tire says otherwise. 

Plugs? Those rope thingies "bacon strips"?  What can i say - you didn't do great job maybe?  If it leaked air - you should have added more strips till it stops.

Glue, strips, let it sit - done. Same as patching tire from inside. Whos gonna buy new tire after each puncture.. When you can fix old one.

Also plug is a plug - slime is always mixing inside tire and automatically fills any hole.. (Example i needed to fill up my tire every week, now after slime maybe once a month i need to check tire pressure - it "glued" all micro holes in rubber.)

 

If you had slime in your Ducati back tire - those plugs would have worked.  

Edited June 10 by Funky

[Ben Kim]

14 minutes ago, Funky said:

Plugs? Those rope thingies "bacon strips"?  What can i say - you didn't do great job maybe?  If it leaked air - you should have added more strips till it stops.

Glue, strips, let it sit - done. Same as patching tire from inside. Whos gonna buy new tire after each puncture.. When you can fix old one.

Also plug is a plug - slime is always mixing inside tire and automatically fills any hole.. (Example i needed to fill up my tire every week, now after slime maybe once a month i need to check tire pressure - it "glued" all micro holes in rubber.)

 

If you had slime in your Ducati back tire - those plugs would have worked.  

Uhh, what? 3 separate punctures. It has nothing to do the “quality of job”.  I’m sorry, I am not riding on a bike that does 200 mph with 3 plugs in it. 

Edited June 10 by Ben Kim

[novazeus]

On 6/6/2024 at 10:13 PM, Marty Backe said:

 

i have zero interest in this wheel but i wanted to give u two thumbs up on the 360 video so i can keep u in frame and analyze the wheel. 

i review my videos the same way. i love it!

i don't enjoy crashing, but it's handy to go back and find the reason. 

i started using videos to teach golf 56 years ago. u can't beat it.

[Funky]

19 minutes ago, Ben Kim said:

Uhh, what? 3 separate punctures. It has nothing to do the “quality of job”.  I’m sorry, I am not riding on a bike that does 200 mph with 3 plugs in it. 

Why not?

Yet somehow people are fine riding one wheeled device with a plugged tire.  Anyways it's fine to ride. They are "tire fix" products in first place. Same as tube patches. If tire stops leaking air - everything alright.

[Ben Kim]

59 minutes ago, Funky said:

Why not?

Yet somehow people are fine riding one wheeled device with a plugged tire.  Anyways it's fine to ride. They are "tire fix" products in first place. Same as tube patches. If tire stops leaking air - everything alright.

https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/does-a-repair-change-a-tires-speed-rating#:~:text=Therefore%2C most tire manufacturers have,no faster than 85 mph.
 

I personally know someone who died when a rope plug got spit off his bike at 150 mph. So no, I don’t think I’ll be taking your word as gospel. I’m sure it’s perfectly fine for EUC speeds though! 

[Ben Kim]

And just so people don’t sit here and take @Funky word as gospel, the stuff simply does not work as well as he’s preaching. 
 

 

[Funky]

53 minutes ago, Ben Kim said:

And just so people don’t sit here and take @Funky word as gospel, the stuff simply does not work as well as he’s preaching. 
 

 

Ofc it won't fix thumb size holes Jesus.. It's perfect for small needle and thorn holes.. Also some smaller glass cuts. (Which in my case while riding bicykle past decades has been that.)

Use some common sense man. It's liquid which has small rubber parts inside it. Stopping air leak from 5mm hole alone is amazing! (Luckily thorns and needles are around ~3mm size.)

Anyways lets stop at this - for some slime works, for some it's useless crap.  I know it works for me.. Otherwise i would not use it. (I was crazy enough to puncture my own tire, when i was opening wheel to see if it really works.. Spoiler - it worked. Again - i used small nail!)

[Jayzao]

1 hour ago, Ben Kim said:

Cool video, maybe after I do the Amor-Dilloz I'll buy some Sahara sealant.
Like @Funky said, it would be rare for me to hit anything larger than a cactus thorn or a drywall screw.
But its cool to know there are sealants that plug 12MM punctures.
Handy to know since I'll be taking the wheel to ride in Boulder Canyon this coming week. (Bootleg Canyon)

I wonder how many tires those guys burned through testing???
 

 

 

Edited June 10 by Jayzao

[MadVlad]

Do NOT ride on tire plugs fast or hard, dont do it for long, they are meant as a temporary "get home" solution, they should be used very carefully, they can fail at any moment, and in some cases the failure is a tire blowout. When that happens on a car you might damage a rim and/or crash into something, on a motorcycle you go flying off of the bike, or wipe out, unless you get very lucky. This is particularly dangerous if whatever punctured your tire is partially still in the tire, like a construction staple, you end up with a plug sitting next to that object, and when the tire heats up you are primed for a blowout, popped a tire like that in a hard corner once, not fun, but it was in a car so I was ok and was able to save it.

[Marty Backe]

 

[Funky]

Any plans of trying to do a tire change? Or trying to find out the fastest way one can change a tire?

I wonder do one needs to disassemble whole wheel - unscrewing top plate/batteries, etc.. Or can one simply remove motor wire and slide motor out somehow? (Batteries/Top plate simply lifts off suspension - screws undone around pedals.)

Don't get me wrong disassembling wheel isn't hard. Just don't like the idea of doing that, just to do a tire change. (Summer/Winter tire change, quick flat fix, etc..)

Edited June 20 by Funky

[Jayzao]

15 minutes ago, Funky said:

Any plans of trying to do a tire change? Or trying to find out the fastest way one can change a tire?

I wonder do one needs to disassemble whole wheel - unscrewing top plate/batteries, etc.. Or can one simply remove motor wire and slide motor out somehow? (Batteries/Top plate simply lifts off suspension - screws undone around pedals.)

Don't get me wrong disassembling wheel isn't hard. Just don't like the idea of doing that, just to do a tire change. (Summer/Winter tire change, quick flat fix, etc..)

I saw a Falcon breakdown on YouTube performed by the Begode team.
It seems to be the same basic design as the Master V4, which I have torn down to change tires twice.
The first time I did the wheel tear down was not hard, but it was challenging the first round. The second tire change was significantly easier.
Fight Velcro is always a PITA.
I fixed a flat for my Vegas trip, and an hour into the Vegas Blue Diamond ride, I got another flat.


I left a tire tool in the tire between the tire and the tube, which pierced the tube after a couple of small drops.
Doh!
I couldn't believe I did that...What a knucklehead.
btw: we are expecting our Falcon to be delivered today with the off-road or knobby tire.

[Jayzao]

21 minutes ago, Funky said:

Any plans of trying to do a tire change? Or trying to find out the fastest way one can change a tire?

I wonder do one needs to disassemble whole wheel - unscrewing top plate/batteries, etc.. Or can one simply remove motor wire and slide motor out somehow? (Batteries/Top plate simply lifts off suspension - screws undone around pedals.)

Don't get me wrong disassembling wheel isn't hard. Just don't like the idea of doing that, just to do a tire change. (Summer/Winter tire change, quick flat fix, etc..)

I think some folks have more than one wheel one for off-road and one for street.
You have the V145 Adventure, so I'd say you'd be good on either surface, although the V14 does shine in off-road situations.
If you bought another, would you get a matching V14 with a road setup?

[Funky]

32 minutes ago, Jayzao said:

I think some folks have more than one wheel one for off-road and one for street.
You have the V145 Adventure, so I'd say you'd be good on either surface, although the V14 does shine in off-road situations.
If you bought another, would you get a matching V14 with a road setup?

Emm i think you Quoted wrong guy second time.  I don't Have V14 and will never have any of those big wheels.