houseofjob Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 For those interested, here is my comparison of the new 14" Ninebot One S2 [310wH] (Retail $950) vs the new 14" InMotion V5F+ [460wH] (Retail $995) Special thanks to @fearedbliss for letting me try out his new InMotion V5F+ during a good, few hour tour of Brooklyn and Coney Island (my first time in fact!). For reference, I am a 72kg rider with a foot size of US Mens 8.5, and write this comparison as just a regular EUC enthusiast, model and company agnostic. SPEED Out of the box, the V5F+ and S2 should, per spec, have the same ~15.5mph top speed, but I had a hard time catching up to @fearedbliss when I was following on my S2. The S2 is in full tiltback when crossing the 15mph threshold, while the V5F+ tiltback threshold seems to go a little higher. InMotion seems to have plans to increase the V5F+ top speed in later firmware updates, while Ninebot has not stated any plans to increase the S2's top speed in the near future. RANGE Per spec, the V5F+ with slightly bigger battery and better LG cells, should have 50% better range than the S2. While I didn't conduct an exact scientific test between the two, suffice it to say, during our lunch break mid-ride, I had to find the nearest outlet for my S2, while @fearedbliss's V5F+ went the entire few hour trip without a recharge. (for E+ owners, I get the same 12 mile range on my S2 as I did on my old E+ -- as always, rider weight dependent). RESPONSE [S2] Like with all Ninebot Ones, the S2 has a hard response. The pedals maintain a solid, perpendicular shelf during the entire drive, just like I used to experience on my old E+. Unfortunately, with the new Ninebot app, I can't seem to find a way to adjust the hardness like I could with my old E+ and old Ninebot app. [V5F+] The V5F+ has a unique version of a hard response that I quite liked. Initially, inbetween braking and acceleration, there is a slight 'wavy' rock to the pedals. However, when engaging acceleration forward, the pedals will cock up and lock at a slight angle (not as steep as tiltback), staying rock solid and allowing you to really lean into the wheel during acceleration. I am always cautious about not overleaning due to past mishaps (all my faults!), but with the V5F+, I felt like I could be more aggressive in pushing my weight into the wheel for acceleration, more than I can on my other wheels. Maybe this is the kind of response @Jeffrey Scott Will and all the other SoloWheel owners rave about when talking about their SoloWheels? BUMPS [S2] The S2 as a 14" wheel handles bumps and jumps off curbs just fine (with the familiar Ninebot One rattle). Bumps or running into minor divots will set off a single momentary beep that I believe is a current surge overlean warning (which is great!). The same warning is triggered when I try to accelerate too fast from slow speeds too, ie. overlean. [V5F+] The V5F+ going over small bumps and landing off curbs feels like you are riding on a solid mass of immovable rubber. Jumping off curbs will make no rattling noise whatsoever, and driving through small bumps, like a raised sidewalk onramp curb, feels like nothing. PEDALS / HANDLING [S2] Ninebot Ones have always had fairly comfortable pedals, and the S2 is no different. They measure about 7.5" long, 5.25" wide, and sit 4" high from the ground, a bit low for my tastes and carving style. [V5F+] To me, this is one of the areas of the V5F+ that shines. The V5F+ pedals, despite appearances, are one of the longest (8") and highest (5.5") stock pedals I've experienced on a wheel (for additional reference, my KS-18A mk2 pedals are 7" long, 5" wide, 4.5" high). The combination of the less wide (5"), high-sitting pedals allowed me to really angle the wheel close to the ground during turns, without pedal scrape. I got so used to this setup that, going back to the S2, I kept pedal scraping trying to make the same deep turns! COMFORT [S2] The S2 has no padding to speak of, so you must attach your own. I stuck some A/C insulating foam to the shin regions with velcro, which does the job. The pedals, again, are a good size and feel comfortable. [V5F+] The V5F+ sports fairly cushy and thick built-in shin cushions (thicker and cushier than my KS-18A's) that are very comfortable. The relatively long pedals, while sporting less width, were more comfortable than I thought they would be from pictures, no complaints here. WARNINGS / SOUNDS The S2 has many loud beeps that make sense for top speed and overlean warnings, but are a bit obnoxious (same volume) when powering on and lifting the handle. Ninebot really needs to make these non-warning type beeps lower in volume or manually adjustable through the app. In contrast, the sounds of the V5F+, in both tone and volume, are more palatable; the power on/off sound reminds me of old Sega video game sounds!. On another note, both wheels carry no audible motor frequency noise, which is a nice change from the KingSong motor noise (I believe Gotway as well has this). PORTABILITY [S2] Unfortunately, Ninebot has not learned the lessons of it's previous One line, and there is no Ninebot or 3rd party trolley handle solution. While the S2 @ 27lbs is considered a lighter EUC, I would not want to carry the wheel for prolonged periods of time. Hopefully they will develop a suitable option, but something tells me this will be in the form of a poorly designed afterthought, just like the un-wieldy, eyesore of a unicorn trolley handle they sell for the 16" One series. [V5F+] While @fearedbliss hadn't received his V5F+ trolley handle yet, from pictures, it looks well thought out and well integrated into the overall wheel's design, what with it's fold-out, curved shape. It's great that InMotion designed this custom trolley handle and made it available at launch, not assuming all their riders are muscled and ripped enough to carry around the V5F+'s 26.5lbs over prolonged distances / periods of time. HANDLE / WHEEL KILL [S2] The S2 handle is made of a firm rubberized material (spongier than the 16" One Handle), fixed on both ends to the wheel by hidden mechanical, spring-like mechanisms that, when the wheel is lifted by the handle, pulls slightly out of the unit, beeping and engaging the wheel kill function (provided the wheel is not spinning above 5MPH). The overall feel is sturdy, yet comfortable. I do have occasion where, when I lift the wheel, the spring mechanisms do not fully pull out properly at first to initiate the wheel kill, but this is rare and quickly corrects itself under the pull of its own weight while continuing to carry it. [V5F+] The V5F+ handle is a continuous extension of the plastic body/shell, just like the KingSong KS-14C & KS-18A carry handles. A long, thin plastic button runs along most of the underbelly of the handle so that grabbing the handle naturally presses the button against your hand against the weight of the wheel, engaging the wheel kill function. Although the button is long, you could feasibly lift the wheel while not depressing the button, for, say, lift tests, which is nice, because with the S2, you have to dig through a few settings menus in the Ninebot app to turn off the wheel kill feature. ** I have to say, the handle-initiated wheel kill in general is extremely useful for running in and out of shops, and lifting the unit quickly up tall curbs without having to power on/off the unit (thankfully both wheels power on fairly quickly: the V5F+ is a long press of its touch pad power button, while the S2 is a slightly quicker press of its regular mechanical power button). Plus, carrying the powered-on S2 with green LED ring battery level display adds to the eye candy factor! VISIBILITY The V5F+ clearly wins in the visibility department, sporting full blown headlight and tail lights. I like that the front light is manual on/off, as, for comparison, my KS-18A light sensor tends to be finnicky in inbetween daylight and nighttime scenarios, or switching in and out of shade. The S2 only sports the led ring light (with braking light), which is now stock visible from the front and back, but the lights from these angles are not particularly the brightest. BATTERY METER As those have stated, being able to look directly down to see the battery meter on the V5F+ is very convenient, especially mid-ride, as opposed to the S2, which breaks out of the side led battery indicator pattern during motion. WHEEL CLEARANCE Both wheel shells are fully circular and sit fairly flush with the wheel at around 1/2" for both, but I love how the V5F+ has gone a step further to make the bottom edge of the shell fold up (with a firm yank) so you can easily access the tire valve without an extension for inflating. BOTTOM LINE / CLOSING THOUGHTS @Jason McNeil has a real winner in the new InMotion V5F+. It really feels like InMotion took the best of each competitor's wheels, threw in a few extra, well-thought out conveniences, and rolled it into this first foray into the single wheeled EUC market. For all the Ninebot One E+ owners out there looking to upgrade, I would have to put this wheel right next to the KingSong KS-16B as the 2 best overall upgrade paths, with the V5F+ being the more compact and lighter option. The S2, on the other hand, is still a solid wheel (basically a 14" E+), albeit comparatively over-priced (as is the case with Ninebot in general), but not an end-all be-all solution IMO. The only real advantage it has over the V5F+, I would say, is that the batteries (2x 155wH packs) are TSA compliant for travel, and semi-easy to remove. (note: the 4 battery screws have a tendency to get lost through the deep holes of the battery casing if you're not using a magnetic screwdriver). =====UPDATE (7/27/2016)===== (additional observations, now that I have the V5F+ in hand) GRIPTAPE The V5F+ pedals are way grippier than the S2. The S2 griptape is similar to a fingernail file, while the V5F+ has a deeper, more textured grooves, ala heavier duty skateboard griptape. POWERING The power connector looks very USB-esque, but the best part is, it's symmetrical! Meaning, there's no wrong way to plug it in, unlike every other EUC power connector out (LEMO, GX16, etc.). Think all wheels should use this, as I always hate fumbling to quickly plug the chord in (wish I knew the name of this connector type...) Charging the powered off V5F+ will automatically turn on a rolling light display (which I cannot seem to turn off) that shows the progress of charging via the battery indicator. The S2 has a similar display, but you have to turn it on manually. Both wheels when plugged in and in this battery display mode do not engage the gyroscope. *One note about the V5F+ power button is that it is very sensitive. While installing the trolley handle, I repeatedly turned the wheel on unintentionally. TROLLEY HANDLE / PORTABILITY From pictures, I assumed that the V5F+ trolley handle was metal, but in hand, that was not the case. The trolley handle is made up of primarily a sturdy plastic (like a plastic wiffle ball bat) with a rubber grip and feels hollow on the inside. This material choice makes sense to keep the total weight of the unit down. Plastic aside, the trolley handle feels plenty sturdy, and with the curved design, I'm able to easily push the wheel around, even when the wheel is not powered on. However, I wouldn't recommend trying to lift the wheel by the extended trolley handle, as I think that would put unnecessary stress on it. And although both V5F+ with trolley handle installed and the S2 weigh 27 lbs, the V5F+ for some odd reason feels a little lighter when carrying. Not sure why, but might be due to the V5F+ battery residing higher in the unit than the S2 batteries. CALIBRATION I really like the V5F+ calibration vs other systems I've experienced. You basically adjust a slider in the app, which will immediately and incrementally re-level the wheel accordingly, without having to restart/re-power on the wheel. In comparison, the Ninebot and KingSong calibrations require you to have steady hands in manually adjusting the wheel to the right level, and then holding that position while fumbling to lock in that setting in the app with an app button press, or having to press the physical power button on the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planetpapi Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Great comparison. Thank you for your time and effort. I'm a Ninebot owner but kind of leaning towards InMotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefork Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Very nice writeup, @houseofjob! ? ? I seldom feel this confident after a purchase, but this time it seems I absolutely made the right choice going with the V5F+ as my first wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofjob Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 Thanks @Planetpapi @thefork !! My wallet desperately wanted to not like the V5F+ (this will be my fifth EUC purchase), but ultimately, it lost out haha~ (a shiny white V5F+ from eWheels.com ordered and processing!). Will be interesting to see if I utilize the S2 enough to keep it (Ninebot, it's so hard to quit you!), but for now, it will stay in my EUC stable as my over-priced, TSA-approved travel wheel. And Wow, as a first wheel, the V5F+ is a beast! Combined with @Jason McNeil / eWheels.com's A+ support (can't emphasize that enough from past horror stories), I can't imagine a better EUC purchasing experience anywhere else in the world. Enjoy! (I know I will~) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 6 hours ago, houseofjob said: , but I love how the V5F+ has gone a step further to make the bottom edge of the shell fold up (with a firm yank) so you can easily access the tire valve without an extension for inflating. Me too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefork Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 2 minutes ago, steve454 said: Me too! Yes, absolutely! It's interesting, the fact that all of the things you brought up here, @houseofjob, are things that I will be taking for granted. It will make life more difficult when the time for buying my next wheel comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 @houseofjob Congratulations on your purchase! 5 Wheels! Not sure if your married but if so can you please ask your wife to call mine and discuss that having more wheels in the family is a good thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Great review @houseofjob. It carries even more value because you preferred another wheel to one of yours. It speaks volumes for the quality and attractiveness of v5f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofjob Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share Posted July 22, 2016 @Rehab1 Ha thanks! And it's my 5th wheels purchased, not kept FYI. (see my sig) No spouse yet here, so getting all my bachelor-fun in now~ Maybe you can dress up the wheels as Chanel bags? ; ) @Cloud Thanks, my loyalties in this EUC market are only to progress. InMotion looks promising, so long as they keep pushing the innovation envelope, with help of one @Jason McNeil of course~ Now can I get an 20" model with quick-release batteries and solar charging panels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Does anyone know how the Inmotion V5F+ compares to the Gotway MCM4? The MCM4 looks quite capable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fahrtwind Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 @houseofjob This is a really nice, objective comparison of the two wheels! Thank you. First after ordering I had remorse as there were so little information available about this model. They were blown away in that moment I opened the box (before riding it!). Seems inmotion think thoughts to an end. There are so many little things that makes this wheel a to a winner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 10 hours ago, houseofjob said: My wallet desperately wanted to not like the V5F+ (this will be my fifth EUC purchase), but ultimately, it lost out haha~ (a shiny white V5F+ from eWheels.com ordered and processing!). I'm kinda failing to resist to have V5F+ as my fifth wheel as well ... 9 hours ago, Rehab1 said: @houseofjob Congratulations on your purchase! 5 Wheels! Not sure if your married but if so can you please ask your wife to call mine and discuss that having more wheels in the family is a good thing? Group session anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noze02 Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Thanks for the review @houseofjob , very objective and with many detail!! It was exactly what I was waiting for as I'm currently deciding which will be my next wheel and I'm really interested in both models. I was nearly decided to go for the V5D (is the equivalent of the V5F in China or it seems so). But know my decision is even more difficult as seems Inmotion will present a new model on next Monday in China with interchangeable battery and I find the KS16 (680Wh) new for 3000RMB (450USD) in a crowfunding website here, I still cannot believe it () Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 5 minutes ago, noze02 said: But know my decision is even more difficult as seems Inmotion will present a new model on next Monday in China with interchangeable battery Do you have any source or more info? All I saw was some promo picture mentioning the date: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noze02 Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 2 minutes ago, HEC said: Do you have any source or more info? All I saw was some promo picture mentioning the date: Not really, just 2 pictures with comments in chinese, but in the second one they talk about interchangeable batteries if I'm not confused so it seems like a new model.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 7 minutes ago, noze02 said: Not really, just 2 pictures with comments in chinese, but in the second one they talk about interchangeable batteries if I'm not confused so it seems like a new model.... Could it be "new" or "upgraded" batteries and hence referring to V5F+ maybe? Maybe @Jason McNeil or @tinawong can give us a bit of hint in advance? The first picture is the same in English in the link above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noze02 Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Just now, HEC said: Could it be "new" or "upgraded" batteries and hence referring to V5F+ maybe? Yes it could be an upgrade of the V5F, but I think it needs a mayor redesign to have removable batteries, so maybe is more probable to be a new model? For the V5F+ I think is an exclusive improved model for @Jason McNeil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fahrtwind Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Well there are more promotion pictures available in the app! I am pretty sure Inmotion will show us a new wheel! 16" maybe? I am definitely curious what they will present! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefork Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 How can they to this to us?! I can't afford another wheel right away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Well - then I'll wait till Monday for the Big announcement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason McNeil Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Bound by solemn oath not to disclose details, but can say A) the guess about it being a 16" is correct, on paper, the specs are very good, C) this is the product announcement, actual release might be a month or a couple months away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofjob Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share Posted July 22, 2016 3 hours ago, Fahrtwind said: @houseofjob This is a really nice, objective comparison of the two wheels! Thank you. First after ordering I had remorse as there were so little information available about this model. They were blown away in that moment I opened the box (before riding it!). Seems inmotion think thoughts to an end. There are so many little things that makes this wheel a to a winner... Thanks!, and I didn't even realize it stands on its own and has a rear mudguard (been wanting this for my KS-18A as my butt / backpack always gets splashed on in the rain). Chock full of features, love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonTheMad Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 52 minutes ago, Jason McNeil said: Bound by solemn oath not to disclose details, but can say A) the guess about it being a 16" is correct, on paper, the specs are very good, C) this is the product announcement, actual release might be a month or a couple months away. Ahh this is excellent just what I was looking for! I don't mind waiting a few months since I'm not ready to retire my V3 just yet, wants to see what 1radwerkstatt can do about my batterypack first, but then I'm ready to purchase a kickass 16" inmotion wheel from @Jason McNeil! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearedbliss Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 @houseofjobThis has been the best review/comparison I've read on this forums. Excellent job with description of both wheels and categorization of topics. For everyone's info.. I'm 130 lbs (59 kg), 5'6 ft, 8.5 inch shoes (US size). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofjob Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share Posted July 22, 2016 20 minutes ago, fearedbliss said: @houseofjobThis has been the best review/comparison I've read on this forums. Excellent job with description of both wheels and categorization of topics. For everyone's info.. I'm 130 lbs (59 kg), 5'6 ft, 8.5 inch shoes (US size). Thanks! Figured I should make it ADD-friendly, as it was getting kinda long... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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