HEC Posted September 28, 2016 Author Share Posted September 28, 2016 10 minutes ago, Jaouad OB said: Can I update the same version I have ?? Manually? Not that I'm aware off - at least not via mobile app as that will detect the latest FW installed and not offer the update. There are two raiser sockets on the controller where I thing at least one of them could be used for off-line programming (like J-TAG) but you'd need a flash tool and BIN image of firmware for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 @HEC My V8 is ready for pick up. I must be the only guy in the world that has purchased a new wheel that is not excited. I hate keeping secrets from my spouse and coworkers. On well...no one forced this on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 22 minutes ago, Rehab1 said: @HEC My V8 is ready for pick up. I must be the only guy in the world that has purchased a new wheel that is not excited. I hate keeping secrets from my spouse and coworkers. On well...no one forced this on me. i am sad that you are not excited, but i DO understand was excited to SHUN the KS-16 for the V8... of course after reading Jason's questions to the KingSong today i know he isn't happy about THEIR products either, at this point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason McNeil Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 24 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said: of course after reading Jason's questions to the KingSong today i know he isn't happy about THEIR products either, at this point @Greg Spalding, if we made a list of issues with Ninebot or GW, it might even be longer. Complex stuff is seldom perfect, what I think the majority of us are looking for is a reasonably safe product to start, with progressive improvements (preferably through FW) that are trickled out over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 18 minutes ago, Jason McNeil said: @Greg Spalding, if we made a list of issues with Ninebot or GW, it might even be longer. Complex stuff is seldom perfect, what I think the majority of us are looking for is a reasonably safe product to start, with progressive improvements (preferably through FW) that are trickled out over time. Absolutely which I know is one of the reasons you don't want to get involved at this point with GotWay because their wheels have no ability be updated by the end-user. How I wish they would bring you a board is one of their distributors here the United States, but I know they have a lot of work to do before you would want to put your name on what they are making. Perfection is never necessary, but you are correct in saying that safety is what concerns all of us the most because the fear of going 19 miles an hour without a care in the world and having a sudden stoppage, causing permanent bodily damage to those of us aboard is a fairly daunting reality none of us want to experience In the end, I'm glad you are one of the main voices will be able to ask questions to such a high ranking official from KingSong... A company which perhaps has officially now changed its name to "KS Wheels." Is that what I read? Could that be true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason McNeil Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 6 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said: company which perhaps has officially now changed its name to "KS Wheels." There might be some confusion on this: KS created to 'KS Wheels' brand to differentiate the export type 'King Song' from the domestic market, but some either ill-informed, or unscrupulous, Ali sellers claim that this is the 2016 new brand, it isn't... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 1 minute ago, Jason McNeil said: There might be some confusion on this: KS created to 'KS Wheels' brand to differentiate the export type 'King Song' from the domestic market, but some either ill-informed, or unscrupulous, Ali sellers claim that this is the 2016 new brand, it isn't... I appreciate that clarification that's why the only person from whom I would ever buy is you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Stealth pickup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 love the picture AND the smile on your face awesome shot wish i'd been there at that STEALTH MEETING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 1 hour ago, Greg Spalding said: love the picture AND the smile on your face awesome shot wish i'd been there at that STEALTH MEETING That happens to be the FedEx guy working the counter. He was kind enough to let me take his picture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Just now, Rehab1 said: That happens to be the FedEx guy working the counter. He was kind enough to let me take his picture? ah... that makes more sense now i thought you either worked for them..... OR STOLE THE UNIFORM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 OMG...I am in freekin heaven! I thought there would have been a huge transition going from the V5F+ to the V8. Look how much taller the V8 is compared to the V5F+. I was totally wrong! Slight, and I mean slight diminishment of agility but that is probably just me or the tire pressure. I took the V8 right of out of the box and went for a 3 minute ride up until my patient arrived. There is 2 hours of daylight left. Thank god my wife is use to me arriving late but the smile on my face when I get home may be a dead give away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketch Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 @Rehab1 Glad you are having fun with the V8. I would love to here more about your thoughts after you use it for awhile. This one is on my list of next purchases, but I need some more feedback before so make the jump. I'm coming from a ks14c and looking into a larger wheel. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 19 minutes ago, Rehab1 said: OMG...I am in freekin heaven! I thought there would have been a huge transition going from the V5F+ to the V8. Look how much taller the V8 is compared to the V5F+. I was totally wrong! Slight, and I mean slight diminishment of agility but that is probably just me or the tire pressure. I took the V8 right of out of the box and went for a 3 minute ride up until my patient arrived. There is 2 hours of daylight left. Thank god my wife is use to me arriving late but the smile on my face when I get home may be a dead give away that's great news can't wait to hear (and see) a lot more about your V8 experience(s) be safe and have a great time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 10 minutes ago, Sketch said: @Rehab1 Glad you are having fun with the V8. I would love to here more about your thoughts after you use it for awhile. This one is on my list of next purchases, but I need some more feedback before so make the jump. I'm coming from a ks14c and looking into a larger wheel. Thanks Yes that was just an excited, "I can't believe how awesome"!!!.. preliminary review! Unfortunately I am not near as qualified in providing exceptional reviews as so many others on this forum but I will give it a try in the coming days. I have never rode the KS 14 so it will be tough for me to even compare. All KS owners, @Jason McNeil, please help this gentleman out! I am off to ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
em1barns Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 12 hours ago, Rehab1 said: Yes that was just an excited, "I can't believe how awesome"!!!.. preliminary review! Unfortunately I am not near as qualified in providing exceptional reviews as so many others on this forum but I will give it a try in the coming days. I have never rode the KS 14 so it will be tough for me to even compare. All KS owners, @Jason McNeil, please help this gentleman out! I am off to ride Being on v5+ atm, I am interested in a comparison between v5f+ and v8 , and how much more comfort you get from bigger and larger tyre (14/1.95 vs 16/2.125). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 36 minutes ago, em1barns said: Being on v5+ atm, I am interested in a comparison between v5f+ and v8 , and how much more comfort you get from bigger and larger tyre (14/1.95 vs 16/2.125). Total time on the V8...20 minutes. I had an emergency last night that took presidence or I would have accumulated more riding time. So the only comparison I have at the moment: Smooth, agile, fast( no slight wiggle at fast speeds) extremely comfortable,. I now feel I have the best of both worlds, a 14" and 16 " wheel that I can just jump on and ride immediately without any transition feeling that annoys my somatosensory system. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 Inmotion V8: Beauty and the Beast! Tested with Mobile app version 6.1.0 (Android - released the day V8 arrived) and firmware upgraded to latest v1.0.901 (unfortunately in a haste to upgrade the firmware I’ve not made the note of the original firmware version with which the wheel was shipped) – update notes mentions only “Improved performance” so I guess no new feature(s) has been added since the wheels left manufacturer. (The new version 6.1.1 of app was released today later on after publishing this.) The bellow text is a collection of my notes over past week since I’ve received the wheel so it might be a bit “inconsistent” at some places or repeat some information as it was written bit by bit at different times. Apologies for not including any picture at the moment – I might try to add some later if it would help to clarify / demonstrate some points better. I’d be most likely editing this post a bit in following couple of days to correct mistakes and to add missing info. Look: The look is simply fantastic. With Side LED (Atmosphere) lights both on as well as off it’s a big head turner and you need to see it in person as no picture can really show that. Its unique design (partially shared with V5F) featuring a glossy black monolith is exquisite and I simply want to put it on display at my room as a piece of art at exhibition It’s without discussion currently one of the (if not THE) best looking wheels out there. You’ll definitely look cool riding it wearing anything from tuxedo over the office outfit to most casual wear. Design: It shows without any doubts that Inmotion have put a lot of effort in designing the wheel from the ground (well in this case from its older but smaller sibling V5F) rather than repurposing “unfit” e-bike parts as many other current EUC manufacturers. Both motor and controller board are in house designs and rest of the wheel shows that attention to details was put into each part used to build the wheel. There are some very minor nibbles here and there but nothing major affecting the overall quality or functionality of the device. Weight / Dimensions: With 13.6 Kg its 3.2 Kg lighter than KS-16 (840 Wh model at 16.8 Kg) making V8 very slim, light and nimble 16” wheel. If you’re coming from 14” wheel and are concerned about manoeuvrability you don’t need to worry at all. With proper tire pressure you’d not even notice you’re riding larger diameter wheel. If you need to carry the wheel regularly like up / down the stairs at apartment building or at office without elevators or to / from train while commuting you’ll appreciate the lower weight for sure. Although V8 is lighter and slimmer than KS-16 it’s also a bit taller (mainly due to its fixed protruding handle unlike KS-16 where the handle is “sank” a bit as it’s acting as dual purpose trolley handle as well) you might find it a bit too tall to be put comfortably under your legs leaning against the seat while in train, bus or metro. Also as it’s lacking any kind of soft cushions or padding at the top areas it’s more likely to slip or even get scratched while leaning against the seat or wall. Some users placed the supplied ankle pads (same like on V5F) on the top “bulges” but those are not really designed for such curved surface and look a bit odd placed there. I’m currently still debating what exactly to place or glue on those to make top more adhesive and protected against scratches. I’m currently in between a “car door” trimming (black or clear – similar to what @Rehab1 used on his V5F+) and the small silicon protective “legs” / blobs I’ve used on my KS-16 at front / rear and sides to protect its shell from hitting walls and sliding off the seat. But even without any protective layer the top shell bulges are comfortable as they curve inwards towards the top so there is no sharp edge pushing against your legs / calves. Ride modes / Comfort / Motor: There is only one ride mode – no mode configuration or selection is currently possible via app or some “secret” power up procedure or button pushing like on some other wheels. The ride mode is very hard / stiff – much stiffer than Player mode on KS-16 – which I personally prefer / like. If you own or have used the V5F before you’d need a zero “acclimatisation” coming to V8 but for other user it might be a bit of “cultural shock” due the firm mode, higher pedals and slim body. I’m still (literally) finding my footing after riding softer KS-16 for several months / thousand Km. Especially turning requires different approach so I’m still trying to perfect that after only one week / 180 KM on V8. The motor is very quiet – no “jet engine” sound of KS or GW wheels. You can still hear to motor doing it’s hard work but is a quiet friendly purr comparing to “angry” growls of KS / GW. With 800W “horse power” I’ve felt no difference to KS-16 during take-offs, breaking, acceleration or climbing inclines / hills. V8 takes me up the long “test hill” without sweat or any complains of overheating. I’m not sure if it’s mainly due to the really hard riding mode or also better motor management but I’ve not experienced any of the “dead zone” / almost shut-off feeling like sometimes still demonstrates on KS-16 even with latest FW (to clarify KS-16 will not shut off but feel a bit unstable for a brief moment during stand still take-off). Speed / Warnings: Maximum speed is 30 Km/h with default speed limit warning set to 25 Km/h. There is no need to ride a specific amount of Km or use any code to “unlock” the higher speed – simply slide the speed warning slider to desired value. However you’ll receive a warning from the app if you try to set the speed limit above 25 Km/h that you should do so only after riding some distance and having experience and you need to click accept or cancel. The V8’s tilt-back is “mild” but progressive at set speed limit accompanied by audible warning (this is an improvement to how tilt-back works on V5F). Despite that I recommend (as with any other wheel) to test tilt-back in a “controlled environment” by setting the speed limit lower and experience it while aware of it kicking in so you’ll be not startled later one when it happens during normal ride. One thing I’m missing though comparing to KS-16 and some other wheels is multiply speed warning. Personally I prefer an audible warning or even better multiply warning prior the actual tilt-back kicks in. On KS-16 I have warnings set to 27 – 28 – 29 - 30 and I’m yet to reach the actual tilt-back as I always slow down at 3 beeps latest. On V8 the tilt-back activates first with audible warning following which is highly unnatural for me at the moment and makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable so I hope @JumpMasterwill manage to include IM protocol in his WheelLog app so it will be possible to use the “advanced” speed warning via his app instead. Hopefully multiply speed warnings could be implemented in the V8’s firmware later on. Other warning option which I’m used to from Solowheel Xtreme is the pedal vibration which I’d like very much implemented by other wheels / manufacturers including IM. Pedals: Pedals are large (21 x 12 cm at widest points) and comfortable with very good grip (so good actually that I’ve had initially a bit of issue repositioning my feet during ride ) - exactly same as on V5F models. The oval look might be deceiving as the contact area with your feet is big enough even for riders with larger shoe sizes. In terms of comfort I don’t feel any difference to KS-16 pedals even though they’re placed higher (top outer edge of pedal is 15 cm above ground) and closer together (distance between inner edges of pedals is 15 cm) due to the thinner body. What I like most comparing to KS-16 is that you don’t need to use so much force to fold / unfold them so you can do so using your feet instead of bending down all the time to unfold them by hand. On KS-16 you can fold the pedal by foot but needs a bit of “kick” to close them. Pedals are higher above ground and are very slim in profile which allows for nice tight turns with risk of scraping ground. Range: At my limited time using the wheel I’ve managed to average about 32 Km from full charge to 10% battery level at already colder weather with some stronger wind and with load over 90 Kg. Speeds averaging above 20 Km/h, reaching regularly my comfort cruising speed of 25 – 26 Km/h. Mostly flat terrain on bicycle lanes without too aggressive accelerations or breaking. Comparing to KS-16 / 840Wh where I can reach comfortably 50 – 55 Km at the same conditions it’s indeed “downgrade” but at the cost of lighter, slimmer and better looking wheel. Replaceable battery advertised by IM as a way to extend its range is at its current implementation IMO the V8’s weakest link at the moment so unless IM will makes some major changes in the shell and battery fitting design please do not consider this as a viable regular option. I’ll return to this point later on in separate post once I’ll investigate further the current amount of screws to be removed to free up the battery as my previous rant on this issue might have been a bit off. Handle / Motor Cut-off button: Integrated motor cut-off button in the bottom part of the handle is a nice QOL feature but unfortunately not as well implemented as it might have been. The cut –off function could be turned off via app so if you don’t plan to use it or want / need to use safety / training belt attached to the handle you can switch it off. The button has also secondary function – to turn off and back on the side LEDs. As this function is not that clearly explained in the supplied manual here is how it works: with the wheel powered on hold the cut-off button and then long press the power button (the same press as if you’d turn on / off the head light) to switch the side LEDs off or on. The default settings is on and the wheel remembers the last setting after power off (unlike the head light which always turns off (similar way like KS-16 always defaults to “Auto” mode). You can also turn the side LEDs via mobile app but only using the main app, not via the notification bar quick access menu. The issue I have with the button itself is that it protrudes way to much out of the bottom part of the handle – even when fully depressed it’s still about 6 - 7 mm above (well below looking from the top) of the surface of the handle making it a bit uncomfortable to carry the wheel around or hold it for prolonged period of time. It also “wobbles” a bit making this feel even worse. It would be much better if the button will activate during firs few millimetres of depressing it but that it would actually completely flush with the handle’s surface when fully depressed. Otherwise the handle itself (ignoring the button annoyance) is large, firm and comfortable and comparing to KS-16 which uses “dual purpose” handle for both trolley handle and main handle (which can feel a bit flimsy at time and possess risk of trolley handle not fully locking in when collapsed) and it has also benefit of being able to be used as a locking point for the “bike lock” which I’d not recommend trying on KS-16 as you can simply extend the trolley handle and rip it off. Not that I’d ever leave any of my EUCs anywhere in public locked to anything else than very scary looking dog Battery Level indicator: The battery indicator is same as on V5F nice large “battery chunks” sections in nice blue colour when full with last two sections turning yellow and red when battery level drops. While it’s placed on the top section of the wheel in front of the power button and meant to be seen from wheel while riding it’s not as visible as it should be mainly during day time (even when overcast or in shadows) especially if you’re taller as first of all its hidden bellow the dark (smoked) translucent plastic shell (the same as on the side covers) and it’s tilted to the front due to the curve of the shell. During the past week (with not so much sunny weather) I’ve struggled to see the indicator at all during the ride. I’m not really sure how to improve this without affecting the slick curves of the wheel as the indicator would need to be either sticking out a bit from the front curve of the shell or be mounted more towards centre but then you’d need most likely to bend down to even see it . I’ve taped a small piece of plastic mirror (for a test) if front of the indicator and that helped a bit but of course it looks ugly. Stand: The “integrated stand” – which is simply a bit of strengthened lip added to each end of the shell at end of the “fender” is basically unusable. Unless the wheel stands on the perfectly flat and smooth surface the wheel will tip over at slightest sneeze or blow of wind. It’s basically usable only for a quick photo ops but I personally would not use it even at home to store the wheel as its dangerous leaving it like that. This is unfortunately common issue for the waste majority of the wheels out there as integrated “kick stands” are not really implemented well or at all (that includes probably the best attempt so far by Ninebot). Combining this with the fact that top of the shell has no soft / adhesive coating on the sides it’s practically impossible to lean the wheel against the wall or furniture without danger of it slipping off or even getting scratched. I remember @Jason McNeilmentioning something about IM including the attachable soft pads with production version of V8 but that this has not happened so far and only standard ankle pads (like with V5F) are included which are a bit hard to properly attach to the top shell “bulges”. Mobile app: While mobile app is at the “top of the pack” comparing to many other EUC mobile apps out there it still have some space for an improvement. The app is clearly professionally designed with simple minimalistic but pleasing UI. It is highly “social media” oriented with 3 out of 4 tabs being used for Sharing (of text, pictures or videos) and commenting or liking the shares, events, clubs, rankings and your profile with collecting points and coins. The community seems to be pretty live though predominantly Chinese as the app covers all current IM products (not only EUCs). The most “important” part for EUC / SCV (as IM call it) details and configuration is at the moment a bit “Spartan” with bare minimum of info provided. Current trip, week ranking, mileage, speed, board temperature (only for V8) and battery level in % is all you get. No average or maximum speeds, current, power or battery voltage as you might be used from KS-16 or other wheels. At the moment it’s unclear if any of those additional values are even provided by (or possible to request from) the wheel via BT LE communication protocol but @JumpMasteris currently researching this to see if IM protocol could be included in his fabulous WheelLog app. Apart of the main IM app there is also the notification bar applet included (indicated by small red i in left corner of the notification bar) which remains active even after closing / exiting the main app. After pulling down the notification bar on your phone it provides a quick access menu with option to connect to the wheel (either of the apps will currently not connect automatically to the wheel upon launch), switch on / off headlight, power off the wheel and display battery level status. The quick menu bar could be closed by tapping at the small cross at its right side. The one of the issue with the app design itself is that it’s using in some areas (like main SCV screen) very small font and even the icons for some functions so it’s pretty difficult to read / see even on large screen phones (it feels more like tablet app). Other obvious issue is the localization. Once again while it’s much better than many other (the “Chinglish” is really minimal here with only about two or three expressions / names translated a bit unusual or incorrect way) there are places still either missing completely or at least partially translations or using the Chinese instead. Finally the app is clearly targeted more as social app rather than EUC / Wheel companion app. While you can perform all necessary service and configuration tasks via SCV / Features option including FW update, diagnostic of the wheel and DIY LED light designing it lacks a bit at the main ride screen as already mentioned above. The app also always default to first “Social page” tab screen instead to more desirable SCV ride screen and will not connect automatically to the wheel so multiply button taps are required to get into “ride” mode. App will also not register the current trip distance if you’ll not connect to the wheel prior the ride. Hopefully most of this could be improved a bit with some push from / help of @Jason McNeil and other distributors and customers. I’ll discuss the DIY LED design feature in a separate post. Replaceable battery: This was one of the main advertised points of V8 but the final implementation of this feature is currently more than disappointing. I’ve already ranted about that here in this thread and I’ll return to this point a bit later once I’ll find another spare hour or so to waste with opening the side shell and removing the battery. I also might have spoken too soon in regards of the amount of the screw holding the battery itself in the shell (11 as per my previous count) as I’ve gave up halfway through removing those with battery being still attached and have realized only later on that some of the screws I’ve included in the count might be actually holding the batter casing itself together rather than fixing the whole battery pack to the shell so I’ll re-visit this point once I’ll build up enough “courage” to struggle with removing the outer shell again. Nevertheless even if the battery pack is being hold only by 3 or 4 screws its still 3 or 4 too many. Trolley handle: Trolley handle is a bit longer than on KS-16 and its separate from the main shell handle which I personally think is a better option / solution than combined handle as on KS-16. Fully extended the top of the handle is 89 cm above ground while KS-16 is only 83 cm. It’s a little bit wobbly and placed asymmetrically outside of the centre of the gravity / wheel unlike on KS-16 (but much better than for example MSuper V3). Unlike sturdiest KS-16 handle due it’s placement in parallel with the wheel rather than diagonally it’s suitable for both right and left-handed use though if you’ll push it with left hand with handle towards you it will be in “reverse” with headlight facing back so at dark you’ll lose the “torch” function. Tire / Fenders / Mudflap: The tire has been “upgraded” from V5F and pre-production models of V8’s from 1.95” to 2.125” Kenda tire with different (IMO better) thread and feels very comfortable at 3.2 bar. Factory recommended tire pressure is 2.8 bar and wheel arrived with only 2 bar so please check your pressure before riding. One small complain I have though is that tire is almost hitting the the enforced fender edges (“stands”) – there is barely 2 - 3 mm space between the tire and edge of the fender so if the tire picks up some larger pieces of dirt, stones, leaves and so on it makes a bit scary and unpleasant noises and can eventually cause the wheel / tire to get stuck or blocked resulting in faceplant. IM also departed from optional Mudguard mount like on V5F though with a bit of creativity this could be added via DIY. The mudguard is definitely needed as even at dry conditions the tire spits up a lot of dust which then lands on the whole back section of the wheel as well as your trousers and shoes. Head & Tails lights: Strangely enough IM departed from the fabulous Head / Tail / Brake lights set present at V5F models to only head light and tail “logo” without any break light implementation. As why this happened we can only speculate – maybe the tail / brake lights were clashing with the side Atmosphere LED lights – who knows. Either way for those of us who want or are required by law to have both lights or even have them on all the time it’s a bit of let-down. The tail logo can’t be under any circumstances considered as a tail light so you’d either need to fit a separate light or can try to use the Atmosphere side lights. I’ve manged to make the design which emulates front white and red tail light using the LEDs and it’s fairly visible even when looking at the wheel directly from the rear or front but indeed it’s not as bright during daylight. The headlight can be easily switched on or off either by long press of the power button while the wheel is turned on or via main as well as notification bar app. Unfortunately the last state is not saved and always default to off after powering the wheel but on other hand it’s much easier (and quieter) to switch it on than on KS-16. One quick tap on power button to switch on the wheel followed by long press to switch on the lights and you’re ready to glide under a second and half. No more hassle of fiddling with multiply button presses like on KS-16 and waking up half of your neighbourhood with loud “Hello Kingsong” shouts”. Luckily you can adjust sound volume on V8 via mobile app as well as replace each sound with your own (even “silence”). I'm yet to test the brightness of the light in the dark but it doesn't seem much stronger than KS-16 and it has vey short throw very close to the wheel so it's not really designed / useful for night riding at unlit areas without additional light mounted on the wheel. Atmosphere / Side LED lights: Atmosphere / Side LED lights are chapter on its own. Despite opposing this feature heavily when the V8 was first announced I’ve actually found it to be most fun. I’ve spent whole first night designing different patterns and staring mesmerised at the blinking wheel. I’ll prepare bigger write-up just about this feature alone in a day or two (hopefully as the weather is getting worse day by day so this will be only fun I’d most likely have with V8 anyway). Until then one word of warning – do not upload to many DIY designs to the wheel as it seems it has limited amount of memory to store the designs and currently it’s unclear how to remove those afterwards or reset the wheel! Additional features / functions: Unlike KS-16 the V8 doesn’t include Bluetooth speaker(s). The tail speaker is for the audible warnings only and it’s pretty loud even at default 50% of volume. It though doesn’t seem to be waterproofed as you can see the speaker membrane through the holes in the shell. Maybe some waterproof folia could be added to address this? Also the speaker volume is the same independent of the state or speed of the wheel. It would be a great QOL improvement if the wheel / app would have at least two volume setting – one for stationary wheel (like at home or in office) and one while moving. Currently I need to change the volume settings at least 4 times a day to not startle anyone at home or office while connecting to wheel but to be able at the same time to hear the warning while driving. Having an option of the dynamic volume increase based on speed would be even better. For each audible warning you can use one of the predefined or extra downloaded sounds and spoken voices, use your own audio files or record new including "silence" if you prefer to "mute" the specific warning. There is no USB or any other charging port available and it seems that reverse protection is present on the main charging port as well so that one can’t be used to provide external power either. Also there is no reset button like on V5F despite the same rubber cover being used for DC charging port. Power button: Power button function is the same as on V5F though it has been changed from touch button to actual physical short press momentarily switch under the rubber cover. The short press on the button turns the wheel on / off, long press turns on / off the headlight and long press while holding the motor cut-off button under the handle will turn off / on the side LED Atmosphere lights. While this seems to be a standard with IM wheels it seems a bit “illogical” to me as I’d say the more dangerous / important function of turning the whole wheel on / off should have been via long press (as on many other wheels including KS-16) and lights using the short tap only. While the current setup makes switching the wheel on / off really quick – almost instant comparing to other wheels – it feels also a bit unsafe as it’s much easier to switch the wheel on or off by accident by quickly brushing against the power button. It actually happened twice to me in past two day that I’ve unintentionally switched the wheel off while grabbing it during stepping off. Surely it’s less dangerous accidentally to turn off or on light than the whole wheel? Maybe IM could include this as a configurable option in the future FW update. Included accessories and documentation: In the box is included apart of the wheel itself (or a couple of bricks if you’re unlucky ) charger packaged in the separate cardboard box, AC cable, ankle pads, user manual (in acceptable English) and warranty card (in my case for some strange reason with cover in English but rest in Spanish). Wheel is shipped double-boxed. No training belt or training wheels are included. Charger port & Charger: Charger is standard “slow” 84C / 1.5A charger same as with V5F but unfortunately IM has departed again at last minute from their unique branded USB-like yellow rectangular DC charging socket and plug (apparently due to the issues during certification process) and made last moment change to “howerboard” like 3 pin charging socket and plug instead (looks like miniature version of GX-16 sockets and plugs used by most of the current EUCs). Apart of making the V8 chargers incompatible with any other current IM product including V5F it’s now a bit hassle to insert the DC plug into the charging socket as you need to rotate it around to find the correct orientation (and it really doesn’t help the moulded “handle” on the plug is not aligned with the wheel in any way when plug is inserted) and you also need to use both hands to remove the plug from the socket. Also it makes it difficult to use alternative / faster charger or for example Charge Doctor. I’ve already ordered several plugs and sockets and I’m awaiting the delivery as I currently feel a bit “blind” not being able to see how much power is exactly being pushed into the battery pack or not being able to use fast charge or early charge cut-off. Indeed the same issue would be present if the original IM DC plug has been used. Finishing / Quality of assembly (Stickers): As mentioned earlier the design, quality and built is superior to almost any other wheel currently on market though a little bit more attention might have been paid during the assembly process. In my case for example both the product sticker (in the gap on the side shell cover opposite the trolley handle) as well as the serial number sticker were “slapped” on the wheel without too much attention so the first one has bubbles which can’t be chased off and the second is a bit diagonally instead of parallel with the edge of the wheel plus its white sticker on the otherwise entirely black wheel. Both drive my OCD crazy … Surely it’s not that much to ask to spare extra 2 seconds and place both sticker on properly? Maybe use black sticker for the black wheel or at least hide the white sticker at some less exposed place like inside of the trolley handle gap? On another wheel freshly unpacked from the box there were a visible scratches at the motor casing near to the valve clearly caused by careless employee filling up the tire with the air. Side “cushions”: Side “cushions” (unlike on V5F) are only bulges in the side translucent smoked plastic covers without any soft or adhesive surface. The top edges are curved inwards so you’ll not experience any pain touching those with your legs / calves. IM supplies ankle pads (like on V5F) which some users applied to those top bulges but they don’t look so good there as they’re not design to be attached to such curved area. Overall: I’m happy with V8 despite several minor shortcomings here and there of which none has impact on the ride quality or safety (maybe apart of the fender edges being too close to tire) and most of them could be resolved on existing model by firmware and app update only. The most critical "issue" in regards of swappable battery would require shell redesign though if done properly (if at all) moving the innards of current wheel into the new shell should be possible if this particular point would be major issue for any of the current V8 owners I’m still novice at this wheel and need some more time to become more comfortable riding it without concentrating too much on the wheel movement. It took me over month to get comfortable on KS-16 so I’m not worried about such feelings only one week after starting with the wheel. At the time of posting I've been riding the V8 daily (weather and slow / long charging permitting) for past 7 days since it has arrived last Thursday from @Jason McNeil and have 180 Km under my heels so far ... If I’ve missed out any points you’ve wondered about please ask in the discussion below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 salivating.... and just started reading this professional review above THANK YOU.... patients will have to wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Spalding Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 FANTASTIC write up. thanks for taking all of this time to illuminate us about the V8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketch Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 @HEC Thank you very much for taking the time to review the V8. This was very helpful and informative. I really appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 4 hours ago, HEC said: If I’ve missed out any points you’ve wondered about please ask in the discussion below. OMG ...what a wonderful review!!!! My lord you spent some time on this! Perfecto! Thank you!!! A true asset to this forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 Just a heads-up - new IM app v6.1.1 was just released. Update notes: 1. Compatibility with new models 2. Bug fixes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEC Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 A little "anecdote" from my today's commute. I was approached by the security staff at train platform advising me that I need to turn the side LEDs on my V8 off (sporting my favourite half green half red spinning DIY pattern with white wipe) as it might confuse the train engineer The irony was that by that time the wheel was already off as I always switch it of once I'm at my spot at the platform waiting for the train ... At least now I know how to "hitchhike" the train in case I ever get stranded in the fields or woods nearby the railway tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 8 minutes ago, HEC said: Just a little "anecdote" from my today's commute. I was approached by the security staff at train platform advising me that I need to turn the side LEDs on me V8 off (sporting my favourite half green half red spinning pattern with white wipe) as it might confuse the train engineer The irony was that by that time the wheel was already off as I always switch it of once I'm at my spot at the platform waiting for the train ... At least now I know how to "hitchhike" the train in case I ever get stranded in the fields or woods nearby the railway tracks. After what happened in NJ today there might be new train commuting rules being implemented as we speak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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