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Inmotion V8 - your thoughts and Impressions ... Now with extensive review included


HEC

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1 hour ago, Rehab1 said:

After what happened in NJ today there might be new train commuting rules being implemented as we speak!

True. Considering though that I was at the same platform with EUC every day for several past months and always switched it off right away I was a bit surprised ... Nothing that concerns me really though - it's a zero hassle to switch off the lights before reaching my usual spot or even entering the platform, takes under 1 second via 2 buttons push on V8 now while on KS-16 I'd need to pull out the mobile, unlock it, connect via BT, open KS app ... there goes my train ... go to settings, turn of the LED lights and wait another 20 minutes for next train :P:D 

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@HEC

Wow, man! Fantastic review! Such a long text...and good review!

unfortunatly...really...i found nothing really exciting in it that would bring me to buy the V8!

i like most the good quality...but with its "small" batterie and the not real batterie exchange i found it just to be another (fantastic, perhaps one of the best) 16inch wheel with 30kmh max....

Dont get me wrong...its for sure a great wheel...but as former Ks16 and actually Ks18 and GW V3 owner nothing to make me klick the buy button!

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45 minutes ago, HEC said:

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 pattern with white wipe) as it might confuse the train engineer :D 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. :ph34r:

that is an AWESOME anecdote. love it

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1 hour ago, KingSong69 said:

unfortunatly...really...i found nothing really exciting in it that would bring me to buy the V8!

i like most the good quality...but with its "small" batterie and the not real batterie exchange i found it just to be another (fantastic, perhaps one of the best) 16inch wheel with 30kmh max....

I agree that for someone like you (or even me) it's a downgrade in terms of range or even power however if you have a specific regular use for such wheel within its range like commuting it's worth considering having lighter or quieter wheel fitting the bill. For some 3 Kg difference in weight, missing "jet engine" noise or agility of 14" wheel in 16" format might be one of the deciding factors. Someone else might want "piece of art" looking wheel or fly around with 84 RGB LED blinking happily away ... we all have our priorities and selecting the product based on those. If the excellent model doesn't match our needs there is no point in obtaining it just to be "in".

I'll still use KS-16 for longer leisure rides where I do not carry or store the wheel anywhere so longer range there is a key benefit. The V8 is at it's current form a bit in "limbo" state with all superb specs but lower range and messed up battery swap. If the IM would resolve that and maybe also manage to make 60 (or even 80) cells models (there is still plenty of space left in the current shell and dropping the built in handle and current awkward encased battery pack would allow for that) their wheels would be flying of the shelves!

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Can't really judge the InMotion wheels by their specs; you've really gotta get in some test miles on one.

I would've never bought one (now 2 with the V8!) just based solely on specs (actually, I was vowing never to buy a wheel under 680wH again prior to the V5F+)

And I've seen the same skepticism-turned-buyer phenomenon with 2 other riders in the NYC Ride group after trying my V5F+ (both skeptical Ninebot devotees that have now crossed over).

 

If you throw out the shorter range (which everyone agrees is a bit lacking), the driving experience of the InMotion vs other wheels, both traveling at the same speed, is IMHO night and day better than the competitors. And personally, owning multiple wheels, I wouldn't want all my wheels to be spec'd for the same purpose.

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I am so tempted! I liked the riding experience of the V8 also. If only it had a bigger battery and speakers/ usb port! I wouldnt think twice....

why am i not rich??!! I would have gotten a wheel for each day of the year, and an extra Inmotion wheel for the leap years.

Sadness....(

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Just got my V8 and did a quick test (joy) ride. 

As the V5F+ has been my main driver for a few months now, some initial thoughts/comparisons:

  • Like others have stated, the V8 drives just like the V5F+, handling and all (obviously faster). In general, if you blindfolded me, it would be hard to differentiate which is which.
  • After firmware update, the V8 has more of the rocking when switching direction / leaning that my out-of-the-box stock firmware V5F+ used to have, FWIW
  • Hardness between the 2 is exactly the same
  • Flat land acceleration is, again, the same. (Haven't tried uphill yet to fully feel the 800 watts)
  • As others have stated, the plastic protrusions up top are not as uncomfortable as I presumed, so I will not be sticking anything there.
  • The short press On for the V8 is really confusing after coming from a long press On for the V5F+ *smh*. @HEC had me worried about accidental power off while riding, but I will confirm that the V8, while in motion, will not shut off with short power button press.
  • While I still prefer the V5's trolley solution, I can confirm that it is possible to wheel the V8 powered Off via the pull-out trolley handle (albeit with a tad less control than the V5 solution), and that's good enough for me!

I have a minor gripe about the 16" Kenda tire they use now on the V8. The V5F+'s Chao Yang / Hang Zhou Rubber Factory tire feels much more solid and impervious to bumps and jumping up/down curbs (I feel no bounce back riding the V5). The V8 with the Kenda however feels noticeably more airy and has a slight bounce when bumped. @Jason McNeil is there any way to procure the old Chao Yang / Hang Zhou tire in a size 16" x 2.125"? I way preferred that more solid block of rubber -type feel.

Also, as the V8 lacks the back brake lights and front blue visibility lights, plugging the V8 in for charging is less of a light show, as now only the battery meter lights up.

Will post more observations (if I have) as I ride more.

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9 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

Just got my V8 and did a quick test (joy) ride. 

As the V5F+ has been my main driver for a few months now, some initial thoughts/comparisons:

  • Like others have stated, the V8 drives just like the V5F+, handling and all (obviously faster). In general, if you blindfolded me, it would be hard to differentiate which is which.
  • After firmware update, the V8 has more of the rocking when switching direction / leaning that my out-of-the-box stock firmware V5F+ used to have, FWIW
  • Hardness between the 2 is exactly the same
  • Flat land acceleration is, again, the same. (Haven't tried uphill yet to fully feel the 800 watts)
  • As others have stated, the plastic protrusions up top are not as uncomfortable as I presumed, so I will not be sticking anything there.
  • The short press On for the V8 is really confusing after coming from a long press On for the V5F+ *smh*. @HEC had me worried about accidental power off while riding, but I will confirm that the V8 while in motion will not shut off with short power button press.

I have a minor gripe about the 16" Kenda tire they use now on the V8. The V5F+'s Chao Yang / Hang Zhou Rubber Factory tire feels much more solid and impervious to bumps and jumping up/down curbs (I feel no bounce back riding the V5). The V8 with the Kenda however feels noticeably more airy and has a slight bounce when bumped. @Jason McNeil is there any way to procure the old Chao Yang / Hang Zhou tire in a size 16" x 2.125"? I way preferred that more solid block of rubber -type feel.

Also, as the V8 lacks the back brake lights and front blue visibility lights, plugging the V8 in for charging is less of a light show, as now only the battery meter lights up.

Will post more observations if I have as I ride more.

love this added info about the V8

i so appreciate you taking the time to tell us these thoughts

i must decide between this V8 and the KS-16 by tomorrow.... i must

or buy both.... and be banished to sleep outside in my jeep :o

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3 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said:

love this added info about the V8

i so appreciate you taking the time to tell us these thoughts

i must decide between this V8 and the KS-16 by tomorrow.... i must

or buy both.... and be banished to sleep outside in my jeep :o

If this is your 1st wheel, or you don't have a long distance driver, that's tough = (

Like I said before, can't emphasize enough how essential it is to actually get some test drive miles on the InMotion wheels. Once you do, you might start re-negotiating with yourself whether or not you can compromise battery size / range!

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1 minute ago, houseofjob said:

If this is your 1st wheel, or you don't have a long distance driver, that's tough = (

Like I said before, can't emphasize enough how essential it is to actually get some test drive miles on the InMotion wheels. Once you do, you might start re-negotiating with yourself whether or not you can compromise battery size / range!

that all makes sense to me

the best comment you made above, which resonates loudly with me:  "And personally, owning multiple wheels, I wouldn't want all my wheels to be spec'd for the same purpose."

that is exactly right... i rode motorcycles for almost 40 years and never had less than 2 in the garage at any one time... so, i know exactly what you mean about that

perhaps the V8 is the best for me now and if i do start riding longer distances i'll get the KS-16 or equivalent then

again, thanks for the advice. i really appreciate it

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5 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said:

love this added info about the V8

i so appreciate you taking the time to tell us these thoughts

i must decide between this V8 and the KS-16 by tomorrow.... i must

or buy both.... and be banished to sleep outside in my jeep :o

Greg, i wouldnt buy both simply because you can always buy a 2nd one. For your sake, buy one at a time.

If you dont care about having speakers embedded in the wheel, the decision should be quite simple and basically depend on one parameter only - range. Rule of thumb is - get the wheel that will let you ride twice the range you think you need. If Inmotion satisfies this criteria : get inmotion. If it doesnt, get Ks16. 

Like @houseofjob correctly said above, you need to have at least one long range wheel. So buy the one that satisfies the range as your first, and thendecide if you want to buy the other one too.

Unless you are set on sleeping in your jeep outside, then just get both.

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1 minute ago, Cloud said:

Greg, i wouldnt buy both simply because you can always buy a 2nd one. For your sake, buy one at a time.

If you dont care about having speakers embedded in the wheel, the decision should be quite simple and basically depend on one parameter only - range. Rule of thumb is - get the wheel that will let you ride twice the range you think you need. If Inmotion satisfies this criteria : get inmotion. If it doesnt, get Ks16. 

Like @houseofjob correctly said above, you need to have at least one long range wheel. So buy the one that satisfies the range as your first, and thendecide if you want to buy the other one too.

Unless you are set on sleeping in your jeep outside, then just get both.

that all makes sense to me, as well

i love the idea of the Inmotion being more "put together" than the KS-16 but it's hard to ignore that range

i wish i could just stand on both... which is never possible. they are such different shapes

tall and thin or short and a bit wider. of course, i'd adapt to either, i'm sure

just thinking out loud...

at almost 54 i don't suppose i'd be able to walk too well after sleeping in the jeep... 

i appreciate all of your thoughts, very much

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9 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said:

that all makes sense to me

the best comment you made above, which resonates loudly with me:  "And personally, owning multiple wheels, I wouldn't want all my wheels to be spec'd for the same purpose."

that is exactly right... i rode motorcycles for almost 40 years and never had less than 2 in the garage at any one time... so, i know exactly what you mean about that

perhaps the V8 is the best for me now and if i do start riding longer distances i'll get the KS-16 or equivalent then

again, thanks for the advice. i really appreciate it

No sweat. There is a compromise on both ends when comparing both KS16 & V8, but it will depend on you which compromise is more satisfying for you.

Case in point: we have a lot of Ninebot One E+ riders in NYC, and while I personally can't understand how they can stomach the limited range and speed, I believe it is the design and the wow factor of their Ninebots that leads to them being satisfied with their wheels and willing to compromise with these limitations.

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1 minute ago, houseofjob said:

Case in point: we have a lot of Ninebot One E+ riders in NYC, and while I personally can't understand how they can stomach the limited range and speed, I believe it is the design and the wow factor of their Ninebots that leads to them being satisfied with their wheels and willing to compromise with these limitations.

always an interesting thing to ponder

of course, SEGWAY has always had a reputation in this country before they were acquired by ninebot and their dealer network is more developed here. some folks like buying a "name" they know even if its a product they don't.  of course, i think we can both agree that the more (good) wheels are on the road, the better it is for all of us

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Also, do any other V8 owners find the leveling calibration a bit weird?

I had to crank mine to the +8 max (came set to +2.6 out of the box) to get a more even level balance adjustment.

Wondering if it's just my V8? If not, maybe a possible future firmware fix @Jason McNeil?

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9 hours ago, Greg Spalding said:

perhaps the V8 is the best for me now and if i do start riding longer distances i'll get the KS-16 or equivalent then

If I may offer my point of view on your “dilemma”:

If this is your first EUC / Wheel and you’ll be using it as a learner wheel the lighter the wheel the better as it will (initially) put less strain on your legs, calves and ankles when practising riding  and most of all standalone mounts and dismounts. The second factor to consider is the safety. Inmotion has high regards for their customer’s safety and health and I’m yet to hear about any serious faults leading to rider’s accidents. While King Song / KS-16 has also fairly proven safety record it has been known for some issues leading to cut-off / folding under riders and so on.

In regards of range – again – if this is your first wheel don’t expect to be zooming around your neighbourhood for hours in one go any time soon. Even if you’d be a very fast learner and manage to ride couple of tens or even hundreds of meters first day and feel “confident” enough to wonder around in 3 or 4 days there is one factor which will take longer. Initially before you get used to it your feet will hurt after even short rides. This takes time to get used to – I’d say at least month maybe two. Also after initial training even if you’d use protection on your ankles and calves (which is highly recommended) you’ll be aching all over the place. The bottom line is that don’t expect to deplete your battery during a single ride any time soon. So if the range is your main deciding factor and you can see yourself purchasing the second wheel anyway I’d say go for V8. You’ll not be disappointed and IMO it will be a bit easier to learn on (though it has really hard ride mode but sooner you get used to that sooner you’ll be able to tide any other wheel after that).

Just my 2 cents ;)

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7 hours ago, MaxLinux said:

It should have 0 screws. Instead, the battery should be in a cartridge that slides in and clicks into place.

Great idea Max! We need to raise donations for you to fly to IM headquarters and share your thoughts with R&D!

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52 minutes ago, HEC said:

If I may offer my point of view on your “dilemma

Your input is well stated..as always! Still referring back to your excellent V8 review. Unfortunately I have not had anytime to even play with the lights☹️ Damn..out of reps..owe you one

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Response received by the seller ... On the subject of sound and light patterns:

do not need send V8 you just need update the inmotion APP in the lastest Version this is a bug from software don't worry in this 3 days  the Engineer will update new APP for customer I will let you know 

my dear 

Lena 

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1 minute ago, Jaouad OB said:

Response received by the seller ... On the subject of sound and light patterns:

do not need send V8 you just need update the inmotion APP in the lastest Version this is a bug from software don't worry in this 3 days  the Engineer will update new APP for

Now the question is if they're referring to the v6.1.1 released yesterday ... have you tried that version yet?

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@houseofjob .........Take us through the firmware upgrade process please.  After downloading my firmware upgrade it states that the SCV has to reboot and if it doesn't, it must be downloaded again.  I can download it but not sure what to expect, how long to wait re: "The Reboot", or when exactly does one press the "confirm"?  If you can explain your experiences that may help the rest of us, or me at least, to complete the firmware upgrade process.

 I now own a KS18, KS14C, and the new V8.  All area great wheels with their own unique characteristics!  The V8 is a great choice for anyone interested in a "best of both worlds" EUC!!!!!!

 

Thanks  :-)

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18 minutes ago, Sweet M said:

@houseofjob .........Take us through the firmware upgrade process please.  After downloading my firmware upgrade it states that the SCV has to reboot and if it doesn't, it must be downloaded again.  I can download it but not sure what to expect, how long to wait re: "The Reboot", or when exactly does one press the "confirm"?  If you can explain your experiences that may help the rest of us, or me at least, to complete the firmware upgrade process.

Actually I've had the same issue / "confusion" when performing the FW update on my V8 ... Nothing seemed to be rebooted so after a minute or two since the file was uploaded to the wheel via app I've restarted the app and it has detected the wheel with new firmware already when checked via FW upgrade screen.

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