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

[HEC]

On ‎29‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 4:25 PM, HEC said:

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.

So to revisit the issue - the gap is actually less than 2 mm at 3.2 bar tire pressure. This is IMO pretty dangerous as there is not much needed to fill the gap. I've spent last two day stopping several times during my rides and removing the leaves stuck there  Frankly I'm a bit concerned now. @Jason McNeil can you please check the size of the gap on your pre-production model and also ask IM for an official comment on this? Thank you!

I believe this is caused by changing the tire to 2.125" at production model or strengthening the fender / stand (or combination of both). Either way I don't really want to ride at lower pressures as while that would make more "comfortable" ride it will also decrease the range.

[Sweet M]

Along those lines @HEC ...........As tires are rarely perfectly symmetrical, I've noticed that if I don't maintain my tire psi below 50 psi the tire rubs the fender once per revolution.  I agree that it is a concerning issue.

[HEC]

48 minutes ago, Sweet M said:

Along those lines @HEC ...........As tires are rarely perfectly symmetrical, I've noticed that if I don't maintain my tire psi below 50 psi the tire rubs the fender once per revolution.  I agree that it is a concerning issue.

Yes the tire is symmetrical - the gap is consistent along the whole circumference of the tire. I'm using 3.2 bar which is about 46 psi. If you look at the original computer renders of V8 you can see completely different design of the fender with trapezoid inner gap instead of current almost flat cross-section.

[houseofjob]

Thanks @HEC @HunkaHunkaBurningLove for the tip-off, I think I've fixed my V8 gyro via the "Turning and Forwarding Adjustment".

Turns out, just like firmware updates, you need to handle disengage the wheel, setting it to the side, then press the "Turning and Forwarding Adjustment" tab to re-calibrate. The exact procedure is still a bit of a mystery as to step-by-step how you actually do properly re-calibrate as I did so by trial-and-error.

[HEC]

1 minute ago, houseofjob said:

Thanks @HEC @HunkaHunkaBurningLove for the tip-off, I think I've fixed my V8 gyro via the "Turning and Forwarding Adjustment".

Turns out, just like firmware updates, you need to handle disengage the wheel, setting it to the side to re-calibrate. The exact procedure is still a bit of a mystery as to step-by-step how you actually do properly re-calibrate as I did so by trial-and-error.

I thought something like that might be required. I'm glad to hear that you've managed to resolve the problem.

[Sketch]

I just pulled the trigger on the V8 and Jason from ewheels delivered it in record time. Haven't had time to open it up, but looking forward to it.  @HEC Any advice for me before I give this wheel ago?  I know we have had some  app issues not being able to delete light patterns, tire clearance concerns and maybe something else I'm forgetting.  Let me know if I need to do anything before I get going.  Thanks

[HEC]

4 hours ago, Sketch said:

I just pulled the trigger on the V8 and Jason from ewheels delivered it in record time. Haven't had time to open it up, but looking forward to it.  @HEC Any advice for me before I give this wheel ago?  I know we have had some  app issues not being able to delete light patterns, tire clearance concerns and maybe something else I'm forgetting.  Let me know if I need to do anything before I get going.  Thanks

0. Take the picture of the serial number.

1. Check the tire pressure - mine was at only 2.0 bar from factory. For the start I'd say about 2.5 - 2.6 to have a softer ride and once you'll get more comfortable handling V8 increase it above factory 2.8 bar . In your case I'd say sweet spot would be somewhere between 3.0 and 3.2 bar.

2. Register the wheel via app (otherwise you'll be unable to control it from app).

3. I'd update firmware as well.

4. Maybe decrease the speed limit from default 25 Km/h a little - I'd say 20 to 22 is a good start if you already have a bit of experience.

5. Be careful with power button switch it's a bit "trigger happy" - I've managed to switch off the wheel several times by accident just by unintentionally brushing against it. It will turn off the wheel even if in very slow move but not during normal ride. This is mainly critical when you're mounting or dismounting the wheel and grabbing the handle / body of the wheel when you can suddenly loose the balancing of the wheel while leaning on it with one foot!

[Sketch]

@HEC. Thanks for the good advice. I'll give it a shot. 

[houseofjob]

Also, as has been stated prior, I've been increasingly finding that the V8 stand fixtures simply do not work (constant falling over) unless said surface is perfectly flat and level (and even then, I would suggest having pedals out to balance and being close by in case of falling over). They are almost unusable, compared with the V5, where I constantly stand it upright.

I scratched the plastic on one of my leg "cushions" on NYC pavement last night from the upright wheel falling over, and now will behave like these fixtures aren't even a feature of this wheel.

I think the pure physics of the weight distribution on the V8 is the culprit, as the V8 is taller than the V5 with the battery weight still top-loaded.

[Sketch]

@houseofjob Thanks for the heads up on that about the stand.

[Rehab1]

What tire pressure is everyone using on the V8? I traditionally set all of my wheels at 40PSI. When my V8 arrived a few weeks back  it was set at 30 PSI. I rode around with that pressure for a few miles before inflating the tire an additional 10 PSI...40 psi total. In my view now the V8's  ride is so much stiffer and when encountering bumps it is a bit jarring. .

I was riding last night at 15 MPH and hit a slight bump that almost tossed me. I have over 500 miles riding experience and have never encountered that sensation before. I only weigh 165 lbs so I am dropping the PSI down to 35 and plan to hit the same bump today to get a better impression of how various tire pressures affect the ride. My V5F+ is always set at 40 PSI.

[houseofjob]

@Rehab1 Totally concur with this sentiment, the V8 drives stiff, but the Kenda tire that came with it feels hollow and unforgiving with bumps.

I'm usually inflating to 5 PSI under max rating so ~60 PSI for my V8 (Kenda rated 40-65 PSI) and ~40 PSI (Chao Yang rated 35-45 PSI). While this works well with the superb V5F+ Chao Yang tire (I feel nothing over bumps), after reading your last comment, I think I might play with under-inflating the Kenda tire a bit... well, at least, until I can get my hands on a proper 16" Chao Yang tire.

[Greg Spalding]

At an embarrassing 85+ kilograms I know that I will have to inflate the tires to a higher level than a lot of people and I'm wondering of course, if at that level I can expect the rubbing of the tire on the housing. As everybody here knows I'm deciding about the KS-16 vs. the V8 and I am leaning towards the V8, despite its poorer range.  I realize that every choice will be a compromise. Just when I lean towards the KS someone experiences a wheel failure yesterday and when I talk about the V8 in my mind I hear about these issues with rubbing. I promised myself I'd make a decision by this Friday so I could have the wheel in my hands within the next week as I am going on vacation in 10 days for a week and I wanted to spend a great deal of time familiarizing myself with my new mode of transportation.

The advice and expertise coming from the wonderful folks on this forum has been invaluable.

[HEC]

1 hour ago, Rehab1 said:

What tire pressure is everyone using on the V8?

Currently I'm using 3.2 bar / 46 psi with similar weight as @Greg Spalding giving me just under 2 mm gap between tip of the tire and inner edge of the fender. As I'm used to harder tire from KS-16 I don't see any difference in the comfort of the ride between those two.

[Rehab1]

38 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

@Rehab1 Totally concur with this sentiment, the V8 drives stiff, but the Kenda tire that came with it feels hollow and unforgiving with bumps.

Thanks! So glad I am not the only one. There is nothing set in stone as to the exact PSI tire pressure that must be used for a particular wheel. @Greg Spalding mention he is a bit heavier so increasing the tire pressure only make sense. Trying to zone in on an exact tire pressure that works for everyone is non sense in my opinion!

[houseofjob]

@Greg Spalding IMO the V8 tire rubbing issue (which I've experienced) is only a concern if you will be constantly riding through forests or rough debris. Otherwise, this is a very minor issue.

 

Something to consider:

I love both my new V5F+ & V8, and my KingSong KS-18A, but I have more faith (albeit it's early) in InMotion / eWheels.com support over KingSong support.

I've been frustrated with KingSong giving me the runaround regarding my KS-18A's stuttering issues (at one point, my old distrib and both KingSong were claiming the replacement board they sent me, which was a KS-14C board, was supposed to work with my KS-18A, which was wrong!), and the only saving grace has been @Jason McNeil guiding me around the BS and double-talk (even though I didn't buy my KS-18A from him!... I will never buy a KingSong that is not from eWheels again~).  

What gives me hope in regards to InMotion support for possible future issues is that the build quality / design in both wheel and app are top-notch, reminiscent of what I've experienced with my Ninebot One wheels (actually, better!), and this makes sense, as both InMotion and Ninebot/Segway are much bigger companies with greater resources. I'm hoping this thought process is also reflected in their customer support. And as much as I love my KS-18A, I cannot say the same about the KingSong experience; their wheel designs and app are very rough around the edges, and that feeling is also reflected in their lacking after-purchase support and customer service attitude.

 

And also food for thought, if you're trying to get said wheel by a certain near future time period: a. distributors like eWheels get mass stock in phases, so I'd check to see if they even have current available stock (sometimes not reflected in real-time online), and b. China is currently shut down right now until the 9th due to the national holiday, so if you need to sources any wheels from China, the ball won't start rolling until the 10th.

[Rehab1]

1 hour ago, HEC said:

Currently I'm using 3.2 bar / 46 psi with similar weight as @Greg Spalding giving me just under 2 mm gap between tip of the tire and inner edge of the fender. As I'm used to harder tire from KS-16 I don't see any difference in the comfort of the ride between those two.

Yes I believe it is a matter of rider weight and preference! If I had not experienced the increased comfort level of the V8 straight out of box with 30 PSI  tire pressure I would have never considered reducing the tire pressure below my traditional 40 PSI . I'm sure their will be a loss of some efficiency in terms of distance but that is not an issue for me at the moment. 

[Greg Spalding]

1 hour ago, houseofjob said:

@Greg Spalding IMO the V8 tire rubbing issue (which I've experienced) is only a concern if you will be constantly riding through forests or rough debris. Otherwise, this is a very minor issue.

 

Something to consider:

I love both my new V5F+ & V8, and my KingSong KS-18A, but I have more faith (albeit it's early) in InMotion / eWheels.com support over KingSong support.

I've been frustrated with KingSong giving me the runaround regarding my KS-18A's stuttering issues (at one point, my old distrib and both KingSong were claiming the replacement board they sent me, which was a KS-14C board, was supposed to work with my KS-18A, which was wrong!), and the only saving grace has been @Jason McNeil guiding me around the BS and double-talk (even though I didn't buy my KS-18A from him!... I will never buy a KingSong that is not from eWheels again~).  

What gives me hope in regards to InMotion support for possible future issues is that the build quality / design in both wheel and app are top-notch, reminiscent of what I've experienced with my Ninebot One wheels (actually, better!), and this makes sense, as both InMotion and Ninebot/Segway are much bigger companies with greater resources. I'm hoping this thought process is also reflected in their customer support. And as much as I love my KS-18A, I cannot say the same about the KingSong experience; their wheel designs and app are very rough around the edges, and that feeling is also reflected in their lacking after-purchase support and customer service attitude.

 

And also food for thought, if you're trying to get said wheel by a certain near future time period: a. distributors like eWheels get mass stock in phases, so I'd check to see if they even have current available stock (sometimes not reflected in real-time online), and b. China is currently shut down right now until the 9th due to the national holiday, so if you need to sources any wheels from China, the ball won't start rolling until the 10th.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me

i know that Inmotion is definitely the way to go, but you know my reservations have always been centered around the battery size because of my much too high weight for height ratio... I'm sure I will end up buying the V8, but I sure wish I could own a wheel that would be guaranteed to travel 20 miles between charges with my weight on it. I am going to call Jason today. Thank you for everything, as always

[Marty Backe]

2 hours ago, Greg Spalding said:

At an embarrassing 85+ kilograms I know that I will have to inflate the tires to a higher level than a lot of people and I'm wondering of course, if at that level I can expect the rubbing of the tire on the housing. As everybody here knows I'm deciding about the KS-16 vs. the V8 and I am leaning towards the V8, despite its poorer range.  I realize that every choice will be a compromise. Just when I lean towards the KS someone experiences a wheel failure yesterday and when I talk about the V8 in my mind I hear about these issues with rubbing. I promised myself I'd make a decision by this Friday so I could have the wheel in my hands within the next week as I am going on vacation in 10 days for a week and I wanted to spend a great deal of time familiarizing myself with my new mode of transportation.

The advice and expertise coming from the wonderful folks on this forum has been invaluable.

I'll put in a plug for the ACM16. Mine has performed flawlessly. It has power to spare, and I'm sure the 820wh version would easily carry you over 20 miles.

Every product on the planet has failures, yet the majority of users won't experience one for any given product. There are cars which have engine fires and the whole car goes up in flames. Yet we still buy cars. I'm just trying to encourage you not to think negative about a particular brand or model when one particular unit fails, yet the vast majority of riders don't have problems.

Good luck with your choice.

[Greg Spalding]

45 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I'll put in a plug for the ACM16. Mine has performed flawlessly. It has power to spare, and I'm sure the 820wh version would easily carry you over 20 miles.

Every product on the planet has failures, yet the majority of users won't experience one for any given product. There are cars which have engine fires and the whole car goes up in flames. Yet we still buy cars. I'm just trying to encourage you not to think negative about a particular brand or model when one particular unit fails, yet the vast majority of riders don't have problems.

Good luck with your choice.

Having been a member of an even a moderator of many forums over the years we all know that people are more likely to post negative concerns than positive ones by a factor of 1 million to one... The concerns here are, of course, that when a wheel suddenly malfunctions at 15 mph, a life altering, or worse result can occur. I work seven days a week and cannot afford to take a single day off and of course I could be injured on any given day in any given way, but I think you get my point. I need an immediate EUC.

Thanks for everything

I wish Jason would came to my office today with the truck where he was selling everything in the back like a food truck and I could just test them out the parking lot and take one or two away right now...

 

i'd be willing to pay QUITE A PREMIUM for that sort of service

@Jason mcneil does need to get out of Southeast Florida right now because of the oncoming hurricane, Matthew, so maybe he will load up his wheels and calm West and make me a deal on 2

[houseofjob]

Brand regardless, issues, if they don't manifest themselves right away, tend to happen around the 6 month mark or later, so a bit early to judge for the V5 / V8, ACM / MSuper3 folk.

FWIW my KS-18A drove great and relatively problem-free through the first ~4-5 months.

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, Greg Spalding said:

Having been a member of an even a moderator of many forums over the years we all know that people are more likely to post negative concerns than positive ones by a factor of 1 million to one... The concerns here are, of course, that when a wheel suddenly malfunctions at 15 mph, a life altering, or worse result can occur. I work seven days a week and cannot afford to take a single day off and of course I could be injured on any given day in any given way, but I think you get my point. I need an immediate EUC.

Thanks for everything

I wish Jason came to my office today with the truck where he was selling everything in the back like a food truck and I could just test them out the parking lot and take one or two away right now

Totally understand.

One datapoint - I just bought another ACM16 from Dion (@myfunwheel). Ordered it Saturday and it's being delivered today.

[Greg Spalding]

24 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said:

Having been a member of an even a moderator of many forums over the years we all know that people are more likely to post negative concerns than positive ones by a factor of 1 million to one... The concerns here are, of course, that when a wheel suddenly malfunctions at 15 mph, a life altering, or worse result can occur. I work seven days a week and cannot afford to take a single day off and of course I could be injured on any given day in any given way, but I think you get my point. I need an immediate EUC.

Thanks for everything

I wish Jason would came to my office today with the truck where he was selling everything in the back like a food truck and I could just test them out the parking lot and take one or two away right now...

 

i'd be willing to pay QUITE A PREMIUM for that sort of service

@  @Jason McNeil   does need to get out of Southeast Florida right now because of the oncoming hurricane, Matthew, so maybe he will load up his wheels and calm West and make me a deal on 2

 

[Greg Spalding]

39 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Totally understand.

One datapoint - I just bought another ACM16 from Dion (myfunwheels). Ordered it Saturday and it's being delivered today.

another?

who's riding THAT one?

why isn't Dion more active around here... i know he's a music producer, etc and EWHEELING is more of a "HOBBY" to him than jason (ostensibly so, at least)

[Marty Backe]

7 minutes ago, Greg Spalding said:

another?

who's riding THAT one?

why isn't Dion more active around here... i know he's a music producer, etc and EWHEELING is more of a "HOBBY" to him than jason (ostensibly so, at least)

@jrkline rode mine for a bit and liked it so much he offered to buy it from me. That allowed me to buy another one, but this time with the larger battery capacity.

Agreed. If I were actively selling EUCs I'd have an ever present visibility here in the forums. I've seen Dion post to Gotway on Facebook periodically.