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which brand should I get?


saqqy2k8

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Hi I'm new to this forum and new to self balancing unicycle I'm from uk England.  initially I wanted to get the hoverboard which the celebrities are riding around. However I don't think they will cut the mustard in other words won't last as they look abit flimsy and poorly built and wouldn't last on the UK roads.

I now want to get a unicycle, however im abit overwhelmed by the brands and models available.

I wanted to ask which brand and model should I get? And which one I should avoid

My budget is around  £600 to £800 however the cheaper the better. Speed the faster the better as I initially want to limit it in the learning phase. I'm going to ride it on the roads and footpaths

I'm leaning towards kingsong ks18 model as you can sit down as well. what do you reckon? I'm open to other brands as well

I'd be grateful if someone with experience could help out ideally from the UK

Also I'm finding it difficult to find uk supplier's for kingsong brand if you could link them below I'd be grateful for the help. the only one I've found are on aliexpress

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I went for the Ninebot range - which ive been happy with. 
One of the main reasons was that the distributor (Speedyfeet) are within an hours drive, and Ian's customer service is second to none. 

Ninebot comes with a 2 year warranty, it's quick enough and smooth to ride. 

That being said, Ninebot have recently completed their merger with Segway - they look to be re-aligning their distribotors and speedy feet are waiting to see if they will be bought back on board. 

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5 hours ago, saqqy2k8 said:

My budget is around  £600 to £800 however the cheaper the better

Inmotion V5F+ is right in your budget bracket: https://www.wheelgo.com/product/inmotion-v5f/ and @Jason McNeil is well respectable distributor. He offers King Songs as well - all directly in UK. Please read through Inmotion and King Song sections of our forums at http://forum.electricunicycle.org/forum/39-inmotion/ + http://forum.electricunicycle.org/forum/38-king-song/ and mainly this thread:

I personally would recommend the V5F+ as the best looking and designed wheel on the market right now. While it's "only" 14" wheel the ride experience is still excellent comparing even to some 16" wheels out there. @Jason McNeil's service is top notch and you can even organize a preview if you're nearby his location in UK.

KS18 might be a bit too large but if you'd prefer King Song to Inmotion then KS-16 840Wh and 5A fast charger is very good choice too: https://www.wheelgo.com/king-song-16/ (though above your stated budget). Also please note that Jason is currently updating his webshop sites so some new items are not yet listed on the UK version and shows only at US shop.

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I'm also wondering about this actually. I currently own a 1 year old Ninebot One E+, and just turned 800km without any problems (knock on wood). I am thinking about upgrading, but most new wheels are very expensive and typically costs twice as much as a new One E+. I know people have had problems with the E+ but the same have happened to other brands as well. And - I guess Ninebot One E+ must be one of the most sold EUC around, am I right? At least within this kind of specs (500w/1000w motor, 320wh battery). I am considering either switching to a EUC with longer range - or perhaps buy a second One E+ and configure the battery compartment for quick battery change for longer travels. And - use my old One E+ for spare parts.... I know it is more inconvenient, and I won't get the power of the newer wheels, but the speed is kind of ok, as long as none of these wheels are without potentional faults, with falls as a result. 

I know the 1radwersktatt battery expansion is probably a good solution, but that is about 400 euro just for the battery. Pluss shipping and VAT. I can have a second One E + for just a little more...

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I was in your position a few weeks ago, and almost went with the IPS Zero, which is availale in local shops in my country.

But then I started reading about it and discovered that, although IPS is one of the older players in the business with a good reputation, their new model was riddled with problems. Nothing that won't be solved in time, I'm sure, but still it made me start looking in other directions.

My other realization was that there exists a theme when it comes to electric vehicles: Range Anxiety (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_anxiety). It's easy to think that "I won't need to go longer distances; a small battery will be fine," but if you do, you're probably kidding yourself. You'll discover that you love riding the wheel, and will start using it for trips you didn't consider before, taking it to places you never thought you would. And you'll want that Freedom. To be able to go anywhere and not worry about whether you'll have enough batteries to get home. So: buy the wheel with biggest battery you can afford, that still meets your other demands.

And so I hade a dilemma: I wanted a small and light wheel that would be easy to carry with me on trains, on buses, up stairs, and whatnot. But I also wanted a big battery. The best compromize I could find was the Inmotion V5F+. Not only is it compact, light, and fitted with a large (and powerful!) battery -- it is also a very well-built wheel. Everything about it breathes quality and a no-compromise attitude towards safety and reliability. So far I have not heard about a single incident involving one of these. Every comparison I've seen on this forum has been favorable towards it. And I, of course, couldn't be happier about the purchase.

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52 minutes ago, rolauk said:

I know the 1radwersktatt battery expansion is probably a good solution, but that is about 400 euro just for the battery. Pluss shipping and VAT. I can have a second One E + for just a little more...

It's 409 euros, free shipping and that includes VAT 

For more info, see this post. 

 

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53 minutes ago, Scully said:

It's 409 euros, free shipping and that includes VAT 

For more info, see this post

I've ran out of reputations but Scully is correct ;) (and his post is very informative / helpful to clear any confusion in regards of the available options for the battery pack expansion).

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1 hour ago, Scully said:

It's 409 euros, free shipping and that includes VAT 

For more info, see this post

I've ran out of reputations but Scully is correct ;) (and his post is very informative / helpful to clear any confusion in regards of the available options for the battery pack expansion).

--

Well, at least with google translate it says it is not including shipping. And I have to pay the customs if I import this to my contry (Norway). But no doubt it is a nice upgrade.

409,00  / Set(s)
Preis inkl. MwSt., zzgl. Versand
Versandgewicht: 2,5 kg
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@Fahrtwind, I have read your review and it looks great. I was about to buy one, but was not sure about 14 inch tire - and just a small upgrade in power (but twice the distance possible, even if it is 480wh vs 320wh on the ninebot). I have not seen the V5F+ myself, but a local sport store has got the V5 for sale, just a couple of days ago. But - that is the "old" version with small motor and 144wh battery. I didn't have a chance to ride it, but it looked nice. The feeling of quality was not quite as good as the Ninebot One + I think (but close), but that may have changed on your newer version? Buying one from Jason will cost me about 1220 euros when both shipping and customs are paid. Only half that for the old version sold here - but that is not the version I want. 

Then I could instead opt for a KS-16 or KS-18 bought in my own country I guess. Those are more expensive (270 and 800 euros more, for KS-16 840wh or KS-18 1360wh). <_< Too bad these things are so expensive...

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41 minutes ago, rolauk said:

Well, at least with google translate it says it is not including shipping. And I have to pay the customs if I import this to my contry (Norway). But no doubt it is a nice upgrade.

Norway unfortunately for you doesn't "enjoy" the EU countries benefits so it's correct in regards of VAT and delivery.

"Versandbedingungen

VERSANDKOSTENFREI in die ganze EU

WELTWEIT 15 EURO AUFPREIS FÜR EINRÄDER UND

10 EURO FÜR ERSATZTEILE

Versand versichert mit UPS (selten DHL) mit Tracking"

Which means:

Shipping Policy: Free delivery in whole EU, worldwide 15 EUR for wheels and 10 EUR for spare parts, shipping insured with UPS (or DHL) with tracking. Still much better rates than most of the international shipping from other sellers. Plus - if the seller / distributor is registered VAT business rather than mum&pop's "garage" shop they (should be able to) deduct the local VAT when exporting outside EU. To verify if that's the case please check with @Jason McNeil and @1RadWerkstatt.

The "expensive" bit on KS wheels are mainly the batteries - they're considerable part of the whole price.

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4 hours ago, saqqy2k8 said:

My budget is around  £600 to £800 however the cheaper the better.

I'm leaning towards kingsong ks18 model as you can sit down as well. what do you reckon?

@saqqy2k8 exactly how/where do you perceive yourself using your EUC? Another important question is what range do you realistically need? Batteries, and therefore battery size has a big impact on cost, although a larger battery brings increased safety and a safer top speed as well range so it is always a good idea to go for the largest you can afford unless weight is an issue.

The KS-18 is a real tank, if you are aiming to be cruising bridleways and off road all the time, it or the 18" Gotway fit the bill. If you are looking to do a bit of off road and a bit of pavement/town riding then 16" wheels make sense. If you are looking to mostly use it in town, local park, commuting and need to be able to carry it/ store it in a locker, etc. Then the 14" wheels are better. BTW a Hoverboard is useless, slower than walking and challenging outdoors it only excels at dance moves on a nice flat stage floor.

personally, I'm not sure a big 18" wheel is ideal to learn on unless you really are aiming to use it on rough terrain where it will be easier to ride than smaller wheels, sitting doesn't seem to be well liked by many users. Can't get an 18" wheel on your stated budget though.

@Jason McNeil and Ian at Speedyfeet are very well respected here,  but Ninebot's behaviour towards its dealers, including Ian, at the moment make it very hard to recommend a Ninebot.

Jason, stocks KingSong, InMotion and IPS wheels, I, like many other UK and US riders on this forum bought from him and he gets zero negative feedback. The IPS is the cheapest and fit your budget, KingSong are very good, fast and can take large batteries for very good range and safety. the latest KS-14 has been around for about a year now and has a very good reputation, there is plenty of info on the newer KS-16 on this site as well. Inmotion have recently introduced a new 14" wheel to Jason's specification - the V5F+ this is almost immediately receiving rave reviews and is clearly very, very well engineered, I test drove one last week and it is excellent. The are also just about to bring out a larger 16" V8 (Jason is already taking advance orders) that is causing quite a stir on this forum as well.

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I never ride an EUC up to 29th june 2016, I spent two months on you tube and reading posts on this forum and then I decided for a KS16,range, speed reliable quite new but with 6 months of presence in the field.

The 16" I think is the best choice I ride back & fwd 24 km a day to my Office by bike lane with some maintenance needs and park gravel and small steps without  problems.

But learn it takes time & pain (small amount but you know: no pain no gain ;) )

So be patient for a week or two in boring exercises, but it's important for yours and others safety in the end it's like biking once your body learns it won't forget

 

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8 hours ago, Keith said:

@saqqy2k8 exactly how/where do you perceive yourself using your EUC? Another important question is what range do you realistically need? Batteries, and therefore battery size has a big impact on cost, although a larger battery brings increased safety and a safer top speed as well range so it is always a good idea to go for the largest you can afford unless weight is an issue.

The KS-18 is a real tank, if you are aiming to be cruising bridleways and off road all the time, it or the 18" Gotway fit the bill. If you are looking to do a bit of off road and a bit of pavement/town riding then 16" wheels make sense. If you are looking to mostly use it in town, local park, commuting and need to be able to carry it/ store it in a locker, etc. Then the 14" wheels are better. BTW a Hoverboard is useless, slower than walking and challenging outdoors it only excels at dance moves on a nice flat stage floor.

personally, I'm not sure a big 18" wheel is ideal to learn on unless you really are aiming to use it on rough terrain where it will be easier to ride than smaller wheels, sitting doesn't seem to be well liked by many users. Can't get an 18" wheel on your stated budget though.

@Jason McNeil and Ian at Speedyfeet are very well respected here,  but Ninebot's behaviour towards its dealers, including Ian, at the moment make it very hard to recommend a Ninebot.

Jason, stocks KingSong, InMotion and IPS wheels, I, like many other UK and US riders on this forum bought from him and he gets zero negative feedback. The IPS is the cheapest and fit your budget, KingSong are very good, fast and can take large batteries for very good range and safety. the latest KS-14 has been around for about a year now and has a very good reputation, there is plenty of info on the newer KS-16 on this site as well. Inmotion have recently introduced a new 14" wheel to Jason's specification - the V5F+ this is almost immediately receiving rave reviews and is clearly very, very well engineered, I test drove one last week and it is excellent. The are also just about to bring out a larger 16" V8 (Jason is already taking advance orders) that is causing quite a stir on this forum as well.

thanks for the help guys.

i guess im going for a 16 inch unicycle as i only need it for on road and pavements etc. i will hardly be using it in rough terrain. so which brand and model should i go for kingsong, ninebot or gotway inmotion in the 16 inch range? which one is more reliable with more support?. As for distance the more the merrier i don't really have a set distance range, as im going to be using it for pleasure and general riding as opposed to business commute. as for the budget i'm willing to up it if need be, however i don't want to unneccessarly fork out money if its not required.

 

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OrWhere Ninebot is concerned you probably want to look at the E+ There is a recent review by a new rider here:

Speedyfeet http://www.speedyfeet.uk is best known in the UK but I would read this: 

Gotway do the 16" ACM, reviewed below, I don't know who stocks that in the UK, support from the manufacturer is good on this forum: 

The KingSong 16 is available from @Jason McNeil here:https://www.wheelgo.com/shop/  it is reviewed here: 

As I mentioned earlier, Inmotion are in the process of updating their lineup and the quality of their wheels looks to be literally leaping over other brands and @Jason McNeil has been working closely with them to improve the specs even further. The new V5F+ (The + model being specified by Jason is a 14" wheel but is readily developing a real following, if you want to go for the very newest  the 16" V8 will be here within weeks  both can also be found on Jason's shop here: https://www.wheelgo.com/shop/ I mention both because, obviously, there are no real review of the V8 yet but reviews of the V5F+ are glowing below, and discussions on the V8 are on the second link: 

 

 

There is also the IPS range like the LHOTZ:  Ironically a London one sold second hand thisweek, the owner @Paddylaz changing it for an InMotion V5F+!

 

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@saqqy2k8, apologies, my above post suddenly lost the first couple of lines and it will not let me save any edits of it. 

What I started by saying was:"

To be honest none of those wheels would be a wrong choice. Best to look at the reviews, comments on each and see which features versus price hits the sweet spot.

Where Ninebot is concerned you probably want to look at the E+ There is a recent review by a new rider here:

Now continue reading the post above this one!

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You've basically walked into a car meet where everyone loves their own car. 
You've asked which you should buy. 

There aren't many people who have experience of the entire range. 

 

There's not a bad wheel out there, you've just got to pay your money and enjoy it. 

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15 hours ago, rolauk said:

I know the 1radwersktatt battery expansion is probably a good solution, but that is about 400 euro just for the battery. Pluss shipping and VAT. I can have a second One E + for just a little more.

@rolauk Ninebots are very good it seems to me, but why get another of the same thing?  Mine has given me no problems at all, but with the new Inmotion V5F+ out now with 50% bigger battery capacity and new features, I am tempted to get one just to try something new and improved.  But I don't want to spend another 1000 this soon since my Ninebot only has 98 miles on it.

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@saqqy2k8 If you're set on getting a 16inch, my advice would be to buy the  Ninebot e+ from Speedyfeet. You can pick one up now for £690. Probably your best bet for a first wheel, as despite what is happening with the company, as a new rider you have a vault of how-to and tips videos on YouTube by speedyfeet's owner  (Ian) that show you everything from pumping your tire to disassembling the wheel, to repairs.

For a 14inch I'd go with the Inmotion vf5+ which is what my next wheel will be.

Just make sure you buy a wheel with decent speed. You might not think you'll need it but you will once your experience increases. You want something that can 'cruise' at minimum 20kph

 

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My 2 cents:

• I've extensively driven most of the wheels mentioned on this thread, and IMO, the InMotion V5F+ is in a class of it's own in terms of a new wheel system built from the ground up (most of these wheels are 1st & 2nd generation EUCs based off existing e-bike motor designs I believe) with what feels like extensive thought put into the details.

• You can't go wrong with the Ninebot One E+, especially with a lower price point, but the wheel, next to something like the V5F+, has begun to show it's age, mainly with range and lack of features, with no signs of upcoming improvement ahead (focus clearly seems to be on the Mini Pro for Segway/Ninebot).

• I love my KS-18A for it's form factor, top speed and safety features (tiltback, lights), and I think, with the right experience, it's just as valid an everyday wheel as any (not just for "offroading"), but I can't imagine learning on one (I started on the E+), as with it's height, it is a different animal altogether from other wheels.

• Yes, the V5F+ is a 14" x 1.95" (not the typical 2.125" width of other 14"s) wheel, but it rides bigger and wider than any other 14" I've been on. I can't exactly explain why (maybe due to a slightly different make of tire(?)), you really need to try it yourself, but I would bet the others who own or have tried would concur. Thus, I would not automatically disqualify this model out of the 16" discussion (although there is the upcoming 16" InMotion V8 as well).

 

I don't mean to sound like a raging InMotion ad, but there must be a reason why those of us who have bought the V5F+ are now starting to sell our old 14" & 16" wheels (see @fearedbliss & @Paddylaz, and now myself, as I will soon post for sale my fairly recent and new 14" Ninebot One S2). If InMotion did a tall 18" wheel, I would most certainly offload my KS-18A as well; their setup is that good.

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6 hours ago, houseofjob said:

• Yes, the V5F+ is a 14" x 1.95" (not the typical 2.125" width of other 14"s) wheel, but it rides bigger and wider than any other 14" I've been on. I can't exactly explain why (maybe due to a slightly different make of tire(?)), you really need to try it yourself, but I would bet the others who own or have tried would concur. Thus, I would not automatically disqualify this model out of the 16" discussion (although there is the upcoming 16" InMotion V8 as well).

 

I don't mean to sound like a raging InMotion ad, but there must be a reason why those of us who have bought the V5F+ are now starting to sell our old 14" & 16" wheels (see @fearedbliss & @Paddylaz, and now myself, as I will soon post for sale my fairly recent and new 14" Ninebot One S2). If InMotion did a tall 18" wheel, I would most certainly offload my KS-18A as well; their setup is that good.

So much this! Using @Scully's comparison to cars you're looking here at (at least) 3 categories or better say generations of the cars and I personally would say go for the latest generation here (which currently includes only V5F+ and 2016 models of KS-16 wheels with V8 upcoming shortly). Second generation includes whell produced mainy last year and most of those are still solid contenders though with some minor shortcomings as well. I'd personally avoid any of the first / early generation of the wheels despite the lower price range as you'd most likely soon start seeing all the downsides and be looking for early upgrade making any intial "savings" on purchase lost. Those inlude wheels designed 2 or more years ago.

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11 hours ago, steve454 said:

@rolauk Ninebots are very good it seems to me, but why get another of the same thing?  Mine has given me no problems at all, but with the new Inmotion V5F+ out now with 50% bigger battery capacity and new features, I am tempted to get one just to try something new and improved.  But I don't want to spend another 1000 this soon since my Ninebot only has 98 miles on it.

@steve454 I see your point, but the only reason was that it works well, and I could use the second battery from my (old) NB1E+ as a spare, to get longer reach. Just throw it in a backpack. It is easy to do some modifications to make the side panel easy to take off and on without any tools, on the go. But - I agree, I'll rather have a new and improved wheel. Just cost a lot more money. 

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@houseofjob Ah...another NB1 to V5F+ converter. Yes I must admit as well that the V5F+ is awesome. Bumps are a bit less forgiving on the V5F+ but in terms of manuvererability, weight and speed, the V5F+ is superior, but I like my NB1 going on trips through the park where I don't have to be so concerned looking ahead for rough trail bumps and ruts.

I plan to keep both ,or all three... forgot about the NB flame that is rarely used. It is to pretty to mess up plus my wife is not aware of that or the V5F.   Good weekend to tell her about the V5F purchase as I can explain the 14 " wheel is safer...er...easier to ride...less expensive, less chance of running over people, electric bill will be lower because it has a longer range? Help me out here as I need a good excuse before she returns tomorrow night;)

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