Mten3 First Impressions / Review - BUY ONE NOW!!!

[radial]

2 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

Lowered it for all customers.

But: interesting to know, if you buy through the Aliexpress mobile app you get even more discount.

It's still in promo right now. This is the one I got (the biggest battery version):

 

In the mobile app it's cheaper. I paid about 750 euro for it.

 

This is the one with the smallest battery:

 

(also a bit cheaper in the app if you check there).

Thanks, @ir_fuel (and @KingSong69 ).  I'm checking with the seller to see if they can match the original price.

[radial]

1 hour ago, radial said:

Thanks, @ir_fuel (and @KingSong69 ).  I'm checking with the seller to see if they can match the original price.

Here's my reply.

 

Well, I'm sorry too, but I guess I'll just sit back and wait to see how this new Gotway offering fares at that pricepoint.  I already have a pretty nimble wheel (ninebot 1E+), so it's no big deal for me to miss this opportunity.  

Edited September 12, 2017 by radial

[Rehab1]

5 minutes ago, radial said:

Here's my reply.

 

Bummer! 

[electricpen]

I should note there was a thunderstorm tonight in SF and I had taken the Mten on my daily commute to school for the first time. I rode home 3 miles in the rain at night and the wheel handled it well. The pedals are a lot less slippery when wet than the Kingsong pedals which I probably need to cover with better grip tape. The only real difference was it was a bit unstable if you went over a groove lengthwise. But it got me home safe and I actually appreciated the dancing light show since the cars had reduced visibility in the rain. Oddly this may be my go-to wheel if I'm commuting in the rain since I tend to stay off the road in the rain since the cars 1) have less visibility, 2) have less control, and 3) spray water all over me which sucks. And if a trip is going to be 100% on sidewalks I prefer the Mten. So I guess it came just in time for rainy season 

Edited September 12, 2017 by electricpen

[houseofjob]

@electricpen how was the mud butt factor? does the MTen3 in rain need a mudguard you think?

[electricpen]

7 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

@electricpen how was the mud butt factor? does the MTen3 in rain need a mudguard you think?

Oddly this was not too bad but I wasn't going that fast and only went through a couple deeper puddles. I suppose one advantage of living on top of a hill is that big puddles aren't much of an issue for most of the trip. I would expect traveling through consistently deeper water would require a mudguard but I won't know on this commute since the incline keeps the surface from accumulating water, it is wet but not really slick if that makes sense.

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, electricpen said:

I should note there was a thunderstorm tonight in SF and I had taken the Mten on my daily commute to school for the first time. I rode home 3 miles in the rain at night and the wheel handled it well. The pedals are a lot less slippery when wet than the Kingsong pedals which I probably need to cover with better grip tape. The only real difference was it was a bit unstable if you went over a groove lengthwise. But it got me home safe and I actually appreciated the dancing light show since the cars had reduced visibility in the rain. Oddly this may be my go-to wheel if I'm commuting in the rain since I tend to stay off the road in the rain since the cars 1) have less visibility, 2) have less control, and 3) spray water all over me which sucks. And if a trip is going to be 100% on sidewalks I prefer the Mten. So I guess it came just in time for rainy season 

I noticed that Gotway is using the pedals that originally came with the ACM - with those red rubber inserts. The effect is that my feet really stick to the pedals. I like them a lot.

If my commute was only a few miles I would definitely be using the Mten3.

[Marty Backe]

40 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

@electricpen how was the mud butt factor? does the MTen3 in rain need a mudguard you think?

Haven't you seen that Gotway video where he's flying through deep water. See the second page of this thread. It looks like no spray is going up in the back.

[houseofjob]

52 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Haven't you seen that Gotway video where he's flying through deep water. See the second page of this thread. It looks like no spray is going up in the back.

Flying? That video he's going super slow.

Was interested more at cruising speeds of 20-22mph, smaller puddle conditions I would actually face, etc

Edited September 12, 2017 by houseofjob

[Marty Backe]

18 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

Flying? That video he's going super slow.

Was interested more at cruising speeds of 20-22mph, smaller puddle conditions I would actually face, etc

Wow -  20+ mph through water. You live on the edge man 

[Marty Backe]

Some more beach riding, this time at Redondo Beach Pier

 

[ir_fuel]

9 hours ago, radial said:

Here's my reply.

 

Well, I'm sorry too, but I guess I'll just sit back and wait to see how this new Gotway offering fares at that pricepoint.  I already have a pretty nimble wheel (ninebot 1E+), so it's no big deal for me to miss this opportunity.  

That makes sense, you need to check exchange rates. Converting my EUR prices to USD I see the most expensive one is at 963 dollar which equals 807 EUR

 

[Mrd777]

Finally got the Metn3 today, it truly seems to be a fabulous wheel.  My charger is super hot when charging, hot enough where i could not hold it in my hand.

Is this normal? I don't think my ACM charger got this hot.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Mrd777

[radial]

10 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

That makes sense, you need to check exchange rates. Converting my EUR prices to USD I see the most expensive one is at 963 dollar which equals 807 EUR

 

Seems like just a few weeks ago they were selling for around $800 USD.  Maybe I was imagining that?  

[edwin_rm]

20 minutes ago, radial said:

Seems like just a few weeks ago they were selling for around $800 USD.  Maybe I was imagining that?  

Yes. I paid $800 for mine. I'll let you give it a spin at the group ride!

[radial]

Just now, edwin_rm said:

Yes. I paid $800 for mine. I'll let you give it a spin at the group ride!

Deal!

[Marty Backe]

28 minutes ago, radial said:

Seems like just a few weeks ago they were selling for around $800 USD.  Maybe I was imagining that?  

The $800 price was an introductory offer by this particular reseller, valid until early September if I recall correctly.

[Marty Backe]

33 minutes ago, Mrd777 said:

Finally got the Metn3 today, it truly seems to be a fabulous wheel.  My charger is super hot when charging, hot enough where i could not hold it in my hand.

Is this normal? I don't think my ACM charger got this hot.

Great. Another member of the Mten3 club 

Seems to me that all the Gotway chargers run extremely hot (too hot to hold). I try and position mine to maximize air flow around the 'brick'.

After you put a few miles on it, let us know what you think.

[radial]

Just now, Marty Backe said:

The $800 price was an introductory offer by this particular reseller, valid until early September if I recall correctly.

I think that's exactly right.  Still, it might have been more prudent for the seller to extend the promotion for a few more days, or at least be willing to bargain.  You know what they say about how many positive customer experiences it takes to counterbalance a negative one.  Oh well, at least now I don't have to grit my teeth and join the Gotway cult.  Not yet, anyway.  

[Marty Backe]

1 minute ago, radial said:

I think that's exactly right.  Still, it might have been more prudent for the seller to extend the promotion for a few more days, or at least be willing to bargain.  You know what they say about how many positive customer experiences it takes to counterbalance a negative one.  Oh well, at least now I don't have to grit my teeth and join the Gotway cult.  Not yet, anyway.  

I'm not s reseller of any type, but it seems to me that's the purpose of sales/introductory prices, etc. To drive sales. They probably lose their effectiveness if people come to believe that a deadline isn't really a deadline.

I guess it's up to @edwin_rm to convert you to the Gotway life. There's hope yet 

[radial]

Just now, Marty Backe said:

I'm not s reseller of any type, but it seems to me that's the purpose of sales/introductory prices, etc. To drive sales. They probably lose their effectiveness if people come to believe that a deadline isn't really a deadline.

I guess it's up to @edwin_rm to convert you to the Gotway life. There's hope yet 

It's all on you, @edwin_rm!  

[trya]

 

I got my Mten3 today and rode it for about 20 minutes. My impression is very good, I support all the Marty's statements about this wheel, although I can't say that I'm as exited as Marty   What I like the most - is the power in a small and extremely agile wheel. 

I wanted a small wheel for quite a long time, and this is actually my third wheel < 14". The first one was IPS A130, the second - Gotway Luffy. 
My impressions about IPS A130 can be found here: http://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/666-ips-a130/#comment-21972
Luffy feels close to A130, i.e. the power is about the same, but it is more agile due to its 10" (vs 12" on IPS).

I probably can add a few comments by comparing Luffy and Mten3.

Power: there is no comparison, Luffy is weak compared to Mten3. I can easily overpower Luffy by over-leaning backward when switching from forward to backward, not so on Mten3. I feel on Mten3 about the same as on my old and extremely reliable MCM2s. They have very similar feel (in terms of power), but, of course, Mten3 is a lot more agile.
Agility: Luffy and Mten3 feel about the same, very tight and quick turns, easy to ride slow, great maneuvering. However, on Luffy one has to be careful with acceleration/deceleration and reversing - there is real danger of overpowering the wheel, the riding style has to be smooth, non-aggressive.
Speed: I probably wouldn't dare to go over 25kmh on such a small (albeit unstable) wheel unless I'm on ideal surface. Both wheels can do 25, and even though Mten3 can go beyond that - I doubt that I will ever use that. On KS18 30kmh feels like not fast enough, but on 10" - 20 feels like too fast  
Pedals: great on Mten3 and OK on Luffy (smaller but comfy enough). Luffy's pedals are a lot lower - this is a disadvantage compared to Mten3, but may not be a big deal if one maitains the smooth riding style.
Weight/Size: Luffy is significantly lighter and smaller, even though both wheels are 10". One can easily carry Luffy in the backpack - but I wouldn't do this with Mten3, as it is a heavier and bulkier. You can walk with Luffy in hand for a long time - not so easy with Mten3.
Light: great on Mten3, no light on Luffy.
Battery: on 200Wh Luffy I rode for 15+ km, Mten3 will probably ride me for 30-40 km.
Body: similar shape on both wheels, Mten3 is more polished, but I think that the black plastic is too weak and can break easily (have to be proven), also it is connected to the white one very unreliably and you can detach it easily with two fingers (and as easy to snap it back)... I don't like this flimsy connections.
Tire: great wide tire on Mten3, I think I will be able to ride wet sand on the beach, probably better than my 14" wheels. This is just an assumption, it has to be tested.
Price: Luffy is about half the price of Mten, and this is fair.
Surprises: due to fat tire you can almost stand still on Mten3 with a little twisting or very small pendulum. I didn't expect it, but I was able to do on Mten3 all the tricks I can do on 14"+ wheels (not that I do many) - various reverse movements, one leg, and even one leg backward/forward on the "wrong side"! However, I like V5F+ better for tricks - perhaps because I'm not used to Mten3 yet.

The bottom line: even though both wheels are 10" - in my view they are in different categories. 
Luffy would work better as the "last mile transporation" device - if all you need is to ride it from train/bus to the office, or around the campus, and easily carry it around while walking. Also Luffy is a great wheel for kids.
Mten3 is a fun wheel, as Marty describes it. It is very good for riding "for pleasure" as one of the wheels in your quiver In my view, by its "functionality" it might be close to 14" light wheels (MCM2, V5) - however, due to its agility - it feels a lot different.

Given that I use wheels for fun, I think that I'll part with my Luffy  

 

Edited September 13, 2017 by trya

[trya]

On 9/8/2017 at 10:57 PM, Marty Backe said:

Reach out to your Gotway contact and confirm that there's no method of determining the battery level except via the app 

I've been unable to see any pattern in the ring lights which indicate power level.

Hm... On my Mten3 I clearly see the row of 6 lights on the front side, they indicate the power level when the wheel is not moving. I received the wheel with 30% charge and only two lights out of 6 were lit, after I charged it - all 6 are lit. Luffy has a similar indicator, but with the row of 4 lights.

[Stan Onymous]

My Mten is on a slow boat from China. ??. I hope it doesnt get sea or homesick. Soon I will know the joy of the super fun good happy time mten! 

[Marty Backe]

1 minute ago, Stan Onymous said:

My Mten is on a slow boat from China. ??. I hope it doesnt get sea or homesick. Soon I will know the joy of the super fun good happy time mten! 

As soon as you get it we need to do a city ride (LA or some other city). Some place to take advantage of its features.