IPS Xima LHOTZ 340 Wh Review

[WayneZengAU]

Hey guys, I just received my shiny new wheel this morning - courtesy of Linnea Lin! As the title goes, I got the IPS 191, or Xima Lhotz with a 340Wh battery.

First Impressions: The 16 inch wheel looks a whole lot larger than the 14 inch Gotway MCM2s that I own. It's far more aesthetically pleasing and I'd put it above the Ninebot in terms of its exterior qualities. The front/back/side lights look really nice in dim/low lighting and can be turned on/off through the XIMA App.

I took the wheel for a fairly long ride (25KM) after a short charge to full battery (arrived at about 80% charge) and it's safe to say that I'm very impressed. I've tried out a wide range of wheels; owning 3, and I would say this is the best of the bunch (although the most expensive).

FEATURES

Speed: The top speed I was able to achieve was roughly 19KM/hr as indicated both through the XIMA App and Runtastic. It's also good to note that the App doesn't exaggerate the speed unlike that of the Gotway one. At top speed, the pedals are definitely raised back and it can be a bit uncomfortable riding for long distances. I can confirm that the wheel may be unlocked to 30KM/hr via the app as there is an option to do so but only after the total mileage exceeds 100KM.

Control: The wheel accelerates with ease, and is fairly 'hard' (comparable to Madden Mode), while also being extremely stable. What I REALLY love though, is the way it turns. On my previous wheels, turning is mostly mechanical - I'd bend one knee, swivel my hips etc, and the wheel turns as I physically force it to. On the Lhotz, you don't control the wheel - the wheel controls you. There is no need for heavy leg movement or motion - the wheel is extremely responsive and guides itself in the direction you subtlely lean/point towards. It's a very different experience and took maybe a minute to get used to - but it feels great. Probably something to do with the control software.

Power: They say the wheel has a 1000W max output but I feel like that's more of a sustained/nominal figure. Maybe it's because I haven't pushed it beyond the 20KM/hr unlock but going uphill at my current speed feels like the wheel isn't even doing any work. It's so effortless and quiet. Decelerating is just as smooth, but I almost fell once because I tried to push back really fast while the pedals where leaning heavily backward.

Range: I achieved a good 25 KM of riding distance with about 30% battery remaining. The area I was travelling within did have a number of long, medium gradients though. I'm 185 CM tall weighing roughly 80 - 85 KGs depending on whether I've been eating much during the week. I hope this range doesn't decrease once I unlock the 30 KM/hr and ride at higher speeds.

Build Quality: The case looks and feels very durable. pedals are pretty standard, but have this weird opening/closing mechanism that doesn't rely on magnets. It requires a little more force to pull them down and up but this has yet to be an annoyance. The wheel makes no noise turning on/off, and the lights look fantastic in dim/low lighting.

NEGATIVES:

- I really don't like the tilt-back mechanism, but that's probably a matter of taste. However, leaning back at high speeds with the pedals tilted feels a little dangerous as it's easy to fall backwards off the wheel. After experimenting though, I found that I could simply use my midsection to lean rather than entire upper body, and this would mitigate the balancing issue. Maybe I just lack experience with tilt-back EUCs (I sold my Airwheel X8 a week after purchasing it) and had no idea what I was doing. Still quite unnerving the first time though.

- Damn you IPS, you're really going to make me ride for 100 KMs before I get my speed back up???

- There is no higher battery option than 340Wh. I would have loved a 680 Wh capacity on this thing.

- It's about 2 KG heavier than the MCM2s. Thing is, it actually feels nicer to carry due to the ergonomic handle. No idea why. Props for the design IPS.

- I really hope IPS develops the app to control both tilt-back and beeping. The beeping is not loud at all, but being able to switch the earlier beeps off when cruising at say 25 KM/hr would be nice.

VERDICT:

10/10 Would buy again. Soooo underrated - in fact I couldn't find a single review of it online. Awesome design, very safe, very well constructed. Can't wait to hit some higher speeds! Just 75 KM more to go smile emoticon I intend to charge it back up and take it for another 25 KMs this afternoon.

DISCLAIMER: I don't work with any EUC companies, and do not endorse any products for financial reasons/benefits.

Thanks for reading!

I'll post another review once I unlock the 30KM/hr speed.

[Daan]

Thanks for the nice review; I had never heard of this IPS myself, here is picture for others like me

[Jag_Rip]

Looks pretty and sturdy, ar the pedals made of plastic or is it metal?

[Gabriel]

Congratulations for your new wheel,

i am also eager to know more about this model that looks very reliable, stable and silent. 

I had the statement from IPS  that after unlocking the wheel to 30km/h there is only an audio warning but no tilt-back. It would be interesting to know whether the beeps by 25km/h are still active at this stage or not. 

Are the lights really efficient to ride in dark areas ?

have you the impression that the advertised 2,5" wide tire brings more riding comfort in comparison to the other wheels that you tried ?

 

[WayneZengAU]

Jag - The pedals are metal and feel very heavy duty. Downside is that; like most other wheels, they may actually grind against the ground if you turn very sharply, but no more so than other good models such as the Gotway MCM2s.

Gabriel - Thanks! I have yet to unlock it but I'm already half way at 50KM of mileage. The lights aren't as efficient as say a mounted flashlight, and are more or less there for the aesthetics. I usually have no problem riding in the dark either way but I might pay a bit more attention next time I ride it late at night. The wide tires probably contribute a fair amount to the stability of the wheel. I definitely hope that the beeping begins at a higher speed when the 30km/hr is unlocked. Otherwise I might just go in there and cut that red wire haha

[Jag_Rip]

yeah, but I rather scratch metal plates on the ground than plastic. Thanks for more updates as you progress

[simon]

I used to scratch my pedals on a generic one (Airwheel type). Hasn't happend yet with the Lhotz 340. An absolute beast, rides so smoothly and I stopped getting the tilts after unlocking the 20 km/h speed limit. Now I require less leaning fwd to go faster. I have not been able to go beyond 24 -25 while looking at the app as it already feels quite fast, so not sure if the tilting will happen when you're closer to 30 km/h. Overall I am very impressed and satisfied with this buy, purchasing directly from the manufacturer in China (Tony). They gave me great service and shipped it to Australia, though the courier was a bit expensive. Nice review Wayne. Cheers, Simon

[WayneZengAU]

I used to scratch my pedals on a generic one (Airwheel type). Hasn't happend yet with the Lhotz 340. An absolute beast, rides so smoothly and I stopped getting the tilts after unlocking the 20 km/h speed limit. Now I require less leaning fwd to go faster. I have not been able to go beyond 24 -25 while looking at the app as it already feels quite fast, so not sure if the tilting will happen when you're closer to 30 km/h. Overall I am very impressed and satisfied with this buy, purchasing directly from the manufacturer in China (Tony). They gave me great service and shipped it to Australia, though the courier was a bit expensive. Nice review Wayne. Cheers, Simon

Where abouts do you live in Aus Simon? I'm down in Sydney. Not that many riders here from what I've seen.

[Gimlet]

So if there's no tilt back after you unlock the higher speed you're left wth a wheel similar to the mcm where you ride it up to final beeping speed and know it can go faster but if you try to use that speed it'll dump you without further warning at some stage? 

Sorry I'm used to the old style safe slow but powerful IPS 132 and don't think this way of increasing speed is a good idea. You can't really use it if you know it's going to dump you and so there's no point in having it.

[WayneZengAU]

So if there's no tilt back after you unlock the higher speed you're left wth a wheel similar to the mcm where you ride it up to final beeping speed and know it can go faster but if you try to use that speed it'll dump you without further warning at some stage? 

Sorry I'm used to the old style safe slow but powerful IPS 132 and don't think this way of increasing speed is a good idea. You can't really use it if you know it's going to dump you and so there's no point in having it.

There is still tilt back at unlocked speed. He said he simply didn't go fast enough to experience tilt back. It occurs from 27KM/hr and upwards. 

[Gimlet]

There is still tilt back at unlocked speed. He said he simply didn't go fast enough to experience tilt back. It occurs from 27KM/hr and upwards. 

My bad! Must learn to read things properly!

[SlowMo]

It is mentioned in the specs that this model is built with a six axis gyroscope. Does it mean this unicycle also balances left and right?

[Gimlet]

It would be a great party trick if it could with just a standard wheel!

[esaj]

It is mentioned in the specs that this model is built with a six axis gyroscope. Does it mean this unicycle also balances left and right?

I think pretty much all the wheels use six-axis gyroscopes, but with a single tire, there's nothing that could keep the wheel from falling sideways mechanically.

[MrBump]

Seems like two of those axes are mostly redundant.

Only thing I wonder about with that wheel is whether the battery can cope with power demands once it gets a bit warm.  Look forward to seeing the results of tests in adverse conditions once the full power is unlocked.

[simon]

Where abouts do you live in Aus Simon? I'm down in Sydney. Not that many riders here from what I've seen.

I'm in Melbourne Wayne. Haven't been able to go past 26 km/h yet, seems like I would need to push a lot harder and I am a bit afraid to tip over at that speed. Still loving this uni though, feels like I glide through bumps on the road with the big wheel, unlike when I rode with the small 14" and had to slow down.

[Kevin]

I used to worry about whether the tilt-back would work, but now I find I can ride by pushing until I hit the solid tone. The tiltback pretty much prevents me from going past 28-29kph except if I lean forward suddenly - then it might go up to 31-32 ish before it slows my speed back down to 28.

[simon]

Thanks Kevin, will try pushing it a bit harder next time then. I'm riding with wrist-guards all the time so this is giving me more confidence. It does feel like it tilts back a bit when I get past 26 km/h, that's the fastest I have been able to go. One thing I did notice while riding on low battery, i.e., below 35%, is that the max speed drops down to around 15 km/h and it starts feeling hard to push forward. Is it just me or anyone else has come across this?

[MrBump]

Don't get too complacent with the wrist guards, though.  A spill at that speed could either be too much for the wrist guards, or the energy might be transferred and you could dislocate your shoulders.

[Kevin]

Thanks Kevin, will try pushing it a bit harder next time then. I'm riding with wrist-guards all the time so this is giving me more confidence. It does feel like it tilts back a bit when I get past 26 km/h, that's the fastest I have been able to go. One thing I did notice while riding on low battery, i.e., below 35%, is that the max speed drops down to around 15 km/h and it starts feeling hard to push forward. Is it just me or anyone else has come across this?

I have not noticed this, though I haven't gotten the battery low very often. What firmware version do you have?

[simon]

I have not noticed this, though I haven't gotten the battery low very often. What firmware version do you have?

Maybe it had to do with the tire pressure, it seemed to be getting low as well. Firmware version 4.3. I read somewhere it could be upgraded to 4.31 but no idea how, any ideas?

[Kevin]

Maybe it had to do with the tire pressure, it seemed to be getting low as well. Firmware version 4.3. I read somewhere it could be upgraded to 4.31 but no idea how, any ideas?

 

I'm still on 4.2, so maybe it changed? @Chrispy is on 4.3 and might be able to comment. As for upgrading, it seems to just pop up as an option in the app when an update is available.

[Villac]

First day with the IPS 191: Xima Lhotz: Love it!

Ordered through Amazon/IPS Store for US $1000

I got a hold of the Android App with the speed unlocked (I feel a little guilty about sneaking off without the 100 KM waiting period, but I did put in that time on my "training" wheel!)

It arrived fully charged, I hooked it up to the included charger and it only ran a minute or two before the indicator on the charger turned green.

Tire is wonderful! A fat luxurious 2.5 inches. It showed up at 30 psi and I increased it to 40. It is hard to disconnect my pump extension, so it dropped to 38 or so as I was disconnecting.

I set the speed limit to 10 km/h and did a short test run. It is less wobbly (using my level of skill) than my 14 inch TG T3) but small radius quick turns are more difficult.

The speed limit of 10 km/h produced beeping an mild gentle tilt back pretty quickly since I'm used to the 19 km/h limit.

The thin red arch of padding at the calf level is not comfortable or really fair to call padding. The smooth round shape of the case was a big difference from the box on a circle I was used to so it was a learning experience to decide where to "clamp on" with my legs. The pedals are a generous size, have a rounded corner which is happily less sharp than what I'm used to, but the standing surface is painted very smooth and almost slippery. (I need to apply skateboard deck friction tape!)

So I stopped this short run to apply padding (mainly to protect the IPS from me!) and turned up the speed limit to 30 km/hr.

I padded the handle with pipe insulation foam. I put 4 foam blocks around the perimeter of the case: two black "bumpers" at the bottom edge, and two thick white blocks near the handle. I put a triangle of high density foam around the red triangle on each side: these are the spots where I grip on with my calves. You can see it is bulky, but I'm hoping it will protect the wheel from cracks/scratches in the inevitable dismounts. My son thinks that the side pads are too thick: I see his point, it does move my legs out a little to each side, but I tuck my forefoot under the pads (pigeon-toed style) and it lets me feel good contact with the wheel to enact turns.

Now padded and hooked up to the Android app I patrolled the driveway. 

This wheel is fast! The acceleration is fast, smooth, and strong, and didn't care at all about the 15 degree incline on the driveway. I can get from 0 to 20 km/hr in about 10 meters. (It is reaching back too far to grab the physics equation for acceleration, time, and distance, but it feels like 2 seconds). It was several laps before I got to beeping: it happens above 22 km/h. Any speed above 18 I feel the wind in my hair and know that I'm MOVING! Another few laps and I got it up to 25 km/h and beeping was faster. The speaker holes in the case are broad, but the beeping is quieter and more tolerable than my TG. 

Off road, the 16 inch wheel was comfortable in the grass, but a bump up of greater than 2 inches is still a challenge for me and knocked me off a few times.

The lights are fun and animated as the will blink in a pattern that matches the direction and speed of travel. All lights are red LEDs. The ones to fore and aft will increase brightness in response to braking like a car's taillight. The lights attract a lot of attention, and when my son was riding by the football field at school he got a lot of questions. The lights are distraction level busy, but I think they will increase motorist awareness of my presence on the road.

After 5km, the battery was still reading 100% on the App (?? maybe regenerative braking?)

A cosmetic point: The case has chrome metallic lettering on it: "Shanghai Xima Lhotz", This was weakly stuck and began falling off immediately. It is mostly gone as you can see. The first letter to fall off was the "M" in Xima. I put that one back on, but since that I have been just chucking them.

 

I'm looking forward to my first commute to work, and I may rethink the padding, but my first impression is DECENT!

Pics below show comparison to the 14 inch TG T3.

[Villac]

First commute, 3 km each way. Got frequent beeping on straightaways (~ 22 km/h) but is is quiet and almost pleasant. Maybe it is tough to hear over the wind in my ears! ?

I got a frequent wobble, usually while accelerating. I think it was my adjustment to a bigger wheel, and the over padding I did probably made my foot position awkward.  I was shifting alot looking for best position.

The paint on the pedals is slippery. (I have applied 3M "safe step" traction tape, but haven't tested it yet.)

The best part of the commute was the suede smooth way the bigger 16 inch wheel handled bumps. The ride was much smoother and I didn'thave to dismount at the bigger bumps where I usually do.

Last note: the IPS 191 "growls" at low speeds. I think it is the 1000W motor skipping from one wire bundle to the next. It's a pleasant purr.

[OleTC]

 

Last note: the IPS 191 "growls" at low speeds. I think it is the 1000W motor skipping from one wire bundle to the next. It's a pleasant purr.

Congratulations with Your Wheel. How loud is the sound from the motor, in general? If it is possible to describe it in a meaningfull way.