Gotway Tesla Impressions and Diary

[Marty Backe]

4 minutes ago, Scatcat said:

What I do is crouch a bit. Both to be more prepared for bumps and stuff, but also I get better speed control without leaning too much.

I think that was the description I was looking for - crouching, bent knees, etc.

[Scatcat]

4 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I think that was the description I was looking for - crouching, bent knees, etc.

Exactly, bending the knees gives you better control and saves you knees on a rough surface.

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

On 2017-11-26 at 11:01 PM, Marty Backe said:

Hopefully the Telsa feels stable for you even when riding fast.

Your comment about leaning more has me thinking because I don't have the sense of leaning forward that much. Not to try and teach an old dog (sorry for the metaphor) new tricks, but maybe you should try leaning with your ankles and keep the body more upright, if you understand my description.

Huh... maybe it's a Ninebot thing.  This old dog has only been riding a Ninebot wheel mainly and never a Gotway or other wheel so it's difficult to say. I do lean at the ankles, but maybe with the 22 kph tiltback on the 9bot that lean never was that much.

It would be interesting to see if any other former Nineboters noticed this.  @SuperSport?  How was transitioning from your 9bot to the Msuper like?

The Tesla feels stable even at 30kph+ there's no question there, but it seems like maybe the speed or wind resistance instinctively makes me lean back.  Maybe I need to get a Pebble and Wheelog to get a better grasp of the higher speeds.  I might need to reassess my foot positioning also.  It could be on the new wheel I'm too far back...  didn't feel like it though.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Marty Backe]

6 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Huh... maybe it's a Ninebot thing.  This old dog has only been riding one Ninebot wheel mainly and never a Gotway or other wheel so it's difficult to say. I do lean at the ankles, but maybe with the 22 kph tiltback on the 9bot that lean never was that much.

It would be interesting to see if any other former Nineboters noticed this.  @SuperSport?  How was transitioning from your 9bot to the Msuper like?

The Tesla feels stable even at 30koh+ there's no question there, but it seems like maybe the speed or wind resistance instinctively makes me lean back.  Maybe I need to get a pebble and Wheelog to get a better grasp of the higher speeds.  I might need to reassess my foot positioning also.  It could be on the new wheel I'm too far back...  didn't feel like it though.

You're not leaning like this are you 

Instead you need to lean like this ...

 

[US69]

@Hunka Hunka Burning Love

my max speed on the Tesla was about 40-42...

cruising speed is "only" from 28-33. 

in MY view faster than 35-38 gets uncomfortable on 16inch wheel....and a lot drivers feel the same :-)

[Toshio Uemura]

14 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

The shin pads are uncomfortable, but I can say that after you put in 50+ miles you'll be comfortable again. Typical new-wheel syndrome.

Confirmed. The discomfort really just goes away, magically. A bit like with new shoes you wear for the first time. I actually now like the Tesla pads as much as I hated them before. ?

[meepmeepmayer]

7 hours ago, KingSong69 said:

my max speed on the Tesla was about 40-42...

cruising speed is "only" from 28-33. 

What would be the numbers for your 18S, in comparison?

[US69]

1 hour ago, meepmeepmayer said:

What would be the numbers for your 18S, in comparison?

Nearly the same...perhaps a bit higher cruising Speed because of the bigger wheel and it's ability to go through bumps and holes better.

But in General driving constantly and/or longer time over 35-38kmh is no real fun for me. Yes, perhaps for very short periods, for shits and giggles and the adrenaline rush, but thats it.

I would guess that gets easier on a 22"wheel...but then: On this big wheels you loose some of the agility that makes driving EUC such a fun?!

[Mrd777]

@Toshio Uemura curious how the Tesla handles compared to your ACM?  Do you favor the Tesla by a wide margin?

[Toshio Uemura]

22 minutes ago, Mrd777 said:

@Toshio Uemura curious how the Tesla handles compared to your ACM?  Do you favor the Tesla by a wide margin?

The Tesla to me offers more stability at higher speeds. It makes me feel safer. And I love riding fast. I had a few high speed falls (not accidents) with the ACM, loss of control, no fault or malfunction of the e_horse, purely my riding mistakes and also nothing serious since I know how to fall from snow boarding and Aikido and other crazy things I do, BUT (I must say) I feel a little safer on the Tesla in direct comparison to the ACM. The Tesla is just very smooth, sports car compared to SUV kind of thing. No scratch yet on the Tesla! ??

Furthermore, I wouldn't or better I haven't and I probably won't ever take my Tesla into the mountains and near off-road trails, 'cause I do not intend to scratch it. That's why I bought the Tesla in the first place: to have something shiny and beautiful, patchinco-parlor-like-blinking-thing to show off with in the parks and in the city. ? The Z10 that I will buy next I will definitely scratch up immediately, because I intend to ride it off road. Not so the Tesla! The ACM is a tank (as Marty once wrote) and I love riding it on mountain trails. BUT if I wouldn't care for scratches like with all my other unicycles I definitely would prefer the Tesla to the ACM even in the mountains and on off-road trails, because it is really powerful. Now, since I have none of the newer 84V ACMs and have not rode my Tesla off road, I can not really compare my Tesla to the latest ACMs regarding the off-road performance. I am sure the ACMs have improved over time as well.

Now for tricks and spins and very slow speed riding the Tesla is almost as good as the V8 regarding agility and far superior to the rather clumsy ACM. It is better than the V8 and the ACM for backward riding since it is more stable. I don't know if you have seen my two clips posted under "Tesla vs. my other EUCs". Compared to the ACM the Tesla is very reactive at slow speeds. And of course I love the handle as you can see in my clip.

Now to your last question: Do I favor the Tesla by a wide margin? Definitely yes! It is an impressive upgrade in comparison to the older 67V ACMs. If you do not care about scratching it, it's the perfect all-rounder. For me, who intends not to scratch it, it is my choice for the city and for strolls at night. For long distance touring and deep mountain tracking it is for now the MSuper V3s+. And if I had to have only one wheel, my choice would be the larger MSuper and not the Tesla, simply because of the range and the superior off-road capabilities. But that's because I live in the country side. If I lived in Osaka or Kyoto it would probably be the Tesla.

I am not sure if that answered your question, but if you have more specific questions don't hesitate to ask. ??

[Mrd777]

@Toshio Uemura thanks for the great answer. Just to be clear your ACM 1600 is a 67v one?

[jbwheel]

5 hours ago, Toshio Uemura said:

The Z10 that I will buy next I will definitely scratch up immediately, because I intend to ride it off road.

Have you ever consider the GT16 ?

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

Although I baby my wheels as I like them with minimal war wounds, I don't mind the odd scratch and dent.  It's just the nature of the game.  Skateboards, Rollerblades, shoes, cars, pretty much anything that sees usage gets worn and dinged up.  It's a fact of life.  Sure you'll see people buying Ferrari F40's and store them away for investment purposes, but how much fun is that?  I say enjoy these material items while you can, replace parts if needed (and the Tesla has pretty easily removable glossy covers!), and don't sweat it that much.    Unless you have a rare Flamebot Ninebot One E+ then screw you guys!  I'm keeping it pristine!!!

[US69]

1 hour ago, Mrd777 said:

@Toshio Uemura thanks for the great answer. Just to be clear your ACM 1600 is a 67v one?

there are no 1600wh 67volt versions existing....1300/1600 is always 84 Volt

680/820 are the 67volt versions of acm/msuper.....there shortly has been a 1640wh msuper version 67volt...which nobody bought, why should someone :-)

Edited November 28, 2017 by KingSong69

[Toshio Uemura]

5 hours ago, Mrd777 said:

@Toshio Uemura thanks for the great answer. Just to be clear your ACM 1600 is a 67v one?

Yes, that is correct. It is the ACM 820 Wh, 67V,  has the 3 PIN Charger and 12 MosFets. I bought it in February this year.

[Toshio Uemura]

5 hours ago, jbwheel said:

Have you ever consider the GT16 ?

No I have not. Why do you think I should? Does it have more range than the MSuper V3s+, is it faster, shinier and more beautiful than the Tesla? I love the bigger 18" wheels for off-road trails since they take large roots and arm-thick tree branches in the woods as if they weren't there. The Z10 seem to offer a good balance of all these beloved abilities. That's why I can hardly wait to get my hands on one.

?

[litewave]

27 minutes ago, Toshio Uemura said:

No I have not. Why do you think I should? Does it have more range than the MSuper V3s+, is it faster, shinier and more beautiful than the Tesla? I love the bigger 18" wheels for off-road trails since they take large roots and arm-thick tree branches in the woods as if they weren't there. The Z10 seem to offer a good balance of all these beloved abilities. That's why I can hardly wait to get my hands on one.

?

The GT16 does have that angular Lambo look, which is hard to resist ....   I really hope the Ninebot Z lives up to expectations.

[Marty Backe]

12 hours ago, Toshio Uemura said:

The Tesla to me offers more stability at higher speeds. It makes me feel safer. And I love riding fast. I had a few high speed falls (not accidents) with the ACM, loss of control, no fault or malfunction of the e_horse, purely my riding mistakes and also nothing serious since I know how to fall from snow boarding and Aikido and other crazy things I do, BUT (I must say) I feel a little safer on the Tesla in direct comparison to the ACM. The Tesla is just very smooth, sports car compared to SUV kind of thing. No scratch yet on the Tesla! ??

Furthermore, I wouldn't or better I haven't and I probably won't ever take my Tesla into the mountains and near off-road trails, 'cause I do not intend to scratch it. That's why I bought the Tesla in the first place: to have something shiny and beautiful, patchinco-parlor-like-blinking-thing to show off with in the parks and in the city. ? The Z10 that I will buy next I will definitely scratch up immediately, because I intend to ride it off road. Not so the Tesla! The ACM is a tank (as Marty once wrote) and I love riding it on mountain trails. BUT if I wouldn't care for scratches like with all my other unicycles I definitely would prefer the Tesla to the ACM even in the mountains and on off-road trails, because it is really powerful. Now, since I have none of the newer 84V ACMs and have not rode my Tesla off road, I can not really compare my Tesla to the latest ACMs regarding the off-road performance. I am sure the ACMs have improved over time as well.

Now for tricks and spins and very slow speed riding the Tesla is almost as good as the V8 regarding agility and far superior to the rather clumsy ACM. It is better than the V8 and the ACM for backward riding since it is more stable. I don't know if you have seen my two clips posted under "Tesla vs. my other EUCs". Compared to the ACM the Tesla is very reactive at slow speeds. And of course I love the handle as you can see in my clip.

Now to your last question: Do I favor the Tesla by a wide margin? Definitely yes! It is an impressive upgrade in comparison to the older 67V ACMs. If you do not care about scratching it, it's the perfect all-rounder. For me, who intends not to scratch it, it is my choice for the city and for strolls at night. For long distance touring and deep mountain tracking it is for now the MSuper V3s+. And if I had to have only one wheel, my choice would be the larger MSuper and not the Tesla, simply because of the range and the superior off-road capabilities. But that's because I live in the country side. If I lived in Osaka or Kyoto it would probably be the Tesla.

I am not sure if that answered your question, but if you have more specific questions don't hesitate to ask. ??

You've talked way too much about not scratching your Tesla. I'm afraid that you may have jinxed yourself now 

I have the 84-volt ACM which feels much more powerful (to me) than my older 67-volt ACM. I did take my Tesla onto some maintain trails this past weekend. I think that I still prefer the ACM for trail riding. It feels a little more stable on trails (more tank like  ). And the Tesla seems more fragile to me.

[Scatcat]

1 hour ago, Marty Backe said:

You've talked way too much about not scratching your Tesla. I'm afraid that you may have jinxed yourself now 

I have the 84-volt ACM which feels much more powerful (to me) than my older 67-volt ACM. I did take my Tesla onto some maintain trails this past weekend. I think that I still prefer the ACM for trail riding. It feels a little more stable on trails (more tank like  ). And the Tesla seems more fragile to me.

Comparing power between the MSuper3s+, your ACM and the Tesla, what are your feelings?

[Toshio Uemura]

3 hours ago, litewave said:

The GT16 does have that angular Lambo look, which is hard to resist ....   I really hope the Ninebot Z lives up to expectations.

I agree, the design concept of the GT16 is rather elegant and tempting, but since I already have five 16" wheels but only one 18" wheel (which I bytheway like a lot, inspite of this horrible squary gasoline tank design it features) I think I take a pass on the GT16 and wait for the Z10. It promises everything I wish for: a cool design, moderate speed, moderate range, build quality, huge tires, futuristic flashing and glooming lights, a cool design and most of all a really really cool design.

Did I mention that it has an extremely cool design, which is puristic enough that it even omits the ugly trolley handle. This e_horse is for riding not for pushing. And if I want to push something once in a while, I use my shiny Tesla ??

[Marty Backe]

49 minutes ago, Scatcat said:

Comparing power between the MSuper3s+, your ACM and the Tesla, what are your feelings?

I think I'm going to make a video once I have a bit more time on the Tesla

[Toshio Uemura]

43 minutes ago, Scatcat said:

Comparing power between the MSuper3s+, your ACM and the Tesla, what are your feelings?

First of all (and without having tried it out myself) just out of the feeling I get from riding my Tesla on smooth surfaces and from having ridden my lower powered ACM for quite some time on trails, I probably agree with your assessment that the tank like ACM is preferable to  the Tesla for trail riding, especially if you own a higher powered version of the ACMs. I believe this may come from the Tesla being far more "nervous" than the ACM. This "nervousness" or call it "responsiveness" is very nice for tricks and spins and other playful things, but it misses a bit of the brute persistence and wood breaking forcefulness the ACM and even more the MSuper3s+ bring to the trail. On the road the smooth acceleration of the Tesla is superb. The MSuper feels a little heavier. A bit like the 911 compared to the Cayenne, both being fast and powerful, you are perfectly happy with either of them and if you own both, you use them for different occasions. That's how I feel with the two wheels. As to the ACM, it probably is a bit unfair to compare it to my much higher powered newer e_horses. I just love to ride the "old" ACM once in a while to remember all the good times I spend on it when I broke out of the magic spell that the Ninebot One E+ had me under; and I ride my ACM 'cause it lets me feel the progress GW is achieving.

[Toshio Uemura]

37 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I think I'm going to make a video once I have a bit more time on the Tesla

Woww! A video about Marty's feelings ... that shall be fun. And with lots of cool music pleeeeeaase. ?????

[Marty Backe]

14 minutes ago, Toshio Uemura said:

First of all (and without having tried it out myself) just out of the feeling I get from riding my Tesla on smooth surfaces and from having ridden my lower powered ACM for quite some time on trails, I probably agree with your assessment that the tank like ACM is preferable to  the Tesla for trail riding, especially if you own a higher powered version of the ACMs. I believe this may come from the Tesla being far more "nervous" than the ACM. This "nervousness" or call it "responsiveness" is very nice for tricks and spins and other playful things, but it misses a bit of the brute persistence and wood breaking forcefulness the ACM and even more the MSuper3s+ bring to the trail. On the road the smooth acceleration of the Tesla is superb. The MSuper feels a little heavier. A bit like the 911 compared to the Cayenne, both being fast and powerful, you are perfectly happy with either of them and if you own both, you use them for different occasions. That's how I feel with the two wheels. As to the ACM, it probably is a bit unfair to compare it to my much higher powered newer e_horses. I just love to ride the "old" ACM once in a while to remember all the good times I spend on it when I broke out of the magic spell that the Ninebot One E+ had me under; and I ride my ACM 'cause it lets me feel the progress GW is achieving.

I really enjoy your poetic use of words to describe our wheel sensations 

[Toshio Uemura]

3 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

You've talked way too much about not scratching your Tesla. I'm afraid that you may have jinxed yourself now 

Do not worry! I have not jinxed myself; it is a brand new ancient philosophy and I will explain it in an extra topic as soon as I find the time to do so. It starts with the all important question: Why do we ride an EUC? I bet quite a few of us may have no answer to that question and  may never even asked themselves that question. I for myself do have an answer and I am really eager to share it and talk about this with everyone in this forum about the spiritual aspects of EUC riding. Most of what I read here in this forum is "matter" over "mind", a lot of important stuff about technical issues and problems to solve together. While this is perfectly fine of course there is also the "mind over matter" approach that I propagate. Things like: from a pure and beautiful mind result beautiful things and pure actions. In our Japanese tea ceremony and other arts for example we acknowledge the reversed principle. Meaning: from pure and refined actions and the handling of beautiful things a pure, peaceful and refined mind will (with lots of practice) result. Now this is one of the reasons why I bought the Tesla in the first place: for no other reason as to refine my riding technique to such a degree where I get complete control over my body and any riding situation I emerge myself in, so that no harm (meaning scratch) comes to my e_horse. This has nothing to do with scratching or not scratching my equipment, but it is one theme of the things I practice and the skills I thrive to develop.

This is the only reason, why I bought the Tesla! Not because it is fast or smooth or powerful, not because it is a new riding experience and not even because it is somewhat beautiful, but only because I has to teach me how to ride it without scratching it.

How crazy is that?! 

But back to my first question: Why do you ride your EUC? I'd love to hear your answers.