IPS Xima Lhotz Post-100Km Unlock Review

[WayneZengAU]

So on the 4th day from receiving my Lhotz, I managed to score 100KM worth of riding distance! The app no longer had the 30KM/hr option greyed out and locked. Shit was getting real. Needless to say, I immediately put this baby on a full charge and took her for that 30KM/hr test that Ive been waiting for.

First of all - is it just me, or does 18KM/hr and 20KM/hr feel VERY different?

It is good to note that the first beep doesn't really come into effect until roughly beyond 22-23 KM/hr, which is already a fairly fast yet comfortable speed to ride at. Either way, I found that the beeping is no where near as loud and annoying as the one on my Gotway, but it's still definitely noticeable and serves as a caution nonetheless. The beeping becomes more rapid as you hit 25KM/hr, and becomes continuous at 27KM/hr with the beginning of the tilt-back function. To be honest, I haven't ever taken a wheel beyond this speed, so I can't yet comment on how the tilt-back feels on the Lhotz at past 27KM/hr. I don't wear protective gear and instinct forces me to stay at or below 25KM/hr. I don't think i'll ever convince myself to perform a maximum speed test. I like to think of myself as a very safe rider who enjoys a bit of (comfortable) speeding every now and then.

The power of the Lhotz is remarkable. I can easily accelerate to 25KM/hr (and beyond if I wanted to) uphill. The battery seems to drain at the same rate per kilometre at higher speeds as before.

There are; however, some definite negatives regarding the Lhotz that Ive come to realise after unlocking the higher speed.

- I originally stated that the Lhotz feels 'hard', comparable to Madden mode on the Gotway. I have since changed my opinion on this; the Lhotz is definitely on the softer side. This leads to my next issue...

- A 'soft' wheel doesn't brake as well as a 'hard' wheel! At high speed, the Lhotz doesn't stop nearly as quickly as the Gotway MCM2s. Also, the fact that the pedals are tilted back slightly near 27KM/hr means that it almost feels dangerous to attempt rapid braking. I'm definitely no advocate of tilt-back, but this could change depending on how the KS 800W implements it. I'll be in possession of one in the very near future.

- The stupid charging port rubber cover/cap thing still refuses to stay on! Arghhhh tongue emoticon Need to find a solution for this haha

So there you have it. The Lhotz is an amazing wheel that has many advantages over competing models and brands, while still having some setbacks. I really hope that IPS can allow us to configure our own tiltback settings (including the option of removing it altogether). It's really an eyecatcher though, when you have those bright, red, spinning side-lights on as you coast down a city street in the dark.

If I could suggest some improvements, they would be the following:

- Higher battery capacity! This is a must! 680Wh or NOTHING for me from now on smile emoticon

- Personal tilt-back/beeping configuration in the app

- LED color selection (oh man... this would be the NUTS)

- A stronger motor is never a bad thing (although this is probably asking for just a tad much considering how good it already is)

- An easily attachable/removable trolley handle/device.

- Fix your damn charging port covers!!!

Thanks again for reading!

[esaj]

This might actually be a wheel for me, if the tilt-back starts only after 27km/h. Softness on braking would be a good thing (but not otherwise, I don't want the pedals to tilt forwards when accelerating at all), the only real complain I have about Firewheel ride is that the sport mode really does keep it "hard", which is nice otherwise, except when doing strong braking (especially from something like 30km/h), when you have to lean back and push down the pedals with your heels and turn your ankles, because the pedals don't budge (they stay horizontal), so it looks like this (the middle picture, the camera's slightly angled, but you get the idea):

The rightmost picture is how I'd want it to act when power-braking (and only when power-braking, not when only decelerating or braking lightly), otherwise always "hard".

[dmethvin]

@WayneZengAU for the charging port cover try putting a little bit of rubbery glue on the inside of the port cover that dries hard. You may need to rough up the inside of the cover to ensure good adhesion. Let it dry completely, and try the fit. 

I know what you mean about the difference in speed. At something around 18kph you start to feel that wind on your face and it definitely feels faster. I remember the first time I got on my Firewheel after using my 14-inch wheel, I was sure they had forgotten to connect the warning beeper because I kept going faster and no noise! Now I ride with the beeper going all the time and wish it could go just a little faster.

[esaj]

@WayneZengAU for the charging port cover try putting a little bit of rubbery glue on the inside of the port cover that dries hard. You may need to rough up the inside of the cover to ensure good adhesion. Let it dry completely, and try the fit. 

There are also screwable metallic caps available, I don't know if mine came with the wheel or if the previous owner got it separately.

Now I ride with the beeper going all the time and wish it could go just a little faster.

Have you shunted it? Mine doesn't shut down above 28km/h after it was shunted (but it did with vee73 before he shunted it just prior to selling to me). Hobby16 also says the wheel should never again cut-off if shunted... Not that I ride a lot at 30km/h or above, usually my max speed during a 20+ km trip is 27-28 (and that's probably been for a very short while in a long straight) when checking with the bike computer, and averages around 21 km/h. Haven't felt the need for more speed yet, so I doubt I will even in the future (1200km ridden). 

[dmethvin]

Have you shunted it? Mine doesn't shut down above 28km/h after it was shunted (but it did with vee73 before he shunted it just prior to selling to me). Hobby16 also says the wheel should never again cut-off if shunted... Not that I ride a lot at 30km/h or above, usually my max speed during a 20+ km trip is 27-28 (and that's probably been for a very short while in a long straight) when checking with the bike computer, and averages around 21 km/h. Haven't felt the need for more speed yet, so I doubt I will even in the future (1200km ridden). 

I haven't shunted it yet, I've been thinking I should do that but I wanted to wait until I was sure it all worked in case I had to contact Firewheel for repairs. Not sure why shunting should disable the beeps? Does it disable the "You are speeding" as well? 

[esaj]

I haven't shunted it yet, I've been thinking I should do that but I wanted to wait until I was sure it all worked in case I had to contact Firewheel for repairs. Not sure why shunting should disable the beeps? Does it disable the "You are speeding" as well? 

It doesn't disable the warnings, but at least on me and hobby16 (and hobby says on everyone else too) it will disable the motor cut-off that occurs if you go above the "Take care, take care"-warning speed for a couple of seconds, so you get more speed out of it and don't have to always be listening for the last warning to prevent a faceplant. After that, you could even add a button to disable the speaker (or remove it all together, should you wish), as the warnings aren't really needed. I've ridden 31.5km/h constant for about a kilometers worth with the "Take care, take care"-warning playing all the time and no cut-off.

Edit: Of course there's some upper limit, above which the motor will not have enough torque to keep you balanced, so it would then tilt forward if you're leaning, but at least it won't shut down on you if you accidentally cross the 28km/h "max speed" for a while. I don't know if my Firewheel could still go faster, but I haven't dared to try. Hobby says he's ridden 35km/h on his and no cut-out.

[simon]

This unicycle is absolutely fantastic! Just got mine delivered directly from IPS in China and it feels so much smoother and faster than the old generic one I had.

For the loose cap I clamped the thin rubber bit and it seems to stay there. Not ideal but does the job for a while.

[Kevin]

 

If I could suggest some improvements, they would be the following:

- Higher battery capacity! This is a must! 680Wh or NOTHING for me from now on smile emoticon

If you don't mind me asking - what do you do with it that eats up the 340Wh of capacity? That seems like a very long range both distance and time wise?

Also, you mention a taillight - is there also a functioning headlight? And finally, is there any issue with lack of padding?

Thanks!

[WayneZengAU]

If you don't mind me asking - what do you do with it that eats up the 340Wh of capacity? That seems like a very long range both distance and time wise?

Also, you mention a taillight - is there also a functioning headlight? And finally, is there any issue with lack of padding?

Thanks!

Battery capacity not only affects the distance you're able to ride, but also improves your wheel performance significantly. It's a bit complicated, but having a higher capacity allows you to accelerate harder and maintain long periods of uphill climbing. 

There really isn't a tail or headlight in a sense, theyre more or less there for decoration. It looks really cool in the dark but doesn't serve the purpose of providing lighting. The padding is really a non issue with the Lhotz due to it's shape.

[Kevin]

Battery capacity not only affects the distance you're able to ride, but also improves your wheel performance significantly. It's a bit complicated, but having a higher capacity allows you to accelerate harder and maintain long periods of uphill climbing. 
There really isn't a tail or headlight in a sense, theyre more or less there for decoration. It looks really cool in the dark but doesn't serve the purpose of providing lighting. The padding is really a non issue with the Lhotz due to it's shape.

Ah, I see. Was performance an issue due to this? I'd gotten the impression from your review that the LHOTZ was blasting through hills with ease. You also mentioned you'd have your hands on a KS800W in the near future - have you had a chance to try that out and compare? These two are currently my top two candidates and I'd love to hear your thoughts

[WayneZengAU]

Ah, I see. Was performance an issue due to this? I'd gotten the impression from your review that the LHOTZ was blasting through hills with ease. You also mentioned you'd have your hands on a KS800W in the near future - have you had a chance to try that out and compare? These two are currently my top two candidates and I'd love to hear your thoughts

The Lhotz seems like a special case to me. Somewhere in it's design, it lets you climb slopes while sustaining high speed for quite some time. I do feel as though giving it an extra 340Wh worth of battery won't cause any harm. Sometimes though, on lower battery (50% or lower), the unit will fire off its tilt back and warning beeps/lights after a bit of heavy climbing due to the voltage drop. This is where extra battery is worth it's weight I guess. 

I did get my KS 800W but i've been having multiple issues with it and trying to have them resolved. My suggest is to hold off getting a KS until they release their new firmware/PCBA this week and see how people respond in terms of that. 

[jb75]

I did get my KS 800W but i've been having multiple issues with it and trying to have them resolved. My suggest is to hold off getting a KS until they release their new firmware/PCBA this week and see how people respond in terms of that. 

What kind of issues did you have with your KS 800W ?

[WayneZengAU]

What kind of issues did you have with your KS 800W ?

It vibrates really badly when you try to accelerate hard or reach close to top speed. The whole unit would buck in a front/back motion literally throwing you off until it slows down to a crawl. Extremely dangerous if you're going at 20 something kph. Also, the tilt back was set too early at 25Kph when the unit that others received had it set at 30kph. 

[Timothy Kessler]

It vibrates really badly when you try to accelerate hard or reach close to top speed. The whole unit would buck in a front/back motion literally throwing you off until it slows down to a crawl. Extremely dangerous if you're going at 20 something kph. Also, the tilt back was set too early at 25Kph when the unit that others received had it set at 30kph. 

Sounds like Austin mmarhold's experience with the dolphin one d5

[Reikon]

Hallo WayneZengAU! 

I very like IPS Xima, and I going to take one. And I have some questions, if you dont mind...

Can I ask you to take a picture of the charging port? Thanks!

[Reikon]

There are also screwable metallic caps available, I don't know if mine came with the wheel or if the previous owner got it separately.

Have you shunted it? Mine doesn't shut down above 28km/h after it was shunted (but it did with vee73 before he shunted it just prior to selling to me). Hobby16 also says the wheel should never again cut-off if shunted... Not that I ride a lot at 30km/h or above, usually my max speed during a 20+ km trip is 27-28 (and that's probably been for a very short while in a long straight) when checking with the bike computer, and averages around 21 km/h. Haven't felt the need for more speed yet, so I doubt I will even in the future (1200km ridden). 

 

I'm sorry, I don't understand, what is it means "shunted". I'm newer here. And if you don't mind explain it term to me, or give some link. I would appreciated! Thanks!

[esaj]

@Reikon: Please stop hitting the "Report post"-link and use the "quote".   The reports come to our moderation queue, not to the topic.

I'm sorry, I don't understand, what is it means "shunted". I'm newer here. And if you don't mind explain it term to me, or give some link. I would appreciated! Thanks!

"Shunting" means using a piece of wire or solder blobs as "shunt(s)" to bypass the overdischarge (under voltage and over current) -protections in the Battery Management System (BMS). More info & instructions here:

 

 

[Reikon]

@Reikon: Please stop hitting the "Report post"-link and use the "quote".   The reports come to our moderation queue, not to the topic.

"Shunting" means using a piece of wire or solder blobs as "shunt(s)" to bypass the overdischarge (under voltage and over current) -protections in the Battery Management System (BMS). More info & instructions here:

 

 

WOW! It's really cool feature! Thanks comrade! )

Excuse me for the "Report post" I understood, already...