18l presale specs

[Hatchet]

Whatever happened to the mythical 18L anyway? Last i heard it was nearing production, then some problem was found?

Will it be released in by summer?

[Marty Backe]

8 minutes ago, Hatchet said:

Whatever happened to the mythical 18L anyway? Last i heard it was nearing production, then some problem was found?

Will it be released in by summer?

Rumor has it that it will be released by summer, 2019 

[Hatchet]

2 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Rumor has it that it will be released by summer, 2019 

Kingsong would be wise to focus on their amazing app softw- ..oh wait.

Poor Kingsong, it was a good run. You don't get ahead by goldbricking!

[mezzanine]

I have a feeling I overestimated the size and resources of EUC companies.  I think they're smaller operations than I previously believed.  I wish there was publicly available financial data.  

I wonder if Kingsong is in trouble.  

[Marty Backe]

13 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

I have a feeling I overestimated the size and resources of EUC companies.  I think they're smaller operations than I previously believed.  I wish there was publicly available financial data.  

I wonder if Kingsong is in trouble.  

From what I've heard, KingSong is a business that makes more than wheels, and the owner has made some poor business decisions. This has put financial pressure on the EUC side of the business. So yeah, I don't think they are flush with money.

[houseofjob]

22 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

I have a feeling I overestimated the size and resources of EUC companies.  I think they're smaller operations than I previously believed.  I wish there was publicly available financial data.  

I wonder if Kingsong is in trouble.  

All EUC companies are mom + pop operations, unless they have backing, i.e. Ninebot & InMotion (you can google it).

Ninebot is the biggest simply because they are backed by XiaoMi, a multi-billion dollar Chinese electronics conglomerate, along the lines of an Apple or Samsung, which is how they had enough funds to buy Segway proper.

InMotion is second, but AFAICS significantly smaller (bigger than the rest though), considering they've raised several rounds (millions) of funding.

 

That said, smaller operations like King Song & Gotway naturally don't have a huge nest egg, and need to reinvest their profits back into new wheel model molds, R&D, etc, which is probably why they stick up even the smallest of 3rd party distributors for large MOQ, treating distributors like a guaranteed bank advance, since they basically do not accept returns for DOA wheels, etc.

 

IMHO, this is just a natural product cycle for the KS18L (R&D, beta-testing, etc.)

It's just that Gotway has adopted the typical China business strategy of flooding the market with constant new models and upgrades, making all the other EUC co's, in juxtaposition, look slow in bringing product-to-market. 

 

Taking a guess, I wouldn't say KS is in trouble per say. I'd say EUC forum users have super short attention spans and patience. ??

 

[Hatchet]

I don't think a wheel a year is unreasonable, considering there are 3 general sizes.

Also, I'd say forum users are no more impatient than any other consumer. KS is simply not releasing product fast enough. They don't even have a 16" in the works AFAIK. Seems like you are ready to blame people for having normal expectations. I refuse that.

I love KS wheels, I ride one, but they are being outpaced. The 18L will release with average specs in comparison to competition that has been out for a month or more.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Hatchet

[Master Blaster]

8 minutes ago, Hatchet said:

I don't think a wheel a year is unreasonable, considering there are 3 general sizes.

Also, I'd say forum users are no more impatient than any other consumer. KS is simply not releasing product fast enough. They don't even have a 16" in the works AFAIK. Seems like you are ready to blame people for having normal expectations. I refuse that.

I love KS wheels, I ride one, but they are being outpaced. The 18L will release with average specs in comparison to competition that has been out for a month or more.

As long as you are talking long lead times......where is the Z10 ?

?

[houseofjob]

@Hatchet TBF, I believe this IS their 1 new wheel model per year. They certainly didn’t let 2017 pass without an upgrade model, at the very least (the ‘Sports’/S series 14& 16 upgrades I believe).

But I’m also not saying I’m against faster product cycles of course! Just saying IMHO this cycle is not as out of the norm as ppl seem to make it out to be.

Heck, I would’ve loved this KS18L to have been available to buy 20 years ago when I was still in college!

Edited May 17, 2018 by houseofjob

[winter]

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by nte

[Marty Backe]

38 minutes ago, nte said:

Does anyone know what problems KS encountered with the 18L?

On Facebook, @Flora Yuan posted that they were having some supplier issues, but that 18L production would be ramping up very soon (like within a week or so).

[houseofjob]

45 minutes ago, nte said:

Does anyone know what problems KS encountered with the 18L?

FWIW, part of the delay a few months back was fortifying the diagonal trolley handle to sustain the increased 18L weight, but don't know if this is still an issue.

[winter]

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by nte

[houseofjob]

10 minutes ago, nte said:

Is/Was this the trolley handle problem?

I haven't really been following along with the KS14/KS16 handle improvements, but I believe they WERE improved from the initial implementation.

Would probably also depend on how much you actually lift the wheel in the air.

But someone who owns a KS14D/S or KS16B/S would be able to speak this better.

[eddiemoy]

14 minutes ago, nte said:

Is/Was this the trolley handle problem?

  Hide contents

 

 

No, Michael dropped his KS16S.  

[eddiemoy]

4 hours ago, Hatchet said:

Kingsong would be wise to focus on their amazing app softw- ..oh wait.

Poor Kingsong, it was a good run. You don't get ahead by goldbricking!

I rather they focus on great hardware.  They might have the worst app now, but how often does anyone use it.  I only use it in the beginning to set the alarms, speed and tiltback.  Otherwise I only open it to see how many miles I’ve gone. 

[novazeus]

i like the looks of the 14’s, 16’s, and 18’s kingsong makes, and maybe in matte black, but i saw a fb post video a little while ago, and that 18l is an ugly wheel.

my v10f is the best looking wheel of my bunch. 

Edited May 18, 2018 by novazeus

[The Fat Unicyclist]

5 hours ago, novazeus said:

i like the looks of the 14’s, 16’s, and 18’s kingsong makes, and maybe in matte black, but i saw a fb post video a little while ago, and that 18l is an ugly wheel.

my v10f is the best looking wheel of my bunch. 

The 18L has a rubberized matte black option for the finish...

[US69]

Latest info i have:

 

When all runs like predicted on about 21-22.May  the first wheels run off the production line and the on same date the  18L's for KS Thailand will be sent out.

Hopefully fast enough they will make their way to the nice People of KS Thailand!

If so, i will be able to do a nice 4 week Review on a small Island with the steepest hills i personally know!

As from 2.June on i am in Asia, Thailand :-)

Fingers crossed, please!!!

Edited May 18, 2018 by US69

[houseofjob]

[Repost from Baidu]

KS-18L Black Glossy

[Adel]

32 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

[Repost from Baidu]

KS-18L Black Glossy

The black version is the way to go, matte black would be even better.

[ED209]

Looks very tempting, they really need to hurry up! time for an upgrade I think ?

[mezzanine]

I'm back being interested in the 18L now that it's getting closer.  Would have to sell my V8.  The idea of an 18" city wheel that isn't as heavy as some of the others is the big appeal for me.  

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

It's funny how we all used to complain (and some still do) about Gotway build/design quality, and we wished Chinese companies took the time to thoroughly test and develop their wheels.  When they do take the time to (hopefully) make a solid product we complain that they are taking too long.

We're in the era of immediate gratification  and short attention spans, but I would rather wait a bit longer for a reliable, long lasting product than one that was rushed to market which might have a higher failure rate and need for modifications. I think KingSong likely wants to protect their good reputation and not disappoint users with a half-baked new wheel.

Edited May 22, 2018 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[mezzanine]

23 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

It's funny how we all used to complain (and some still do) about Gotway build/design quality, and we wished Chinese companies took the time to thorough test and develop their wheels.  When they do take the time to (hopefully) make a solid product we complain that they are taking too long.

We're in the era of immediate gratification  and short attention spans, but I would rather wait a bit longer for a reliable, long lasting product than one that was rushed to market which might have a higher failure rate and need for modifications. I think KingSong likely wants to protect their good reputation and not disappoint users with a half-baked new wheel.

I agree, I'd much rather wait for a fully-tested wheel.  My only question about the development time is whether it's been longer because of a lack of resources instead of just a prolonged testing period.  There seemed to be some ambiguity on that front at one point.  

My interest in the 18L cooled compared to the Z10 a few months ago.  I'm still taking a wait-and-see approach to deciding which I'll probably end up with, but it's back to being a tighter race between the two.  I've never ridden a wider wheel like the Gotways or the upcoming Z series and I'm a little uncertain about whether I'll like that design aspect.  I don't need a really big battery, so both are sufficient for my needs.  If the tire on the Z series ends up being less than I hope it to be, I'll be leaning to the 18L.