New Inmotion V10 / V10F

[MBIKER_SURFER]

Thanks @mrelwood - just ordered one.

Takes a few weeks for delivery - but I don't have any hurry due to my broken wrist....

[Zephyrzone]

Hi folks.

I’ve been lurking for a few months; seems like great community.

I bought a V5F from Jason M. last winter to learn on as my starter wheel and really like it. I just bought a V10F (also from Jason) and it arrived today. I only have a few miles on it, but my initial impressions are positive.

I’ve read most of this sub and still have a few questions, if any owners would so kind as to lend a hand.

- Is it OK to slime the tire? I do this on my 2 wheeled devices but don’t know if it’s advisable for EUC’s. I’m thinking of doing it because a puncture at speed in the middle of San Francisco rush hour is a terrifying thought.

- I’m not a fan of the pedals pitching down when turning sharply, it’s really disconcerting and it feels like they don’t return to level quickly (whether true or not). The wheel is set on Comfort mode and I’ve been playing with the sensitivity slider, but can’t tell a difference? Even after reading 100+ posts, I’m still unclear on exactly what that slider really does. I’ve also properly recalibrated the wheel multiple times, but the pedals still pitch.

I’m looking forward to putting many more miles on the V10F this weekend.

 

 

[meepmeepmayer]

20 minutes ago, Zephyrzone said:

- Is it OK to slime the tire? I do this on my 2 wheeled devices but don’t know if it’s advisable for EUC’s. I’m thinking of doing it because a puncture at speed in the middle of San Francisco rush hour is a terrifying thought.

Yes it's ok. A lot of people use slime as it might prevent an annoying and laborious tube change in the case of a small puncture. Other's don't care (like me) because punctures are quite rare (just like for bicycles) if your tire pressure isn't too low.

But you do not need slime for safety reasons. A tire popping mid-ride is surprisingly a complete non-event. It happened to me - the tube instantly deflated with a loud bang (I first thought some heavy metal piece had fallen over nearby, or a firecracker had gone off) and on later inspection the tube had an inch+ long gash (which must have happened instantly). While riding, I merely thought a twig had gotten into the wheel well and stopped due to the strong rubbing sound. Only then did I realize it was the completely empty tire rubbing against itself making the sound.

But as long as the motor/tire isn't blocked (not the case if a tube pops) and the wheel is strong enough to deal with the extra deflated tire resistance (your V10F certainly is), the self-balancing magic deals with everything else. I had no instability or wobbling or jolt or anything that might cause a crash. You could barely notice any difference in riding. The wheel just kept going, albeit with the rubbing sound. It might be different if the tube pops in a curve and you lose directional stability, but if you're just going straight, essentially nothing happens. You just brake and get off (because you notice something unusual) and then realize "oh it was the tube!".

So no need to worry about the safety implications of a popping tube. There barely seem to be any. And it's very rare anyways

31 minutes ago, Zephyrzone said:

- I’m not a fan of the pedals pitching down when turning sharply, it’s really disconcerting and it feels like they don’t return to level quickly (whether true or not). The wheel is set on Comfort mode and I’ve been playing with the sensitivity slider, but can’t tell a difference? Even after reading 100+ posts, I’m still unclear on exactly what that slider really does. I’ve also properly recalibrated the wheel multiple times, but the pedals still pitch.

I believe the Inmotion app has an extra calibration function for this specific case where the sensor drifts and causes dipping. See here under "turning and forward adjustment": https://www.myinmotion.com/blogs/news/inmotion-app-update-3-interesting-new-features (I never had an Inmotion so maybe someone else knows better)

Pedal dipping seems to be caused by a badly calibrated sensor. When the wheel tilts sideways in curves, it loses what is level in the driving direction, that's why dipping happens in curves.

A good calibration does two things:

• Important: the wheel is NOT tilted sideways (left/right) during the entire calibration. If you calibrate with a sideways tilt, this is what seems to cause bad calibrations that stop working properly if the wheel is tilted sideways when riding (like in curves).
• Also keep the wheel completely still during the entire calibration. Lean it against something hard, don't just hold it. I believe the Inmotion calibrations happen by sitting the wheel on its bumper, so this is mostly moot, but the sideways thing is still important.

The sensors in all wheels just aren't very good (smartphone level stuff) and so an unlucky calibration can throw them off and cause dipping. Dipping is simply a bug, not a feature. Ideally you get rid of it completely (may depend on how lucky you are with your specific sensor in your board).

[Patton250]

When did the V10F come out?

[mrelwood]

I think it was early summer 2018.

[Patton250]

7 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

I think it was early summer 2018.

So nothing new from these guys for over a year?

[mrelwood]

Just now, Patton250 said:

So nothing new from these guys for over a year?

While not an EUC, the E2/E3 just came out.

An Inmotion representative recently confirmed an upcoming V8 upgrade and a VX with suspension, both being at the prototype stage already. We should hear more news on them ”soon”.

[MBIKER_SURFER]

4 hours ago, Patton250 said:

So nothing new from these guys for over a year?

No - nothing. Not even responding on e-mails about bugs in the firmware.

[Zephyrzone]

@meepmeepmayer thank you so much for the detailed response, I really appreciate the time you took to respond.

Good to hear that a tire blowout generally won’t send the rider flying. I feel much better hearing that. I got concerned after hearing one of the Speedyfeet guys talk about a full speed puncture and his subsequent nasty crash. If there’s no harm in sliming the tire, I might do it just for piece of mind.

I did the calibration a few times then went for a 12 mile ride today...the longest I’ve ever gone in a single session on any of my microbiology devices! I didn’t notice any more pedal dipping, but I also wasn’t turning very sharply. 

I have a passion for micro mobility (drives my wife insane) and for the past 4 months I’ve been obsessed with EUC’s. I have a 6 mile round trip commute everyday- 2 to the train then 1 to the office in SF, then back again- and as much as I just love my V5F, it really sketches me out riding it on the miserable roads in the city. The potholes, broken road, steel plates, etc. seem to upset the smaller wheel more than I’d like.

The V8 was going to be my upgrade path because the size and weight are at my limit of easy portability, but I decided the trade off to get the 2.5” wide tire might be worth it. I’m unsure if I made the right choice, but after my ride today I can definitely say the V10 was every bit as stable, smooth and comfortable as I was hoping for. Is it worth the extra 15lbs and double the price? I don’t know, but I have a feeling the SF streets will give me a hint.

Since I already mentally committed to a larger wheel, I thought about the Gotway MSX or Nicola, but I’m a big fan of the InMotion ergonomics, aesthetics and overall design philosophy. This megathread really had (has?) me concerned about the device, but my fingers are crossed. I really do feel for everyone who had issues though- especially the guy who had a wheel fire. That would definitely put me off the brand. 

 

 

[Zephyrzone]

5 hours ago, Patton250 said:

So nothing new from these guys for over a year?

Releasing iterative upgrades to non-mechanical (and well understood) electronics platforms every 12-18 months is barely sustainable for some of the world’s largest and hardest working companies. I wouldn’t expect a company like InMotion to have an annual release product roadmap, at least not one with any semblance of quality products.

I’ve worked in consumer tech product management for 20 years and have a solid understanding of the financials. I have no idea how these wheel companies even stay in business. What’s the global annual sell-through for one of the hottest models? Maybe 7 or 8k units? It’s a total mystery to me how InMotion, KingSong and Gotway keep their lights on. At least InMotion has a diverse enough product offering to support the wheel business, but they’ve gotta be just scraping by. I’m actually surprised to hear they have any amount of R&D going into EUC’s at all. I’d have figured they’d try to sell through their remaining v10’s for the next 2 years then pivot exclusively to 2-wheel devices where there’s actually a sizable market and money to be made.

But if they truly are planning to release an EUC with suspension, as long as it doesn’t cross the 45lb weight barrier, I’d be all over that thing. 

[lirva]

First over heat or under voltage alarm happened to me riding my V10. I have really steep 20 meter hill that I was trying to push max speed on my commute. 

Just heard get off and wheel started tilting, luckily the wheel rolled on top of the hill barely,

After looking wheellog I had max power at the moment for 2300w, board was running cool at 36c. Battery was sagging to 7%. 36amps. Rider is 100kg.

Don't know what the reason was, but after rebooting wheel was fine. 

I did take the rest of the commute little easier. Don't try to push my fat ass  30km/h on every hill.

 

[Fuzzypixel]

Well I just received my V10F to replace my ageing V8, will update with impressions. 

Although at this moment anything beyond "hey this wheel doesn't dump me randomly" would be an improvement. 

[Vojta Stolbenko]

Hey everyone! I want to ask; I’ve had a chance to damage my V10 rim quite badly, due to a hit of an unexpected edge on the ground (luckily I didn’t fall.)

Is there a way how to exchange only the rim? obviously it is attached to the metal motor shell with screws (the motor shell is ok, just the rim is bent) , so it seems to me that there must be a way how to exchange it. I can’t find any spare parts online - neither with the motor. Anyone knows how much that costs?

 

Thanks a lot on advance,

 

Vojta 

[Marty Backe]

47 minutes ago, Vojta Stolbenko said:

Hey everyone! I want to ask; I’ve had a chance to damage my V10 rim quite badly, due to a hit of an unexpected edge on the ground (luckily I didn’t fall.)

Is there a way how to exchange only the rim? obviously it is attached to the metal motor shell with screws (the motor shell is ok, just the rim is bent) , so it seems to me that there must be a way how to exchange it. I can’t find any spare parts online - neither with the motor. Anyone knows how much that costs?

 

Thanks a lot on advance,

 

Vojta 

I'm afraid you're out of luck. The wheel and motor are integral to each other. New motors are relatively inexpensive in the context of the entire EUC. I would think the V10 motor would be ~$300 

[meepmeepmayer]

See here. You might be able to remove the rotor part of the motor after removing one of the side covers if it works like the Gotways. But that still leaves the question where you'd get a replacement part, because it is specific (has all the magnets). Probably you need to buy a new motor altogether. Ask Inmotion customer service or your original seller.

It is also possible to bend back the rim with a bench vice if the damage isn't too bad and you're very careful. I managed to bend back a smaller deformation on my motor this way.

[Fuzzypixel]

On 7/15/2019 at 7:35 PM, Fuzzypixel said:

Well I just received my V10F to replace my ageing V8, will update with impressions. 

Although at this moment anything beyond "hey this wheel doesn't dump me randomly" would be an improvement. 

First "mod", wrapping pedals in 3M film to protect from scratches. 

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Fuzzypixel

[maltocs]

18 minutes ago, Fuzzypixel said:

First "mod", wrapping pedals in 3M film to protect from scratches. 

 

looks better than my mod when i first got my V10F. I cut up a free home depot paint mixing wood sticks into 1x1 inch squares and duct taped them to the corners of the petals. It didn't look good, but it worked like a charm. That was when I was learning and the wheel went pretty much unscratched. But then i pulled it all off at some point and realized it is pointless to try to protect the wheel. It like trying to keep a baseball bat or golf clubs from getting scratched.

[MBIKER_SURFER]

I don't care about scratches on the V10 F - especially on pedals.

What bothers me is the reduced mileage after 1 year of using. About 25% less mileage - ridiculous 

[Kristof Willen]

1 hour ago, MBIKER_SURFER said:

What bothers me is the reduced mileage after 1 year of using. About 25% less mileage - ridiculous 

I have my V10 now also about a year, but don't see any reduction in autonomy.  My total milage, however, is with its 2800km significantly lower than yours. 

[MBIKER_SURFER]

Up to about 4.000 km the mileage was more or less o.k.

But now?? Between 21 and 25 km the yellow LED comes up.

[mrelwood]

7 hours ago, MBIKER_SURFER said:

Up to about 4.000 km the mileage was more or less o.k.

But now?? Between 21 and 25 km the yellow LED comes up.

Have you kept with a schedule for balance charging?

I know the batteries should outlast any wheel by a large margin, but my experience doesn’t seem to support it either. My 16S needed it’s first battery cell replacement roughly at 6000km, and the second at 9500km. Despite never storing it fully charged or empty, and balance charging quite often. A3 needed a new battery at 3000km, although the mileage is nowhere near comparable, so charge cycles were more than on an EUC with the same miles.

[lirva]

I've been mostly charging to 80-90% my V10 and maybe one's a month doing full charge.

Should I do full cycle more often? 

 

[MBIKER_SURFER]

 

@mrelwood

I'm just doing ordinary loading. I dön't know, what else I could do. Original charger.

When knowing of longer not using periods, V10 is not loaded to 100% - just about max 90%.

What do you mean with balancing?

[mrelwood]

1 hour ago, MBIKER_SURFER said:

 

@mrelwood

I'm just doing ordinary loading. I dön't know, what else I could do. Original charger.

When knowing of longer not using periods, V10 is not loaded to 100% - just about max 90%.

What do you mean with balancing?

Some battery cells get very slightly lower than others when you ride. If the cell charge levels are never balanced, the difference gets large, the charge level won’t be 100% when the charger light turns green, and riding range is shortened.

To do a balancing charge, leave the charger connected for at least three hours after the charger turns green. Optimally one should do that for about every tenth charge.

Edited July 24, 2019 by mrelwood

[MBIKER_SURFER]

7 hours ago, mrelwood said:

To do a balancing charge, leave the charger connected for at least three hours after the charger turns green. Optimally one should do that for about every tenth charge.

O.k. - I'll do that in future. Thanks