The Story Behind InMotion And Solowheel

[Bob Yan]

We shared some story behind InMotion and Solowheel, please check it out here: https://www.myinmotion.com/blogs/news/the-story-behind-inmotion-and-solowheel. 

[WARPed1701D]

I am so pleased to finally see some details on what has happened and now is happening in San Diego with the Inmotion /Solowheel tie up. You didn't have to share any of this but I think your new social engagement here has helped you realize that this passionate community feels itself to be a direct part of how the EUC industry is evolving and seemingly poor/flat out stupid decisions that hurt growth upsets us all. Thanks for being open. 

It explains a few things about the terrible merger last year and reaffirms my general feeling that over the last few years prices of all items have been artificially increased because marketing teams feel they can, and generally succeed in,  brainwashing the smartphone FaceCrack/social media obsessed zombie masses to buy anything at any price. I think the downfall here was that anyone considering riding a EUC is not a typical "sheep" that just follows along and most people,  prior to spending $1600 on a device that looks impossible to ride, do some research online which would undoubtedly have led them here where we are all fuming about the price increase and told them to buy a KS16S instead. I hope the marketing company wasn't paid and the cost of over production didn't negatively hurt Inmotion. 

It seems you guys are still trying to find your footing. I get that. I'm still annoyed that Solowheel seemed to strong arm the agreement due to patents rather than just make a decent wheel themselves and increase competition but I am very grateful that it allowed my favorite EUC brand permission to engage more openly and actively with the US market and this community as a whole. It has done a great deal to improve relations and I hope you have seen a drop in the number of negative comments. I certainly don't feel you don't deserve them anymore. I'm very pleased to have reliable direct access to the manufacturer. KS do have a presence here but it is not reliable. We have had to rely on Jason far too much. 

Personally I don't really care which brand is on the wheel if I know that under the sticker is a system designed by the respected Inmotion team (OK, that's not true, the Inmotion logo is much cooler than Solowheel IMO, but that wouldn't stop me buying a good wheel). To me Inmotion is a much stronger and respected brand than Solowheel and should certainly act as the flag barer for your exciting new designs.  

[meepmeepmayer]

Interesting! Thanks for posting!

• Patent trolling pretty much confirmed!
• Even the PR version that this is makes Solowheel look incompetent (or they simply didn't care about actually getting competitive wheels out), I don't think Inmotion had much to do with any U.S. hiring or strategy.
• Also, Inmotion is a much better brand than Solowheel. No only does Inmotion fit not only EUCs, but other electric ridables like scooters, unlike Solowheel.
  The "solo" in Solowheel also implies lonelyness or loner. Now if Solowheel had gone for the "Onewheel" name before that was a (different) thing, that might have been a good brand name that would naturally extend to a generic description name for EUCs in general. But Solowheel? Nah.
  And that's before the associations with the brands, one of which offers nice wheels (V8, V5), the other of which offers overpriced, outdated garbage (Original Solowheel, Extreme). Doesn't exactly help Solowheel either.

Pretty fitting that Inmotion is an established thing now (revived with the V10) and Solowheel is "maybe in the future we'll do some special wheel thing" dead (also, what happened to that Iota?)

 

[nute]

I agree with Meep, Inmotion is a much better brand than Solowheel, there is no comparison. Solowheel  make an outdated overpriced wheel that no one wants. Inmotion make well designed and well thought out premium products at a reasonable price. Please don't ever change that.

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

Wow that was a refreshing read and very revealing about what was going on behind the scenes.    You don't often see that sort of candid expository sharing details like that.  Thank you!

I think overall InMotion is a well respected and beloved brand and manufacturer of well made products among the community here.  Never discount yourselves especially if your products speak for themselves.  China's popularity and reputation is to be respected especially when you look at how well companies like Xiaomi and Huwaei are doing in today's market.  Marketing companies likely can be hit or miss especially if they are not familiar with the nuances of these unique transportation products.  To compare these wheels to a jacket might be one red flag that should have been noted.  Marketers will try to sell and promise you the world and make it all rainbows and sunshine, but trying to jump to Apple's level of business is probably over-estimating things terribly.

I think it's wise to continue monitoring the forums here (and the French and Singaporean), talk with people who ride these wheels every single day, and interact with those who have a clear passion for them.  We may not be marketing guru's, but we might be able to give better insight on the market from a consumer's point of view.  There's a wealth of free information on the forums, and maybe consulting with dealers like @Jason McNeil and Ian from SpeedyFeet would provide invaluable help as they have great experience selling these wheels on a day to day basis.

Solowheel, although it may have been the main original innovators of these wheels, hasn't really kept up with what the market is looking for which is improved range, speed, reliability and safety.  Partnering with them may have caused the opposite effect of what was intended.  I think to us it just seemed like it was a simple rebadging with a large hike in price for the same products InMotion normally puts out with no great advantage.  Things might be able to be worked out, but it could be a bit of a rocky marriage.  

[CaptainKBLS]

Where's the real specs?  Like weight and battery range?  That's what important to me.

[Bob Yan]

6 hours ago, WARPed1701D said:

I am so pleased to finally see some details on what has happened and now is happening in San Diego with the Inmotion /Solowheel tie up. You didn't have to share any of this but I think your new social engagement here has helped you realize that this passionate community feels itself to be a direct part of how the EUC industry is evolving and seemingly poor/flat out stupid decisions that hurt growth upsets us all. Thanks for being open. 

It that explains a few things about the terrible merger last year and reaffirms my general feeling that over the last few years prices of all items have been artificially increased because marketing teams feel they can, and generally succeed in,  brainwashing the smartphone FaceCrack/social media obsessed zombie masses to buy anything at any price. I think the downfall here was that anyone considering riding a EUC is not a typical "sheep" that just follows along and most people,  prior to spending $1600 on a device that looks impossible to ride, do some research online which would undoubtedly have led them here where we are all fuming about the price increase and told them to buy a KS16S instead. I hope the marketing company wasn't paid and the cost of over production didn't negatively hurt Inmotion. 

It seems you guys are still trying to find your footing. I get that. I'm still annoyed that Solowheel seemed to strong arm the agreement due to patents rather than just make a decent wheel themselves and increase competition but I am very grateful that it allowed my favorite EUC brand permission to engage more openly and actively with the US market and this community as a whole. It has done a great deal to improve relations and I hope you have seen a drop in the number of negative comments. I certainly don't feel you don't deserve them anymore. I'm very pleased to have reliable direct access to the manufacturer. KS do have a presence here but it is not reliable. We have had to rely on Jason far too much. 

Personally I don't really care which brand is on the wheel if I know that under the sticker is a system designed by the respected Inmotion team (OK, that's not true, the Inmotion logo is much cooler than Solowheel IMO, but that wouldn't stop me buying a good wheel). To me Inmotion is a much stronger and respected brand than Solowheel and should certainly act as the flag barer for your exciting new designs.  

Yes, I was shocked that the previous team was so confident and they always made laugh of us telling us they are professional with marketing and they can sell anything out you want. Because I am not major in marketing, and I felt it's not right, but I couldn't win the debate, because they have tons of theory convincing the decision makers that they are doing the right way. 

[Bob Yan]

5 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Interesting! Thanks for posting!

• Patent trolling pretty much confirmed!
• Even the PR version that this is makes Solowheel look incompetent (or they simply didn't care about actually getting competitive wheels out), I don't think Inmotion had much to do with any U.S. hiring or strategy.
• Also, Inmotion is a much better brand than Solowheel. No only does Inmotion fit not only EUCs, but other electric ridables like scooters, unlike Solowheel.
  The "solo" in Solowheel also implies lonelyness or loner. Now if Solowheel had gone for the "Onewheel" name before that was a (different) thing, that might have been a good brand name that would naturally extend to a generic description name for EUCs in general. But Solowheel? Nah.
  And that's before the associations with the brands, one of which offers nice wheels (V8, V5), the other of which offers overpriced, outdated garbage (Original Solowheel, Extreme). Doesn't exactly help Solowheel either.

Pretty fitting that Inmotion is an established thing now (revived with the V10) and Solowheel is "maybe in the future we'll do some special wheel thing" dead (also, what happened to that Iota?)

 

Shane still is working on Iota, and I heard he's purchased a bulk from some factory. 

[Bob Yan]

2 hours ago, nute said:

I agree with Meep, Inmotion is a much better brand than Solowheel, there is no comparison. Solowheel  make an outdated overpriced wheel that no one wants. Inmotion make well designed and well thought out premium products at a reasonable price. Please don't ever change that.

Sure thing, InMotion is 100% under control from us. 

[Bob Yan]

1 hour ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Wow that was a refreshing read and very revealing about what was going on behind the scenes.    You don't often see that sort of candid expository sharing details like that.  Thank you!

I think overall InMotion is a well respected and beloved brand and manufacturer of well made products among the community here.  Never discount yourselves especially if your products speak for themselves.  China's popularity and reputation is to be respected especially when you look at how well companies like Xiaomi and Huwaei are doing in today's market.  Marketing companies likely can be hit or miss especially if they are not familiar with the nuances of these unique transportation products.  To compare these wheels to a jacket might be one red flag that should have been noted.  Marketers will try to sell and promise you the world and make it all rainbows and sunshine, but trying to jump to Apple's level of business is probably over-estimating things terribly.

I think it's wise to continue monitoring the forums here (and the French and Singaporean), talk with people who ride these wheels every single day, and interact with those who have a clear passion for them.  We may not be marketing guru's, but we might be able to give better insight on the market from a consumer's point of view.  There's a wealth of free information on the forums, and maybe consulting with dealers like @Jason McNeil and Ian from SpeedyFeet would provide invaluable help as they have great experience selling these wheels on a day to day basis.

Solowheel, although it may have been the main original innovators of these wheels, hasn't really kept up with what the market is looking for which is improved range, speed, reliability and safety.  Partnering with them may have caused the opposite effect of what was intended.  I think to us it just seemed like it was a simple rebadging with a large hike in price for the same products InMotion normally puts out with no great advantage.  Things might be able to be worked out, but it could be a bit of a rocky marriage.  

Engaging with the community here is one of our most important work for our new team, and actually we are woking with Jason and Ian now. 

[meepmeepmayer]

10 minutes ago, Bobwheel said:

Engaging with the community here is one of our most important work for our new team, and actually we are woking with Jason and Ian now. 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

Since we have your ear , any plans to make some different colours or styles of wheels?  Black is great and universally liked, but how about racing red, sleek silver or winning blue?  Any plans to try to design a shell with an integrated trolley handle instead of one that is bolted on?  People love the V5F style handle, but maybe taking it a few steps further why not incorporate it so it looks like it is part of the shell and blends in?

I know that probably the majority of buyers not on the forum are likely happy with sub-1000 wh batteries, but do you think maybe offering a new shell design with batteries on the side might be something to consider?  Or how about an optional portable battery extender pack for the most versatility?  That way people don't need to lug around 1600 wh of batteries everywhere.  They could travel with their 1000 wh wheels for short rides but then have that option to bring along a couple of 600 wh packs for extendable range as needed.  It would require a wire tether and backpack, but we see the Chinese ( @zlymex ) doing this all the time with home-made rigs.  As it is, people usually have to buy an entire new wheel or franken-battery it (looking at you @smallexis) to get more range. 

For those nightriders like @meepmeepmayer, I wonder if projector beam headlamps might be a future design option.  Maybe one with adjustable tilt settings would be interesting to have.  I also wonder if a gyroscope stabilized EUC will ever see the light to help open the wheel to a larger audience.  Maybe one that can be detached once the learning stage is over? 

[Unventor]

27 minutes ago, Bobwheel said:

Engaging with the community here is one of our most important work for our new team, and actually we are woking with Jason and Ian now. 

@BobwheelWell I have stated this before in other treads, but your direct messaging me convinced me to go for Inmotion V8 as my first EUC. 

Sorry for not being in US to show up in your budget...but some of us are  in EU, do pay for products too. Should help in developing costs budget at least. 

Another note, having a fancy degree do not ensure you can succeed. I worked with consumer sales for 10 years. Key to long term success imho is to listen to the customer’s needs an then tag as many boxes on the list as possible and add a few bonus on top. Then you need to put an argument across that the needs are met. That get you loyal customers.

I know my one purchase is far from 10.000+ sales, but right now EUC are not that common on the streets…yet. So having people to showcase your product is a first step to make more interest about your product.

I just wish you had more activity in my reagion (EU/scandinavia). 

Note: I can post a PM if you are interested, what I found interesting with my short time looking into and talking about EUCs. If you have time, I think it could be of some value to you.

 

[meepmeepmayer]

38 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

I wonder if project beam headlamps might be a future design option

@Bobwheel Fully traffic-suitable (think heavy rain at night with lots of reflections in cars' windshields), bright, front and back lights are a freebie tip! Should be a no-brainer, but somehow no manufacturer comes even close or seems to have tought about practical (bright, front and back, bigger area = visible) as opposed to gimmicky lights.

Adjustable brightness and color (e.g. red light night mode like on ships?) is also a natural idea with today's LEDs.

(The point of lights is to be seen 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and only 4th is to see yourself!)

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

AND 100% waterproofing!  We want to hose these wheels down with our garden hoses and ride through swamps, puddles, torrential rainstorms and oceans!!!     And a built-in kickstand!

Getting carried away... what do they say, give a mouse a cookie...

[Jeffrey Scott Will]

1 hour ago, meepmeepmayer said:

@Bobwheel Fully traffic-suitable (think heavy rain at night with lots of reflections in cars' windshields), bright, front and back lights are a freebie tip! Should be a no-brainer, but somehow no manufacturer comes even close or seems to have tought about practical (bright, front and back, bigger area = visible) as opposed to gimmicky lights.

Adjustable brightness and color (e.g. red light night mode like on ships?) is also a natural idea with today's LEDs.

(The point of lights is to be seen 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and only 4th is to see yourself!)

Agreed! The more advanced the industry gets in terms of range and speed, the more our usage becomes more vehicle-like. We need others on the road and pathways to view them as such! I think you'll find V10 / V10F addresses some of these concerns: https://www.myinmotion.com/pages/v10

1 hour ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

AND 100% waterproofing!  We want to hose these wheels down with our garden hoses and ride through swamps, puddles, torrential rainstorms and oceans!!!   

Getting carried away... what do they say, give a mouse a cookie...

That's the dream...  Though, honestly, I wasn't too far away from that commuting daily on my Glide 3 in Seattle last winter.. it was an incredibly wet year and I just never stopped riding no matter how bad it got. I may have been pushing my luck, but it's still going strong without a hiccup 1000+ miles later! In all seriousness, I do want to see things pushed further in this direction as well. We may never be able to drop them safely into a lake, but it would be nice to know that we are 100% safe from weather.

[Rehab1]

1 hour ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

AND 100% waterproofing!  We want to hose these wheels down with our garden hoses

 

You still haven’t purchased the EUC Bidet? It is safe and friendly to your wheel. 

[EUCMania]

@Jeffrey Scott Will , There are a lot of people ask me about my EUC when I ride around. You should have an ambassador program with cards for us to distribute. On the cards, there is some discount code so you know who referred to you. You can give some rewards to your ambassadors for their referrals. Probably this way, you can sell some V3s to your ambassadors too.

[Bob Yan]

7 hours ago, EUCMania said:

@Jeffrey Scott Will , There are a lot of people ask me about my EUC when I ride around. You should have an ambassador program with cards for us to distribute. On the cards, there is some discount code so you know who referred to you. You can give some rewards to your ambassadors for their referrals. Probably this way, you can sell some V3s to your ambassadors too.

We are doing the exact same thing as you suggested now, and you are very welcome to submit to be an ambassador from here: https://www.myinmotion.com/pages/ambassador

[EUCMania]

4 hours ago, Bobwheel said:

We are doing the exact same thing as you suggested now, and you are very welcome to submit to be an ambassador from here: https://www.myinmotion.com/pages/ambassador

The program description is vague

[ramma]

16 hours ago, EUCMania said:

The program description is vague

Yeah, I applied and wasn't really sure what they wanted to hear. Like I've spent years teaching peddle unicycles, and get a ton of interaction from the public riding my EUC, but is this sort of like what those The Pampered Chef sales people used to do running around with business cards? Or is it actually holding events so people can try these things out before they buy?

[ramma]

On 03/04/2018 at 2:16 AM, Bobwheel said:

We shared some story behind InMotion and Solowheel, please check it out here: https://www.myinmotion.com/blogs/news/the-story-behind-inmotion-and-solowheel. 

Glad to see some clarification!

I'm curious though. I live near the Inventist folks, the Solowheel inventors or so they say. Are they still involved in any way? Maybe I could roll my V8 over to them for troubleshooting... 

Also, given there's separate apps for both Solowheel and inMotion, is there any plans to combine them or let them work cross-device? In the inMotion subforum there's some posts of people being geoblocked by the inMotion app, me included. There's workarounds, but it'd be great if there were a permanent solution, especially with the inMotion brands presence staying in the US market for now. Personally though, I think a whole new app is a real need if wider EUC adoption is a priority. Your average consumer is expecting apps like WheelLog, but even better (or maybe Segway's, never used it myself).

 

Going a bit into the hypothetical here, but the trying to be Apple idea is actually what made me question buying my V8. It's always been one of the more elegant wheels. Not to be rude, but if those marketing folks thought the V5,V8 and solowheel app as-is were Apple level quality demanding the same level of pricing, well then they were delusional. There's a lot of improvements that could be made across the board. In the end though I think you're better off ignoring the high end Apple like market until EUC's really take off. Those who stick around making well priced wheels (low, mid, and high price point), with a balance of function and style (favouring function in my opinion), and most importantly with great reliability and safety will be poised to become the top end manufacturers.

[smallexis]

On 04/04/2018 at 1:15 AM, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

franken-battery it (looking at you @smallexis) to get more range. 

something like that for example : the "snake" battery (16S3P) for my "spider"wheel

and every thing works perfectly : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwAtd2A_Tus

 

 

 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

You da man, @smallexis.    Love the "Ghostbusters" sneakers BTW.    What kind of "Frankenwheel" is that?    It does not fall within the wheel shell shapes of my database... 

[Marty Backe]

14 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

You da man, @smallexis.    Love the "Ghostbusters" sneakers BTW.    What kind of "Frankenwheel" is that?    It does not fall within the wheel shell shapes within my database... 

The YouTube video description says MCM4 ???