“Love the wheel so far. Stable, agile, comfortable, and plenty fast. Came out of the box problem free. It is everything the reviewers claim it to be. After many days of deliberating between the 18XL, MSX and the Ninebot Z10, I finally settled on the 18XL and have no regrets. Will probably sell my Onewheel XR because I can see myself riding the 18XL much more than the Onewheel.”
“Fantastic wheel. Glides along effortlessly, and was (relatively) easy to learn.
I'm 2 days, or about 4 hours of practice in, and was able to run and get groceries on in this afternoon.
The speakers are a great addition as well, fun riding along listening music!”
“This is an excellent wheel. I had a KS-14S as my learner and intro to long distance rides, then went to a Gotway ACM2 for even longer and rougher rides and now to the KS-18XL. The efficiency of the 18XL is insane with so much capacity left after long rides that I could have never imagined. Handling is superb. Rock steady at 25 mph and beyond and nimble on the sidewalks at low speeds maneuvering around pedestrians. The high pedals provide much clearance for off-road riding as well, which begs the question now what to do with my ACM2....”
“A little difficult to manage at first because my first wheel was a small one. But I believe this one is easier to learn on if you have the funds for it. But at the end of the day, you'll never need a car as long as weather/luggage permits. I use it as a daily commuter for work, light shopping trips, and joy rides. I absolutely love riding this EUC in particular because I can worry less about bumps and potholes and enjoy the experience of exploring the world.”
“Originally I ordered the Kingsong XL18 but it was backordered so I got the 18L instead. I am 40 yrs old and this is my first wheel. I almost bought a onewheel but the range was lacking! I’ve had my Kingsong less than a week with 40miles so far and I’m hooked. It’s been snowing in Seattle and I’m currently driving my wife crazy going back & fourth in our living room! Cheers”
“Very happy with my purchase (KS-18L). Works great for long distance rides and commuting. This is my first wheel, and the only one I've ever ridden, so no basis for comparison.”
“Quite adequately packed for shipping… everything intact, no issues there.
Even knowing the weight specification beforehand, pulling it out of the box was a bit alarming. I’ve suffered the typical reservations associated with buying a non-U.S. product that provides insufficient English support (both manual and phone app). All of these reservations have passed after several days with the wheel. While the KS app is far from perfect, I was able to accomplish everything necessary to get the wheel up and running.
Jason has indicated eWheels is currently involved with the “3rd-party app developers who created Darknessbot & WheelLog to add the full complement of functionality”. Awesome to learn of their community and application involvement, and it’s nice to know that level of polish is coming. Though rest assured the wheel works well enough with the apps as-is.
The wheel itself is a thing of beauty… larger than expected, gorgeous finish, attention to detail, solid trolley handle attachment with multiple heights to which it can lock out depending on your height and/or needs to lift. The rapid charger may require some dial adjustment prior to charging in order to ensure the recommended 80% charging guidelines. I didn’t catch this beforehand and so my first charge was to a full 100%, but charging still completed before I knew it… well worth the additional purchase.
The learning process is of course subjective, but I was personally able to manage stable rides, assistance-free, within about an hour… even getting it up to the initial limit of 12.5mph. Wobbly at first, of course. Holding onto a loosely installed chain link fence was a mixed bag. Once I realized I needed to be at-speed to maintain stability, I just went for it… and WHAT A BLAST! I spent a solid 2 hours ascending/descending my 7-story parking garage to the amazement of many an onlooker. #smitten
The real initial challenges for me were turns and what to do with my hands (I’ve come to believe the arms-out Titanic pose doesn’t look as good as it feels). Not much I can recommend to occupy your hands, but I will advise that you resist any urge to try and turn with your torso… it will put you off balance. This led to my one and only accident in which I lost focus, turned at the waist, and found myself rapidly approaching a curb, which brings me to my next eye opener: If you are in such a situation on an EUC, it is okay to bail… this thing is built solid and will likely end up with no more than surface scratches. Gut reaction may be to try and save the wheel. If you can do so safely, by all means give it a try, but there is no sense in sacrificing yourself in an attempt to save your investment. In case you’re wondering, my wheel still functions like a dream after the spill! Notice the scratches in the photo, as well as the foam stand I am using out of the packing materials… not a long-term solution, as you still need to lean it against the wall, but it’s working great until my EUC Army stand arrives.
Back to turns. I’m learning to place my feet maybe a 1/2″ to 1″ away from the wheel (so I have more wheel-lean play room) and simply shift my weight to the side I want to turn, leaning the wheel in that direction, (and this is very important) ensuring to keep applying pressure to the front of the pedal with the turn-side foot. Sounds easy enough in theory, harder in practice, but it’s becoming more of an intuitive, thought-free process the more I ride.
I wanted to mention the above as I was unable to find a decent description of the process to get me started. The act of accelerating/decelerating are both simple enough that anyone can figure them out.
In any event, I’m just getting ‘rolling’ with this amazing new product, so lots to learn yet. SO much utility there for everyday adult use, yet it feels very much like a grown-up toy. Case in point: In the thick of the holiday shopping season, I needed to grab some gift-wrapping materials yesterday at my local Target location, knowing the parking lot would be absolutely packed. While everyone else motored slowly from lane to lane looking for a parking spot in front of the store, I proceeded to park quickly in a far corner spot and rode my Kingsong right up to the front door, extended the trolley handle and in I went. Lots of folks didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, aside from the occasional gaping jaw, and I was in and out with my purchase and only a handful of pauses to talk about what this unidentified rolling light show was all about. *sigh* I suppose I can accept a few sacrifices for the benefits I’ve gained!
Thanks so much, Tom and Jason, for your guidance in my purchase! I know I said I would give it six weeks or so before reviewing, but I’m simply floored at my experience already!”
