Ruthern Flamel

400

Rumble Fumble Tumble Time

I never want to do that again. EVER.
Tore my wheel down to switch tires, taking it apart wasn’t terrible. Had some issues with stuff being glued together that wasn’t supposed to be (like the side panels to the tail light…) and a cable covering that adhered to the shell somehow? I ended up needing so many different tools than I thought I needed, a heat gun, and 3 different sets of Allan keys 😭. You CANNOT take this apart without a table. So glad I relocated from my living room floor to my partner’s workplace. He had a workbench in a corner, out of the way.
Putting it back together was the worst part. My axle didnt want to line up with the grey slider housing, then the tire and rim was WAY off Center. Tore it apart at least 3 times to try and Center it, but now I have a permenant wheel rub as the tire isn’t the same width all around - im thinking maybe the inner tube is pinched or something because you can see that spot extending out further??? Its not a defined bulge. You can only see it when you look st the wheel straight on and spin it. I didnt have any issues inflating it though…. If I cant fix it with a massage im mailing it back to the shop I bought it from (I bought a really good warranty because I knew something would go wrong at some point). Im not spending another 8 hours on it and also using a workspace that im not even supposes to be in 😭. I really dont have that time unless I use vacation time.
The silver spacers/o-rings that sit on the axle also kept slipping off while I was trying to put the black cleat things on so that added onto the multiple tear downs to get that axle in the right location - I angry cry so can you guess how many times I almost started crying today? The shell that holds the grey foamy part also didn't want to fit back together at all. I was constantly trying to muscle it so all the holes for the multitude of screws would actually go in. I legit had to get my partner to put it back together because i didnt have the strength to warp the shell enough to secure it back on. It was horrible. On the very minimal plus side, no wobble.

My take away points:
Do not take this wheel apart unless you have a buddy to do the whole process with you. On second thought Just dont take it apart actually…. So guess who is NOT going to touch up their suspension
You will need a table.
Budget at minimum 6 hours for this.
Get multiple sets of Allan keys (different brands and measurements because their choices for this wheel make no sense at all, you can use the same screw driver head for every screw but the Allan key ones? Have fun finding the one ultra specific one for the pedal hangers and cleats)
If you can afford being down a wheel for the weekend maybe do it over a few days (I haven’t ridden in like 2.5+ months now because of this stupid tire wobble and my surprise short notice work tasking. If I knew I was being forced to work out of province I would have just arranged to send my wheel back last month 😭😭😤😤😤 now i cant even ride it before I leave again and during the last bit of good weather)

I will not buy a wheel that isnt modular after this experience.

Don’t mind my bathroom Photo because this is the only place with decent lighting in my apartment lol.
Replacement tire that arrived 2 days after I left for that work task. Looks a lot better than what’s Stock, looking forward to trying it on the pea-gravel and feeling better grip.
Putting it on tomorrow. Any tips? I’ve watched the tear down Video From KS on YouTube, but Are there any tips/tricks you guys know From changing tires on your wheels? I’ve never changed a tire of any type before. Not Even bicycle 😅

Does anyone have a recommendation for a knobby tire for the KS18 (sand/dirt riding)? Ideally tubeless but I’ll take anything. Not really understanding how people are finding tires that fit the EUCs.
After being up in Labrador and having a great time I want to get alternative tires for the wheel incase I come back and can take it with me lol

The V13 looks so great! Can’t wait for testers to get their hands on it. Not sure which wheel I want to upgrade too once I get some money again lol (next tax return??? Lol)
Does anyone have the stats/price point info? I missed the weight and price when watching the video >,>

Sorry for the MIA, work sent me out of province for the summer and I had to fly commercial so I couldn’t even take my wheel or ebike :( not to mention I now only have 1-2 days when I return to actually get my new tire on my wheel before I leave again for (potentially) up to 3 weeks.

Does anyone have any suggestions for lights for the S18 / EUC in general. Looking for something I could possibly clip onto the suspension mechanism (not impeding movement obviously), and give it a brighter headlight.
Has anyone found any good lights that can be clipped onto a mtb bike helmet - on the brim thing…. You know what I’m trying to say??

https://youtu.be/BFSMOSQocKw
Comment section is full of misinformation but the video is good! Now the east coast needs to catch up - per usual.

Gripe of the tire wobble continued. BUT, enjoy my silly passing-horn, because no one in Canada listens to bike bells anymore.
You can see it really well in the shaded parts of the trail, not so much in the sun as the wheel seems to rotate at the same frame rate as my camera lol.
Is this much wobble “normal” in an EUC?
I always had a SMALL amount of wobble but it didn’t get this bad until I went down a steep curb (heard a pop, but wheel rode the same after so idk what it was - but I had more wobble after that), and I also have to do this every time I commute. I just take the drop a lot slower now.
Also had a good fall the other day, ran into a cyclist’s back tire who stopped abruptly at a road crossing (pick-up truck driver didn’t use indicator and took a turn into a neighborhood and to a cross walk going at least 50) so the wheel fell because I was thrown off (WEAR your protective pads!!!).
I installed the red and black pads about a week and a half ago, and those aren’t causing an issue. Stance isn’t the issue as the tire wobbled even before I went to V.

Taking it all apart Saturday to examine the axle, and bearings (clean and lube as well). My theory now is that maybe I exploded a bearing????? I already deflated, tried to reseat the tire and inflate, but I’m going to try that again with a bike tool tomorrow.
What do you all see? Have you seen this before? Any suggestions aside from buy a new tire or rim/hub-motor?

Hey everyone! I’ve been able to get out and do lots of riding! Just broke 500km!
I’ve noticed a wobble in my tire though. It looks like it’s only from the tire itself (rim and motor seem unbent and running true), but the tire bead wall doesn’t appear even on the rim. I’m going to try resetting the bead and increasing my tire pressure a little bit more. I’m taking It into work (driving today because of the rain) and having a colleague hold it on the treadmill so I can observe the source of the wobble better. I DO feel it while I’m riding and it does cause wobbles at lower speeds If I’m not slaloming (not previously a problem).
Has anyone experienced a similar issue with their S18?
I’ll be taking it apart this weekend to check the axle and maybe fix one side of the grey slider - as I read that one side isn’t machined where the axle sits. I’ll also overhaul the suspension in the fall/winter. Get it nice and smooth so it’s not locking anymore when trying to return to full extension with no weight.
Here’s some photos from a group ride with 2 e-scooter riders! Really fun ride. Glad the rain held off!!

Silly looking map. Met a friend at the local mall and took the wheel because I didn’t want to waste the gas and battle for parking. It was super busy! Made me a little anxious but it was fun. Had to double back some of the route because my fender fell off lmao. It’s just held on with magnets. I snapped all the clips while learning to ride - guess I should put 2 more on.

First 2 days of commuting with the wheel! I could def get used to this! I end up spending at minimum 27 mins in traffic lately so I’m more than happy to spend that time on the wheel instead of burning gas where it’s almost $2 CAD per litre and only $0.32 to charge it.
The 33 km Ride is an estimate, as I forgot to hit “start” when I actually left work - I really would have loved to see what that map would have looked like hahaha, I’m sure there will be times where I will do it again. It was +29 with unsatisfactory wind, and lots of humidity. I actually had to sit and take a break after the ride because the heat was making me super woozy. My partner had to carry the wheel up the stairs for me - haven’t felt that bad from the heat in a long time. I had all my protective gear on, and after that I think I’m going to invest in some stand alone torso armour.
My wheel has the PERFECT place to hide at work! You have to be really specific with the angle you put it in at for it to stay upright while turned off, but if i mess it up my garbage can is the perfect height to support the fender.