Who will love this:
Those looking for a well rounded workhorse EUC will find the InMotion V11 to be a smooth and powerful machine that will transport you in comfort, dampening the bumps and cracks to make this one of the most enjoyable cruising EUCs around.
Jumpers, tricksters, speed demons and range monsters may be disappointed though. The InMotion V11 is designed for the masses and not necessarily for specialist riders.
What I think:
InMotion V11 PROS
- Suspension, very smooth
- Head light, best ever in an EUC
- Trolly handle, very sturdy
- Motor power, very smooth
- Kick stand, first of its kind
- Mud guard looks great, works well
- Carbon fiber finish is durable and relatively resistant to scratches
InMotion V11 CONS
- Saddle attachment, potential break points
- No speakers
- Light fan is loud
- Suspension adjustments are cumbersome to access
- Suspension valve caps are easily lost
- Flat featureless sides make it difficult to “grab” onto the EUC with your legs for leverage. Side pads will be needed.
So the big questions about the InMotion V11 I want to answer are these:
- Do I really need suspension?
- What did the engineers at InMotion sacrifice to accommodate suspension?
- Who should spend their hard earned money on the V11 with suspension?
Let’s start with: Do I really need suspension?
You can call me an EUC suspension critic or non believer. I always thought shocks were unnecessary and would make the wheel bulky, heavy, and unsightly. Not worth the added weight, moving parts, increased maintenance, added cost, loss of features, or loss in range.
So when I heard the world’s first production EUCs with suspension would be coming out in 2020, I tempered my enthusiasm. Well, thanks to Jason at Ewheels, I’ve had the last few days to test the InMotion V11 and let me tell you that this EUC suspension critic has been converted.
My impressions of this EUC, compared to my non suspension wheels: the InMotion V11 is a smooth and powerful beast! But it does have it’s faults and I’ll get to that at the end.
So do I need suspension! YES! I think most long range EUCs should have suspension in the future.
The improvement in ride quality is substantial, especially if you live in an area that has bad road conditions or if you like to ride trails. Or if you have bad knees or a bad back. The built in suspension in the EUC definitely helps out old knees and backs so you can ride longer and farther.
What did the engineers at InMotion sacrifice to accommodate for suspension?
EUCs are an amazingly fun and practical form of PEV that has come a long way over the years.
Changes to EUCs have been incremental, and over the last few years the main changes to the modern EUCs have focused mainly on speed, power, and range. Other than that, the EUC has basically been the same thing, A wheel, a motor, some pedals, a handle, some lights and a speaker.
Each new iteration of the EUC went faster and farther. But the basic form has seen little change.
That is until 2020 where we saw the biggest step in the EUC evolution. Not just the kickstand or the brightest headlight in the game, but the addition of suspension.
Back in January of 2020 I was attending CES, the biggest tech show on planet earth, and I got to meet up and ride with the folks from InMotion and they told me there was going to be something pretty amazing coming out later this year.
Well, here it is. The amazing InMotion V11 with suspension. But with the addition of something big, that usually means something needs to be subtracted.
In the case of the V11, to accommodate a suspension system, InMotion made some sacrifices with the size of the EUC, the battery, and the speakers.
The InMotion V11 is a tall EUC. To fit the air suspension saddle design that makes the ride so comfortable, it needed to be tall. In some ways, the taller design helps those who like to ride seated which will feel more natural and comfortable on this wheel, especially with the suspension.
It was a challenge for my middle school aged daughter to adjust to how high above the ground you stand and how tall the EUC is but she quickly got used to it.
The height didn’t bother me and I appreciate that they were able to keep the wheel nice and slim while fitting a 3” wide tire, powerful motor, 1500 Wh battery, and suspension system into a good looking package.
In an EUC world where each new EUC had bigger batteries than the previous model, one had to wonder when enough was enough. EUCs were getting bigger, faster, and stronger.
But I feel the race for more range and speed follows the law of diminishing returns. I think we are reaching a point where adding more battery to an already insane range yields less of a benefit to the average rider versus, say, a kickstand or a light that actually works at night or a suspension system.
The V11 is advertised at 60 miles range but as well all know advertised ranges are best case scenarios and never work out in the real world. If you ride hard, that range number will probably be cut in half.
If you ride at a comfortable pace, then you’ll probably get closer to 50-60 miles advertised. If you are the size of my daughter, maybe you’ll get a 100 mile range. Who knows.
For many people, that is enough range. But for many people, riding that long can be hard on the knees and entire body and that’s why suspension is such a great feature.
Before we get too deep into suspension, let’s talk about one more thing that was left out of the InMotion V11.
As far as speakers go, some people may miss not having a built in speaker. Others may never notice. Honestly, riding this wheel I felt very comfortable cruising around 25 mph, just floating over bumps, potholes, and expansion cracks in the road.
With the wind noise, I usually have a hard time hearing the music from my Nikola at speeds over 20-25 mph anyway so I didn’t miss not having a speaker on this smooth cruising machine. The electronic sounds programmed into the device remind me of old 1980’s arcade games. It’s actually quite enjoyable.
Who should spend their hard earned money on the V11 with suspension?
Variety is the spice of life and the nice thing about these amazing EUCs is that while they are expensive, they are nowhere near the expense of collecting cars. Just families like mine may have several cars for different situations: snow, carpool, daily driver. There are EUCs for all occasions as well.
If you want to circumnavigate the globe, then use your EUC with the huge range. If you want to ride fast and furious, then ride your speed racer. If you want something light and portable, then take your little EUC.
But if you are in the mood for a well rounded ride with enough power and enough range to allow you to do what you want to do and go where you want to go in the most enjoyable and comfortable manner, then the InMotion V11 is the wheel for you.
Not everyone can afford multiple wheels, in those instances, I say the InMotion V11 is the most well rounded 18 inch electric unicycle on the market and would make a great wheel for anyone who loves to cruise.
Jumpers, tricksters, speed demons and range monsters will be disappointed though. This wheel is designed for the masses and not necessarily for specialist riders.
Overall design and build of the V11.
While the new Kingsong S18 may be a sexier looking wheel, the adjective I would use to describe the design and build of the V11 is “majestic.”
The two most striking things about the V11 is how tall the EUC is and the headlight. This is a tall and majestic wheel and the big headlight and tail lights give it more of a true vehicle built for the road and does not feel at all like a children’s toy surrounded with colorful blinking LED lights.
The headlight is extremely effective and I felt very safe riding through the night with my path well illuminated.
Even the V11’s first of its kind kickstand tells all other EUCs that the V11 is too proud and majestic to be leaned against a wall or plopped on the ground. The V11 deserves to stand on its own!
The scorpion trolly handle is very sturdy and functional. The trigger to release the handle is in a slightly awkward location at the base of the stem, away from where you actually grasp the handle but you get used to it quickly.
I do appreciate the locking mechanism to keep the handle down, especially during crashes, unlike my Nikola where the scorpion handle sometimes wants to fling around in the air wildly during crashes.
The mud flap looks really good and worked well when we rode in wet conditions.
Ride quality
Gliding around on the InMotion V11 is not just smooth. Its effortless and enjoyable.
Riding the V11 is an effortless experience. Going over bumps and cracks on different terrain that I usually had to prepare myself for suddenly became easy and effortless.
On my non suspension wheels, what was once a teeth rattling experience from unexpected potholes or cracks in the road, become an effortless glide on the V11.
But to really feel out the V11, I took it out on all the different terrain I could find: pavement, concrete, asphalt, grass, and trails and the difference between this and an EUC without suspension is dramatic. So effortless.
Going up inclines, I did have difficulty “grasping” the wheel with my legs for leverage as the sides are flat and featureless. Side pads will need to be installed.
For those that like to go fast, the top speed of 31 mph may be limiting, but this is the fastest of the InMotion wheels to date and riders should be able to access the entire full speed abilities until 30% charge. Below 30% charge, you will experience some speed throttling for safety purposes.
For those who love seated riding, get a good seat and the InMotion V11 becomes the world’s most comfortable seated EUC!
The Flaws:
As mentioned before, sacrifices were made in order to accommodate the innovative suspension system. Therefore, while not a range monster, the V11 will have enough range for most riders and every single one of those miles will be smoother and more comfortable than anything you’ve ever experienced from your non suspension EUCs.
The saddle at the top of the V11 gives room for the suspension system to move up and down, smoothing out bumps and drops. There is thin rubber padding attached to a plastic shell at the top of the saddle for your knees. Not enough padding to grip or leverage, but just enough to add a little comfort to your knees.
The apex of the saddle is attached to a sturdy metal frame which connects the suspension system, saddle, and handle. Where the saddle meets the handle there are 4 attachment points using screws and I see these areas as points of weakness in the body, especially during falls, especially if the saddle were to roll over or suffer a direct impact during a fall.
The unit I tested already had a broken corner of the saddle when it was shipped to me after being used and tested by Micky and Duff.
I’m not sure what caused the damage, but I don’t see any other signs of impact damage which raises the question of whether the broken corner is from a crash or just stress fatigue.
Either way, more should be expected from a new EUC that is sure to take its fair share of trauma from normal use. I have reached out to InMotion for comment and am waiting a response regarding this matter.
Conclusion
I think most people will love the InMotion V11 which is an EUC designed with the masses in mind. This wheel is for the rider who loves cruising and commuting in comfort.
Check out my review on the other suspension EUC, the King Song S18.
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