The Kingsong S18 made shockwaves in the EUC world with its jaw dropping looks when it was first announced. A year later, is the Kingsong S18 suspension electric unicycle still relevant?
The Kingsong S18 was the sexiest EUC of 2020 when I did my initial review. In 2021, the Kingsong S18 is still the sexiest EUC and many of the initial flaws have been resolved with improved design and manufacturing.
While in the Pacific Northwest, I saw a lot of Kingsong S18s and my son was able to put a lot of miles on an S18 that we borrowed from REVrides for a group ride. After that trip, my son told me that the Kingsong S18 was his new favorite EUC.
If you’re thinking about getting a Kingsong S18 as a first wheel or as a second EUC, be sure to check out the following review from Larry Zarcoff.
The Kingsong S18 300 Mile Review by Larry Zarcoff
I crossed the 300 mile threshold on my Kingsong S18 today and thought I’ll let you know how it’s going.
Before I jump into this review let’s talk about the “Prism.” It’s my belief that whenever you read someone’s thoughts on a wheel it’s wise to filter their comments through their personal perspective, riding habits and experiences; hence, their “Prism.”
To begin with I’d say I ride on pavement 95% of the time. Many of the surfaces I ride are uneven, cracked and potholed. Such is life on the mean streets of Los Angeles.
Currently I own a Veteran Sherman from eWheels, and the S18 from EUCO. If you want to hear nasty things about either company look elsewhere. My experiences with both companies have been great.
Previously I’ve owned InMotion’s V5F, V10F, Gotway’s Nikola Plus and mTen3. I’ve been riding about 18 months and was totally self-taught, meaning I have some bad habits I’m recognizing as I meet, greet and work with superior riders…so you’re not dealing with a phenomenal rider here.
I consider myself adequate with pretty good balance. I try and ride for an hour or two a day, purely for relaxation, and log about 20 to 30 miles per ride. But there’s no jumping, racing, distance or speed records in my repertoire. (I can, however, tell a joke while riding which I think truly defines an electric unicyclist. However, I digress…) 🙂
In hindsight I wish I was trained in-person, and if you’re a beginner do all you can to meet more experienced riders; they’ll save you a lot of time as you progress.
I do not ride aggressively but when I know the route I’ll increase my speed.
I avoid sidewalks whenever possible and stick to surface streets and local bike paths. On a normal 20 to 30 mile ride my top speeds vary from 25 to 33mph, average riding speeds between 17 and 19mph per trip.
When the V11 and S18 appeared on the stage, and later the Gotway/Begode EX, I’d just purchased my Sherman and felt there was no need for another wheel. Over time I began to pay attention to the suspension wheels because my neighborhood is particularly difficult to ride.
Specifically, there are a lot of hills, cars and pedestrians. The roads are cracked and uneven. The Sherman managed such local rides just fine, but I began to wonder if suspension might be a better solution to my local riding needs…
The Sherman is a lot of wheel to take to 7-11 a mile away or to the local grocery store.. Walking my kid home from school, soon to be a reality again, is always more fun with a wheel to ride while waiting for classes to end. But the Sherman is an 80 pound rocket, and riding around kids in a school zone with that much wheel is always a concern in the back of my mind…
Marty Backe, who is not only the foremost authority on electric unicycles but also very helpful to me personally as I work to improve my skills, gave a glowing review to the S18 and (at the time) favored it over the V11.
That was just the push I needed and ordered the wheel from Rose at EUCO. It was delivered promptly and I set about learning the ins and outs of suspension riding. Along the way I did some customizing…
- I added the roll.nz Bodyguard cover. Rather than use it for scratch protection, I wanted it to provide a little extra “grip,” as the S18 can be slippery.
- I added Chris Chaput’s custom made spiked pedals. This exponentially improved my S18 riding experience. Go get some if you don’t have them.
Now that you can see through the Prism, and know the modifications to the wheel, here’s the Good, the Bad and the Ugly…
THE GOOD
The S18 is like skating on ice. The smoothness is unlike any wheel I’ve piloted, and the suspension is so customizable it can be adjusted to suit your ride and mood. I’ve varied between hard and soft suspension settings depending on where I’m going.
I’ve found the thumbwheel takes care of most of it once the pressures are dialed in. I have more clicks for hard street riding and less for the beach.
The design of this wheel is beautiful. At first it looked a little like the Terminator’s skeleton, but I got used to it.
Inflating the tire, a pain in the ass on most wheels, is super easy on the S18. Right now I’m riding at 28psi… I don’t check the tire that often because I can hear it on the pavement when it’s getting low when I execute tight turns. I’ve had to add pressure exactly once in about 3 months. Tire is awesome. Set it and forget it.
The light, which will switch on automatically, has worked great for me the few times I’ve ridden the S18 at night.
THE BAD
The wheel arrived with the grip tape peeling off the pedals. This wasn’t a big deal for me because I’d already decided to put in spikes. Peeling grip tape is a fit and finish problem, however, and hopefully Kingsong pays closer attention.
One of my pedals had a problem from the get-go. It had no tension when you opened it. It flopped open. Now this is no big deal, right? That’s what the magnets are for. Magnets bitches! 😉
Well after I added the Bodyguard the magnets barely functioned, and the one floppy pedal (the other had tension and stayed up) would catch under my passenger car seat when I’d transport the wheel to my preferred point of departure. This only got worse when I put in the pedal spikes…
I contacted EUCO who sent me out a new clip. This little item keeps tension on the pedal as it travels. I installed it and it had no effect on the problem. 🙁
That’s when having an pro like Connor Smyers living 10 minutes away comes in quite handy. I took the wheel over to him and he set to work drilling some holes and adding some screws and viola! Pedal stays up. This had to be a defect because the other side still has no issues at all.
THE UGLY
Nope. No ugly. I could bitch about the small battery, the 84v and motor being weak but…THAT’S WHAT I BOUGHT. The S18 does everything it’s supposed to do. I’m hesitant to push it to 30mph, but once I get my power pads from Daniel Eremin that probably won’t be an issue.
IN CONCLUSION…
The S18 is a great 2nd wheel for me. It serves its purpose admirably – short rides on tough concrete, long smooth buttery rides at the beach, and easy-on-the-knees handling. I truly love my Sherman, which is the best overall wheel I’ve ever owned. 🥰
But if adding a smaller, silent, silky, suspension street wheel if you can afford it I highly recommend the S18. (It can also be a primary wheel too – this is just my Prism…) 😉
My two wheels compliment each other so nicely I can’t imagine any need to add to the stable. (the previous statement is a bald faced lie and we all know it).
Thanks for reading – ride safely!!!
About the author
Larry Zarcoff is an award-winning movie trailer and TV promo prober who has practiced and taught kung fu on the side for 30 years. You can find him in Southern California riding his EUC to dodge space aliens and mutant monsters.
EUC Comparison Tool
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the EUC options, so we made an interactive EUC Comparison Tool. You can sort, filter, and include or exclude data as you see fit. I hope you find this tool helpful!
