I upgraded by v11 to a v11y and learned several things that weren't on other reviews of the v11y, so I made my own video.
Benefits of each:
V11 has better headlight (IMHO), is more compact, looks better, has a USB charger, and is actually faster! This last point is counter to Inmotion marketing -- see below for more info.
V11y has better (but still not great) pedals, lower pedals, bumpers (though you could stick these on a V11), a better mudguard. Most importantly, the internals are safer -- bigger MOSFET, Smart BMS, more water resistant so (theoretically) less likely to cut out due to a failed board, bad battery cells, or water entrance. It also seems to have a more conservative safety margin for speed than the V11, so you go slightly slower but you are theoretically safer.
The safety upgrades make it worth it for me. I'd rather lose 1-2mph and not fall on my face. See • Do NOT Buy These EUCs! and wrongway.info/... for a great safety overview of all wheels out there.
*Note on speed: when you unlock "fancy mode" on the V11, I found that I get tiltbacks at around 34 and I can ride at 37 fairly easily. However, on the V11y tiltbacks start at 52kmph (32mph) and get most aggressive at 58kmph (36mph) (I confirmed these numbers with Inmotion directly). In practice, I find it difficult to get past 36mph on the V11y and am usually around 34 on it. Whereas I would often ride the v11 at around 35-36mph. This was a bummer to me because I was expecting the V11y to be faster. However, I'd rather have safety than speed, and some people were getting high-speed cutouts on the V11 (yikes!). I commute daily on these wheels, with a full face mountain biking helmet and wrist guards. I don't think I should go faster than 30ish without wearing full ice hockey/motorcycle gear, and putting on all that armor getup just isn't worth it to me for 20 minute trips around town, especially if you need to dip into stores without looking like a tank.
What I love about either V11 or V11y is that you can get anywhere fast enough, and you can also take it into stores and up and down stairs without it being a massive eye sore or terrifying contraption. The V11y is one of the safer wheels, and the shocks are good enough to make it a smooth ride. It's fun and does well enough off road. I wouldn't want a bigger or a smaller wheel. It's the all-arounder. It doesn't do trails or speed as well as some others, and its not as nimble/light some others. But people who go faster than this are just pushing the envelope too far and they will make society think that EUC's are not safe (which will result in tighter legislation). For daily everywhere use, it's just right. It's the wheel to get if you just want one wheel.
Oh, I should mention that it's fairly awful to work on. Expect about 6 hours lost when you need to change the wheel. I wish they made an EUC that was designed modularly like the V14 but similar in speed/size/looks as the V11 (not all orange and ugly)- that would be the perfect wheel. Until someone makes that, I think the best wheel out there is still the V11y.
While I'm on a wishlist: I also wish someone would make a modular, safe wheel with shocks like the v14 but at a form factor that's even smaller than the V11y. The V11y is too heavy for some riders (maybe if you weigh less than 130lbs?) but unfortunately, the v11y is currently the lightest wheel with shocks that meets high standards for safety.
4 окт 2024
