XR VnR - How’s the ride? (not the range)
-
Range is one thing, but can we talk about ride quality?
One thing I find slightly disappointing about the XR vs my old Pint is that surging you get going uphill. Also, I kinda fear how people say “don’t do anything fun under 50% charge on an XR”.
Now it struck me: if I VnR more batteries into the XR, that’s going to give me more volts more of the time. Would that reduce uphill surge, or is that just an XR thing you have to live with?
I almost never rode the Pint without an external battery once I VnR’d it. Maybe all the goodness I experienced was VnR goodness and not Pint goodness.
(PS - I’m managing the XR surge pretty well via custom shaping, but I still worry because it freaks me out.)
-
I will answer my own question now soon!
Today I VnR'd my XR, tapping into the leads in the cable tray next to the controller box. It might be of interest to @NotSure that I used the same kind of wire tappers that they use in the gt40 mod. They are small and easy to use, but they are not THAT small. And not THAT easy to use.
It was slightly tricky to tap the cables in the right place and with the connectors shooting out in the right direction so that they didn't get in the way when putting the plastic tray back in. So think twice, pierce once.
If you end up buying the wiring from the gt40 guys, you won't have to worry about the wiring too much, but I ended up soldering the spade connectors that go on the wire that runs between those taps and the battery. Because crimping feels sketchy. Also, I put hot glue on both the taps and the spade connectors, because dust and moisture.
On the outside end, I have an XT60 connector, which is then compatible with the Sonnywheels 3D-printed battery connectors I already had from my Pint VnR and the stylish cloth-covered backpack cord and my parallel connector for multiple batteries, etc.
And if I may -- the brass thread barrels in the front bumpers, WTF?!? I think one of those was already spinning when I bought the board (used) but today I had to use FORCE to get the bumper off, then epoxy it back together before I could re-assemble. So I ordered a new bumper set today, which I will install the next time I need to dis-assemble the board, because the epoxy didn't really work. Plus, who knows how long there'll be spare parts for XRs.
Anyway, yay! My board now has an extra 4Ah battery connected and the whole rig is charging. This means I won't get to work with just under 50% battery, which has been SOOO annoying because it means I need to have the charger with my to work, and back, and forth and back and forth andbackandforthandbackandforth.
-
@angusofstockholm that's pretty cool! yeah i def like the way their pint harness goes inside and just plugs in. i have a jw chip for it already, n i do think it would be nice to have an extensible travel-friendly-ish extra onewheel. might not get rid of it after that lol.
XR's got what plants crave!
-
@notsure oh, yeah. Of course! You were going to Europe on a plane, so it had to be a pint! 🤦♂️ 😂
-
@angusofstockholm said in XR VnR - How’s the ride? (not the range):
@notsure oh, yeah. Of course! You were going to Europe on a plane, so it had to be a pint! 🤦♂️ 😂
Yup! well it was more of a thought experiment about how to i could travel internationally with my onewheel to wonderful far off places that would make the OW a reliable travel accessory. im likely not going to Europe this year cuz i got this GT thing im supposed to buy n love forever... but we'll see tho...
-
Welp, my conclusion. It’s a whole different riding experience. It’s what I expected the XR to be in the first place, having come from the OG Pint. It now has a solid, responsive, confident power that it lacked before, with the option to dial it back from there if desired.
Having seen the GT reviews now, riding a Badgered VnR’d XR seems exactly right for me. Big deck, good speed, long range, generous power, mellow pushback.
