Review of King Song 14C, 500W motor, 340wh battery

Reproduced with permission from Jit Wei, a member of The Wheelies Garage.

Features

Front and rear firing Bluetooth speakers, USB port to charge a phone, front and rear lights with option to use a built in light sensor to turn them on if the surrounding area is dark. Battery indicator consists of 10 lighted bars, allowing you to really pinpoint how much battery life you have left.

Size

The Kingsong sports a 14" wheel, but right out of the box, one would notice that it is slightly more chunky than its 14" counterparts. This is probably due to the inclusion of the Bluetooth speakers, as well as the built in lights.

Weight

Using a luggage scale, the Kingsong 14" 340wh model came in at 12.81kg.

Ergonomics

With the top being largely flat and broad, Kingsong was able to build a long handle into the body for ease of carrying the wheel. I found that I could carry the wheel with both hands, and still have space on the handle to spare. The handle is also shaped such that I don't feel any discomfort while carrying it.

Pedals

The pedals feel like solid blocks of metal, and definitely don't feel cheap or flimsy. They are also rounded on every corner, and come with a sand blasted finish. Flipping them open, one will notice extremely deep grooves where your foot rests, totally eliminating the need for grip tape as your foot wouldn't be sliding anywhere when standing on these pedals. The pedals are also immensely huge for a 14" wheel, being able to accommodate the entire width of my US 10.5 shoes and still have some space to spare. Personally, I felt that the pedals, even when fully opened, were angled a little too steep towards the body. While this gives me assurance that my foot will never slip out while mounting the wheel, I did feel a bit awkward when wheeling for long distances since my soles would find themselves kind of pointing outwards. This may just be a matter of getting used to though. The riding height of the pedal is also insanely high, and coupled with the inward tilt, you can really carve some sharp turns without the pedal ever coming close to the floor.

Riding Experience

Being rated to hit speeds up to 25kph, the Kingsong is a speed demon and definitely can push the limits. So far, I have only managed to hit the 2nd warning beep while travelling at about 23kph. No sign of pedal tiltback even at the second warning beep. The motor runs a slight bit noisier and vibrates a little bit more compared to my Gotway, but nothing that would be able to hear while wheeling on a street.

Cushions

The padding on the Kingsong is genius. Made of what seems like rubber with a leathery type of texture, it is thickest right at the top where your shin/calf would contact the wheel, providing much needed comfort when you are gliding with one leg. The cushion is also soft and doesn't hurt the leg.

Trolley Handle

The current trolley handle you see on the few Kingsongs now is definitely not designed specifically for it. Being a rounded pedal corner design, designing a compatible trolley handle may be a bit tricky. However, with some MacGuyver magic, you can secure an existing trolley handle to the Kingsong using nothing but cable ties. If done right, the handle actually feels super stable and won't move about at all even when pushing the wheel in a powered-off state.

Conclusion

The Kingsong seems to be a wheel that was pretty well thought out in terms of features and ergonomics, and is definitely a joy to ride. In terms of comfort, it ranks a very close second to my former Ninebot, followed by the Gotway. However, the Kingsong more than makes up for it by being able to push harder and faster when called for, and is definitely more agile than the Ninebot given its 14" wheel. The sensitivity of the light sensor can be toggled so that your lights come on only in total darkness, or maybe when the sky is just turning a little dark. You can also manually turn the light on if you prefer. Bluetooth speakers can be LOUD, and sound quality is also decent.

Likes:

• Super wide pedals to fit my big feet.
• Built in lights - no need to jerry rig all sorts of attachments!
• Spacious and comfortable carrying handle.
• Reasonably lightweight at 12.8kg.
• No sharp corners on the pedals like the Gotway, reducing scratching of your thighs when carrying the wheel, and also no stabbing of your own feet when setting the wheel down on the floor.
• 10-bar battery indicator for paranoid people like me who like to know how much battery I have left.
• Super high pedal height for those sharp turns.

Dislikes

• Trolley handle installation is a bit ghetto for now, but it works fine once done properly.
• Pedals tilted inwards just a bit more than I'm comfortable with.

To reserve your King Song, you can visit http://thewheelies.sg/shop/king-song-ks-14c-800w/