It's been awhile since I last reviewed new wheels. This is due to The Wheelies numerous engagements with events such as Pertapis, Active SG, iWheel4Fun. Thus. I had found free time a premium. My wedding preparations didn't help too, "robbing" me most of my wheeling and writing time.
Given today is Boxing Day and a holiday, it frees me some time to focus on the review of the new King Song 14D. I am honored to be provided one of the first KS14D in the world to be reviewed and I would attempt to share with you my views about the wheel.
Design
In terms of looks, it looks like a miniature KS16B. However, if you take a look closer, it does have some key differences. Besides the difference in wheel size, the cushion of the wheel has been improved to provide comfort to the riders. The slim width of the wheel makes it easy for our calves to grip too. It has also retained the USB charging port from KS14C, allowing the rider to charge his/her gadgets on the go. The build in light sensor is extremely useful too as the light will auto on when the surrounding area is dark.
Handle
Given today is Boxing Day and a holiday, it frees me some time to focus on the review of the new King Song 14D. I am honored to be provided one of the first KS14D in the world to be reviewed and I would attempt to share with you my views about the wheel.
Design
In terms of looks, it looks like a miniature KS16B. However, if you take a look closer, it does have some key differences. Besides the difference in wheel size, the cushion of the wheel has been improved to provide comfort to the riders. The slim width of the wheel makes it easy for our calves to grip too. It has also retained the USB charging port from KS14C, allowing the rider to charge his/her gadgets on the go. The build in light sensor is extremely useful too as the light will auto on when the surrounding area is dark.
Handle
While KS16B is one of the first wheel to come out with an integrated handle, there are certainly lots of improvement to be made for the handle as the first batch of handle were poorly design, with many reported difficulties in using it after a few months of usage. It seems like King Song does take feedback seriously. The new KS14D managed to resolve all those reported issues with the handle. It now feels sturdier and the handle
Pedals
While KS16B is a great wheel, one of the frustrations of the wheel is with the pedals height. As the pedal height is lower, chances of scrapping the floor is higher especially if you are adapt to quick turns. There is no such problem though for KS14D. The pedals is large and high. This allows the rider to make sharp turns without scrapping the floor. The anti-slip grip on the pedal is extremely useful during wet situations.
KS14D uses a Kenda 14X 2.125. The wide tyre base does provide a more stable grip than most of the other 14 inches wheel in the market using 14X1.95.
Riding comfort
One of my dislikes for KS14C is the softness in the ride. Comparing to KS14C, KS14D has been dramatically improve and the ride definitely feel more responsive. With a max power of 2400w, it doesn't feels like its going to lose any power soon going up slope.
Distance
Despite me weighing at 80kg, I still managed to churn out 35km from the wheel which I consider decent for a 420wh battery. LED lights and front light have been on throughout this journey, with an average speed of 14.6 km/h with a run time of 2hours 30 mins.
Pros
- Very responsive ride
- A safe wheel to ride
- 1st 14 inch wheel to have an integrated handle
- Strong grip tapes at the pedals
- High pedals means chances of scrapping the floor is low
- Intelligent front and back light sensor which orientates itself according to the direction you are traveling
- Given most new wheels are at least 680wh, battery size a bit too small at 420wh
- Handle height can be higher when extended
- APP could have contain more features such as mileage ranking and LED customization
- not appealing to people currently on 16 inch (or more) wheels
OUR VERDICT
Overall, KSD14D is a wheel well thought of in terms of features and ergonomics and is definitely a fun wheel. In my humble opinion, KS14D is proving to be the best King Song wheel to date and arguably the best 14 inch wheel out there in the market. The design of the wheel makes KS14D an eye turner. With the built in Bluetooth speakers, KS14D does provide you with the entertainment you need while on the go. While it is not the fastest wheel in the market, I would rather use a wheel that I have confidence it will not lose power on me than worrying when the wheel going to power cut. So if you are looking for a better wheel to replace your existing wheel, you might have found your answer in KS14D.
RATINGS
DESIGN
|
5/5
|
FEATURES
|
4 / 5
|
PERFORMANCES
|
5 / 5
|
BATTERY LIFE
|
4 / 5
|
VALUE FOR MONEY
|
5 /5
|
KS14D is available at the Wheelies store
* The tester is a pioneer in the electric unicycle industry and have tested and review more than 100+ different type of wheels in the market since 2013.
