INMOTION V8 is the first electric unicycle, which is as popular and recognizable (or even more) as the old, good Ninebot One E+. Comparing it to Ninebot, the iconic V-eight is a much more modern unicycle, and - most importantly - a better performing one.  While the V8 gladly represents the Inmotion company in 2017, Ninebot hasn't gone with the punch and has not released any new vehicle that would keep up with the V8 performance. 

However, it's not about just performance. Inmotion V8 is, above all, well designed, making excited not only the owners, but also pedestrians. This is the same characteristic that distinguished Ninebot One C after its premiere, when there wasn't anything else on the unicycle market looking good with better performance at the same time. 

Because of this, Ninebot One has become very famous and has been selling like "hot cakes", what allowed the firm to invest into a merger with the American "Segway".

Despite the fact that at the time of the debut, Ninebot One was offering the best performance in its class, users are no longer interested in purchasing it. They expect vehicles with better power backup, maximum speed and equipment (like lamps for night riding or a built-in trolley handle) from the market. Ninebot One is still recognizable and is an electric unicycle icon, but it is the Inmotion V8 that has everything what the market demanded, and it's now in the spotlight. History likes to repeat itself!

It's not surprising that Inmotion beats the sale records every quarter. Because what else do you need when you have a vehicle with great performance, great look, great equipment and great price?

I invite you to read the whole article to find out everything you need to know about 2017 INMOTION V8!

InMotion V8 is placed among 16-inch electric unicycles. They are the most universal option for every surface ride (so called all-riders). The device weight is only ~13.6 kg, which is 3 kg less than KingSong KS16C, 4 kg less than KingSong KS16S and 4.5 kg less than Gotway ACM16 820 Wh.

The weight difference is caused by the motor design and the battery capacity. Under the hood, the V8 is equipped with a brushless DC motor (BLDC) with 800 W rated power. The motor casing was created by INMOTION from special metal alloys, that guarantee the lowest weight possible. The manufacturer does not declare the maximum power output for this model, but it's estimated for about 2000 W.

The maximum speed is up to 30 km/h, according to the official specification. It's easy to overtake pedestrians, cyclists and also cars in traffic jam. Remember however, even electric unicycle riders have to respect the law speed limits in the city or a zone.

The vehicle has several safety mechanisms, like sound alarms (via a buzzer and a speaker) and tilt-back, which is designed to inform us about reaching the top speed and enforce braking.

The device has 480 Wh lithium-ion battery made by Samsung, which is fully recyclable. The battery capacity lets us ride about 40-45 km on a single charge. Remember, there are many factors affecting the range, like the user weight, road condition, slope and weather.

The charging port is placed at the top and protected against rain. Simply use any wall outlet to charge.

From the profile, the InMotion V8 is ellipse-shaped, due to the battery placed above the wheel. This design approach makes the device a bit taller, but also very thin.

The V8 is available in glossy black colour only, which looks just amazing. It it the best looking wheel on the market, in my opinion, which has been confirmed many times by positive comments of car drivers, pedestrians and even cyclists. Everyone is impressed by the sleek look of this cutting-edge vehicle.

Unfortunately, it is hard to keep the casing clean, because even the smallest dust particles are visible. It's best to wipe the casing after each ride, but it has to be done carefully! I use moistened cotton and clean the casing similar to a car body: wiping from top to bottom, to avoid scratching by the sand/mud left at the bottom. Remember to never wipe the casing with towels, cloths or any accessories that may damage the casing. You can then be sure you won't scratch your device when cleaning. Of course if you do, don't worry - it's not a big deal.

It is wise to get a bag for transporting our V-eight. Without any protection, we can be sure the pads and pedals will be scratched after transporting the vehicle in a car trunk. To protect the pedals and pads from scratching, in each V8 box we include a self-adhesive, protective-foil with carbon fibre theme.

The Inmotion V8 side pads are pretty small, and made of plastic. However, there are self-adhesive, soft ankle pads, to increase the level of comfort. It is also a great option for the people who are starting their electric unicycle adventure, as it is very common for the beginners to squeeze the wheel with ankles and calves, which is not pleasant after a longer ride.

INMOTION V8 has a built-in trolley handle, which is extremely helpful indoors. The unicycle becomes a suitcase on wheels, with electric motor support. The handle is hidden in the casing and pops-out after pushing the button. Tall users praise the V8 trolley handle is significantly longer than in other electric unicycles. Even the basketball players will be satisfied.

Additionally, Inmotion V8 has got a fixed handle, designed for lifting up the device, to carry it upstairs for instance. This handle has a physical button that disables the drive when lifting up the vehicle. This is a very intuitive and useful solution, especially in the city, as you can carry the unicycle like a normal bag or briefcase. 

Many users, especially at the beginning, don't remember to turn off the device before lifting it up, what automatically causes spinning of the wheel. The solution introduced by Inmotion eliminates the issue - the built-in button is an effective and great remedy - and the only one of the kind on the market right now.

The V8 pedals are placed high, which is supposed to prevent scratching them when making tight turns. I must admit, it is almost impossible to scratch them - they don't reach the ground even when making sharp turns.

This solution also increases the stability of riding straight, what makes the learning process much easier on Inmotion V8.

Are you thinking about your first electric unicycle? V8 is a great choice both for learning and later everyday use. As Inmotion V8 is a professional electric unicycle, after you master it, you don't have to change it for another model.

The higher position of the pedals also moves the centre of gravity away from the surface.

In shoes with thinner shoe sole you can feel the prominent INMOTION logo, which acts as a separator between the casing and a folded pedal, preventing the casing from the dirt from pedals and scratching. Some users see this as a disadvantage and unstick the logo, others like this solution as they know exactly where to place their feet.

It has to be noted that the pedals are covered with a grip tape, that guarantees great shoe traction, even when it's raining. The grip layer also allows to fix or change the feet placement during the ride (in contrast, the grip in Gotway ACM16 makes it much harder). Besides, do not worry about snow, rain or mud - you can easily clean the grip with a wet cloth or sponge.

INMOTION V8 has 3-row side LED lights for decoration only. Note that other manufacturers use only one row at best. The device has many LED themes to choose from freely via the mobile app, and you can also create your own light animations or even disable lights completely.

The battery charge indicator is placed separately, next to the power button - it is a unique solution.

On the rear, you can find an additional lighting element - red Inmotion logo, which acts as a position lamp. Unfortunately, it does not double as a brake light.

Fortunately, the device is equipped with a really strong front lamp, ideal for night riding (see the photo below). You can turn it on/off via the app or simply by holding the power button.

There is a speaker below the manufacturer logo on the rear. It's role is to play the vehicle sounds (like when you turn it on or off) and voice messages. You can swap the sounds for your own via the mobile app.

The mobile app for INMOTION V8 is available for Android, BlackBerry and iOS platforms. Before use, it requires registering a user account, then before connecting to the wheel, you need to enter your V8 serial number. This feature was introduced to resolve the issue of illegal sales of Inmotion vehicles. All users that purchased Inmotion devices from unauthorized sources have been banned from using the app and the warranty (read more). 

By the way, we are proud to be an authorized Inmotion distributor in Europe. 

The app has some interesting features, for example:

• V8 hardware diagnostic tool,
• ability to create our own LED animations or change the system sounds for other themes or our own, as well as disable them,
• ability to track our routes and speed,
• speedometer, 
• device calibration,
• speed limit adjusting,
• mileage checking.

You can download the official mobile app here. 

INMOTION V8 is available in Europe for €1082 / £970, with a 2-year warranty and express service.

What's really great for the users, despite amazing specification and performance, the device price is on the middle shelf. Other brands' electric unicycles, with similar or the same performance, are more expensive.

I can tell with confidence that InMotion V8 has the best price to quality ratio on the market right now. 

Because of this and its premium design, there are more and more V8 riders every day.

To sum up, the main advantages of this electric vehicle are: power, range, weight, trolley handle length, intuitive button in the handle (disabling the drive) and outstanding look. Additionally, it's really easy to learn riding on this model (even up to one hour), that's why I recommend this electric unicycle to everyone joining the electric unicycle world. This is the explanation of the Inmotion V8 phenomenon.

At the end, enjoy my V8 test ride video!