Nothing in my life is telling me “You should definitely hop on a high power electric unicycle,” and yet I’m glad I decided to do it anyway. After testing a smaller and lighter InMotion electric unicycle last year, the company offered me a chance to try out a significantly more powerful InMotion V12HT. And it was quite eye-opening.
The InMotion V12HT is much, much more powerful than the beginner V5 wheel I previously tested.
Unlike the cute little 20 km/h (12 mph) beginner wheel I started on, the InMotion V12HT is a 60 km/h (37 mph) beast.
But it’s not just fast. It’s also high power. The 2,800W motor has more power than I could ever need, offering not just fast speeds but also serious climbing ability. The motor can power this wheel up a 45-degree slope, which you’d have trouble walking up – let alone rolling up.
Combined with the massive 1.75 kWh battery (divided into two 875 Wh packs), that means you’ve got some serious EV gear shoved into a single wheel. It also makes for some serious range, to the tune of 96 miles or 154 km.
There’s no suspension in this wheel, but the 3″ off-road tire does give you more cushioning than you’d expect. I did both asphalt and dirt/grass riding, and I never felt like the lack of suspension was an issue. If you’re hopping down from waist height boulders then you may beg to differ, but that ain’t me.
And therein lies the conundrum here; I’m not really a high performance electric unicycle guy. And this is definitely a high performance electric unicycle. But even an average Joe like me can see the utility of a wheel like this, and of course the fun factor, too.
The device is faster than nearly any electric bicycle I’ve tried while also being much more portable than any e-bike that comes close to its range or speed.
Despite the massive weight of 65.6 lb (29.7 kg), the InMotion V12HT feels easy to roll around thanks to its folding push bar that lets you walk it next to you while it uses its self-balancing feature to stay vertical.
While I feel more comfortable on electric bikes, I can’t deny that an electric unicycle can be more convenient. I don’t have to worry about locking it up at a destination since I can just bring it inside. I don’t have to worry about where I’ll park or store it, since in a pinch I could park it under my chair.
It may not have the cargo capacity that my e-bikes do, but I even discovered another fun feature that nearly makes up for it – you’re handsfree while riding it.
That means I can easily carry a few bags of groceries in my hands, despite not having any real storage on the vehicle itself.
Is it easy to learn to ride an electric unicycle?
The short answer is, “No, it’s not easy to learn.”
That’s nothing against EUCs, they just aren’t intuitive. A small segment of the population can probably pick it up in a day. Another small segment will probably never succeed to ride one. But for most of us, you’re probably looking at a couple days to a couple weeks of hopping on, falling off, and hopping back on until your brain finally gets it.
But once it clicks, you’ll be in for a seriously fun ride. And with a powerful wheel like the InMotion V12HT that has room to grow with you, you’ll be able to take that adventure just about anywhere. The powerful motor and large diameter wheel make quick work of just about any type of terrain, meaning you could be a commuter or an adventure rider on the same day.
At around US $2,100, it’s not a cheap way to get around. And I’d probably recommend a smaller wheel to learn on, though learning on this one would certainly work too. But this would be a big investment only to discover that riding around on a single wheel isn’t for you, so it’s probably advisable to start on a more economical wheel.
But if you’re someone who has tried an EUC, already knows that you like it, and now you’re looking for an upgrade, I can see this as a great option. It’s got the power and speed for just about anyone, and it will be a long time before you outgrow it for something even more powerful.
