I've decided to start with the i167 first, mainly because it takes up a smaller space and because it was, by far, the stickiest.
This loose piece on the main post is sort of a parking bumper that offers some protection if you lean it up against something instead of using the parking stand.
This is where all of the sticky trim adhesive originated from. I pulled off the trim, scraped away as much adhesive as I could with a plastic putty knife, and cleaned off the remaining residue and all of the other sticky spots with WD-40. There was also a bunch of velcro stuck all over the handlebars and fenders, probably for bike lights and cell phone mounts. I pulled all of it off and cleaned it with more WD-40. Then I went over the whole thing with Simple Green.
Once all the adhesive and grime were removed, it was a lot more pleasant to work on. In spite of my initial aversion to all the extra velcro, that's exactly what I used to re-mount the bumper pad.
When I first loaded this one into the trailer, I tried lifting by the handlebar. This was a mistake, as the bar pulled out of the main post. No amount of coercion could get it back in. I left it that way for the trip north, but knew that it had to be the first thing to get fixed.
With the wires inside, there wasn't a lot of slack to work with and it still didn't want to go back in easily. It's designed to lock in place like a bicycle stem, but the top bolts are covered by the key port and display.
I found the assembly manual online, and learned that the main post isn't mounted to the base when they are shipped, but the bars are. I was able to lower the height of the post, remove it and disconnect the wiring harness. This gave me a chance to take it over to the bench. I used a clamp to compress the stem of the bar and was able to slide it back into the post where it belongs.
Much better.
The manual says that it needs to be charged for 24 hours before the first ride, and they had been unplugged for a couple of weeks. I plugged it in and was greeted with a blinking green LED.
According to the book, this is a good sign.
Each Segway comes with three electronic keys, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, which release increasing levels of speed and power.
Following a 24 hour charge, I tried to power it up with the black Beginner key.
At first, I was all like...
...but then I was all like...
Fully charged and All Systems GO!
But before I could try riding it, I needed to move it outside. Since Segways use regenerative braking to recharge the batteries, they don't really have a neutral mode that lets you roll the machine around easily. And they're heavy. You end up dragging them against fairly substantial resistance.
They have a feature called Power Assist Mode. In Power Assist Mode, you can use the steering grip to power the wheels. Standing to the front and side of the machine, twisting the grip will move it forward or backward. It lets you maneuver it safely through tight areas, over obstacles and even up or down stairs.
You can't stand on the platform in Power Assist Mode.
There is a mode button near the steering grip that is used to cycle between Power Assist Mode and Balance Mode. Holding the button down turns the power off.
You can only go into Balance Mode with the platform level and the post vertical. If it's not level, you get the red frowny face. Once you see the green smiley face you are ready to ride. The bars around the perimeter indicate the battery level. A complete circle indicates a full charge.
It works!!
It takes a few seconds to get used to when you first step onto it, and moves back and forth a few inches until until you get settled. Going forward and back are fairly intuitive; just lean in the direction that you want to go and it goes. To slow down, you shift your weight to the opposite direction. If you lean too far or get moving too fast, the machine pushes back and stands you up, which automatically slows you down. There is also a built in warning system. If you are trying to do something really wrong, the whole unit shakes and slows down.
Steering doesn't come quite as naturally. The temptation is to steer with the handlebars or lean like a bike, but unless you twist the steering grip, you will continue moving in a straight line. Even once you get used to the steering grip, there is a tendency to revert back to the instinct of turning the handlebars. It still does nothing. It does help to lean into turns though, just for side to side balance. And within five or ten minutes, I was actually able to move it forward an back a bit with no hands, although I wouldn't recommend it, as it would be fairly easy to get thrown off and you have absolutely zero ability to steer.
So...one of them works!
It's also worth noting that all systems have built in redundancy. Every system, motors, batteries and electronic controls has a backup. If something fails, the backup system takes over and brings you safely to a stop.
My grandparents had a pair of these. I wonder if they’re still around somewhere? I remember them being pretty fun.
Lof8 said:
My grandparents had a pair of these. I wonder if they’re still around somewhere? I remember them being pretty fun.
Your grandparents or the Segways? Same question re: the fun part. :)
Will it "walk" itself up a loading ramp using assist to get it into a pick up ?
If you cannot lift it by the handlebars what is the "proper" way to lift it ?
It looks like it would be no fun if the battery goes dead and you are stuck somewhere and do not even have a neutral to push it. !
californiamilleghia said:
Will it "walk" itself up a loading ramp using assist to get it into a pick up ?
If you cannot lift it by the handlebars what is the "proper" way to lift it ?
It looks like it would be no fun if the battery goes dead and you are stuck somewhere and do not even have a neutral to push it. !
Yes, you could easily move it up a loading ramp.
You can lift it with one hand on the post and the other under the base. Just don't lift straight up from the handlebar.
There is a battery gauge, just like a fuel gauge, and several other ways that it lets you know as the battery is getting lower. You can still move it with a dead battery. It will roll with resistance, but I wouldn't want to walk home any distance with it.
My ten year old spent the afternoon turning figure eights in the driveway and the battery is still showing up as 100% charged. I'm calling this one a win.
Not sure if I'm going to have the same luck with the 187 though.
californiamilleghia said:
if you put a 50 pound backpack on the front attached to the handlebars , would it fall on its nose or would the gyroscopes compensate for it ?
I read through most of the paperwork today and the handlebars are only rated for 10 pounds of cargo.
One of my customers has a Segway in his garage.
He also has a treadmill in the garage.
I keep looking at the two of them and wondering how badly I could get hurt putting the two together.
Up to this point, I had only used the Beginner key, but today I tried the Intermediate and Advanced keys. Steering gets noticeably sharper in Intermediate mode, and 12.5 mph feels surprisingly fast (on a Segway) with the Advanced key. In Advanced mode, I was starting to think about putting on a helmet. You can still crawl along at a snail's pace in any mode.
At some point it occurred that the handlebar must mount to the main post in a manner similar to an old bicycle stem, with a bolt drawing two opposed wedges closer to one another and increasing their diameter.
I figured that there had to be a bolt hiding in there somewhere, so I very carefully pried away the rubber trim that seems to be permanently attached to the Display and found just such a bolt underneath.
I tightened it up and now the bar is solidly mounted to the upright post. Much better.
