Segway Xyber review: The e-bike that forgot it’s an e-bike

Retailers and equipment revisers love to put electronic books in the categories: suburb, fat, mountain. The Segway Xyber (which is currently starting at $ 3,299.99) increases shoulders. There are pedals, of course. But calling this thing an electric bike is like calling a Formula 1 car a precise, but madly insufficient vehicle.

In its double battery configuration, the Segway Xyber engine has up to 6,000 watts of advanced power and 175 Nm of torque. These specifications break the typical class 1 to 3 bikes, which have engines that exceed 750 watts (no, I do not miss a zero). It accelerates 20 MPH in 2.7 seconds and reached a top speed of 35 MPH, according to Segway. If you scroll down the company’s product page, you will see small characters that indicate that Xyber is strictly designed for all-terrain use (and a legal version of the road will ultimately be published). In the real world, I spotted two other xybers in the streets of the suburbs of DC, both carrying a rider and a passenger, both no less surprising.

How we tested the Segway Xyber

We tested the XYBER double battery ($ 4,399.98), which is already integrated. We took it in the DC streets and the nearby trails, sharing driving tasks between me (a small woman) and my son of more than six feet, which more comfortably slipped her legs around the aluminum frame of the distribution. The contrast was intentional: we wanted to see how the Xyber took care of very different body types and driving styles. And even if I have a bicycle carrier, I could not easily carry it on more extensive dirt paths because, at its lightest, the Xyber still weighs 138 pounds. This far exceeds the weight limit of the rack for a single bike. If you want to take this thing during the adventures, you will need a trailer, a truck or a van, or to expect to get on the Xyber itself.

The design

The Segway Xyber arrived by freight, wrapped in a box attached to a palette of thin press panels to keep it standing. There was no harm to be mistaken, from graphic packaging to heavy goods vehicles. The unpacking was however simple and without incident. Depue the cardboard, remove a pressboard block at one end and make the mainly assembled bike back. Mount and fix a few parts with the tools included and you are ready to go.

It is as close to a motorcycle as any electric bike never come. It’s great. It’s elegant. And, to be honest, it’s sexy. The XYBER has competitors of Super73 and RIDE1UP, among others, but they appear as minimal mopeds at the MOJO MOJO MOJO. It attracts your attention, from the headlight of X -shaped beams always in the shape of a X -shaped 1,300 fuels to the angular frame with a complete suspension with a 110 mm trip at the front and 100 mm at the rear – a red spring offering a touch of color. The tread on the 5 -inch 20 -inch fatty tires looks like angry small faces, which I find endearing.

The Xyber avoids limited physical buttons typical of most electric bikes and opts for multifunctional dials and switches, with a very brilliant TFT color display (1400 NIT). Friendly commands on the bike allow you to switch between three modes – Eco, Sport Zippy and a race with challenge which is with challenge – as well as 12 different levels of power assistants. It is quite different from most bikes that reading the manual is very necessary to understand all the technology included.

The association of your phone with the Segway Mobility application unlocks other intelligent System4 driving features, such as navigation, an anti -theft airlock that switches without electric and mechanical key via the Bluetooth of your phone, and GPS and Apple find my two tracking layers. This bike also includes a speed ceiling, and it is intelligent to adjust it low while getting used to this bike.

The route

Here is the capture: the Xyber has a serious weight. The double battery configuration weighs 165 pounds, excluding accessories. It is a lot – in a part of the larger and heavier electronic bikes on the market. The walking mode helps, but you always need muscles to maneuver in and out of the garages or the storage area. As a smaller tester, I had a scary moment when a wandering turn dropped the bike in me. Finding him was again like trying to turn end to end in a crossfit class, but the disaster was avoided. However, I approached the following outings with a little more prudence and nerves. My son did not fight as much as me, but even must put a little more punch to put him on shit.

But the journey itself is an absolute explosion. Given the weight of the bicycle, I expected that the pedals feel slow, but surprisingly, they are not difficult to move. However, they are mainly ornamental. It is not a bike for the exercise; You will use the 99% of time torsion rehords. Gyroscopic and torque sensors help cycling, namely when increasing the power of the slopes. The suspension eats bumps like a dirt bike, offering a stable ride, but the manipulation is significantly less agile than your average electric bike. Again: is it really an electric bike or a motorcycle the size of a pint?

Because the Xyber contains much more power than a typical electric bike, the experience does not always reproduce. Its power delivery is completely silent and almost instantaneous – and for new riders, a little shocking. Segway claims that the Xyber accelerates 0-20 MPH in 2.7 s and my son, an experienced electronic pilot, obtained a little arrogant in race mode, took off on a smooth herb and quickly hit a bump, throwing it on the handlebars in a soft ground. He left very good, but it was a clear reminder: it is not an ordinary electric bike. Always Wear your helmet – maybe switch to an upgrade in the face. Consider gloves and pads.

As for the beach, we have never managed to operate the battery, but there again, most of our day’s excursions do not reach the 112 miles which, according to Segway, indicate that the double battery configuration can reach a cruise with casualness in Eco mode. However, we noticed that the batteries had lost more load than what we expected when the bike was seated in a cool storage room between the rides. And by the way, each battery must be removed to be recharged, and they are densely heavy, like small cars.

So who should buy the Segway Xyber?

If you are new in electric bikes or await an occasional nave that is not your ride. But if you go from pedal assistance bikes to fun motor machines, the Xyber could be your new obsession.

The Segway Xyber is scandalous, surfed and shamelessly aggressive. It is not for everyone, but if you have space, skills and strength, it is a personal transport rich in technology like no other “electric bike”.

Do not forget to prepare yourself when you press “race”.

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