Regarding the limit. It's a safety thing obviously. I think if they let us go faster and there was a failure or we over powered it the recovery might not be as easy and the chance for injury would rise.
It seems they made a compromise between using max power and safety. I've had a mishap at speed and was able to just hop off and run down to a stop without falling. I would prefer that to a face plant. I know the feeling of wishing for a bit more speed especially on a flat smooth surface. But Ill trade that for the absolute amazing performance overall this unit has. May be they will release a more powerful one at some point that can move along a bit better.

That's awesome. I weigh in at 230lb. I only have about 20 miles on mine.

How many miles do you have now? Any abnormal sounds developed yet?

I am up to 127 miles on the miniPro.
I have 3 units now so I am trying to keep them from getting jealous...

I have not experienced any new sounds. I still have the grinding noise at low speed but don't notice it so much outside so maybe it the inside walls making it louder.

I went by my local Segway dealer, he didn't seem to think anything was unusual.

I don't have anyone around to compare with so all the noises may be normal.

My weight does not seem to be affecting the unit or my mileage too badly.:eek:

I have not yet ridden a minipro, but I'm having difficulty understanding how the knee-steer can have more control than the i2 lean-steer handlebar. It looks much more precarious. I have done extensive video searches, and can find nothing that demonstrates evasive maneuvers, especially emergency stops. With the i2, it's simply a matter of shoving the lean-steer away from you / leaning back / crouching, and it stops very quickly and controllably. I cannot see how this action can be attained with the knee-steer on the minipro. Can anyone demonstrate this or point me to a video showing such maneuvers?

At 10 mph in pedestrian traffic, quick stops and other evasive actions can be very important...

It works exactly the same way.
Your body is the lean steer. I have no problem with emergency stops.

I do find I don't have as many emergency stops though because the top speed is lower and it weighs much less.

I have more fun on the mini-pro than my i2SE, at least on smoother surfaces because I have my hands free to open doors at speed and carry objects with both hands.

I really hope you get a chance to try one. It is really an awesome little device.

I am looking forward to trying one, as I still cannot imagine how certain maneuvers can be done with the knee-steer. I also have seen no evidence of system redundancy as the classic Segways have.

Well.....It has 2 wheels.......thats almost redundant.:D

There is no system redundancy that I am aware of.

I have fallen a few times, not due to the Mini-pro, but my biggest injuries have been on my Elite + and i2SE. (Higher speed and harder to escape due to the lean-steer being in the way)

I built a knee steer for my i2. It worked fine, but I did not care for it as much as the handlebar...

I have the knee steer bar for my Elite +.

I agree, the larger base makes it much harder to use than on the miniPro.

It requires much more lean to get the base to respond and feels like you are going to fall farther due to the larger wheels and base height.

I can see it being useful for a camera guy moving slowly on fairly level surfaces
but not at speed on uneven sidewalks.

I have physical limitations that do not allow me to use the MiniPro with the knee-steer system. So, for me, a handlebar is essential. I made one that is fully adjustable so I could get it in just the right position. I can't compare knee-steer to handlebar, but the length of the handlebar has more leverage on the steering input (because of its length) than what a knee-steer would. So, even a very light input on my MP will move the handlebars.

The steering ratios for the MP don't feel nearly as "dialed in" as they are on my i2. The MP doesn't feel nearly as stable. However, I think that is largely due to the weight and the fact that the platform is above the axles. For someone who has full use of his/her legs, it's probably perfectly fine. But, for me, I feel as though I need to be a little extra cautious while on the MP.

Still, I love the MP. I can't wait to get the seating system finished for it so I can use it like I do my i2 (with SegSaddle.) I love that it's so small, light, and quiet. If anyone is on the fence, I'd say go for it while they're still on sale. They're a bargain.