New I2 Pulls to the Left

mjeagent · 05-04-2009, 10:22 AM

Is this normal? I had an XT for about a year (sold it a few months back) and from what I can recall, when I took my hands off the handlebar it pretty much maintained a straight line (on level ground, of course). I was out for my first ride on my new I2 on Saturday and noticed that I have to maintain some pressure on the handlebars to resist the pull to the left and if I completely take my hands off the handlebars there is quite a significant pull to the left.

Also, what is a good rule of thumb for handlebar height?

Thanks.

DarthSegVator · 05-04-2009, 10:30 AM

First, check your tire pressure (tyre for our UK/Australia folks). Chances are the side that pulls has a lower air pressure than the other side.

On the handlebar, start by standing in front of the machine and adjust the height of the handlebar to the height of your elbow. Then get on the machine and further adjust to your own preference. The elbow height is generally a good starting point. You can use this method to adjust for demo rides as well.

mjeagent · 05-04-2009, 10:40 AM

Thanks for the suggestion re tire pressure. Have to track down a tire guage at the local hardware store.

KSagal · 05-04-2009, 11:25 AM

There are two common things at play here...

One is the tire pressure, and that is very real.

The other is that the lean steer frame itself may be slightly off center...

The big point for me is to determine if the machine pulls to the left when the handlebar is at rest, and it is at rest straight up. (This would indicate to me that the tire pressure is suspect)

If the handlebar does not rest at straight up, or is not straight up when the machine is going straight, but the tires have the same pressure, then it may require the loosening of the 5mm bolt that holds the bottom of the lean steer frame on, and adjust it. There are lots of advice on this forum and in the manual as to how to do this properly...

I have found that getting the leansteer frame dead on is often a bit of a trick or skill that must be learned, and is a common problem for newer owners of an i2.

Either way, good luck, have fun, and keep smiling...

SegwayDan · 05-04-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjeagent

Thanks for the suggestion re tire pressure. Have to track down a tire guage at the local hardware store.

This advice may come a little late if you've already found a gauge, but I like this kind of gauge that Brookstone sells.

It's easy to read, and the bleed valve is handy to get the pressure down to what you want. You can just deliberately over-fill and then bleed off the excess.

Bob.Kerns · 05-04-2009, 11:45 AM

It can also be slightly off-center weight in the front bag, if you have one.

The MOST common cause, is that the ground is not level. The Lean Steer Frame references VERTICAL, NOT PERPENDICULAR. That is, to not turn, it needs to be up-and-down relative to gravity, NOT the base. So if the ground is tipped, the unit will turn toward downhill if you let go.

That's probably NOT your problem, since you indicate its always to one side.

It's worth tweaking to get it to stay still on level ground, but it's also important to learn that a gen 2 does not naturally refrain from turning without control from the user, except in very specific circumstances.

It doesn't take much to control it, however. Just resting one knee against the LSF gives you control if you need to take off your hands. Or if you're pushing a shopping cart, just rest one arm on the handlebars, or reach past on each side, leaving the LSF in the middle, and the Segway will happily follow wherever you steer the cart. Even a well-behaved shopping cart is harder to control than a gen-2 Segway.

DesertSeg · 05-04-2009, 04:39 PM

I agree with the others here. The first gen Segs have the advantage of going straight under most circumstances if you take your hands off the handlebars. Tire pressure issues aside, most surfaces are not perfectly level and the lean steer frame is going to be affected by this, and therefore will not travel straight unless you make the correction manually. As an example, streets are convex (slanted from the center to the outside) so your Seg will naturally drift towards the outside due to the slope. Another example is if you are on a flat sidewalk and approach a driveway apron, the Seg will naturally drift off center without correction.

After moving from an i67 to an i2, I was at first a bit annoyed with this, but then came to see the advantages of the lean steer setup, most notably, not having the handlebars jerk around on rough or uneven surfaces.

Hope that helps!

bud01234 · 07-31-2014, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSagal

If the handlebar does not rest at straight up, or is not straight up when the machine is going straight, but the tires have the same pressure, then it may require the loosening of the 5mm bolt that holds the bottom of the lean steer frame on, and adjust it. There are lots of advice on this forum and in the manual as to how to do this properly...

Karl, can you link me to one? I've searched for about an hour and either get unrelated discussions on this or links to the segway site which gives a page not found error.

Yesterday when checking tire pressure, I 'popped' the leansteer when leaning it back on its wheels and now the leansteer has a definite lean to port.

I have no idea how to adjust it.

Thanks,
Bud

noalox · 07-31-2014, 12:14 PM

Hey Dan,

Could you re-post the link. It won't go through for me.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by SegwayDan

This advice may come a little late if you've already found a gauge, but I like this kind of gauge that Brookstone sells.

It's easy to read, and the bleed valve is handy to get the pressure down to what you want. You can just deliberately over-fill and then bleed off the excess.

PeteInLongBeach · 07-31-2014, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noalox

Hey Dan,

Could you re-post the link. It won't go through for me.

Thanks

You guys are replying to a 5 year old topic. Link is old and dead.

05-04-2009, 10:22 AM	#1
mjeagent Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sterling, VA, USA. Posts: 21	New I2 Pulls to the Left Is this normal? I had an XT for about a year (sold it a few months back) and from what I can recall, when I took my hands off the handlebar it pretty much maintained a straight line (on level ground, of course). I was out for my first ride on my new I2 on Saturday and noticed that I have to maintain some pressure on the handlebars to resist the pull to the left and if I completely take my hands off the handlebars there is quite a significant pull to the left. Also, what is a good rule of thumb for handlebar height? Thanks.

05-04-2009, 11:25 AM	#4
KSagal Glides a lot, talks more... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Pelham, NH, USA. Posts: 10,356	There are two common things at play here... One is the tire pressure, and that is very real. The other is that the lean steer frame itself may be slightly off center... The big point for me is to determine if the machine pulls to the left when the handlebar is at rest, and it is at rest straight up. (This would indicate to me that the tire pressure is suspect) If the handlebar does not rest at straight up, or is not straight up when the machine is going straight, but the tires have the same pressure, then it may require the loosening of the 5mm bolt that holds the bottom of the lean steer frame on, and adjust it. There are lots of advice on this forum and in the manual as to how to do this properly... I have found that getting the leansteer frame dead on is often a bit of a trick or skill that must be learned, and is a common problem for newer owners of an i2. Either way, good luck, have fun, and keep smiling... __________________ Karl Ian Sagal To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "Well done is better than well said." (Ben Franklin) Bene factum melior bene dictum Proud past President of SEG America and member of the First Premier Segway Enthusiasts Group and subsequent ones as well.

05-04-2009, 11:45 AM	#6
Bob.Kerns Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Marin County, CA Posts: 3,783	It can also be slightly off-center weight in the front bag, if you have one. The MOST common cause, is that the ground is not level. The Lean Steer Frame references VERTICAL, NOT PERPENDICULAR. That is, to not turn, it needs to be up-and-down relative to gravity, NOT the base. So if the ground is tipped, the unit will turn toward downhill if you let go. That's probably NOT your problem, since you indicate its always to one side. It's worth tweaking to get it to stay still on level ground, but it's also important to learn that a gen 2 does not naturally refrain from turning without control from the user, except in very specific circumstances. It doesn't take much to control it, however. Just resting one knee against the LSF gives you control if you need to take off your hands. Or if you're pushing a shopping cart, just rest one arm on the handlebars, or reach past on each side, leaving the LSF in the middle, and the Segway will happily follow wherever you steer the cart. Even a well-behaved shopping cart is harder to control than a gen-2 Segway. __________________ Bob Kerns: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. , To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Obviously, we can't have infinite voltage, or the universe would tear itself to shreds, and we wouldn't be discussing Segways.

05-04-2009, 10:30 AM	#2
DarthSegVator Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 688	First, check your tire pressure (tyre for our UK/Australia folks). Chances are the side that pulls has a lower air pressure than the other side. On the handlebar, start by standing in front of the machine and adjust the height of the handlebar to the height of your elbow. Then get on the machine and further adjust to your own preference. The elbow height is generally a good starting point. You can use this method to adjust for demo rides as well.

05-04-2009, 10:40 AM	#3
mjeagent Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sterling, VA, USA. Posts: 21	Thanks for the suggestion re tire pressure. Have to track down a tire guage at the local hardware store.

05-04-2009, 04:39 PM	#7
DesertSeg Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: La Quinta, CA Posts: 250	I agree with the others here. The first gen Segs have the advantage of going straight under most circumstances if you take your hands off the handlebars. Tire pressure issues aside, most surfaces are not perfectly level and the lean steer frame is going to be affected by this, and therefore will not travel straight unless you make the correction manually. As an example, streets are convex (slanted from the center to the outside) so your Seg will naturally drift towards the outside due to the slope. Another example is if you are on a flat sidewalk and approach a driveway apron, the Seg will naturally drift off center without correction. After moving from an i67 to an i2, I was at first a bit annoyed with this, but then came to see the advantages of the lean steer setup, most notably, not having the handlebars jerk around on rough or uneven surfaces. Hope that helps!

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