How do you get the handlebars apart?

[Polyvista]

I have a Segway Gen.1 and something has gone wrong inside the handlebar electronics. Before this I thought that the Segway users and agents were a friendly and helpful community, but with this problem I do not seem to be able to get any help! I have spent my working life dealing with electronic problems and I just want to get to and test the handlebar components. A complete new handlebar assembly is extraordinarly expensive and unnecessary. Agents in the UK seem particularly unwilling to give out information, jealously guarding their servicing monopoly to the detriment of customer relations. Nobody will even tell me how, and if, the handlebars can be taken apart. With the rest of the Segway so well engineered and serviceable it seems most unlikely that the handlebars were made to be unserviceable when problems arose.

Any help will be most welcome.

John J

[KSagal]

John,

There are a number of threads going back to the beginning of this forum with complaints and issues regarding the handlebars, and their repair or cost.<O:p

I believe one of the primary motivations for the change in electronics from Gen 1 to Gen 2 is for this very reason. There are no longer electronics in the handlebar of Gen 2 machines.

The handlebar is a molded plastic top with some circuit boards inside, bolted to an aluminum tube referred to as the control shaft. Removing the handlebar from the control shaft is done by loosening a bolt located under the rubber skin between the display and key port. (after loosening the bolt, you must lift and twist the handlebar away from the aluminum shaft)<O:p

As far as accessing the electronic boards inside the plastic housing, that is far more difficult. It is heat welded shut, so I have only been able to use a dremmel tool (a small rotary cutter, uses a 2 inch stone disk, about a single mm thick, spins at about 35000 rpm) and sliced open the seam. You need to be very careful, as you can easily damage the insides. Also, even if you do get it repaired, making it sealed shut and weatherproof is difficult.<O:p

As a minimum, I would practice on a broken unit first.<O:p

Good luck with all this. It is not really a do it yourself kind of project for most people, even those who are moderately handy.<O:p

By the way, I am speaking from my own memory, which is not always complete, as I have not done this for several years now.


ALSO, you should be advised that it is NEVER safe to do much of anything based on advice you get on line unless you get alternate supporting documentation, and that includes anything I might tell you.<O:p</O:p

[Polyvista]

Dear KSagal,
Thanks for your help. It does seem as I suspected. I will let you know if I get round to it. At present I am repairing a working but broken handlebar.