Is this I2SE gear clicking noise normal?
 

On a brand new I2SE with 1 mile on the odometer and 0.2 on the trip(from dealer setup).

I've been on many segway tours on I2 (although not an SE) and have never heard this clicking noise before. It's coming from both gear boxes on either side whenever there's a transition in torque from forward to backwards to forwards.

Video shows the noise:

https://youtu.be/VRi79aLqS-A

Any chance this unit was shipped without gear fluid? It's a 2017 that was just unsealed from it's box last week. The dealer replaced the battery because the originals sat for 3 years in the sealed box so now I have new lithium ion units.

Could there be some packaging material causing the noise?
Give it a good look underneath.

Well, that sounds pretty terrible, but not much like gear noise. Possibly destroyed bearing noises, but this seems unlikely. It would require the same “zero miles” failure in two separate gearbox units. It does sound like the crunchy noises of packaging materials, but if not, then this is a warranty problem... if you got a warranty.

Which brings me to the question of why a dealer would not charge batteries every three months, as they are supposed to do. This makes me wonder about the dealer.

It would require the same zero mile failure on FOUR gearboxes. The gearbox on each side on both segways does exactly the same thing. If you lift a side and move the wheels(all four wheels) back and fourth, they all make the identical clunking sound.

The units were registered in my name and I confirmed the validity of the serial numbers with Julie at Segway prior to purchasing them from the dealer.

The dealer that went out of business had 28 units that had never been opened and they just sat there for 3 years sealed in their boxes after going out of business.

And before anyone asks, it's not the wheel lugs. I checked them and they're tight on all 4 wheels.

I took the wheel off and checked the gear fluid level. The amount of fluid is what is level with the fill plug with the entire unit level for riding. So about the bottom 20% of the gear box has fluid. Not sure if this is normal but I suspect it's meant to be level with the fill plug when the entire Segway is level.

Here's the sound with the wheel off with direct manipulation of the hub.

https://youtu.be/Ynw4jccsuZU

Are you rotating the drive shaft back and forth, or is that end play, parallel to the shaft?

Is it possible that they were shipped without elastomers?

If the elastomers were missing there'd be much more free play.

Didn't understand the first qustion. I'm rotating the drive shaft clockwise and counter clockwise back and forth.

But your question made me go out and try something else. It appears this is freeplay in the drive shaft itself as evidenced by the next video:

https://youtu.be/yNy8IbZMEMI

From the side:

https://youtu.be/xSuboQ86_EQ

Well, this is the usual noise every I2 and X2 makes. I cannot hear any problems.

Sorry for the late reply but I just noticed it.

I now have 2 i2, 1 i2se and 3 x2 units of various years.

Any unit built after 2014 has a much cheaper gearbox and makes sounds identical to yours as well as the increased gear whine when gliding.

The older units run much quieter than my 2016 i2se but the forward/backward gear lash is present on all units.