Considering Buying a Segway. Have Questions.

[segsurfer]

Originally Posted by MowTin

You're right, Martin is great guy. He let me try out his p133. That was my first time on a Segway.

I know I want a Gen1 because I want to travel by plane with it. But not sure which gen1 to get.

The p133 seems like it's the perfect size. Why did they start making Segways bigger?

I'm a little concerned about getting a gen1. I know cars live about 15 years or 200,000 miles. Depends how you maintain it. How long do Segways live? There is no oil to change or filters. What determines its longevity?.

MowTin, the segway's longevity is really just a function of consumables, namely tires and batteries. Occasionally one may run into a need for repairs, more so on the gen ones than the gen twos as a result of the wiring in their handlebars and control shafts; however, I have two p133's that I use when traveling and around the house which have been completely bulletproof, it really just depends on how they're taken care of. I have been caught out in the rain on my gen ones, and although I was a little conscious of water intrusion, the segway performed admirably. Generally I keep a poncho in the handlebar bag on my p133's just to be able to drape over the handlebars in the event of a rainstorm. The p133 is a great little machine, not as fast or as long ranged as the i series, but in my opinion it is far better suited to very dense urban environments than the i series. In stock form the p133 will top out at 10 mph and travel for about 6-8 miles, as apposed to the i series top speed of 12.5 mph and range of about 12-15 miles with nimh batteries. MTO battery has perfected nimh battery upgrades and can rebuild a i series battery to yield a range of about 20 miles, and a p series battery to yield a range of about 12-15 miles. The p133 was never available with lithium ion batteries, and it's battery cases are a special size as are its tires an rims; so the consumables might be a bit harder to find, but for your intended uses it sounds as if a p133 would fit the bill perfectly.
hope this helps,
-segsurfer