Segway launches new electric motorcycle that’s so safe it has seatbelts
Segway came to EICMA this year with a surprisingly broad lineup of new electric motorcycles, ranging from high-performance concepts to off-road machines. But perhaps the most interesting of the bunch is also the one that looks the least like a conventional motorcycle or scooter.
Meet the Segway X Cruiser, an electric two-wheeler that takes motorcycle safety so seriously that it has a roll cage and seatbelts.
Or at least, those are among the configurations Segway is showing as it develops the new machine for production.
The X Cruiser is Segway’s attempt to bring more automotive-style protection to a single-track vehicle, essentially asking how much of a car’s safety envelope can be wrapped around a motorcycle without adding another pair of wheels.
From the looks of things, the answer is quite a lot.
Segway says the X Cruiser’s design was informed by automotive crash scenarios, with cage and semi-cage structures, four-direction collision protection, staged energy absorption, and seatbelt restraints intended to improve rider protection. It also gets active safety features including standard blind spot detection and lane change warning.
The company showed several ways that basic idea can be configured, ranging from a more conventional partially enclosed scooter-like setup to versions with significantly more structure surrounding the rider. One of the most striking configurations uses a heavily bolstered race-car-style seat and seatbelt along with protective framing around the rider, while another adds a roof for even more enclosure.
It’s a fascinating approach because motorcycles have traditionally relied largely on the rider wearing the protection. Helmets, jackets, gloves, boots and sometimes airbag vests form the safety system, while the motorcycle itself generally offers little physical protection during a crash.
The X Cruiser effectively flips part of that equation by building some of the protective structure into the vehicle itself.
There’s an important caveat here, though. Segway specifically notes that its descriptions refer to the vehicle’s current design and equipment and do not mean it has completed automotive-style crash certification. Final equipment and certification will depend on individual markets, so it sounds like the company is holding short of making any major certification claims. Still though, it’s easy to see how having what is effectively a racing seat and roll cage surrounding the rider could seriously contribute to better protection in a crash. Just remember to keep your hands and feet within the vehicle at all times.
And unlike plenty of wild EICMA showpieces, this one isn’t merely destined to live under convention-center spotlights. Segway says the X Cruiser has a confirmed mass-production plan, with launches planned for China and Europe between 2027 and 2028. There’s no US availability announcement yet.
Underneath all that protective hardware is a fairly serious electric touring platform. Segway is using its CTB (cell-to-body) battery integration to help improve structural rigidity and battery packaging, with the company targeting nearly 200 km (124 miles) of range.
European versions are expected to feature 4.5 kW Type 2 AC charging, while the Chinese version will offer optional higher-power DC fast charging. The bike rolls on 15-inch front and 14-inch rear wheels wearing Michelin City Grip tires, and riders get a 10.25-inch TFT display along with an optional 55-liter electrically operated top box.
Interestingly, the X Cruiser also incorporates certain two-wheeler intellectual property and know-how licensed from BMW Group, though Segway stresses that it is responsible for the vehicle’s development, integration, validation, production and certification.
Segway had plenty more electric motorcycles at EICMA
The X Cruiser may be the weirdest – and thus perhaps the most interesting – of Segway’s EICMA debuts, but it was far from alone.
The company also unveiled the Segway Orca Concept, a futuristic high-performance electric maxi-scooter concept built around an 800V electrical architecture and a nearly 20 kWh battery.
Segway is targeting up to 300 km (186 miles) of range, a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.5 seconds, and the ability to add 200 km (124 miles) of range in 20 minutes. The concept also features front and rear multi-link suspension, electronically controlled multi-mode damping and a battery-integrated CTB chassis. Those figures are engineering targets rather than promised production specifications, and Segway currently describes the Orca strictly as a concept.
Then there’s Segway’s expanding X Series, which moves the focus away from urban riding and toward dirt. The lineup includes the Xaber X1000 and Xaber 350, along with different Xaber 300 variants for the US and European markets. Segway is also partnering with Michelin for its Dakar Rally Factory Team, using the brutal rally environment as a real-world development and validation platform for electric off-road motorcycles.
Taken together, it’s quite the showing from a company whose name many people still associate primarily with those funny two-wheeled self-balancing machines from the early 2000s.
Segway has already expanded heavily into electric scooters, e-bikes, go-karts and powersports vehicles. Now it seems increasingly serious about becoming an electric motorcycle company as well.
And if motorcycles with roll cages, roofs and seatbelts are part of that future, things could get pretty interesting… pretty quickly!
