Zero to 50km/h in 2.9 seconds on Segway’s E300SE electric motorcycle

Segway’s first electric motorcycle to hit the Australian market is a blast – light, fast and it doesn’t stand out in a crowd, which is perfect for the humble rider.

Segway's new electric motorcycle, the E300SE.

Recently I was given a look into the future and it was pretty cool.

But it isn’t one everyone will like, especially attention seekers who ride by Bondi Pavilion on a Sunday afternoon, revving their motorcycles until they backfire. Nor will it be to the taste of those who rev up a storm at traffic lights.

Electric vehicles present an interesting opportunity to drown out noise pollution, trading combustion engines for silent electric motors that are often really powerful.

As is the case for Segway’s first electric motorcycle to hit the Australian market.

Riding the streets on this bike often doesn’t feel real. Most drivers and motorcyclists learn to listen to the sound of their engine as a way of getting feedback on how they drive or ride, to know when to change gears or when they’re about to stall.

But on an electric motorcycle none of that exists. It’s just you, the bike and whatever noise is going on around you. You just start it and go.

Segway’s E300SE.

From afar the bike doesn’t look special. But jump on and twist the throttle and you’d give most motorcycles in Sydney a run for their money – if you’re in mode 3 that is. Maybe even 2 but 1 and auto are far slower.

The thing about electric bikes is there’s no resistance on the throttle, and it goes 0 to 50km/h in about 2.9 seconds. It has a top speed o 105km/h.

This bike, which will be available later this month, retails for $8,990, a price that puts some high-end electric bicycles to shame.

For that you’re getting a 10kW motor powered by two removable 2000WH batteries. A third can be added under the seat for a trade off of less storage space and a range of 130km. On two batteries we found the bike to have a range of 82km.

That’s not something we’d likely do, as right now it boasts 34 litres of storage, which is enough to fit a full face helmet and a few extras.

Performance does fade away when the batteries near empty.

Segway’s E300SE.

If you’re like me and there isn’t a driveway out front of your house or a power point you can plug into, you’ll have to bring the batteries inside to charge them.

To remove the batteries, you have to pop the seat, lift a small leaver and then lift a board out from the floorboard.

As for smart features, the bike can be powered on and off, located and performance analysed all from the app. It also has cruise control, reverse mode and an electric handbrake that kicks in with a small beep after holding in the brakes for two seconds – handy for hill starts.

Other than checking performance or initiating over-the-air (OTA) updates, I’d probably only use the app for one feature, which is to create a code for someone else to ride the bike without the key.

The verdict? It’s been a blast. This bike is light, fast and doesn’t stand out in a crowd which is perfect for the more humble among us. At $8990, almost every buyer will be pleasantly surprised.

Originally published as Zero to 50km/h in 2.9 seconds on Segway’s E300SE electric motorcycle