Episode 27 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and as always, it is packed with some interesting motorcycle discussions.
In this show, we catch up on lost time, as Jensen got the flu (go get your flu shot, right now), and was in bed for two weeks hoping that death would come and release him from his misery.
While that meant a delay in podcasting shows, the upside is that it means this episode has plenty to talk about!
It would be incorrect to say that we are eagerly awaiting the Segway Apex, an electric motorcycle from the recognizable urban transport brand. While the bike looks intriguing, we are skeptical of its actual abilities.
Set to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on the second week of January, one the motorcycle items of note is this electric motorcycle concept from Segway.
The Chinese-owned brand has been teasing its Apex for a couple weeks now, though details are still light on this potential future model. All we know right now is that parent company Ninebot says that the Segway Apex will do 125 mph / 0-60 in 2.9 seconds.
Known better for its self-balancing standing two-wheeled vehicles, Segway is brand to watch in the electric mobility space righ now, as it continues to push into more establish mobility sectors.
For instance, the brand had a convincing electric mountain bike / moped on display at EICMA, and now as we get ready for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Segway has another model designed to get our attention: the Apex concept.
For 2012, Segway returns as the title sponsor for MotoCzysz’s electric motorcycle racing program, with the team’s first race set to be the TT Zero event at the Isle of Man TT. Continuing the special sauce that lead MotoCzysz to a 1-2 victory at the Isle, Segway Racing hopes to be the first and fastest team to crack the 100 mph average lap speed barrier for electrics on the Mountain Course.
Rumored to be bringing another all-new 2012 MotoCzysz E1pc to the iconic road race, MotoCzysz’s biggest competition will come from a now more-developed Lightning “Flying Banana” and wild card Honda Mugen Shinden. Further entrant announcements are still expected as well.
We heard rumors that Segway was sponsoring the MotoCzysz Isle of Man TT effort, but passed them off as too crazy to be true, as the rumors also suggested a three-bike team at the Isle, which we knew not to be true. Now we get official word that Segway is indeed sponsoring the Portland-based company, but not just at the Isle of Man TT, but throughout the 2011 racing season. We’re not sure which races that will be exactly for MotoCzysz, but you can count on an appearance at the FIM/TTXGP Laguna Seca round at the very least.
The press release goes on to say that “this combination results in a world class team of mechanical, electrical, and software engineers whose years of experience and knowledge will lead both companies to successes not only at the track but also with new vehicles in the marketplace,” which to us sounds like MotoCzysz has been busy hot-rodding a different kind of two-wheeled electric vehicle up in Portland. I can’t speak for the whole A&R crew, but personally I’d pay good money to see Michael Czysz on a Segway.