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While the Segway company may be best known for their commuter and off-road segways, today’s review will be of a kind of product you may not really associate with the Segway name: a brand new state-of-the-art go-kart. Behold the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro.
If you have familiarity with Segway’s products, you may think you can reliably guess how much their Ninebot go-karts will cost. The truth may surprise you because Segway go-karts are more expensive than their usual line of scooters and bikes.
Segway’s initial go-kart kit will cost you around $1000, but their Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro is double that, coming in at $2000.
That may seem expensive, but as you’ll soon see, a Segway Ninebot gokart is loaded to the brim with features and power that will impress and wow.
The Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro can attain a max speed of 23 mph. This may seem surprising as many go-karts on designated tracks can go as fast as 40 or even 50 mph.
But before we touch on the speed of the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro in detail, let’s officially begin the review and jump into the main specifications of the 9 bot go kart.
As mentioned, the max speed of the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro is 23 mph. This is combined with its max range of 15 miles on a single battery charge.
It has a hill climbing ability of 15%, which is impressive for a go kart, though one wonders just how often that will actually come in handy for something that isn’t an e-bike.
The Ninebot Pro weighs 112 pounds and has a max weight load capacity of 220 pounds, giving a lot of leeway as to who can ride this thing. Speaking of which, it is also suitable for ages 14 and up.
Due to being a go kart, the 9 Bot Pro can only be used effectively on flat paved roads with minimal slopes.
Like with many Segway products, the first thing that really caught my eye with the Ninebot Gokart Pro was the unique looks. It does somewhat resemble other Segway products with its sleek, futuristic look, but at the same time, it doesn’t look like any other go-kart I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
The silverish-grey hue this entire kart sports gives off a unique aura that’s hard to put into words. It looks great, with lime green stripes and LED lights around the vehicle – although some might say a confusing choice.
While this more or less looks the same size as your standard go-kart, it certainly is harder and heavier. The durability of the Segway GoKart Pro must be very high as there isn’t a single section of this thing that feels flimsy or hollow.
When it comes to the oomph factor of the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro, it isn’t exactly packing the heaviest punch it could be. The acceleration is decent, but it can only attain a max speed of 23 mph, which is by no means fast by go kart standards.
It’s still enjoyable to cruise around in this thing, but speed demons who are interested in going as fast as possible may be disappointed. I would think twice about getting this if speed is your sole priority.
Where the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro does get fun, however, is in its drifting capabilities.
It’s a little puzzling why Segway themselves don’t advertise this as much as they should, but the 9 Bot Pro is a phenomenal kart for drifting and making crazy turns. In fact, it’s so intuitive to make 360-degree spins and drifts that I’d bet that this is actually a very beginner-friendly go-kart for drifting specifically.
This seems to be the case because Segway has equipped the Ninebot Gokart Pro with their standard self-balancing technology that made their segway devices famous in the first place. The Ninebot Pro is excellent at always making you feel grounded, even when you are drifting at 20 mph.
Perhaps another reason why drifting feels so natural in the Ninebot Gokart Pro is that it is very acutely designed to have the hydraulics and ergonomics to optimize drifting capabilities.
The rear wing, metal pedals, and overall sleek design of the gokart pro make this thing sail through the wind like a knife cutting through butter.
It’s also part of the reason why the Nine Bot Go Kart is comfortable to sit in. I was initially worried I’d be too tall for it, which has been a problem in the past with other go-karts.
Luckily, I fit inside with no problem, and my feet were able to reach the pedals with minimal knee bending. Segway insists that anyone as tall as 6’4’’ can use this go kart comfortably, and I believe it.
The seat isn’t the softest in the world, and I did feel some minimal fatigue after close to an hour of continuous use, but it’s nothing painful or worth being too concerned about.
The steering wheel does have a lot of grip to it, which is fantastic – you don’t want to be letting go of the wheel accidentally when you’re pulling off insane drifts.
In typical Segway fashion, the best thing about their products is often the creative extra features they stack on top of them. In the case of the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro, it’s the Bluetooth speaker and the four driving modes.
The Bluetooth speaker of the ninebot go kart certainly can be used to play music of your choice, which is indeed very cool. But what’s arguably even cooler is that it comes with stock sounds of realistic-sounding go karts and other vehicles. These sound effects help make the go-karting feel much more immersive.
The sounds recreate the feeling of actual, authentic engines used in racing cars so you can better get in the zone while drifting across the road. I thought this was a simple but brilliant addition that made me enjoy my drifting even more.
The four-driving mode feature is arguably the best function that the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro has. It really helps make this feel like a gokart that can be accessed by people of various ages and various skill levels.
Pros:
Cons:
I think the Segway Ninebot Gokart Pro is a fun and solid addition to Segway’s growing catalog of great transportation devices.
While I had fun riding it, I admit there were a few things that should be noted before buying. It was by no means the fastest go-kart I’ve ever used. I wish it could reach speeds of at least 30 mph.
The 9 Bot Pro also doesn’t have the longest battery life, and the ability to have a swappable battery would have been nice. But I loved the drifting, the Bluetooth speaker, and the adjustable driving modes.
Although it’s expensive, if you were going to dedicate time to use it regularly, the price could be worth it.
It’s, at the very least, a step in the right direction for Segway, and hopefully, their future go-karts will build off of this one and improve upon its features.
Thank you for reading, and hopefully, you’ll own your very own racing, or drifting go kart soon!