My E-Scooter Experience

By June Ramli

I remember the day when I first tried to learn how to ride a bike. It was a nice and sunny day in Malaysia and we were still living in 7 Jalan Selasa Canning, in Ipoh.
It was a rented bungalow house and the place was so big that the compound was so huge that I had mango and rambutan trees growing freely.
We also had a lime like green snake lurking in garden and a large porch.
Back then, balance felt like a mystery—hands tight on the handlebars, knees knocking, the whole world tilting and correcting under me.
The heat rose off the driveway, the smell of ripe mangoes hung in the air, and I kept pushing off, stopping, and trying again.
Those early wobbles taught me patience and how to listen to my body when it searched for centre. That lesson stayed with me.

When I first received the Segway Max G3 on Sept 22 and straight from the box I found it very hard to remove from the box as a single person because of the weight but somehow I managed to do so after many tries.
And then assembling it on my own was a challenge as well but it finally got set.
Just like that old bicycle, the Segway demanded patience from the very start.
The packaging was snug, the unit heavy, and every inch I pulled felt like a mini victory.
I rested, tried again, adjusted my grip, slid it little by little, and finally got it out without damaging anything.
Assembly took me slow and steady—laying out the parts, checking the booklet twice, tightening what needed tightening—until it finally sat there in one piece, ready for the next step.
Then I had to charge it but first pairing needed to be done with the mobile phone and then walla, it was up and running within no time.

And then came the ride, hard to get the balance but somehow I managed after many tries and look at the video below.
I did my best to stay on for the most 13 mins and after that my legs hurt and if I were to go on beyond that I realise that is when I crash or would likely have a fall.
The app pairing was straightforward—Bluetooth on, a couple of taps, and I could see the battery and settings on my screen.
While it charged, I cleared a bit of flat space, told myself to keep my knees soft, and promised I’d stop if I got tired. The first glide felt exactly like those childhood starts: a bit shaky, then a moment of “got it,” then a course-correct.
I practiced mounting and dismounting, small turns, gentle stops.
Thirteen minutes turned out to be my sweet spot; beyond that, my legs began to ache from all the micro-adjustments. That’s when mistakes creep in and, for me, that’s when a fall is most likely—so I call it at 13.

Not build for fat folks, and it can be hard to learn if you don’t know how to ride a bike.
That’s my honest experience.
The learning curve is steeper if balance isn’t already second nature, and the strain adds up faster when your body’s carrying more.
Short, frequent sessions work better than pushing too long in one go.
Safety gear helps.
Flat ground helps.
And giving yourself time helps most of all.
I would recommend it only if you have the budget for it but you would still need a car.
For me, it’s a helper, not a replacement.
It fits a specific slice of life: the short trip you don’t want to drive, the errand that’s too far to walk, the quick glide to somewhere nearby.

These are great to have for short commutes to the grocer or if your office is nearby.
That’s the use case where it shines—point A to point B without parking dramas, with a bit of breeze, and without breaking a sweat if the route is friendly. Think smooth paths, mild inclines, and places to roll at a relaxed pace.
The electric scooter folds and you can easily take in with you to workplace.
That fold makes it practical: up a lift, under a desk, next to your workstation, on a short train hop if needed.
Keep it charged, check the latches before each ride, and learn your limits.
Just like that sunny day in Ipoh, it’s about patience, practice, and finding your balance—one careful ride at a time.

Disclosure: I received the Segway MAX G3 bike as a complimentary review unit from the company. All views expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by Segway or any other external party.