Segway Xyber Air Classes: Switching 1, 2, 3 and Hybrid

The short answer

The Segway Xyber Air can run as a Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 e-bike, or in a fourth setting Segway calls Hybrid. I switched between them from the settings menu on the bike’s display, on the fly, during my review. Segway also says the class is selectable in the Segway Mobility app.

• Class 1: pedal assist only, to 20 mph.
• Class 2: pedal assist and throttle, to 20 mph.
• Class 3: pedal assist to 28 mph.
• Hybrid: throttle to 20 mph and pedal assist to 28 mph, without switching modes.

Segway’s own pages say Hybrid isn’t available in California. Its one-sheet for the Xyber Air goes further and marks Hybrid “Where permitted by law, e.g. CA & NY subject to restrictions.” Segway also told Popular Science that switching between classes may not be permitted in certain jurisdictions, including California.

The original Segway Xyber is a different story. Segway sells it for off-road use only, and nothing in Segway’s Xyber manual or product page describes Class 1, 2, 3 or Hybrid modes. What Segway does describe is a speed limiter in the app. I explain exactly what Segway confirms further down.

Check the Xyber Air at Segway (affiliate link; $1,999.99 as of Oct 26, 2026, on sale Oct 27)

Why this matters more than any spec

When I made my Xyber Air video, I opened by calling it the street-legal little brother of the Xyber. The original Xyber, I said, was not street legal. That one difference is the whole reason the Air exists, and the class menu is where it lives.

I get more questions about classes than almost anything else, which is a big part of why I started this site. A bike that can be four different things depending on one menu setting is great for flexibility, but it also means you’re the one choosing which set of rules you’re riding under. Pick the wrong one for where you live and you can be breaking the law on a bike that was legal when it left the box.

So this page covers four things: what each class means, how the Xyber Air switches, where each setting is allowed, and whether the original Xyber could do any of this.

What each class means

There are no federal classes

This surprises a lot of people. Federal law doesn’t sort e-bikes into Class 1, 2 and 3. The federal definition is a product-safety rule: a “low-speed electric bicycle” has fully operable pedals, a motor under 750 watts, and a top speed under 20 mph on motor power alone with a 170 lb rider on a paved level surface (15 U.S.C. 2085). That puts it under the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s bicycle rules. It doesn’t tell you where you can ride.

The three classes come from state law. Most states use nearly the same wording, and Michigan’s definition is a clean example (MCL 257.13e). My e-bike classes explained guide goes deeper.

The three standard classes

One thing to remember: the number is where the motor stops helping, not a speed limit on the bike. You can coast faster than 20 mph down a hill on a Class 2. The motor just adds nothing past it.

Where Hybrid fits

Hybrid isn’t a legal class. It’s Segway’s name for a setting that mixes two classes: the throttle works like Class 2, up to 20 mph, and pedal assist works like Class 3, up to 28 mph.

The problem is the Class 3 definition. California’s law says a Class 3 bike’s motor “provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling” and “is not capable of exclusively propelling the bicycle,” apart from a walk mode up to 3.7 mph (CVC 312.5). A bike that will assist to 28 mph and also has a working throttle doesn’t fit that wording. That’s the most likely reason Segway switches Hybrid off for California. Segway doesn’t explain its reasons, so that part is my reading of the statute.

Some states have written this combination into law. Minnesota defines a “multiple mode” e-bike with “switchable or programmable modes” that each meet the rules for Class 1, 2 or 3 (169.011), and its operating rules let the throttle work only up to 20 mph on those bikes (169.222). Other states don’t say clearly either way.

How the Xyber Air switches

What I did on my test bike

There’s a small joystick up by the display that moves through the menus. I went down into the settings, and under “speed mode” I could pick Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 or Hybrid. It changed on the fly, with no dealer visit and no unlock code. That’s what I meant in the video when I said I could pick and dynamically select the class.

For almost all of my testing I left it in Class 2, with pedal assist on high and the throttle doing nearly all the work. On the steepest gravel climb, at full throttle in Class 2, it dropped to about 14 mph and then about 12 mph near the top, carrying my 200 lbs. On the flat, I got 0 to 20 mph in roughly 7 to 7.5 seconds on gravel, not scientifically timed.

What I didn’t do was ride it in Class 3 or Hybrid. So I can’t tell you what 28 mph feels like on this bike, how hard it is to hold 28 by pedaling, or how the throttle hands off to pedal assist in Hybrid. I’m keeping the bike for six-month and one-year follow-ups, and Class 3 testing is on my list.

The assist buttons are a separate thing

Don’t mix up the class with the assist level. The class sets the rules. The plus and minus buttons on the grip set how much help you get inside those rules, from high all the way down to nothing.

Here’s something I found on my bike: in Class 2, even with assist set to nothing, the throttle still worked and went all the way up. If you assume “assist off” means “motor off,” it doesn’t on this bike in Class 2. Keep that in mind if a less experienced rider is borrowing it.

What Segway says about switching

Sources: Segway’s Xyber Air store page, the Oct 13, 2026 press release, the Xyber Air one-sheet and Segway’s Xyber Air news post, read Oct 26, 2026.

The press release lists “Class: 1, 2, 3 + Hybrid (selectable in app)” with a footnote: “Class functionality, top speed, availability and operation are subject to applicable federal, state and local laws.” The one-sheet adds: “User must comply with local maximum speed and age limits.”

Two things Segway doesn’t publish:

• Which class the bike ships in. I rode mine in Class 2, but Segway’s listing doesn’t say what the default is. Not confirmed.
• How the bike decides Hybrid is off in California. Segway doesn’t say whether that uses GPS, your account address or something else. Not confirmed.

For context, a reviewer at Explorer Duo found that on Segway’s Xafari, a different model, Class 3 was unavailable when the bike was set up in California, and the setting stayed where it was if changed out of state (Explorer Duo). I haven’t confirmed that the Xyber Air works the same way, so don’t count on it either way.

Where each setting is allowed

Here’s what I’ve confirmed in the state laws I’ve read. Each state page on my site has the source links.

California

• Class 1, 2 and 3 are all recognized; Class 3 must have a speedometer, which the Air’s display shows (CVC 312.5).
• Riders under 16 can’t operate a Class 3, and every Class 3 rider and passenger needs a helmet (CVC 21213).
• Hybrid: Segway says it isn’t available in California.
• Since Jan 1, 2026, California bans tampering with an e-bike to change its speed capability unless it still meets the e-bike definition and the class label is replaced to match (CVC 24016).

More on my California e-bike laws page.

New York

New York is the state where the Xyber Air’s Class 3 setting fits worst. New York’s law has no 28 mph class at all. Its Class 3 is a bike that may use the motor alone and stops assisting at 25 mph, and it’s allowed only in a city with a population of one million or more (VAT 102-c). Operating a Class 3 outside such a city is prohibited, and no one may ride a Class 1 or 2 faster than 20 mph or a Class 3 faster than 25 mph (VAT 1242).

So in New York, the Xyber Air’s Class 1 and Class 2 settings line up with state law. Its 28 mph Class 3 setting doesn’t match New York’s 25 mph Class 3, and Segway’s one-sheet flags Hybrid in New York as “subject to restrictions.” Whether Segway sells New York bikes with a different Class 3 setting isn’t confirmed. If you live in New York, I’d stay in Class 1 or 2. More on my New York e-bike laws page.

States that treat a speed change as a class change

Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Nevada and Oklahoma make it illegal to change a bike’s speed capability unless the class label is updated to match (Florida 316.20655, Virginia 46.2-904.1). The Xyber Air’s class menu is a factory feature, not a hack, but the principle is the same one I’d follow anywhere: if you pick Class 3, you’re riding under Class 3 rules.

Class 3 rules in the states I’ve checked

These come from my Class 2 vs Class 3 guide and my e-bike laws by state pages, which link each statute. Cities, counties and park agencies can add their own rules on top.

Could the original Segway Xyber switch classes?

A lot of people have asked me whether the original could do this too. I wasn’t sure myself, so I went to Segway’s own material. I’ve never ridden the original Xyber; everything in this section comes from Segway’s Xyber product page and the Segway E-bike Xyber user manual, both read Oct 26, 2026.

What Segway confirms

• It’s sold for off-road use only. The product page’s classification line reads: “Off-road use only; Up to 43 mph max with speed limiter available in App.” A warning on the same page says it is “for off-road use only, not an on-road ebike.”
• Segway answers the road question directly. Its Xyber FAQ asks “Is Xyber legal on the road in the US?” and answers “Xyber is designed for off-road use only.”
• It has a speed limiter, not class modes. The FAQ says the Xyber “is delivered at a default setting of 20 mph top speed. It can be changed to 35 mph in the segway-mobility app.” The manual lists a 35 mph max speed. The product page says up to 43 mph with both batteries installed.
• Its riding modes are ECO, SPORT and RACE. The manual describes throttle gears you change with the right knob, plus a PARK mode and a walk mode capped at 3.7 mph. It never mentions Class 1, 2, 3 or Hybrid.
• Its motor is far past every class limit. Segway lists 3,000W with one battery and 6,000W with two. Every class definition I’ve cited above caps the motor at 750W.

What isn’t confirmed

Class switching on the original Xyber: not confirmed. Nothing I found from Segway describes a Class 1, 2, 3 or Hybrid setting on it. Setting the limiter to 20 mph doesn’t change the classification Segway gives it, which is off-road only.

One note so nobody gets confused: the Xyber product page also carries Segway’s generic e-bike FAQ, which says “Segway eBikes are pedal-assist and meet most local regulations for Class 1 or 2 eBike use.” That’s a site-wide answer that appears on other Segway e-bike pages too. The Xyber-specific lines on the same page say off-road only, and those are the ones I’d go by.

The class menu is new with the Air

Segway’s own launch materials frame it that way: the press release calls the Air “a Class 1, 2 and 3-compliant evolution of the original Xyber,” and Segway’s comparison post lists the Air as “Street: Class 1, 2 or 3, where permitted by law” against “Off-road use only” for the Xyber. My Xyber Air vs Xyber page compares the two in full, on Segway’s numbers.

Legal and safety cautions

I’m not a lawyer, and this isn’t legal advice. Here’s how I’d approach the class menu if this were my family’s bike.

1. Look up your state before you change anything. Start with my e-bike laws by state and then your city and park rules. A bike path that welcomes Class 1 and 2 may ban Class 3.
2. The setting you pick is the class you’re riding. If an officer stops you on a Class 3 setting, you’re on a Class 3, with its age, helmet and path rules.
3. Treat Hybrid as the most restricted setting. It’s off in California, flagged in New York and not a standard class anywhere. Use it only where you’ve confirmed your state allows a throttle on a 28 mph pedal-assist bike.
4. Wear a helmet in every class. It’s required for Class 3 in several states, and on an 84 lb bike that can do 28 mph, I wouldn’t ride without one anyway.
5. Know the throttle works at zero assist in Class 2. I showed this in my video. Anyone new to the bike should know that twisting the grip moves it.
6. Brake early at Class 3 speeds. The Air stopped me with a lot of control on loose gravel, using 180 mm hydraulic discs front and rear plus electronic braking from the rear motor that I could feel kick in when I squeezed the levers just a hair. That was mostly at Class 2 speeds. Stopping from 28 mph takes more room.
7. Check the frame label. California and several other states require a manufacturer label showing the class, top assisted speed and wattage. I didn’t check what my bike’s label says about a switchable class, so look for it on yours.
8. For teens, start in Class 1 or 2. Many states set Class 3 age limits at 15 or 16. Whether the app lets a parent lock the class setting isn’t confirmed. My parents’ guide covers what to check.

Which class should you ride?

For me, Class 2 was the sweet spot on this bike. It’s a throttle-first moto e-bike, and I’m primarily on the throttle. Like every bike I’ve tested with a fixed seat, pedaling it isn’t that comfortable for me, which makes the pedal-only Class 3 less appealing on this frame unless you want the extra 8 mph on the road.

Is the class menu worth paying for?

As of Oct 26, 2026, Segway lists the Xyber Air at $1,999.99, with orders opening Oct 27. The Muxi Pro, at the same $1,999.99, has the same four settings according to Segway, and the Muxi lists a 23 mph Class 3 setting instead of 28. My Xyber Air vs Muxi vs Muxi Pro guide compares them, and my specs page has every number.

The class menu earns its keep if you move between places with different rules, or you want a bike that can start as a Class 1 or 2 and grow into Class 3 later. If you’ll only ever ride where Class 2 is allowed, it’s a nice extra, not a reason to buy.

See the Xyber Air on Segway’s store (affiliate link)

FAQ

Is the Segway Xyber Air a Class 3 e-bike?

It can be. Segway lists Class 1, 2 and 3 settings plus Hybrid, with 28 mph pedal assist in Class 3 where permitted by law. I rode mine mostly in Class 2 and didn’t test Class 3.

How do you change the class on the Xyber Air?

On my bike, I went into the display’s settings menu, then “speed mode,” and picked Class 1, 2, 3 or Hybrid. Segway says the class is also selectable in the Segway Mobility app.

Can you use the throttle in Class 3?

Segway lists Class 3 as 28 mph pedal assist and doesn’t list a throttle for it. Hybrid is the setting with a 20 mph throttle and 28 mph pedal assist.

Why isn’t Hybrid mode available in California?

Segway doesn’t give a reason. California’s Class 3 definition says the motor assists only while pedaling and can’t propel the bike alone beyond a 3.7 mph walk mode, and Hybrid has a throttle. That’s my reading, not Segway’s statement.

Is Hybrid mode legal in New York?

Segway’s one-sheet marks it “subject to restrictions” in New York. New York’s Class 3 tops out at 25 mph and is allowed only in cities of one million or more, so I’d stay in Class 1 or 2 there.

Could the original Segway Xyber switch to Class 1, 2 or 3?

Not confirmed. Segway sells it for off-road use only and describes a speed limiter in the app (20 mph default, 35 mph in the app, 43 mph with both batteries), not class modes.

Does changing the class void the warranty?

Segway doesn’t say. The class menu is a factory feature, so I’d expect it to be fine, but that’s not confirmed. Segway lists a 2-year warranty on the Xyber Air.

What’s the best class for a teenager?

Class 1 or 2. Many states bar riders under 15 or 16 from Class 3, and New York sets 16 as the minimum for every class.

Related reviews and guides

• My full Segway Xyber Air review
• Is the Segway Xyber street legal?
• Segway Xyber Air vs Xyber
• Segway Xyber Air specs, range and price
• Segway Xyber Air: who should buy it
• Segway Xyber Air vs Muxi vs Muxi Pro
• Segway Xyber Air alternatives I’ve tested
• E-bike classes explained
• Class 2 vs Class 3 e-bikes

“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” Proverbs 4:26 (ESV)