Hi folks, new to this forum though I've been lurking for a while. =)
Quick summary: Conhismotor actually seems to be pretty cool, no matter what their origins are. I'm having a positive experience with them. Read below for details:
For shits and giggles I decided to roll the dice and order from Conhis, via ebay. I noticed the incredible similarity of their websites, that their product seemed identical to Golden Motor, etc. I even asked them about it and was met with firm denials.
I don't have my kit up and running yet, as I'm still working on some specifics, but here's the skinny so far.
The site itself is clearly modeled on GM's site. This much is clear. Interestingly, they only list ebike-related products. The menus that show other kinds of products on the GM site lead to empty pages on the Conhis site.
After some initial problems with email communication with the ebay seller's account, I talked to the contact listings on the website. This actually yielded *good* customer support. They're very responsive and helpful! I questioned them about the similarities to GM, and was met with firm denial. I was more interested in the product they'd actually send me, so I forged ahead.
Once I spoke with them directly, shipment was prompt and effective. They were very responsive with information about the tracking and such, I was impressed as it exceeded the expectations I had for them. While their responsiveness and support are good, they actually seemed to lack a bit of e-bike knowledge. I've had to explain to them a number of issues related to kit installation, and pointed out things which I disliked about their kit and things that I liked about it. I pointed them to this forum -- and in fact they are probably reading this.
When I received the kit, all looked fine except the chargers. Both had received significant damage -- the damage on both seems to have been from someone trying to pry them open. The Conhis rep suggested that it might've been customs -- based on the damage I'm actually inclined to say it's plausible. I don't know who opened them so ham-fistedly, but customs would be a clear culprit in this regard. When I complained about the charger, they promptly shipped a new one.
I have not tested performance of the kit yet -- I'm still doing my custom build of it. I can tell you what I can see from the parts though.
The motor appears different from what is shown on the site. It does not have the coloring that the GM or Conhis site shows. The stamping on the motor though shows what's clearly a GM product number. I am VERY inclined to believe that this motor comes from the same factory as GM. Conhis rep suggests that they develop their own. I do not believe this -- it is either a motor from GM, a motor from the same factory, or a bizarre clone that even copies the product number. The controller also appears to be the same as GM's older regen controller. The spokes are thick gauge, and seem adequate. The wheel is noticeably out of true, and will need to be trued. The spokes make me nervous, however, as they were laced at some very sharp angles that lead to bending as they hit the nipples.
What's interesting, though, is that the kit ships with parts that are slightly different from Golden Motor's kits.The battery gauge is different, as is the throttle (which is branded "Longma"). The cutoff brake levers are identical to what is on GM's site (and are what I consider to be the shoddiest part of the kit -- these levers are terrible).
The battery they shipped me is wired differently from the batteries that appear on GM's site.GM's site shows a circular charging port, where as this battery ships with a typical IEC connector for charging. (Interestingly, the charging port is wired with its pins opposite the discharge port -- go figure).
Once I get the kit running I'll let you know how it goes. I'm doing all sorts of neat customizations to my bike, which is already odd as it is, so it's taken a little longer than it should. (I have had to fabricate my own washers, etc., and I built my own torque arms).
So here's my opinion so far:
The motor is definitely born from the same seed as Golden Motor. It is either a GM motor, a motor built in the same factory, or an identically labeled clone. I'm inclined to believe that it is one of the first two.
However, the kit seems okay, if a bit spartan. If the motor works and checks out, and if the battery performs as expected, I will actually safely say that I am very happy with Conhis. The ownership of the sites are different even though the Conhis site is a clear copy of GM's. If it's GM, they went out of their way to register and host everything from someplace else. If they were doing that much to hide their identity, you'd think they wouldn't use the same menu scheme, etc.
So I'm still not sure who or what Conhismotor is. My best guess is that it's NOT GM, per se, but that they are getting their gear from the same place.
That said, they've actually been very nice to interact with (not counting the initial account I talked to based on their ebay acct). I can actually say that it's been a pleasure dealing with them. Once I can fully test the kit, and if it tests out, they'll get a thumbs up from me despite the dubious pedigree of their motors. And really, that's all I want. An acceptable product with good communication from the company.
I will post more updates as I make progress.
