Known Issues & Problems with Addmotor Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

[Delta]

I completely understand the frustration of the customers above. However, I don't think AddMotor is making customers jump through hoops just to jump through hoops. I think there is a language barrier between U.S. customers to Addmotor HQ/support(German?) to the factory in China. I'll explain through my own personal experience....

I purchased an AddMotor HitHot H1 through Amazon back in Feb. It did not work when it arrived. I emailed the support email that is listed above. They responded and I could tell there was a language barrier. They asked for a video so I shot a quick video and uploaded it to youtube and sent it to them. Once they saw the video, they quickly said my controller was bad and that they would send me another one.

Once the new controller came in, it looked the same... but was the wrong controller. It didn't have headlight wires coming out of it and it caused my display to read incorrectly(battery dead when it was fully charged, for example). More importantly, the bike still didn't work. I emailed them again. Again, the response was misunderstood and asked for a video. I sent another video and pictures of the original controller and the new one. They quickly responded and sent me the correct controller.

The new controller arrived and I installed it last night. I took the bike for a test ride and everything works great now. I'm looking forward to hopefully riding down to Seoul and back this weekend(70 miles round trip).

Would I have loved to have the bike functional upon arrival? Absolutely, as I bought it while I'm deployed to Korea to zip around all the mountains and hills daily, but a little patience(and walking in the meantime) and I've finally reached the desired endstate.

Like the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." It's a great world we live in where we can so easily send pictures and videos to resolve problems. Otherwise, the market would be confined to our local areas.

I would suggest that Addmotor get a more fluent English-speaking customer service rep if they are going to continue to market and sell their product in the U.S. as I think that would help them minimize the confusion with the customers and ultimately help them in the long run.

I agree with you Brent

 

[Delta]

I agree with you Brent

I started to say, I agree with you in part Brent. There is definitely a language problem and they seem to misinterpret or outright misread what the customer has said in a lot of instances, I imagine you were without the use of your new bike for over a month. The fact that they often say criticism is from "malicious competitors" when the criticism is actually due to the way they handle complaints, bothers me and I am really worried about what they would do if I had a major part fail considering what they said and did not do about my defective rear tube.
I hope your bike continues to run well and as I have said my bike appears to be made very well. My worry is about how this company treats their customers not about the integrity of the bike itself.

 

[Addmotor]

I completely understand the frustration of the customers above. However, I don't think AddMotor is making customers jump through hoops just to jump through hoops. I think there is a language barrier between U.S. customers to Addmotor HQ/support(German?) to the factory in China. I'll explain through my own personal experience....

I purchased an AddMotor HitHot H1 through Amazon back in Feb. It did not work when it arrived. I emailed the support email that is listed above. They responded and I could tell there was a language barrier. They asked for a video so I shot a quick video and uploaded it to youtube and sent it to them. Once they saw the video, they quickly said my controller was bad and that they would send me another one.

Once the new controller came in, it looked the same... but was the wrong controller. It didn't have headlight wires coming out of it and it caused my display to read incorrectly(battery dead when it was fully charged, for example). More importantly, the bike still didn't work. I emailed them again. Again, the response was misunderstood and asked for a video. I sent another video and pictures of the original controller and the new one. They quickly responded and sent me the correct controller.

The new controller arrived and I installed it last night. I took the bike for a test ride and everything works great now. I'm looking forward to hopefully riding down to Seoul and back this weekend(70 miles round trip).

Would I have loved to have the bike functional upon arrival? Absolutely, as I bought it while I'm deployed to Korea to zip around all the mountains and hills daily, but a little patience(and walking in the meantime) and I've finally reached the desired endstate.

Like the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." It's a great world we live in where we can so easily send pictures and videos to resolve problems. Otherwise, the market would be confined to our local areas.

I would suggest that Addmotor get a more fluent English-speaking customer service rep if they are going to continue to market and sell their product in the U.S. as I think that would help them minimize the confusion with the customers and ultimately help them in the long run.

Thanks for your suggestion.
We have customer service support team in different language,for example,German,Spanish,English customer service.
But they are online in different time.
We will try our best to related customer service to the customers from different country.
Hope we can do customer service better and better in the future.
Addmotor

 

[Delta]

I bought XIMA X4 (since discontinued) - everything fine for the first year, but no longer works. Replaced the controller after getting ER8 now it is ER3. Customer service no longer responds as once before.

I bought XIMA X4 (since discontinued) - everything fine for the first year, but no longer works. Replaced the controller after getting ER8 now it is ER3. Customer service no longer responds as once before.

Hi Ann. We know that mechanical things have problems, it's just that AddMotor pretty much only brags about their "customer service" but when it comes to actually doing something for their customers they are seriously lacking in helping. As you can see in my correspondence with them they accused me twice of being a "malicious competitor", and after I sent them an invoice number and bike serial number they did not contact me again. jtlamf77 has every reason to be concerned about this company. I have only had my bike 1 1/2 months and I am already concerned and all I have had is a defective tube (not a punctured tube). Also, their answer to the first direct e mail I sent them about the tube had nothing to do with my question (they said the tire has to be tight on an ebike) and their second e mail said that the rear tube on an ebike is special (different from the front tube) and that is simply not true. I try to be patient with companies but sometimes, especially when other customers are having similar problems, the company is the problem.

 

[Carl K.]

I'm wondering is it a throttle issue or controller issue, My girlfriends new Addmotor Motan fat tire step through m140 likes to shut off periodically without any input from the user and when it does stay on long enough for me to try to check it it seems the throttle and peddle assist is at full power all the time.
The bike seems to be way more powerful than my own 750 watt bikes and this one is only supposed to be 500 watts. when it was running i tried it out and was able to reach 32mph in 4th gear for crying out loud so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Delta]

Hi Carl. If the bike is new you might try to contact Addmotor. They have always responded quickly though I do not think much of their advice or the way they give it. If you do contact them be very descriptive in describing the problem. If you have not already done so, check the wiring from the throttle to the controller, and the actual action of the throttle, and check all the wire connections in the controller and even the motor wire connector. Where you can, disconnect and re-connect all of the connectors. My M550 P7 is a year old now and except for the above mentioned tube problem, has been operating excellently, no problems whatsoever and I have 1067 miles on it now.

My Addmotor bike also is very powerful, I have a new mid drive that is 750 watts (like my P7) and the rear hub motored P7 easily runs away from it, and the mid drive has the much touted Bafang Ultra motor, which in my opinion is very overrated.

 

[Carl K.]

Hi Carl. If the bike is new you might try to contact Addmotor. They have always responded quickly though I do not think much of their advice or the way they give it. If you do contact them be very descriptive in describing the problem. If you have not already done so, check the wiring from the throttle to the controller, and the actual action of the throttle, and check all the wire connections in the controller and even the motor wire connector. Where you can, disconnect and re-connect all of the connectors. My M550 P7 is a year old now and except for the above mentioned tube problem, has been operating excellently, no problems whatsoever and I have 1067 miles on it now.

My Addmotor bike also is very powerful, I have a new mid drive that is 750 watts (like my P7) and the rear hub motored P7 easily runs away from it, and the mid drive has the much touted Bafang Ultra motor, which in my opinion is very overrated.

Ive emailed customer support on Friday evening and still waiting on a reply i even sent them a video of how the bikes systems shut down on its own (i turn on the bike and about 3 seconds later it shuts off completely). and yes i checked all connections by now its been 3 times and all are connected properly and firmly there doesn't seem to be an issue with any of the pins or frayed wires so was hoping someone would know what the problem was or even experienced it themselves.
Thanks for the advice and i hope Addmotor gets back to me before long the girlfriend is itching to go out riding since the weathers getting warmer.

 

[Delta]

They will probably get back to you on Monday or maybe late today, I think the email goes to China and it is early Monday morning there now. It is good that you sent them videos, they would have asked for them. I don't suppose you are getting any error messages. It does seem like it could be a controller issue but I have read about a problem in the braking system that causes strange issues, though that is usually accompanied by an error code. Good luck.

 

[Carl K.]

thats what made me curios as well, no error codes just a sudden shut down. i know of the error codes for brakes as this is the third bike ive bought as i own a Radwaggon and Radmini so not to much of a stranger to the ebike scene my first thought was controller issue as well but wanted someone elses input just in case they had the same and figured it out already.

 

[Delta]

You might try electricbike.com. There are a lot of people there with extensive knowledge on all kinds of ebike problems.

 

[Addmotor]

Ive emailed customer support on Friday evening and still waiting on a reply i even sent them a video of how the bikes systems shut down on its own (i turn on the bike and about 3 seconds later it shuts off completely). and yes i checked all connections by now its been 3 times and all are connected properly and firmly there doesn't seem to be an issue with any of the pins or frayed wires so was hoping someone would know what the problem was or even experienced it themselves.
Thanks for the advice and i hope Addmotor gets back to me before long the girlfriend is itching to go out riding since the weathers getting warmer.

Hi Carl, we are glad that you have solved the problem from support team.If you have any questions,please feel free to contact [email protected] Thanks.

 

[Dopo]

I have a new addmotor 750 folding fattier. It has a bad controller shown in photo. I've been waiting many weeks for a replacement from china. No parts in the US(per addmotor support). Does anyone know if there is a generic controller I can buy to get this bike back up. It's been down most of the time I've owned it.

 

[Dopo]

I have a new addmotor 750 folding fattier. It has a bad controller shown in photo. I've been waiting many weeks for a replacement from china. No parts in the US(per addmotor support). Does anyone know if there is a generic controller I can buy to get this bike back up. It's been down most of the time I've owned it.

I got a response from addmotor. They deny that a controller was ordered. It however was ordered by support at addmotor. They told me it had to come from china as parts are not stocked in the US. Looks like I'll get a reputable brand bike and try to cobble in an after

 

[Dopo]

Thanks for your suggestion.
We have customer service support team in different language,for example,German,Spanish,English customer service.
But they are online in different time.
We will try our best to related customer service to the customers from different country.
Hope we can do customer service better and better in the future.
Addmotor

As of late july 2019 it has not improved. My bike has been out of service more than half the time I've owned it. I'm trying to work with a US company to make one of their controllers a direct replacement for addmotor.

 

[Dopo]

This is what I mean by this company does not take responsibility. I sent Addmotor my invoice number and bike serial number when I communicated with them. They know I am not a competitor. Addmotor does not help customers solve problems, they delay any real help and as I mentioned in my above post they actually lied about the "different tube" they say is used in the rear tire.

I would now recommend not buying anything from this company since they say I am a malicious competitor when, in fact, I own the bike mentioned above. The best thing they do is give excuses. They need a serious attitude adjustment.

I agree, addmotor does not stand behind their product. They buy some good parts to build their bikes with, but the work they do themselves is shoddy.

 

[Bobcat777]

I just bought a M-560 P-7, it came with dents in the frame, scratches which can be touched up and what appears as a controller that is dead. Battery charged but no power to the LCD or the motor. Went thru all the checks as instructed by addmotor and used the anemic manual. There is alot lost in translation with their instructions and my reply to them on each issue/problem that was explained. I wonder if any of the components were checked before they went into the shipping crate. Got the wrong tail light and no hardware for it. Rear rack does not true up with the frame on all of the top attachments, and it is off center. If the motor does not work after I install the replacement controller, I wonder if some kind of arrangement can be made to get a local Addmotor Dealer to do warranty work and run diagnostic checks on the wiring or motor? Has anyone gone this same sort of drill and had a positive response on getting support from local dealers? Has anyone sent their bike back because of not being able to get it working? I have a background in electrical and radio being a Ham Radio operator, so I understand some of the issues and this is not rocket science but getting the correct parts to fix this bike now and in the future has me doubting what I bought from other reviews I have read. There seems to be a supply chain issue, with no surplus parts on hand and not a lot of clear direction from the West Coast Addmotor Sales Outlet. Also wanted to get a higher rated battery but the cost seems a bit high for the amount cycles of use you get out of it. Is there any other way around the battery from another source and or the controller?

 

[Delta]

Hi Bobcat. You might try, if you have not already done so, checking all of the wiring at the controller and all of the connection points of the wires from the controller to the display and even ohm out the wiring to see if there is a break somewhere. As far as getting any satisfaction from Addmotor, good luck, and I do not even know of any Addmotor dealers. A battery can be ordered from one of the companies listed on the Alibaba site, find a company with a good response rating, it will take a while to get it but the price is much lower than buying it here. If you do need a new controller keep after Addmotor, they will make you jump through hoops but eventually will probably send a replacement. The company was bad before the virus problem and will probably be worse now.
I have their M 550 P7, it is two years old now and has been flawless except for a defective tube right after I received it. They would do nothing about it. At that point I wrote the company off as "defective".

 

[Bobcat777]

Hi Bobcat. You might try, if you have not already done so, checking all of the wiring at the controller and all of the connection points of the wires from the controller to the display and even ohm out the wiring to see if there is a break somewhere. As far as getting any satisfaction from Addmotor, good luck, and I do not even know of any Addmotor dealers. A battery can be ordered from one of the companies listed on the Alibaba site, find a company with a good response rating, it will take a while to get it but the price is much lower than buying it here. If you do need a new controller keep after Addmotor, they will make you jump through hoops but eventually will probably send a replacement. The company was bad before the virus problem and will probably be worse now.
I have their M 550 P7, it is two years old now and has been flawless except for a defective tube right after I received it. They would do nothing about it. At that point I wrote the company off as "defective".

Delta, Thanks for the information. I received what looks like a controller off another bike today from Addmotor. The bike after installation of the controller did nothing, no anything on the LCD, nothing to the motor. I called them right after installing the new controller and told them the neg. status of everything. I also sent them and email so it is all documented and there is no wiggle room when I call paypal and tell them I want my money refunded for a bike that is a boat anchor,no life in it. Thank goodness the battery works and retains a charge at least I know I am working with some power source and I will do my volt/ohm check tonight for the cables which appear all in tact and the connectors appear to be all in good shape. The is an Addmotor dealer about 60 miles away and I have spoken to them about the situation. They said they would assist but I want Addmotor to pay for transport up to them and back. Probably wishful thinking but if paypal gets involved and I have a lemon then there is not much Addmotor can do if paypal gets in the middle of the issue.
I was going to ask, did you use slime or tube protectors to protect the tube/tire from puncture? It was noted that the fat tires are a bit thin so I think they need some sort of protection from puncture.
I will keep posting the progress or lack there of from this situation with Addmotor. Again thanks for your comments and advice.

 

[Delta]

Hi Bobcat. If you have power from the battery (48 volts or whatever your battery is) you might also try to determine if you can read the 48 volts from the battery to the various components (for instance is 48 volts even getting to the motor, check it at the motor connector near the motor) also do you even have voltage to the controller. Maybe the battery connection itself is not good. There are wiring diagrams on the internet for various controllers. If you can see your controller number you might be able to find a diagram that can help you troubleshoot the problem. Since your replacement controller made no difference it sounds like voltage may not be getting beyond the battery itself. In reference to what I said above about voltage getting to the motor, if you have no display you will not be able to turn the bike on and then there will be no voltage to the motor for that reason, so, checking voltage to the motor will not be an option. Actually there is no power to the motor even when everything is good until you start pedaling and the cadence sensor signals the motor to start (or when you activate the throttle).

If your display is like mine you press the mode button for about 1 1/2 seconds to activate the display. I only mention that in case your owners manual does not mention it. The display can show error codes, but since it wont activate, no codes. On the bright side it may be that power is just not leaving the battery connection, so starting at the power source should be your first step. If you have not already done so check the actual voltage at the battery. Even if the battery shows full charge on its indicators it could still be bad (weak, bad cells). I have found on batteries in general even a good voltage reading does not indicate a good battery. Unfortunately I doubt you have a similar battery close by that you could use for a test. Anybody you know have an ebike with your style of battery.

There is some kind of safety built into the brake system and if it is triggered the bike will not start. That particular problem is shown by a code on the display but does not cause the display to go out, so that probably is not your problem but you might check the brake operation anyway. Make sure the levers activate the brakes and then release the brake pads properly. Good luck.

 

[Bobcat777]

Hi Bobcat. If you have power from the battery (48 volts or whatever your battery is) you might also try to determine if you can read the 48 volts from the battery to the various components (for instance is 48 volts even getting to the motor, check it at the motor connector near the motor) also do you even have voltage to the controller. Maybe the battery connection itself is not good. There are wiring diagrams on the internet for various controllers. If you can see your controller number you might be able to find a diagram that can help you troubleshoot the problem. Since your replacement controller made no difference it sounds like voltage may not be getting beyond the battery itself. In reference to what I said above about voltage getting to the motor, if you have no display you will not be able to turn the bike on and then there will be no voltage to the motor for that reason, so, checking voltage to the motor will not be an option. Actually there is no power to the motor even when everything is good until you start pedaling and the cadence sensor signals the motor to start (or when you activate the throttle).

If your display is like mine you press the mode button for about 1 1/2 seconds to activate the display. I only mention that in case your owners manual does not mention it. The display can show error codes, but since it wont activate, no codes. On the bright side it may be that power is just not leaving the battery connection, so starting at the power source should be your first step. If you have not already done so check the actual voltage at the battery. Even if the battery shows full charge on its indicators it could still be bad (weak, bad cells). I have found on batteries in general even a good voltage reading does not indicate a good battery. Unfortunately I doubt you have a similar battery close by that you could use for a test. Anybody you know have an ebike with your style of battery.

There is some kind of safety built into the brake system and if it is triggered the bike will not start. That particular problem is shown by a code on the display but does not cause the display to go out, so that probably is not your problem but you might check the brake operation anyway. Make sure the levers activate the brakes and then release the brake pads properly. Good luck.

Thank you for all the recommendations. I think I nailed down the issue with the switch that turns on everything. The manual is not clear about much and the conversation on the phone with support is difficult at best to get straight answers. I got power to the LCD and no error codes so far. I was thinking the same thing about the brake sensors or one of the other sensors shutting things down completely. I have to take the bike out and see if the motor runs. Battery is showing a full charge and all the connectors have been lubed with dielectric to prevent any water getting in them. I think that the switches are not high quality and that may have been the weak link in the process. I moved the controls on the handlebars to be more user friendly and ergomatic with regard to my hands- that are mostly worn in the joints.
I also have to get the fat tire tubes protected because we have a lot of glass and trash on the roads and sidewalk. Bought some Mr. Tuffy liners and will go thru that drill of getting them installed and then slime into the inner tubes. Again thanks for you info. I also found a company in Las Vegas who rebuilds E-Bike batteries and will increase the Amp hours for a price when the time comes to do that. link: https://ebikemarketplace.com/pages/battery-intake-form Have a great weekend. / BMW