Updated review
I just purchased and received a Monte 1000 from Roshan..
Let me preface this brief review by saying the bike is fun to ride and its fast. I understand this is a 2000.00 bike but with that said its still a 2000.00 bike. I have a Haibike, Trek and Radrover so I have a pretty good point of reference. For the most part the bike came as advertised my issues were really with the fit and finish of the bike. Not sure how the process works around building, shipping and quality control but I will take you through the various small issues
1. the box was open on both ends when I received it...I am not sure if it had any impact on the bike but its obviously better when the box is sealed...Roshan said he was in the process of changing carriers
2.the website said it was equipped with Shimano Asera and it cam with Shimano Atlas which is a step down...when I asked Roshan about it he thanked me for letting him know and changed it on the website...doesnt really fix the issue, however he then sent me deore components and I had them installed...definitely an upgrade
3.there were various small chips and scratches on the bike...nothing terrible but when you buy something new you expect it to be in new condition...sent pictures to Roshan he agreed that it wasn't the "best batch"
4.The brakes were not really set up correctly specifically the rear break...Mechanical discs are always a little tricky on a bike like this but in this case the rear brake just doesn't stop the bike...Roshan says he is sending me a hydraulic set but so far have not received them
5. One of the bolts on the stem was frozen and the hex stripped trying to remove it...Roshan suggested I buy a new stem so I did for 40 bucks...worked fine
6. I had some questions about the suspension fork mostly about the downtube and the possibility of using a tapered replacement. When I asked for a link to a an adapter that Roshan recommended he sent me a cad drawing in Chinese which doesn't really help me because I am not an engineer or Chinese.
7. The battery is a little loose...not a huge issue just the fit
8. There is significant wobble on the back tire which Roshan claims is normal (not sure I agree)
Finally the frame, motor and drivetrain work well together and it is very fun to ride. When you buy things direct to consumer you can always expect some of the above issues but I have been a little disappointed with the follow up, fit and finish and attention to detail. Ultimately It is just prolonging my ability to really enjoy the bike until I get it all dialed in...more when get it totally dialed in!
In fairness I am a little bit of a perfectionist and it will just be best to continue to take the bike to my local shop and just have it dialed in and upgraded to spec which obviously makes it a little more of an investment on the bike. Roshan seems like a good guy and has been very responsive to my emails but just didnt have a lot of answers. Obviously I was looking for solutions to my various issues but I got the impression that he thought i was bringing quality control to his attention. When I asked him to exchange the bike for a new one that might be a "better batch" he told me it was going to be 600.00 in shipping and a restocking fee. Which is obviously ridiculous and out of the question. If you cant service the bike then you really need to figure out how to accept returns or exchanges, geography (US/Canada) cant be the reason you cant service your customers. The bottom line is I just wasn't completely satisfied with the product.