New bike - Honeywell

[Tbill]

I just bought an ebike from BestBuy.ca. That's Canada, not California.
It has an integrated battery and controller.
How do you service the controller when there are issues? The battery removes for charging indoors etc. so the controller must be fairly easy to access.
The display is a KT LCD5 and I assume the controller is also from KT.
The manual doesn't have much details.
Is this just a Chinese made bike with a brand name slapped on it? Do they tend to be reliable if ridden fairly normally (mainly on the streets and level park grass)?

 

[mclewis1]

Which specific model did you buy? The el Capitan looks like a great deal at only $1000 CAD.

The Honeywell brand name seems to have gone the way of RCA and other previously well known brands and is just being slapped on foreign sourced products. So yes it appears to me that the Honeywell ebikes BestBuy is carrying are Chinese or other asian country sourced.

 

[Tbill]

I got the el Capitan.

 

[mclewis1]

Normally when you see an integrated controller setup it's part of the carrier or cradle for the battery. The battery lifts out of the cradle and the controller stays with the bike (it's wired in). There is also a small circuit board - a BMS (battery management system) that is built into the battery.

Battery service outside of completely replacing the battery is not something that's easy or safe to do unless your knowledgeable and have the tools. The individual cells are for example usually spot welded to a common metal strip so even just replacing a single cell can be quite a bit of work. Your best to treat the battery with some extra care - don't drop it, expose it to too many extremes, and charge it intelligently (never below freezing, don't leave it fully charged, and generally up to 80 or 90% only when your going for a ride).

Ideally you'd like to know that "Honeywell" is available to offer replacement parts or if you become knowledgeable you'll be able to identify the generic source of items like the battery (it's likely to be a Reention or Hailong product) or controller/display or the hub motor. The rest of the parts are basically standard bicycle parts.

I'd also ask around a bit, you might find a smaller bike shop willing to do any service you require on the bike - repairing or adjusting the brakes and gears is just like on any other similar bicycle. My experience has been that most of the bigger shops that are primarily focused on the bigger brands likely won't touch it.

 

[Tbill]

It's a Samsung battery. I was just thinking about modding it or if it breaks and I need to replace the controller.
What if I want to remove some restrictions, for instance, and go 28 instead of 20mph?

 

[mclewis1]

Depending on where the controller is (is it really integrated into the battery holder/cradle or is it just "integrated" into the bike frame) you'd need to find the same physical format ... the ones integrated into the battery holder are different physically than those that are intended to be mounted inside frames or bags or boxes, or whatever. Normally it's pretty easy to change the basic settings of the controller via the display but something like completely removing speed limitations often requires that you re program the controller (via an external link to a PC or similar). Sometimes to change some more locked down characteristics you'll need to re load the controller's firmware, again requiring an external host (PC, etc.).

You'll probably need to know the type/manufacturer of the controller (KT, Lishui, etc.), the model controller, and what firmware is currently loaded onto it.

Some folks will not bother trying to get into the existing controller to change things, and will instead buy a non vendor specific model controller and display together to completely replace what's on the bike. This approach usually also requires some work to change/modify some connectors. Sometimes you can get lucky and the new stuff is a drop in replacement (all the same connectors and such), but usually you'll be doing a little DIY work to get it all working together.

The nice part is that it appears that your new Honeywell uses some fairly standard components so working on it or replacing things like the controller and display shouldn't be too big a deal.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about re programming or replacing items ... at least not for a while. I'd just ride what you bought, because the more experience you have riding an ebike the better able you'll be to figure out exactly what you'd like to upgrade or replace in the future.

 

[Tbill]

I was thinking more of maybe getting a nicer display with colour. Also, if it breaks, can I get access to replace it or do I have to pay someone $500 to do it for me?
I know the brand of display. Are they interchangeable within brand or do I have to figure out the exact controller model and firmware version?
I found a manual online which allows me to change settings to metric and change the max speed, supposedly. Is 700 the same as 27.5?

 

[rich c]

I think the industry is going to proprietary protocol language between the display and controller to sell more replacement parts. But I have no direct information on your hardware.

 

[mclewis1]

I was thinking more of maybe getting a nicer display with colour. Also, if it breaks, can I get access to replace it or do I have to pay someone $500 to do it for me?
I know the brand of display. Are they interchangeable within brand or do I have to figure out the exact controller model and firmware version?
I found a manual online which allows me to change settings to metric and change the max speed, supposedly. Is 700 the same as 27.5?

700c is not the same as 27.5" but they are close. 700c wheels/rims are slightly larger in diameter, but there are wider tire and rim options in 27.5". 27.5 is the same wheel as 650b.

You may find that a bigger (fatter/wider) 27.5" tire is actually very close in circumference to a narrower 700c tire. It's a known trick to tell your controller that you're using smaller diameter/circumference tires than you actually are. Your distance and speed calculations (display) will be off but the controller may give you a bit more top end speed.

 

[Tbill]

I think for setting the speed on the speedometer, it didn't give both options so the circumferences must be similar enough.
It had a setting for max speed so I set it for 50 km/h (about 30 mph). Didn't seem to work from what I could see. I will try lowering the wheel size temporarily to see if that changes things but I will have to use my phone to see the real speed.

 

[harryS]

Good looking bike, Well appointed, as they say in the automotive jargon.
.
48V with an 18A controller? Top speed is always going to be about 40 km/hour with most 500W hubmotors and 700cc tires. Controller amps won't matter much either, It's a voltage function. Wheel size affects the speed calculation, but not the actual speed.
.
They used to call that display the LCD1. Now it's an LCD5? Does it show watts? The original LCD1, of which I have installed two and still ride one, is pretty limited. Actually, all KT displays are limited. The better ones can lower your overall controller current, and adjust whether or not throttle is active, but that's all they really do, They don't take wheel circumference, so the odometer/speed is inaccurate, I like KT though, because they do meter out a good pedal assist. The color displays are snazzy. I put an LCD9 on a bike, but the text was a little small,.
,
If you want to mod a bike, get a cheap direct drive rear motor, put it on an old bike with a larger 48V battery and you'll have your 50 km/hour. Get back on the Capitan and you'll really appreciate it more,
.

 

[Tbill]

It's around freezing now so I'm not riding too far.
I went out again for 5 minutes and I noticed that when I got up to speed with the power assist and then let go of the thumb throttle, it seemed to drag the speed a lot.
When it was in assist level 0, I didn't notice it.

Am I imagining things or is this normal. Or is it a malfunction?

 

[TonyFX]

Which specific model did you buy? The el Capitan looks like a great deal at only $1000 CAD.

The Honeywell brand name seems to have gone the way of RCA and other previously well known brands and is just being slapped on foreign sourced products. So yes it appears to me that the Honeywell ebikes BestBuy is carrying are Chinese or other asian country sourced.

I bought the same bike and after 5 months, now is shutting off randomly. Honeywell support is next to nothing. They ask you to leave a message but they never call back. Same with e-mail so my advice is not to buy a Honeywell e-bike.
Anybody have this issue? I would like to open this and take a look at the bike controller but don't know where to start.

 

[DAD@]

I bought two El Capitan Honeywell E-bikes two years ago. They have actually been pretty good but last year I burned the motor out in one of them. Got a replacement under warranty. Last week the motor seized up again and this time when I contacted Honeywell I was told they have no motor in stock and have no idea when they will get one. Also, all their bikes on their website are on sale (eg. $2,300 dropped to $843 (CDN$))....looks suspicious. Anyone know if we are looking at the end of Honeywell e-bikes?

 

[mclewis1]

Likely. Honeywell is one of the old brand names put up for sale and used by a variety of companies around the world for different uses (and nothing to do with the original Honeywell company). Their ebikes were most likely just a bulk purchase from a big Asian factory and over time they could no longer get spare parts under contract. These quick brand uses often don't last too long.

You might find an OEM source for the hub motor on AliExpress (or similar) if you can identify it. You may get some additional help if you post good pics of the motor (with any numbers) and the connector it uses. If you can find a suitable one (and it tests out ok on your setup) you'll need to find someone local to rebuild the wheel with the new motor.

Otherwise if the core bike is ok (frame, wheels, gearing, etc.) you could consider getting an ebike kit containing the motor (or motor/wheel combo), controller, and display and rebuild your Honeywell into a unique version 2.

 

[DAD@]

Likely. Honeywell is one of the old brand names put up for sale and used by a variety of companies around the world for different uses (and nothing to do with the original Honeywell company). Their ebikes were most likely just a bulk purchase from a big Asian factory and over time they could no longer get spare parts under contract. These quick brand uses often don't last too long.

You might find an OEM source for the hub motor on AliExpress (or similar) if you can identify it. You may get some additional help if you post good pics of the motor (with any numbers) and the connector it uses. If you can find a suitable one (and it tests out ok on your setup) you'll need to find someone local to rebuild the wheel with the new motor.

Otherwise if the core bike is ok (frame, wheels, gearing, etc.) you could consider getting an ebike kit containing the motor (or motor/wheel combo), controller, and display and rebuild your Honeywell into a unique version 2.

Thanks!

 

[lexfurther]

I bought two El Capitan Honeywell E-bikes two years ago. They have actually been pretty good but last year I burned the motor out in one of them. Got a replacement under warranty. Last week the motor seized up again and this time when I contacted Honeywell I was told they have no motor in stock and have no idea when they will get one. Also, all their bikes on their website are on sale (eg. $2,300 dropped to $843 (CDN$))....looks suspicious. Anyone know if we are looking at the end of Honeywell e-bikes?

I really like this brand too; they have a great reputation for quality and reliability. I’m planning to order more things from them once I finish up with my studies. They’ve been incredibly helpful, and I’ve found their services to be top-notch. Right now, though, I’m quite swamped with my academic workload. Thankfully, https://ukwritings.com/buy-assignment has been a lifesaver. Their support has been invaluable, allowing me to keep up with my assignments despite my tight schedule. Even with their help, time seems to be slipping away, and I find myself constantly juggling tasks.

 

[DAD@]

Well - I found a brand new Honeywell El Capitan motor and wheel assembly that has never been used for my bike on Kijjii here in Calgary. I guess the guy bought three for his family and himself through some special and got the bikes delivered only to find out it did not include the batteries??? WTF, sounds odd? The batteries are about $500 bucks each so he opted for some even cheaper Chinese e-bikes. When I tried to get a new motor from Honeywell they told me there were none in stock BUT I could get the rear wheel assembly with the motor for $650CDN. Crazy as they are advertising an entire bike with the battery for about $850. I got the new wheel and motor for $190, it's working fine so all good. Sent a message to Honeywell that am happy with the bike and all the great rides I have had but NOT impressed with inability to get parts. May be a common issue with other brands, and won't make much difference, but felt good to vent.