Chris Nolte
Well-Known Member
We commonly discuss different types of lights available to connect to your ebike battery so I figured I would make a thread to discuss some of the brands that offer ebike lights as well as the different models available.
First it's helpful to understand how they work. Most ebike lighting systems run off of 6 Volts DC power. Ebike batteries are generally 24 volts, 36 volts or 48 volts. There are some other voltages, but these are the most common. It's important to note that electric bike lights run from DC power as opposed to AC power since there are lights that only run on AC power and will not work with your ebike. Dynamo hubs generate AC power to power lights and there are many lights made to work with these systems. For now I just want to focus on ebike lights though.
At the moment in the US there are several brands that make ebike lights, but this list is in no way exhaustive. Below are some brands that we have worked with in the past, feel free to add some others.
Busch & Müller - Made in Germany and we have found them to be of high quality. They are trusted by many major OEM's and also available as aftermarket upgrades. The German version of their site is more up to date including the new IQ-X model which is quite nice.
Light & Motion - US based light manufacturer producing lights for many different market sectors. They are well known in the bike industry for high power mountain bike lights. They recently introduced ebike lights to their offerings with 500 lumen, 800 lumen and 1200 lumen lights.
SON (Schmidt Original Nabendynamo) - Another German made light manufacturer with a focus on producing one of the best dynamos available they later introduced lights to pair with it and now have a DC version available for ebikes.
Supernova - Widely regarded as the gold standard in bike lighting. Manufactured in Germany of high quality materials, we have found these lights to be very reliable and they push the envelope on what's possible with bike lighting.
I want to highlight some products that are popular in our shop and on ebikes overall. Again this list is in no way exhaustive, but I figured it would be good to highlight some of the lights available from the different brands.
Busch & Müller IQ-X - A new introduction from B&M with a similar design to the classic Supernova Ebike light at a slightly lower price point. I think we're going to see this light a lot more in the near future. Currently there are a couple of Riese & Müller bikes that spec this light. (Note: their website doesn't show the ebike variety currently, but it is available)
Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ2 eyc - Nice mid range ebike light at an affordable price.
Light & Motion Nip & Tuck Set - Recently introduced. Comes standard with a 500 lumen headlight, but they have a 800 lumen version and a 1200 lumen headlight available.
Supernova Ebike Light - Available with different mounting options for handlebars and forks. Most work with 6 volts, but they have some that will work with 12-60 volts if your system doesn't have a low voltage output and you want to connect directly to your battery.
Supernova M99 - Available in three varieties M99 pure (6 volts 500 lumen low beam only), M99 pure+ (6 volts 1100 lumen low beam), M99 Pro (24v-60v 1100 lumen low beam, 1600 lumen high beam). This is the best ebike light on the market at the moment coming standard on many high quality bikes like the ST2S, Riese & Müller Delite GX and the Bulls Dail-E Grinder.
Tail lights are a little simplier, but there are several varieties available. We mainly work with Busch & Müller and Supernova. The most recent development here is the integration of brake lights which we're starting to see with the Stromer ST2S and the Supernova Brakelight shown below.
Some other notes about ebike lights. Most new ebike systems have the ability to connect directly into the system and turn the lights on and off from the display. This includes Bosch, Shimano, most Brose systems, etc. If your system doesn't have a switch you'll need a light with a switch. Some ebike systems like the Bosch system require a lighting wire kit in order to connect to the motor system and some will require a dealer to activate the lights.
Feel free to post questions below or any of your own experiences with electric bike lights. I hope this will be helpful for those looking to add or upgrade the lights to their ebike.
First it's helpful to understand how they work. Most ebike lighting systems run off of 6 Volts DC power. Ebike batteries are generally 24 volts, 36 volts or 48 volts. There are some other voltages, but these are the most common. It's important to note that electric bike lights run from DC power as opposed to AC power since there are lights that only run on AC power and will not work with your ebike. Dynamo hubs generate AC power to power lights and there are many lights made to work with these systems. For now I just want to focus on ebike lights though.
At the moment in the US there are several brands that make ebike lights, but this list is in no way exhaustive. Below are some brands that we have worked with in the past, feel free to add some others.
Busch & Müller - Made in Germany and we have found them to be of high quality. They are trusted by many major OEM's and also available as aftermarket upgrades. The German version of their site is more up to date including the new IQ-X model which is quite nice.
Light & Motion - US based light manufacturer producing lights for many different market sectors. They are well known in the bike industry for high power mountain bike lights. They recently introduced ebike lights to their offerings with 500 lumen, 800 lumen and 1200 lumen lights.
SON (Schmidt Original Nabendynamo) - Another German made light manufacturer with a focus on producing one of the best dynamos available they later introduced lights to pair with it and now have a DC version available for ebikes.
Supernova - Widely regarded as the gold standard in bike lighting. Manufactured in Germany of high quality materials, we have found these lights to be very reliable and they push the envelope on what's possible with bike lighting.
I want to highlight some products that are popular in our shop and on ebikes overall. Again this list is in no way exhaustive, but I figured it would be good to highlight some of the lights available from the different brands.
Busch & Müller IQ-X - A new introduction from B&M with a similar design to the classic Supernova Ebike light at a slightly lower price point. I think we're going to see this light a lot more in the near future. Currently there are a couple of Riese & Müller bikes that spec this light. (Note: their website doesn't show the ebike variety currently, but it is available)
Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ2 eyc - Nice mid range ebike light at an affordable price.
Light & Motion Nip & Tuck Set - Recently introduced. Comes standard with a 500 lumen headlight, but they have a 800 lumen version and a 1200 lumen headlight available.
Supernova Ebike Light - Available with different mounting options for handlebars and forks. Most work with 6 volts, but they have some that will work with 12-60 volts if your system doesn't have a low voltage output and you want to connect directly to your battery.
Supernova M99 - Available in three varieties M99 pure (6 volts 500 lumen low beam only), M99 pure+ (6 volts 1100 lumen low beam), M99 Pro (24v-60v 1100 lumen low beam, 1600 lumen high beam). This is the best ebike light on the market at the moment coming standard on many high quality bikes like the ST2S, Riese & Müller Delite GX and the Bulls Dail-E Grinder.
Tail lights are a little simplier, but there are several varieties available. We mainly work with Busch & Müller and Supernova. The most recent development here is the integration of brake lights which we're starting to see with the Stromer ST2S and the Supernova Brakelight shown below.
Some other notes about ebike lights. Most new ebike systems have the ability to connect directly into the system and turn the lights on and off from the display. This includes Bosch, Shimano, most Brose systems, etc. If your system doesn't have a switch you'll need a light with a switch. Some ebike systems like the Bosch system require a lighting wire kit in order to connect to the motor system and some will require a dealer to activate the lights.
Feel free to post questions below or any of your own experiences with electric bike lights. I hope this will be helpful for those looking to add or upgrade the lights to their ebike.
