How to switch off my superdelite HS lights?

[Squaxor]

Does anyone know how to switch off the bike lights on a superdelite SG Rohloff HS?

The light switch on the Kiox doesn't do anything. The dealer told me that the lights are always on as a safety feature. It may be because the bike is a pedelec.

Off-road on a bright sunny day it's unnecessary to have the lights, it's also draining the battery. Is there any way to switch the lights off?

 

[Squaxor]

Update

I talked to the technicians at fully charged in London. They said that they can't access the Bosch software to allow me to override the light setting. The only solution would be to hard-wire a switch in the cable.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You cannot do it. The HS version is a "moped" by law (L1e-B Euro class) and as such it has to have the lights on all the time. Don't worry: The lights use 2% of the battery charge.

 

[dblhelix]

You cannot do it. The HS version is a "moped" by law (L1e-B Euro class) and as such it has to have the lights on all the time. Don't worry: The lights use 2% of the battery charge.

This must be Europe-only bc I had this overridden to be user-adjustable. Other settings in software include always on (default) and always off (!).

 

[Squaxor]

@dblhelix how did you override the settings? Is there a setting somewhere that I might have missed?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Squaxor, let us @dblhelix answer but I have to point out one thing an American might have missed. The Superdelite HS is not only a German e-bike but your version is strictly European and it has come with the EU Certificate of Conformity, same as a motorbike or a car. R&M are obliged by law to follow these rules:

Although the "activated instead of automatically switched-on headlamps are allowed", I can bet R&M would take no risk to allow the "activated" headlamp in their Euro HS e-bikes. Specialized L1e-B Euro e-bikes sport the automatically switched-on headlamps, Bulls Bikes also equip their "mopeds" with such lights.

The U.S. is different as Class 3 neither requires conformity certification not special safety equipment. Europe does. See this good read:

https://d1wa5qhtul915h.cloudfront.net/app/uploads/2015/09/bike-europe-e-bike-regulations-version-aug-2016.pdf

 

[dblhelix]

Squaxor, let us @dblhelix answer but I have to point out one thing an American might have missed. The Superdelite HS is not only a German e-bike but your version is strictly European and it has come with the EU Certificate of Conformity, same as a motorbike or a car. R&M are obliged by law to follow these rules:

View attachment 58340

Although the "activated instead of automatically switched-on headlamps are allowed", I can bet R&M would take no risk to allow the "activated" headlamp in their Euro HS e-bikes. Specialized L1e-B Euro e-bikes sport the automatically switched-on headlamps, Bulls Bikes also equip their "mopeds" with such lights.

The U.S. is different as Class 3 neither requires conformity certification not special safety equipment. Europe does. See this good read:

https://d1wa5qhtul915h.cloudfront.net/app/uploads/2015/09/bike-europe-e-bike-regulations-version-aug-2016.pdf

Yes, I imagine that the option in (BOSCH) software to override the default setting is available in US-versioned tools and removed from European versions. That said, the bike is spitting out messages with settings continuously (which is how the Bosch software intercepts system status). That message continues to be broadcast irrespective of software functionality.

 

[John2911]

Chris Nolte, owner of Propel Bikes in NYC and Long Beach, Calif, has said that an authorized R&M dealer in the U.S. can configure the lights to be switchable by the bike rider. If your local store won't or can't, perhaps contact Propel and ask if they will walk another dealer through the process. I definitely want my lights to be switchable. My SD is still on order; I am waiting for delivery.

 

[Doward]

I can confirm in America a dealer can make the lights user configurable. I bought a new Delite HS from Propel in Brooklyn in late May and had them do that for me. I can now turn the lights on or off when I want.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I can see several America-focused posts here with no understanding of Europe...
A U.S. dealer gives a s**t and will configure anything. He would even provide a Class 1 sticker for a Class 3 e-bike to make the sales. Things work differently in Europe.

 

[dblhelix]

I can see several America-focused posts here with no understanding of Europe...
A U.S. dealer gives a s**t and will configure anything. He would even provide a Class 1 sticker for a Class 3 e-bike to make the sales. Things work differently in Europe.

Where is the confusion? I will say that the software allows this configuration in the US is not a Propel-specific miracle.

squaxor states that his dealer claims to not have access to this option in software. Either Bosch has made it unavailable For European dealers or RM has specifically requested that their dealers in Europe never override the “always on.” The end result is the same for @Squaxor.

Regarding your comments about the US market: It is several years behind Europe, so there is little to no regulation. This can be good or bad, depending on your perspective. Good: no efforts to keep lights always on. Bad: no truth-in-advertising oversight (yet).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

squaxor states that his dealer claims to not have access to this option in software. Either Bosch has made it unavailable For European dealers or RM has specifically requested that their dealers in Europe never override the “always on.

It is forbidden to manipulate such settings in Europe. Got the point?

 

[Doward]

It is forbidden to manipulate such settings in Europe. Got the point?

I think we all understand that. Just providing some color on the US

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Either Bosch has made it unavailable For European dealers or RM has specifically requested that their dealers in Europe never override the “always on.”

I think we all understand that. Just providing some color on the US

My point was it was neither "Bosch has made it unavailable" nor "RM has specifically requested" but "it mustn't be done"
Of course, now we all understand one another.

I'm very glad my Vado 5.0 is equipped with automatic lights, and of high quality.

 

[dblhelix]

It is forbidden to manipulate such settings in Europe. Got the point?

No. If activated is permitted by the regulation you posted, then some entity must change the setting, no? Perhaps you are saying this is solely at the discretion of the manufacturer, so the dealer is forbidden to override the manufacturer. I feel we are dancing on the head of a pin here.

 

[PeterL]

I contacted Riese & Muller and they confirmed that HS bikes sold in Europe must have their lights on. This cannot be changed by the dealer. In the US this feature can be overridden because of different legislation to that of the EU. RM bikes that are low speed and do not have the RX chip can be have their "always on" light function overridden.

 

[dblhelix]

I contacted Riese & Muller and they confirmed that HS bikes sold in Europe must have their lights on. This cannot be changed by the dealer. In the US this feature can be overridden because of different legislation to that of the EU. RM bikes that are low speed and do not have the RX chip can be have their "always on" light function overridden.

Perhaps the regulation posted above by Stefan permitting “activated” applies only to the slower bikes. Either that or RM decided “always on, regardless, for speed peddlers.” Alles klar.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@dblhelix, sane manufacturers making HS e-bikes for EU don't even consider "activated" lights even if the legislation allows that. I'm amazed how many features were applied to "speed" Vados for Europe even if the law didn't require it. The STOP lights are not mandatory but "speed" Vados have that feature as well. The 2017 5.0 model was direction-indicator ready! (Never fully implemented, though).

 

[KLee]

I always ride with my integrated lights on even though I can switch them off. To me it's more important to be safer and be seen even in the daytime. The power draw is minimal and I'd rather lose an amp hour or so than my life.

 

[dblhelix]

I always ride with my integrated lights on even though I can switch them off. To me it's more important to be safer and be seen even in the daytime. The power draw is minimal and I'd rather lose an amp hour or so than my life.

I would get a ton of complaints on multi-use paths. I’m fine with not having it on all the time. There’s no “right” way IMO.