Anyone with experience installing a headlight on Levo/Kenevo?

[Smithy86]

Im sure this has been covered. but searched for lights and so on.... and found nothing of interest.
can someone tell me from their experience - if its worth it to buy the original (and expensive!) cable to hook up a light, to the dedicated connecto on the Brose motor? or just "hotwire it" to the battery harness, and it will work fine..? are there advantages? or disadvantages to either way? if so what are they..?
i've been looking for cheap alternatives to buying the customized headlights built especially for Ebike's, as i cant afford to spend 800 pounds! on a light..
so got a few from china that work on voltages up to 80 volt, but my problem is this - wiring it up.
checked on wiring harnesses, and the wiring plus shipping was at least 30 pounds! finally got a cheap one off Ebay.. but ended up getting one for a Bosch motor instead of the Brose motor i have..so it had the wrong connector. so if anyone needs one for a Bosch motor... iv'e got one for cheap!
would love to hear from anyone with real experience at installing lights...
what type of light? rated power? how you wired it? what kind of switch used? and so on..
Thanks!
Tim

Tori's trails on YouTube has a mint walk through on installing one on Her levo

 

[grantini]

My bike is a 2019. I have not checked yet what Voltage my lamps are. I guess they are 7.4V, so I will try to see what happends when I connect them to 12V. I guess a LED lamp will work ok anyway.

12v

 

[Smithy86]

12v

I'm sure the voltage is 6v and around 2 amps

 

[grantini]

I'm sure the voltage is 6v and around 2 amps

the 2019 and 2020 motor light output sends 12v, prior years were 6v.

 

[TMS]

Do we know what kind of lamps Kave owns? And what are assumed voltage and amp numbers? I think that was the question and uncrear issue. Not Brose output values.

Lupine is great but not perfect. I would love to have more light in the woods. In the streets lupine is perfect. In the narrow trails the view is too limited. To often I must slow down because I'm not sure where I'm going next. Still I think this is the best you can get at the moment. Competitors, wake up!

 

[grantini]

Do we know what kind of lamps Kave owns? And what are assumed voltage and amp numbers? I think that was the question and uncrear issue. Not Brose output values.

Lupine is great but not perfect. I would love to have more light in the woods. In the streets lupine is perfect. In the narrow trails the view is too limited. To often I must slow down because I'm not sure where I'm going next. Still I think this is the best you can get at the moment. Competitors, wake up!

I agree, about more light, but the reality is it's actually enough and i ride with a helmet light as well. The previous Lupine was lower output, I think the 12V with 1300 Lumens is the minimum you need. The best light (from an illumination standpoint) I've ever had was my Serfas True 1500+.... it literally lights up everything in front of you for more than fifty yards and way wide... having said that it also blinds anyone you come across or someone in front that turns around... I think the Lupine SL SF is the best option out there... Just did a dusk ride, went out with DRL on, and about two thirds of the way on the light kicked on automatically....Didn't have to stop, press any buttons or take my gloves off.... nice.

 

[TMS]

Yeah, you need a helmet light to see spots Lupine is leaving dark because strictly restricted high beam. And I'm too lazy to put helmet light. For sure it is bright enough at this setup.

I'd love to see wider and higher high beam and then it would need more light because wider area. You can always switch on low beam if there is traffic ahead in the trails. More complicated with my helmet light. It would really blind everyone ahead. And it's hard to switch on and off on the fly.

These are just my thoughts and opinion. Still a great light but not perfect to me.

 

[grantini]

Yeah, you need a helmet light to see spots Lupine is leaving dark because strictly restricted high beam. And I'm too lazy to put helmet light. For sure it is bright enough at this setup.

I'd love to see wider and higher high beam and then it would need more light because wider area. You can always switch on low beam if there is traffic ahead in the trails. More complicated with my helmet light. It would really blind everyone ahead. And it's hard to switch on and off on the fly.

These are just my thoughts and opinion. Still a great light but not perfect to me.

I’ve always ridden with handlebar and helmet light. You need some redundancy out there as anything can and will break. What if you have a flat or mechanical or you bar light stops working? I ride alone a lot. I rode last night without turning on the helmet light, the night before I rode with it on. but it’s always charged and on my helmet!

 

[TMS]

I’ve always ridden with handlebar and helmet light. You need some redundancy out there as anything can and will break. What if you have a flat or mechanical or you bar light stops working? I ride alone a lot. I rode last night without turning on the helmet light, the night before I rode with it on. but it’s always charged and on my helmet!

I do have a small cheap headlight with strap in my pocket or backpack. But it's not suitable for trail riding. Only for fixing gears and stuff. Ten years with my old Lupine Betty. Zero failures. And yes I like ride alone.

But you are right. Helmet light always ready for use if needed could be handy for me too. I don't want to argue about this anymore.

 

[grantini]

I do have a small cheap headlight with strap in my pocket or backpack. But it's not suitable for trail riding. Only for fixing gears and stuff. Ten years with my old Lupine Betty. Zero failures. And yes I like ride alone.

But you are right. Helmet light always ready for use if needed could be handy for me too. I don't want to argue about this anymore.

Hah! I didn't know we were arguing! LOL

It's probably worth nothing that the 12v Lupine makes a LOT more light than the 6v versions.... I would also note that the "spots" seem to be shadows from the cables, I'm not sure what I can do about that, and I've basically determined that it doesn't matter, it's not preventing me from seeing anything. By the time you get to where the spots are, you are already looking past that spot.

 

[TMS]

Hah! I didn't know we were arguing! LOL

It's probably worth nothing that the 12v Lupine makes a LOT more light than the 6v versions.... I would also note that the "spots" seem to be shadows from the cables, I'm not sure what I can do about that, and I've basically determined that it doesn't matter, it's not preventing me from seeing anything. By the time you get to where the spots are, you are already looking past that spot.

I don't mean cable shadows. I mean it won't show far enough in special cases. The beam is too restricted. I've just got used to my Betty which is flooding the whole forest. I can live with that. I just have to hold my speed a bit

 

[grantini]

I don't mean cable shadows. I mean it won't show far enough in special cases. The beam is too restricted. I've just got used to my Betty which is flooding the whole forest. I can live with that. I just have to hold my speed a bit

I have the SL SF, with a 12volt Brose. I have more than enough light and can't outride the light. I agree that isn't as strong as my 1500 triple beam Serfas, but it's more than adequate for anything I'm going to do... I LOVE the bar mounted control as switching from high to low, depending on the situation is probably at LEAST as important as gross lumens... I find that when I crest a hill, it's almost automatic to switch from high to low, then back.... that capability is really valuable, and I've never been able to do that without taking my hand off the grip. I would also note that most lights aren't "high/low" but more or less...

 

[Lasse]

I will order the Supernova Brose cable and try to wire up some Magicshine lamps I got.
The 270€ Supernova lamp is a bit on the expensive side.

Hi "Kave". Did you try out a magicshine light on you bike? I've got the Magicshine Monteer 8000s Galaxy, and wanted to try with my 2021 turbo levo (2.1 brose)..batteries for this light is 7.2v though...

 

[rriveroll]

I'm sure the voltage is 6v and around 2 amps

Output from 2021 Levo is 12v. I installed a voltage transformer in line to be able to use my Magicshine which is around 8v. Got it on amazon. I suspect most bicycle lights will work around 9v.


Another option is to buy a motorcycle light, most are 12v.

 

[rriveroll]

Hi "Kave". Did you try out a magicshine light on you bike? I've got the Magicshine Monteer 8000s Galaxy, and wanted to try with my 2021 turbo levo (2.1 brose)..batteries for this light is 7.2v though...

used this regulator inline with cable and light