The Magicshine Monteer 6500S mountain bike light sits between the 8000S and the lesser-powered 3500S. With an output of 6,500 lumens, it offers a great balance of power and definition when lighting up the trails. Thanks to the five LEDs, its ability to light up the trail as well as illuminate further ahead makes this one of the best mountain bike lights. Along with the excellent battery life and study bar mount, this is a well-thought-out package.
- 9 top tips to make the most of the off-road night riding season
- Exposure Lights MaXx-D MK15 review
- Best mountain bike lights 2024 - top-rated lights for night riding
Magicshine Monteer 6500S V2.0 bike light - Technical details
As the name suggests, this light produces a claimed 6,500 lumens which comes from five LEDs. These are arranged with a top row of three for flood lighting and a bottom row with two spots for a longer beam spread.
The light features one button that selects one of three light modes that vary the use of these LEDs; flood, spot, and hybrid with a mix of intensity. It also changes colour indicating the remaining battery life: green means 100 to 70 per cent of the battery, blue is between 70 and 30 per cent, and red is less than 30 per cent. It flashes red when the battery’s life reaches 10 per cent or lower.
The casing is made from aluminium with plenty of cooling fins to keep the light running at full power. It is worth noting there is a safety setting that’ll lower the power of the light if it gets too hot but this would only happen if the light was on full power, stationary, and on a warm night.
The light is fitted to the handlebars by way of a solid fixed mount which has a “Garmin-style" quarter-turn twist attachment. The mount includes two rubber rings to fit a 31.8- or 35mm bar.
Some lights can be let down by a bad battery. Fortunately, Magicshine has not skimped in this department. The battery is a sealed unit with a waterproof rating of IP65 and comes with 10.0Ah of capacity. This translates to approx. 2.5 hours of runtime with the light at 100% and up to 14 hours of runtime on the lower setting. The battery itself has three LEDs to show its charge level and includes a USB-C slot to allow charging of other devices if needed. The outer casing has a rubber strip to help cushion your frame and keep the battery secure and fits by way of two Velcro straps.
A remote controller can also be used to select different light modes using your thumb on the fly.
Magicshine Monteer 6500S V2.0 bike light - Performance
The most important aspect of a mountain bike light is the output. While 6,500 lumens isn’t exceptional by today’s standards, I found it to be a great balance that didn’t oversaturate the trails with light. The hybrid beam gave an excellent spread with plenty of light in front of the bike with the two spotlights helping me to see further down the trail. The edges of the light spread were nice and soft making things a little easier on the eyes when transitioning from dark to light. The definition given by this light was a stand-out feature. The light being emitted hardly causes any shadows behind trail features which is always welcome when trying to read the night-time trails.
The bar clamp system is easy to fit and happily works with 31.8- or 35mm bars thanks to the rubber inserts. Once fitted, the clamp is secure and I experienced no issues with the light moving even after a couple of crashes. The quarter-turn Garmin-style mount makes taking the light off a doddle and, with the mount having a fairly low profile, I left the mount bolted to the bike for the winter. The mount can double up for use with a cycling computer, too.
The battery life is impressive, more than enough for a night ride without having to pay too much attention to the power you’re using. The cable between the light and the battery is long enough for the battery to be secured on the top tube and I found the cable connections easy to use even with gloves. The Velcro straps make it easy to secure the battery to your frame and the rubber grippers makes for a very secure fit.
My only gripe with the Monteer 6500s is around the light modes and the lack of indication for each mode. Moving through the 15 different modes is simple enough, however, it's very easy to get lost. It's easy to see which LEDs are on or off when looking at the front of the light but having some kind of indicator would elevate that user experience to a whole new level and make life that bit simpler.
Magicshine Monteer 6500S V2.0 bike light - Verdict
Retailing at £300, the Magicshine Monteer 6500S V2.0 is sensibly priced compared to other market offerings. The Exposure Sixpack MK12 SYNC is another option, it offers slightly less lumens (max 5,250) and less battery life but it's nearly £500. Liam gave it four stars citing its build quality and power as benefits but it wasn’t without its flaws.
The Magicshine Monteer 6500S V2.0 is a mighty mountain bike light and is a great option for night riding. Its ability to light up a trail with bright but soft light makes it a high-performing option. The light is wrapped up in a well-thought-out package with excellent battery life and comes with a no-nonsense bar mount and secure fitment. The only downside is the lack of a mode indicator.
