I love riding personal electric vehicles, but unfortunately most PEVs have terrible front facing lights that are not safe for night riding. I have been researching for the best electric scooter lights and best bike head lights for the past year, and the name Magicshine kept coming up.
Magicshine has been making lights since 1999, and has become a staple in the cycling industry. However, PEVs are relatively new, and not many people know about Magicshine due to Amazon having a huge variety of lights, some good and many of poor quality.
In this review, we will tell you about the pros and cons of the Magicshine Monteer 8000S Galaxy V2.0 Remote Version. We also compare the 8000S to a cheaper “8000 lumen” light and see if it’s worth the extra money.
Click here for the current pricing on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S
Use coupon code: JimmyChang to save 15% off your purchase
Pros:
- Different quick mount options
- Massive battery
- Remote control
- Incredibly bright CREE XHP-50 LED lights
- One USB-C port to charge and also charge other devices
- IPX5 water resistance rating
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Can only mount on regular size handlebars
- If you have to mount on a vertical bar, the beam angle cannot be adjusted
- Expensive
- Gets hot
- Battery life meter is not visible
- Battery is a little heavy
Different mounts for different folks
The Monteer 8000S comes with a Garmin style quarter turn quick mount. On the Magicshine website you can purchase a variety of quick mounts for different needs and if you own any other Garmin products, you likely already have an array of accesories and mounts that will work with the Monteer.
You can mount the light to your helmet, and you can even adapt the light to fit any GoPro mount. I love that there are so many options to mount the light!
How big is the battery on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S?
The battery on the Monteer 8000S is the biggest I have ever seen on a detachable accessory light. The battery features four 21700 battery cells totaling 10,000 milliamp hours (mAh).
The battery has a single USB-C port which you use for charging and can also be used as an output to charge you devices.
The battery backing has a soft material to protect the paint job on your escooter or bike and to keep the unit from slipping. With the velcro straps secured, the battery stays firmly attached.
The run time on the Monteer 8000S is dependent on the setting and light throw. You can last up to 22 hours on a low setting or 1.5 hours on the highest setting.
The Magicshine Monteer 8000S remote control
The wireless remote for the Monteer 8000S only comes with the V2 edition and while it may cost a little more for the V2, the convenience of the remote makes it totally worth it.
At first, I thought the remote control was a little gimmicky. However, once I had a chance to test the Monteer 8000S in real riding conditions, I now love the remote control.
The remote control can easily be mounted to skinny or fat handlebars with the included thin strip of velcro. The two buttons feel nice and give a nice tactile response.
You can quickly turn on the light to the brightest setting with one push of the button and you can easily switch to lower light settings.
The remote also improves safety, because you can mount it next to the handlebar. When riding high speeds on escooters, the last thing you want to do is remove your hand from the handlebar grip to adjust the light. With the remote mounted next to the handlebar, you can easily push the button with your thumb.
I actually prefer using the remote to operate the Monteer light.
What type of light is in the Magicshine Monteer 8000S?
The Magicshine Monteer 8000S features five CREE XHP-50 LED lights. CREE XHP-50 LED lights feature SC5 technology, which utilizes silicone carbide technology. The lights make the system run efficiently and are twice as bright as your normal LED lights.
Can you charge devices with the Magicshine Monteer 8000S?
There is only one USB-C port on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S and it takes about 9 hours to fully charge the battery.
A USB-C interface can present itself either as a Downstream Facing Port (DFP, data host) and an Upstream Facing Port (UFP), device meaning that you can also charge devices with it.
I like the simplicity of only having one port that can be used to charge itself, and charge other items like your phone.
Click here for the current pricing on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S
Use coupon code: JimmyChang to save 15% off your purchase
Is the Magicshine Monteer 8000S water resistant?
The Monteer 8000S has a water resistance rating of IPX5 also known as IP65. An IPX5 rating means the light can resist sustained, low-pressure water jet spray. The battery has a rubber cover, so make sure to have that sealed if you are riding in wet conditions.
How much does the Magicshine Monteer 8000S weigh?
The Monteer 8000S light only weighs 1/3 of a pound, coming in at 5.3 ounces. The battery weighs just slightly under 13 ounces, a little over 4/5 of a pound.
You can mount the light and battery in two different locations which makes it nice if you want to mount the light to a helmet.
Can you mount the Magicshine Monteer 8000S to fat handlebar?
Magicshine does not have mounts for fat handlebars. You can use a GoPro mount and use the Magicshine adapter, but I wish they had one designed for fat handlebars.
I was unable to mount the light on the OKAI Neon handlebar, but I was able to mount it to the stem. When you mount the light to the stem, there is no way to adjust the angle the light up or down. It was bright for me, but because I couldn’t lower the beam angle I know I was blinding oncoming vehicles and pedestrians.
Does the Magicshine Monteer 8000S get hot?
The light on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S is bright! 8000 lumens bright to be exact. However, the CREE XHP-50 LED lights are twice as hot as normal LED lights.
Be careful around the light when using it, because I melted my $700 Gore-Tex jacket in seconds when testing out the light.
Does the Magicshine Monteer 8000S have a battery meter?
Many attachment lights have a digital numeral readout of how much power is left in the battery. There is no battery display on the light. Instead, the only button which controls the light will either glow green for high charge, red for low charge, and blink red when it is nearly out of energy.
The Monteer 8000S has a battery meter on the battery, but it is not visible when riding due to it being covered by the silicone cover. Instead of having a digital numeral readout, the Monteer 8000S simply has three lighted dots showing the amount of battery.
For a $400 light that costs as much as a Playstation 5, I at least expect a digital display to let me know how much charge I have left.
Click here for the current pricing on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S
Use coupon code: JimmyChang to save 15% off your purchase
How does the Monteer 8000S compare to other lights that claim to be 8000 lumens?
I purchased the GEKUPEM bike head light from Amazon to see how the cheapest 8000 lumen light would compare to the most expensive 8000 lumen light I’ve ever tried.
The GEKUPEM is a $30 light on Amazon that advertises 8000 lumens of light which would be an amazing deal if it were true. Unfortunately, this is another “too good to be true” product and the sellers are blatantly misleading consumers on Amazon.
When I got this Amazon light and turned it on, I could immediately tell that it wasn’t even a fraction as bright as the Monteer 8000S. The single unit was certainly more compact and it did have a digital display to tell me my light settings and charge, but even the instructions show that at its highest setting the light is 1600 lumens and not the advertised 8000 lumens.
You get what you pay for and for a $30 light, it is a pretty good light. In fact for the price of a Monteer 8000S, you can buy 14 of these Amazon lights, which at its highest settings would be giving off 19,600 lumens. Good luck mounting all 14 on your bike or scooter!
Who is the Magicshine Monteer 8000S perfect for?
If you love nice things and want the best light for PEVs, the Monteer 8000S is the nicest light we have ever tried. I never realized how advanced a light could be until I tested the Monteer 8000S.
I’ve used all in one lights before that are too heavy and move when you hit bumps. With the ability to mount the light separate from the battery, you don’t have all that weight on the light that causes them to shift when you hit bumps.
If safety is your big concern, you’ll love having the remote control on high powered scooters. I don’t have to remove my hand from the grips to adjust the light settings, and can easily adjust the brightness while traveling at 40 mph or more.
The Magicshine Monteer 8000S is the best light on the market for PEVs!
Magicshine Monteer 8000S Pricing, Coupon and Discount Codes
Click here for the current pricing on the Magicshine Monteer 8000S
Use coupon code: JimmyChang to save 15% off your purchase
Click here to view all our coupons and discounts on scooters and other PEVs.
Click here to view all the safety gear that Jimmy and I use.
Facebook – Please join our Facebook group for the most up to date information.
Electric Scooter Board – Want to join the electric scooter discussion and be part of a growing community? Check out the brand new electric scooter discussion forum.