Quietly and without much ado, Busch + Müller presented a world first at Eurobike 2024 a few weeks ago. As unnoticed as you can be at the world’s largest bicycle trade show. 😉 At least the manufacturer didn’t send out any press releases in advance and didn’t send out any special invitations to the booth. So it took us a little while to find out about the new Briq-XL E bend lighting. We summarise everything that can be said about the new front light for ebikes here for you.
The Briq-XL E immediately stands out from other front lights from the manufacturer thanks to its rectangular housing. Traditionally, Busch + Müller likes to work with round housings. So far, the IQ-XL E Highbeam and the Briq-S E have been exceptions. Inside, there is a large reflector and a phalanx of several LEDs. According to the press release, these provide between 150 and 220 lux – distributed over almost the entire width along the cut-off line. Depending on the different light modes, the headlight requires between 16 and 60 watts for this. Depending on how much energy it can be supplied with, it illuminates the surroundings with a light output of 2,000 lumens to 8,500 lumens. In practice, you can expect a fairly wide and homogeneous carpet of light.
Cool thing
Based on the values, it can be concluded that a considerable amount of heat energy is likely to be generated within the Briq-XL E during operation. It is not without reason that there are a number of striking cooling fins on the surface of the aluminium casing. We have only seen this feature on the IQ-XL E Highbeam from Busch + Müller before. There are three narrow slits on the left and right sides of the housing. Light penetrates through the openings, making the headlight visible from the side in the dark.
There are no buttons or similar controls in the housing. The signal for switching from daytime running light to night light, for example, is given by a corresponding light sensor. On the back, Busch + Müller has only placed three LEDs. These indicate whether the high beam, the Bluetooth function or the bend lighting are activated.
Does the second idea turn out to be the better one?
This brings us to the outstanding feature of the Briq-XL E – the bend lighting. The manufacturer has already addressed this issue in the past. With the Leval, there is a solution that acts as a kind of adapter and combines a gyroscope with a servo motor. Busch + Müller calls it the curve light assistant. You can mount various headlights on it and convert them into adaptive curve lights.
The Briq-XL E takes a different approach. The headlight and bend lighting form a single unit that does not change its position – on the handlebars or elsewhere. Instead, the illumination of the bend is done digitally. A sensor detects how much and in which direction your ebike leans after you have turned the handlebars in a certain direction. Then a part of the LED phalanx that was previously deactivated is switched on. This now illuminates the inside of the bend. At the same time, LEDs that could otherwise dazzle oncoming traffic on the outside of the bend in the new alignment are switched off. This interplay takes place fully automatically depending on the riding situation.
Predefined or customised?
The extent to which you illuminate the bends depends on which setting you have chosen for the light field. Busch + Müller provides you with three modes in its app: City, Road and Offroad. These modes can apparently be changed and saved as your own modes via the ‘My mode’ menu. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know whether you can create multiple custom modes. In any case, you can adjust the following parameters:
- transition between low beam and high beam
- daytime running light
- light width
- light distance
Your selection will later be transferred from the app to the headlight via Bluetooth. More precisely, to the remote belonging to the Briq-XL E. Two modes can be stored on each of its two large buttons, so that a maximum of four are always available.
Sales are expected to start in 2024
At the beginning of the sales launch, the first version to be launched on the market will probably be one that comes with a button instead of the wireless Bluetooth remote, which you know from headlights like the IQ-XL E. Busch + Müller is not yet giving an exact date for the start of deliveries to specialist retailers. However, the start of the ‘dark season 2024/25’ is a good indication. Until then, you can put a little money aside. After all, at a price of around 450 euros, the word ‘bargain’ barely crosses your lips.
The familiar single-arm metal handlebar mount is suitable for mounting on the handlebars. If you want, you can also attach the Briq-XL E hanging so that it sticks out from under the handlebars.
General features of the Busch + Müller Briq-XL E
- degree of protection: waterproof according to IP67
- weight: 320 g
- dimensions: 74/94/64 mm (L/W/H)
- price: 449.95 euros
Pictures: Busch & Müller KG