Magicshine MJ 906S – Light Review
Night riding has always had a sort of magical element to it. Perhaps it’s due to the 80’s American movies we watched where kids had exciting nighttime bike chases saving loveable aliens from bad guys. If only the technology of modern bike lights such as the Magicshine MJ 906S was available back then? Those bad guys wouldn’t stand a chance.
Back in the day, we all ride our bikes at night and we certainly had no concept of injury or personal body protection, concerns about paying fines or getting into trouble with the law. All we had to make sure was that we were back home for our tea, or we’d know what serious trouble was about.
Fast forward several decades and we’ve come to understand that bicycle lights are an important factor for road laws and visibility in traffic at night. But what about when we head off-road and into the forests of the night? Choosing the right light will make all the difference when it comes to safety and fun on the trails.
The team at KWT Imports kindly sent us one of the Magicshine lights designed for e-bike use, the MJ 906S. Agreed, it doesn’t really flow off the tongue, but name aside, this light packs a punch of 4500 lumens to illuminate any nighttime adventure you find yourself on.
The Magcishine MJ 906S light head and external battery. The light head weighs a featherweight 78grams.
Who is MagicShine?
Magicshine, a US-based company, has been focused on outdoor lighting for 20 years with the mission to provide high-performance lights for amateur and professional nighttime outdoor activities, keeping us safe in the darkness. From their first-ever light, the MJ-808, which became one of the most popular lights ever, Magicshine continually improve on their designs with the latest technology such as Bluetooth connectivity, and continued R&D into brighter, more powerful systems for their mountain bike, e-bikes, road bikes, and helmet lights.
Features
With two super-bright LED lights, the MJ 906S provides around 15 combinations of brightness settings with the most powerful mode offering a whopping 4500 lumens with a beam throw of 236 meters!
The beam spread is 32degrees and its throw reaches up to 236 meters of trail with a 14,000 CD (candelas) intensity. It’s also waterproof and rated to IXP6, which means it can withstand a high water pressure stream from any angle and has been drop-test rated for up to 1 meter, making this a very robust package indeed.
If the external battery is not your thing, then you have the choice to hardwire the MJ 906S straight into your e-bike motor which allows for less on-bike clutter and saves on additional battery weight. When powered by the e-bike motor, it will auto-adjust the output within 6V-12V DC voltage and will switch from daylight mode to night mode automatically, and this system is compatible with the most commonly used motors such as Bosch, Shimano, and Yamaha. Scroll to the bottom of the review to see the power output and running times.
If you do prefer to use the external MJ-6118 USB-C battery pack, then this offers up a total capacity of 10,000mAh and a maximum run time of 50 hours! It comes with sturdy velcro attachments that keep the battery in place when attached to the frame and a cable that’s long enough to provide various frame placements. It can also be unclipped and used as a handy mobile light source at campsites and even a power bank companion to charge other devices.
Magicshine knows that you also need to ride on the roads from time to time and urban riding, with traffic, can be as dangerous as off-road riding. With that in mind, they have added another neat feature focusing on road safety, not just for the rider but for oncoming traffic with their improved side lighting and vertical lens grating, which makes it easier on the eyes of oncoming traffic.
The Magicshine MJ906S comes with a lot of accessories
What’s in the box?
- 1 MJ-906S Light Head
- 1 MJ-6118 Battery Pack
- 2 Battery Straps
- 1 Handlebar Mount (Compatible with Garmin)
- 1 Handlebar/Helmet Mount Adapter(Compatible with GoPro)
- 5 Silicone Straps for Handlebars Ø25.4 to Ø35mm & Aero Bars
- 1 USB Type-C Charging Cable
- 1 Hex Key
- 1 User Manual
Installation
Setting up the headlight to the bars is super-easy. The MJ 906S uses a Garmin-style mount that tightens up nicely on the bar. It also has a small footprint to reduce cockpit clutter unlike some “all in one” systems on the market.
If you set up the light with the battery pack then fitting is straightforward. You simply attach the battery pack to the frame and off you go. If however, you intend to hard-wire the MJ906S into your e-bike motor, then you may need to go to your Local Bike Shop for installation because this type of installation is a little more complex.
For Bosch and Brose engines, you will need specific terminal cables to connect to the engine and in the case of Shimano engines, you will need to use the Diagnostic Tool (SM-PCE02 or 01) together with the PC Software E-Tube Project to release the use of lights in the operating system. Unless of course, you are pretty handy with all of this tech, then you may be able to do it yourself. But it’s worth noting.
The Garmin-style headlight mount is quick and easy to attach.
The main headlight connector was super-easy to attach and was very stable on rough terrain and even in a crash situation (which we experienced), the headlight remained in its proper position.
The MJ 906S can be hard-wired to the motor or easily coupled to the frame with the external battery to save e-bike battery consumption.
The MJ 906S is compatible with a direct connection to the Shimano, Bosch, Brose, and Yamaha engines.
On The Trails
We tested the MJ 906S integrated into the motor battery, meaning it draws power from the bike battery itself. In this case, it was a Polygon Mt Bromo (Shimano EP8). The simple fact of having the light integrated into the e-bike means less thinking and faffing around, and more riding time. No need to worry about setting it up or mounting a battery to the frame, plus it’s there all the time if you’re caught out and need or want to ride home in the dark.
The Magicshine MJ 906S has some neat little tricks on offer, and one of those is the day to night time mode auto-adjust. When the day comes to an end, MJ 906S will switch from daylight mode to night mode automatically without the need for any user input. This is a great feature and adds extra safety when pedaling at the end of the day.
But the key feature of the MJ906S is its brightness. On paper, Magicshine states it throws off a whopping 4500 lumens with a run time of 1.5 hours, with a 236-meter beam projection! It’s always hard to actually verify this but trust us, the two super bright LED’s made short work of the nightfall, like a beam from Gandalf’s staff, evaporating the gathering darkness and magically shining the way ahead. So yes, we can confidently say that those m=numbers are true.
The Magicshine MJ 906S is a confidence-inspiring light!
When it comes to the beam itself, the MJ 906S offers excellent levels of front and ambient light spread with a strong focal point to allow for fast riding and an ability to pick out technical sections on the track. This is a confidence-inspiring light.
There are numerous light mode settings that can be accessed via a large touch-sensitive button, which also doubles as a handy battery life indicator. The light itself can be easily angled for personalised focus on the trail ahead but once set, we didn’t find the need to keep adjusting it due to its power and excellent beam pattern. Depending on the mode you select, the two LEDs can also be turned on/off independently of each other.
If the light gets too hot it does have cooling fins to help dissipate the heat, but there is also a heat management system that kicks in, reducing the power, but we didn’t experience any issues in this area.
In terms of light colour, the Magicshine MJ 906S has a greenish-blue hue which helps foliage to pop, and we also found it made things just that little clearer on the trail. The sometimes harsh contrasts of bright and dark areas on the trail you get with some lights weren’t there with this light which helps to reduce eye fatigue.
Conclusions
The Magicshine MJ 906S is a confidence-inspiring light offering up to 4500 lumens that pump through two powerful LEDs providing excellent beam spread and light qualities that inspire you to ride faster and further than before. With excellent build quality and all-weather protection and a plethora of light modes to choose from, plus the two power source options (battery or e-bike motor), this is a great light for any nighttime adventure.
Light/Power Specs
| MODE | HIGH | MID | LOW | ECO | *DRL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumen: | 4500LM | 2500LM | 1800LM | 800LM | 35LM |
| Runtime: | 1.5 hours | 3.0 hours | 5.5 hours | 17.5 hours | 50 hours |
| Limited Power（W） | Product Power (W) | Brightness (LM) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 4-8 | 400-1000 |
| 20 | 10-18 | 1800 |
| 30 | 20-28 | 2800 |
| 50 | 30-45 | 4000 |
| 1000 | 45-51 | 4500 |
Where to Buy / Price
- Magicshine MJ 906S: $199.99 (Approx)
- Can be purchased at MTB Direct and many other good online retailers or ask at your local bike shop.
