Busch & Muller D Toplight Permanent Battery LED Light - 50 / 80 mm Vario Fitting

I recommend this product

Excellent design. Fits to rear rack, without interference from panniers. This is to replace the ones I bought about 15 years ago , which had stopped working. Uses AA batteries. Bike has been dropped once, no damage to light

A very bad design and I cannot use this item

1. No gasket
2. Trapped wires in gasketless join
3. Opening up the 2 halves just to replace batteries exposes loads of wires, solder points, wobbly plastic bits etc
4. Single screw joining 2 halves with little plastic “meat” to hold onto
5. Batteries connect end on with hitandmiss side support
6. Bad joining together action of the 2 halves using 2 weak plastic pins to align
7. Too wide for my Tubus rear rack, obstructed the place where my rear pannier bag’s rear hook sits so totally useless from start
8. Weak flimsy plastic that is so big it flexes everywhere when you manipulate it just trying to insert batteries

I attached with the 50mm wide holes which meant the whole unit extended far wider than my Tubus carriers bracket plate that had its 50mm holes in. This is why it obstructed the pannier mount point

I recommend this product

Might have been a stocking error but the one that came had pressouts in the plastic back for both 50 & 80mm fixings so would fix either size.
Uses two AA bateries (not one as stated elsewhere) so battery life should be ok.
Batteries are mounted in a line - on a previous rear lihght of a different make this was a problem as the contact in the middle between the cells was prone to not making well - time will tell how this one ages.
I'm not convinced how rainproof it is - it looks ok but there is no gasket seal and moisture could easily get in around the switch. Again time will tell.
On the plus side the lens piece is fixed with a screw so perhaps won't have the problem of getting loose and falling off on potholed cornish lanes as the previous one did.
NB no flashing mode - just on/off.

I recommend this product

I fitted this to my rack although the design allows for a variety of fitting widths.

Excellent quality, very bright and can be seen from the side. No flash facility of course as flashing bike lights are illegal in Germany.
Easily operated with gloves.
Excellent reflectors

Very pleased: we have bought several. Bright, strongly made, works as light and reflector combined. Nice positive switch so doesn't get knocked on by mistake. Securely and easily fitted to the plate on the back of a pannier carrier (although on one child's bike there is barely enough room between carrier and mudguard, so be aware).