Short answer: for most of our wheelie lights, yes. There is one version that does not need one, and there is a workaround if your bike has no bash guard. Both are covered below.
Why the bash guard?
The whole point of a wheelie light is that it stays pointed at the road when your front wheel comes up. That only works if the light sits low and forward on the bike.
The bash guard is the ideal place for that. It is already low, already forward, already built to take hits, and it is a flat piece of solid material you can bolt to. Mount a light there and it stays aimed down the road whether the wheel is on the ground or in the air — which is exactly the moment your headlight is pointing at the sky and you become invisible.
Mount a light higher up and you have just built a second headlight that disappears at the same time the first one does.
What the install actually involves
One hole. You drill a single hole in the bash guard, bolt the pod through it, and route the harness. That is the extent of the modification.
It is worth being straight about this: it is permanent. The hole stays there if you remove the light. It is a small hole in a part that is designed to get scraped and dented, so most riders do not think twice — but if the idea bothers you, read the last section.
My bike does not have a bash guard
You have two options.
Fit one. Most e-motos have a bash guard available and it is a worthwhile part regardless — it exists to protect your motor and frame from rocks and hard landings. If you ride anywhere rough you probably want one anyway.
Fabricate a mount. Plenty of riders make their own bracket and mount the light off the frame or the fork lowers instead. The light does not care what it is bolted to, as long as it ends up low and facing forward. Our Universal light in particular gets mounted all sorts of ways.
The version that skips the bash guard entirely
Our Wheelie Light V2 mounts to the swing arm instead, on a 3D printed bracket held by four bolts. No bash guard needed, no drilling anywhere, and it comes off without a trace.
If you do not have a bash guard, do not want to drill, or want the light removable, the V2 is the answer — provided you ride a bike we make the mount for. Currently that is the Sur-Ron LBX and the Talaria X3.
What about chase lights?
Different story. Chase lights mount under your rear subframe on a bike-specific 3D printed bracket, so the bash guard is not involved at all.
Not sure what you have?
Send us a photo of the front of your bike and we will tell you straight whether it will work and where the light should go. Get in touch — or check the fitment guide to see what we build for your model.