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Lupine Betty 12 $1,185.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

The Lupine Betty 12 features 7 leds in a relatively compact light head that weighs in at only 156 grams. It is very well built and it integrates cooling fins towards the rear of the light head. Mounting is done with a beefy rubber band.

The switch is external and is designed to be mounted close to the grips. The Betty 12 has a waterbottle style battery and the Betty 6 has a smaller battery in a soft case.

Light Head and Switch Close ups:

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Knog 605 $399.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

Then Knog 605 is the high-end light of the Knog line. It features a nicely styled light head with three LEDs. The aluminum and rubber casing is bonded together nicely and the rubber mounting strap is integrated into the light head. The first two LEDs serve the function of lighting up the trail. The third light is good as a map-reading light and has a Flash mode to help the rider become more visible to oncoming traffic.

The switch is external and can be placed near the grips so it can be controlled easily while riding. Each of the three LEDs comes with its own switch that operates independently. Each press toggles each LED through its light modes starting with the medium setting. To turn on full power requires five button presses on the three switches. Turning off requires four.

The battery is long and it mounts on the top tube. This light is for handlebar use only.

As the photos will show, the package is quite attractive and the materials and construction are very good.

Light Meter Readings:

On our light meter readings, it scored a 16. This equals the readings from the Ayup helmet light and the Dinotte 200L.

Light Head Close ups:

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Ayup bar (regular kit) $ 380.00

Ayup helmet

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

The Ayup ‘regular kit’ is a light system from Australia that features two light heads. Each light head has two LEDs that can be tilted up and down independently. The kit includes two small batteries and a large battery. Aside from the 110 volt charger, a 12 volt car charger is included as well. The whole system comes with a handy neoprene case to transport everything.

While some lights are full-featured, fancy sytems, the Ayup is a no-frills light system. It sticks to the very basics to deliver the most light and battery power possible for the price. Thus for $380, you get two lights, an extra battery and a home/car charger. What you don’t get is a light switch, fancy electronics and a flexible mounting system.

The beam patterns are selectable at the time of purchase. The patterns available are wide, intermediate and narrow. We tested the intermediate on the bar lights and the narrow beam on the helmet light.

Light Head Close ups:

Mounting Options:

The ‘regular set’ comes with two lights, one for the handlebar and one for the helmet. The mounting system uses zip-ties and thus can’t be moved to other bikes/helmets easily. The battery is so small that it is meant to be mounted on the stem and on the helmet.

Light Output Measurements:

On our light meter, measuring ambient light, the narrow helmet mount measured 16 Lux and the wider bar light measured a 17 Lux. The closest competitors are the Knog 605 at 16 and the Exposure Race Maxx at 24.

Complete package comes with an extra battery, a car charger and a carrying case.

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Dinotte 200L $ 249.00

Dinotte 200L Dual $ 349.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

The Dinotte 200L consists of a small light head cylinder and a compact, plastic-encased battery. The connector is a non-directional plug that snaps into place and keeps water out. The rubber switch is very easy to operate as it scrolls through the three light levels available. Mounting is simplistic with a rubber hoop that goes around the handlebar. The light is bright and the beam fairly wide with no hotspot.

All Dinotte lights have three ‘flash’ modes for commuting. They are very effective and visible for greater visibility for oncoming traffic. These flash modes are extremely visible on the red tail lights as well. And the best part is that the ‘flash’ modes do not interfere with regular use. The user has to press the button for six seconds to enter this mode. After using other lights where the flash mode is always in the way, this feature is very welcome.

We consider the Dinotte connectors as best in class as well. They are non-directional and pop into place and are thus the easiest to connect. Initially, they were a bit too hard to disconnect. But a little bit of Vaseline fixed that right up.

The Dinotte 200L comes with one lithium battery. The 200l Dual and the 600-LI-4C bothe come with two batteries. There are two batteries available with these lights, a 4-cell and a 2-cell battery. The batteries are selectable by the buyer at the time of purchase. All our run-time measurements were performed with the 4-cell battery.

Light Head Close ups:

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Light On Expedition 1000 helmet and bar lights - $800

Helmet or bar light separately - $409

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

Light Head and Battery Close ups:

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Light and Motion Stella 180L $300.00

Light and Motion Stella 180N $200.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

Light Head Close ups:

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This review covers the Jeni H and the BR Lights C2.1 H (see below for full review on both lights)

Jeni H $ 299.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

The BR Lights Jeni is a self-contained helmet mount system. Construction is excellent and the switch mechanism is best in class. It’s a bit on the heavy side at 301 grams but it is fairly flat and sits low on top of the helmet. The light is extremely bright with a spot that allows the the rider to see very far into the trail.

Light Head Close ups:

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Jet Lites Shadow Lithium $ 500.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

The Shadow is a 13W light head that has been around for years. It is still extremely competitive with a bright spot and a wide halo. This year, it has been updated with a Lithium battery with a fuel tank. The wiring connector on this is an aligned, screw-on type. It’s a bit cumbersome for day to day use but great if you ride in wet and rugged conditions.

Light Head Close ups:

Mounting Options:

Handlebar mounting as well as helmet mounting is available for this light. It works great in both applications.

Light Meter Readings:

Our ambient light measurement came in at 30 Lux. This was equal to the output of the Exposure Enduro Maxx and just below the Niterider Trinewt at 33 Lux.

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Exposure Maxx Series Video Review

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Exposure Enduro Maxx $ 349.00

Exposure Race Maxx $ 279.00

Description:

The Maxx series of lights are self-contained light systems. The Enduro Maxx has three LEDs and the Race Maxx has two. Both share the same case which about the size of two D-Cell batteries. The machining is impeccable and the laser etching is both attractive and informative. These lights set out to achieve a compact package, light weight, long run-time and a bright, clear beam pattern.

The mounting systems were very well thought-out as well. The handlebar mount features one-handed install and removal of the light head. The Joystick helmet mount is completely adjustable and the light snaps on and off easily but securely.

The Lumen claims of 720 for the Enduro and 240 for the Joystick seem a bit generous compared to competition. Like most companies, Exposure does not measure lumen output. They base their numbers on best case scenarios for the LED bulbs used. From our photos and light measurements, they are about as bright as lights advertised with lower lumens output, such as the Niterider Trinewt and Dinotte 600L.

Light Head Close ups:

Mounting Options:

The Enduro Maxx and the Race Maxx are for handlebar mounting only.

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NiteRider MiNewt.X2 $190.00

Light Meter charts and comparison table available here.

Description:

The MiNewt.X2 features a tiny, 82 gram light head that feels sturdy and looks well-ventilated. The mount is a rubber band hook style onto the bars with a couple innovations. First, the rubber band has a tab that makes it easy to grip. Second, the mount has a pivot ball that allows left to right aiming of the light. The small battery is in a hard case and it is ideally mounted on the stem.

The MiNewt.X2 Dual is the same system with an additional light head and a y-cable. Brightness is doubled and the battery run time is cut in half. The Dual can only be used with both lights since the y-cable is permanently attached. Read the rest of this entry »