January 11th, 2008 by 
Francois
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Lupine Betty 12 $1,185.00
| Light | Price | Claimed Lumens | Runtime | Battery Type | Light head weight | Battery Weight | Installed Weight | Lumens per gram | Lumens per dollar |
| Lupine Betty 12 | $1,185 | 1400 | 6hrs | Lithium Ion | 156g | 668g | 825g | 1.69 | 1.18 |
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:
Mounting:
The Betty 12 can be mounted on the bar or on the helmet.
Light Meter Measurements:
On our ambient light meter tests, the Betty 12 measured a best-of-class 68 Lux. For comparison, the Light On Expedition measured 41 Lux and the Dinotte 600L measured 33 Lux.
Strengths:
- Ultra bright and clean beam pattern that throws a long way
- Great run time
- Configurable light levels
- Extremely high quality
Weaknesses:
- Cannot be aimed left to right easily
- External switch is not ideal as it takes up handlebar space and complicates mounting
- For the amount of light, the beam pattern could be wider. There is minimal halo that aids peripheral vision.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to Lupine, the only real issue is the price. It’s a great light and it demonstrates the top-level performance available in bike lighting today. The light is bright with good light color. The beam pattern has no hotspots and the throw of the light reaches very far.
We found some weaknesses mentioned above but the biggest issue is price and value. At $1200, one can get multiple lights from other vendors to get both bar and helmet lights that are very bright.
But if you want the single most powerful light out there that is compact and showcases what good engineering and good manufacturing can produce, the Betty 12 is a great option.
Beam Pattern Photos:
Betty, Betty
Beam Pattern rollover and side by side comparison page available here.
Value Rating:
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Rating:
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Read or write reviews:
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Lights/product_131753.shtml
Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page | Mtbr Lights Reviews | Mtbr Lights Forum
January 21st, 2008 at 4:08 pm
$1200 bucks ???????????? Are you f$#@!#$%in’ kidding me ??????
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Why not? it is a great lamp.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I have been playing with a Wilma 6 for a few weeks and would happily spend 6-700$ on the Lupine System, but 1200$…I’m a total techi-gear head and still find that a bit obsurd.
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
There are places to get the Betty 12 for less than $1200.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:52 am
Now you can blind other cyclists, AND remortgage your house! What a sham. I bought a red LED bike light for 35 bucks and it’s MORE than adequate. This is marketed to yuppies who want to show off their wealth.
January 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Nick ,where can i find places to get betty 12 under 1200usd.
thanks
January 29th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Gustavo,
Try Mountain High Cyclery
sales@mtnhighcyclery.com or
larry@mtnhighcyclery.com
I bought a Betty 6 & Wilma 6 from Larry.
worth every penny
January 30th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
To Scott… You know it can be dimmed down to 1watt, right? Don’t hate on those that can afford quality products. You must ride a too…
January 31st, 2008 at 11:41 pm
It all depends on the type of riding you do. Technical north shore riding on a dark wet night, and a bright light like that is awesome. For commuting or road riding, it is definitely overkill, but it does have a dimmer as well.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Before i buy a betty from larry(1079 usd) i would like to ask anyone. Someone has a TRIAL TECH MR 16 LAMP?.
James thanks .
February 5th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
problem with the price? you would probably go to a porsche dealership looking for pontiac prices…these lights are dope and well worth the investment!
February 7th, 2008 at 8:42 am
love my betty12…
picks up Kangaroos early enough on my night rides…downhill single track at 55Kph++. My wallet hurts much less than the rocks (or ‘roos) in outback WA
February 7th, 2008 at 8:45 am
love my betty12…
picks up Kangaroos early enough on my hot (35C at 10pm) night rides … downhill single track at 55Kph++. My wallet hurts much less than the rocks (or ‘roos) in outback WA
February 27th, 2008 at 3:02 am
both Wilma and Betty are bulletproof quality lights with the betty providing enough punch for all situations - i mostly ride with Wilma but can attack a downhill course at night with both on the bike. If you can afford Lupine don’t hesitate !
March 15th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I love my betty 12 also,i just received it from LARRY,THANKS BRO,I am starting to learn how to program,but i can´t wait to use it.Mountain High Cyclery thanks again.
best wishes.
gustavo
colombia
May 20th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Drive it and love it.
Nothing I used before comes close to this…
June 27th, 2008 at 7:59 am
The question really boils down to how much fun do you want to have, and how well do you want to be able to see - using Lupines is like having stadium lighting. As you speed on single track goes up, you very quickly understand the value of a Lupine.
I own the Wilma 6 (great lamp) and am actually considering the Betty, here’s why… When you ride very fast on single track at night you absolutely NEED light technology like this…
Rockin through single track at night is the most fun a guy or gal can have in the woods with their clothes on! It is safe and fun only IF you have the proper equipment… a partner, a helmet, and a kick-ass lamp that can keep up.
When you ride fast enough on remote trail systems (such as up here in N. Wisconsin) at night, you’ll quickly understand why spending $600 to $1200 on a lamp is absolutely worth the money.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Bought the Betty 6 about a month ago. Best light I’ve ever owned and I’ve tried/owned a lot. Nite Rider has always been my “go to” lighting system. I just got sick and tired of the Nite Riders either breaking or running out of juice. When I started researching the new Nite Rider Tri Newt, which I believe they claim to be the brightest, the Lupine won me over hands down. Double the amount of Lumens for a little more money. The quality is second to none. The battery light time(s) are incredible. I’ve never been on an epic night ride and had my Betty start to crap out on me. The light is just so bright you truly have to ride with one to appreciate it. I have several friends who all ride Nite Rider and other brands either recreationally or during 24 hr races, nothing comes close to my light. Did I pay for it? You bet. Your not going to pay Honda Civic pricing for a BMW. You get what you pay for. I did some quick math as well. For the amount of money I’ve spent buying new Nite Rider lights, I could of just made the investment with this and saved a lot of money over the years along with aggrevation of my lights crapping out all the time.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:36 am
One more thing, sorry, you can really customize the light output with this thing. So much that I still havent fine tuned it to all the options. Its insane how many different settings you can have with it. When I’m riding home, about 3 miles the trailhead, I usually keep it on full for laughs. The cars coming at me are always flashing their high beams trying to get me to turn it off or down. They think its a car coming at them with high beams on. Aliens in the woods or something I guess. LOL. When they see its a mountain biker (covered in mud thank you) they cant believe it. Pretty pissed off faces which can be a good thing now and then.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:26 am
I have to say that is a fantastic lamp i am glad i bought it .
The lamp last for more than 7 hours in max ,25w.
gustavo arango
COLOMBIA S.A
October 11th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
It is expensive, but how much have you spent on your bike/components. How many people have paid more for a wheelset, or for a fork, or other componentry. Quite a few. Why? Because we love to ride bikes. So why not pay a lot for something that allows you to ride your bike as it was meant to be ridden at any time of the day, and enjoy our expensive bike investment. So think about that when you talk about how much the system is. When it allows you to actually ride your expensive a## bike pretty much anytime of the day, which is why you paid so much money for it.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Unbelievable how gullible, self-absorbed and ridiculous buyers of this POS must be. There is nothing further that can be said, except maybe to recall the adage about “a fool and his money…”
October 31st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
The last comments from Absalaam are funny. For most folks who truly enjoy mountain biking or road riding they’ll happily spend 2-3-4000$ (if not more) on a bike, plus hundreds of dollars on clothes, hydration packs, shoes, glasses, helmets, etc.. and you say that its gullible and self-absorbed to purchase “this POS.” Thats crazy. If I spend 3-4000$ on a bike I want to ride it as much as I possibly can……including the night time. It comes down to “how well do you want to see, and how much money can you spend.” If people lead a lifestyle or have a bank account that allows them to spend money on nice things, who are you to judge? The beauty of the Lupine systems is that you can also use them for night skiing, trail running, adventure racing, caving, etc…. There is no other system on the market that has such abilities. 1100$ is a lot of money, in that there is no question, but if I am engaging in one or more of the aforementioned activities and want to be and feel as safe as possible AND have the money…why the heck not.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:39 am
Some people have more money than others. If I won the lottery then I would go for the Lupine. Until then, I would be ab-so-lutely crazy to go for it…
Clearly though, a lot of people do manage to enjoy night biking without spending that amount of money - Even if that means buying two of the cheaper units.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Has anyone used the helmet-mount option? For the helmet-mount option, does the battery stay in the bottle cage?
December 17th, 2008 at 6:27 am
The review misses out two of the massive benefits of Lupine systems:
Long burn times and fast charge times.
This is down to the charger 1 technology which comes with the Betty.
This charger is far far superior to any other light manufacturer.
Other thoughts.
-The charger and the huge capacity battery contribute to the high price tag.
-The lamp is inter changeable with all their other batteries for a lighter set up.
-The quality of manufacturing is very high.
-The light is extremely simple to fit (no cable ties here)!
-External switch can be placed near the grips so you can dim the light without taking yr hands off the bars.