Full-Beam Fusion – 2012 Mtbr Lights Shootout

Holy moly, a self-contained light arrived from the UK from a brand new company. It must be a good day. Prior to this, I did a lot of riding with the Lupine Wilma TL and the the Exposure MaxxD both reviewed on this light shootout. This category of High End self contained bike flashlights is the most exciting today as the latest LEDs are crammed into one case with the highest quality batteries available. The rider is left with a small light with no wires that puts out about as much light as a car headlight.

Vital stats for the competition are:

Lupine Wilma TL

Price: $549.00
Claimed Lumens: 1100 Lumens
Installed Weight: 234 grams
Run Time: 1:10 Hours
Measured MTBR Lux: 113 Lux

Exposure MaxxD

Price: $500.00
Claimed Lumens: 1285 Lumens
Installed Weight: 276 grams
Run Time: 3 Hours
Measured MTBR Lux: 85 Lux

Full Beam Fusion

Price: £400 GBP
Claimed Lumens: 2100 Lumens
Installed Weight: 339 grams
Run Time: 1:20 hours on high, 5 hours at medium of 700 lumens
Measured MTBR Lux: 157 Lux

So we are taking the time and space to detail the competitive landscape here because that is the only real way to understand this light. This is a new category and it is put up here against the best. Notice that it is the Europeans that are leading the charge in this arena. This seem to have a penchant for machined, minimalist widgets like these lights.

This category now gives you light weight of under 300 grams (less than an pound), amazingly bright light (about 3x the output of the old HIDs). The only downside is battery run time which is usually an hour and half. The good news is these lights are so bright that there’s no need to run them at full power so run time can be easily doubled. The Exposure MaxxD however delivers a 3 hour runtime.

Run Time Specs:

With these very compact and powerful lights, there is a tendency to be discouraged by the short run times on full power. The good news is these lights are so powerful that the rider will usually run it on medium level for most of the ride. The medium on this light delivers a 5 hours at 700 lumens which is on par with the old HID lights.

High: 1h20 @ 2100 Lumens
Medium: 5+ hrs at 700 lumens
Low: 20hrs at 150 lumens.

Mounting:

Mounting is done with a robust, attached mount that is hand tightened and quick release. These are the best mounts available today as they require no tools, can accomodate both handlebar sizes, can be attached and removed easily. And they look clean and slick too. It can be aimed left to right as well.