Exposure MaXx-D Mk8 light - Review
Exposure Lights, by Ultimate Sports Engineering Ltd in the UK, has carved itself a niche in the high-power bicycle lights market. They were an early adopter of LED technology and over the years, Exposure has continued to develop the concept at the highest levels. The original MaXx-D light, their top-of-the-range model in 2009, pumped out 960 lumens. The MaXx-D Mk8 in this review puts out a claimed, 2,600 lumens - and it is far more user-friendly. The handlebar-mount lamp offers USB charging, burn times from two to 36 hours, depending upon light output, and the battery and electronics are self-contained in a water-resistant aluminum case. Weight is 305g and the MSRP is $529USD
Details:
• Purpose: high-performance night riding and competition
• Construction: multiple LED, quick-release handlebar mount, aluminum chassis
• Fits 31.8mm or 25.4mm handlebars
• Power: 2,600 lumens
• Burn time: (claimed) 2 hours, 15 min at full power, up to 36 hours in economy mode
• Power-saving Reflex mode dims lamp at low speeds
• Ten power levels
• Illuminated LED "fuel gauge"
• Battery: self-contained, USB-port rechargeable
• Weight: 305g.
• MSRP: £344.95 / $529 USD
• Contact: www.ultimatesportsengineering.com
Integrated battery Exposure’s CFD (Cable Free Design) has always been a key selling point of its lights. It means all the electronics and the batteries are self-contained, so you won't be encumbered by an external battery pack wired to your bike or body. The lamp is housed in an aluminum can, and attached to the handlebar with a quick-release aluminum band clamp. And, at 308 grams, the MaXx-D Mk8 is light enough that it’s not going to impact steering.
Automatic dimming feature: First debuted in 2012, Exposure’s Reflex technology has now been rolled out to all its models, including the MaXx-D. What’s Reflex? It’s a circuit that uses accelerometers to sense speed changes and automatically adjusts the brightness to suit. So, brighter when you’re travelling faster downhill, and less bright when climbing or maintaining pace. Sounds like a gimmick, but it works - and it works seamlessly. I didn't notice it happening as I was riding, but it helped to serve up more brightness when I needed it, and to conserve battery life when I didn't. Only the top three settings use the Reflex. In the brightest Reflex mode, you’re looking at 2,600 lumens with a two-hour, 15-minute claimed battery life.
Ten power options: "Manual override mode" offers the choice of ten settings so you can customize the output and battery duration for the riding you’re doing - maximum output for high-speed descending and lower outputs for climbing or XC-paced riding. Burn times from 12 to 24 hours on its medium settings makes it ideal for 12- and 24-hour racing events, and will run up to 36 hours if you need it. A helpful battery duration table is laser-etched on the bottom of the unit.
Designed to last: The light comes in a padded storage box (which is a nice touch), an owner's manual, and a USB charging cable. Construction is excellent throughout, and It is also worth mentioning that you’re paying for a light that is manufactured in the UK and Exposure will sort out any problems you might have with a full warranty. I’ve heard good reports about their customer service, and that’s a nice bit of peace of mind.
Four LEDs can be toggled to customize the light output.
The quick-detach bayonet handlebar clamp.
On the Trail
You'll want to be night riding on a very regular basis to justify the $520 asking price of the MaXx-D Mk8. That is a serious investment considering the number of bargain basement handlebar lamps available today. Its performance though, in every aspect, simply embarrasses the cheaper lights. In the brightest setting, the MaXx-D is simply stunning. The four LEDs (three spot and one diffused) cast a pattern that casts a powerful trail spot, blended with a wider throw that enables you to see far enough down the trail that you really don’t need to back off your speed - even on unfamiliar trails - and width of the beam ensures everything at the edges of the trail is illuminated too. There’s enough reach and depth available at full power to ride near daytime levels. I found the highest setting dwarfed a helmet-mounted light I was using in tandem with the bar-mounted MaXx-D, so good that even in twisty singletrack I had no issues seeing around the corners.
I used the default Reflex mode most of the time, which uses an in-built accelerometer to adjust the brightness of the light depending on the speed. In this default setting, you can override Reflex mode when necessary to the high setting, which was ideal for techy bits of singletrack, technical descents and for frightening the living daylights out of dog walkers and car drivers. Most often, there was little reason to replicate daytime levels, so I and powered it down into a lower setting, which was still plenty bright enough for ambling along fire roads and slower singletracks. I found that I could really eke out the battery life by switching between Reflex and the lower power settings.
An illuminated digital display shows remaining battery life.
Each of the ten modes are etched into the light's casing.
Exposure has completely done away with rubber buttons, and instead, there’s a-touch sensitive switch. It works well with or without gloves, but isn’t quite as easy as the old rubber buttons in my experience. Below the on/off button is an illuminated screen - the “fuel gauge” - that clearly tells you how much juice is left in the battery. That may be the single best feature of the light, because it completely removes the guesswork other lights require to put together a "return to base strategy." The remaining charge is expressed as a percentage and is used to show illumination modes and the charging status. The display will flip itself if you mount the light upside down. Very neat.
Issues:
Cable free design: A complete lack of cables makes the light easy to fit, and avoids the potential of a battery scratching your frame - we liked that.
Quick detach clamp: The clamp holds the light securely and firmly in place, and its red knob allows easy removal with no tools needed - but If you ride 35mm handlebars you will need to purchase a separate attachement.
Slow Charge rate: Long burn times can mean even longer charge times. Charging the light is rather slow - a full nine hours - so you'll need to plan ahead. Overnight does the job.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | If you want a light that turns night into day, this is it. Yes, it's jolly expensive, but the staggering light output; the usefulness of the beam pattern in a wide range of situations; the long battery life; the ease of use with the screen readout; and the solid construction, all make this a light for the serious night riding enthusiast who wants the best. For those facing a long, dark winter, the MaXx-D Mk8 can make night riding as fun and as fast as riding in the daylight. - David Arthur |
Author Info:
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The problem is many "2800" lumen lights only produce such light at its maximum focul point. Light manufacturers need to give lumen @ some standard focul size.
In the current scheme of things it's best to look for the focul point, size, flexibility, pattern etc.
www.lights-box.com/high-powerful-uniquefire-uf-v10-7-7xcree-xm-l-2-6000-lumen-3-mode-led-flashlight-4x18650-battery
At what lumen rating can you run it for 1-plus hours?
Right so I'd need to buy 4 of them to get the same run time as the $600 light.
You're a special kind of stupid.
www.backcountry.com/niterider-pro-3600-enduro-remote
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0suANMK6VQ
In that case this makes more sense :
www.ebay.com/itm/Night-Vision-Binoculars-Infrared-Stealth-Technology-High-Visibility-Spy-Goggles-/161888594851
lol
"Quick detach clamp: The clamp holds the light securely and firmly in place, and its red knob allows easy removal with no tools needed - but If you ride 35mm handlebars you will need to purchase a separate attachement."
You need one clamp for every bike you own. (I know you own more than one).
The clamp stays in place using a screw.
It may be risky to ride without the lamp mounted because of the form of the clamp, you can maybe break it, maybe hurt yourself and it looks really bad without the lamp... I really hate that y cannot have a clean handlebar without the light.
In germany you pay 22 EUR for the clamp, a bit too much... then you change bars and you have to buy more... Jesus! I only want to ride !
FWIW. I have the equinox, kinda one down from this. I got it with the battery add-on, and use on the helmet with a Diablo on the bar. Epic combo. This Maxx-D is too heavy for helmet use. Awesome lights either way, and great CS too.
put your big boy pants on and buy an electric screwdriver!
I can tell you where the tool is...
Jokes... ;-)
I have just had to order new batteries though, for the very cold days. £14. Oh dear.
Try mtbatteries.co.uk for good quality but not stupidly priced lights, 3 winters and still going strong. Did damage the helmet light after hitting a low branch one too many times, messaged them for a replacement but told to send it back, week latter on it was returned repaired for free.
Between the MaXx-D above, the Exposure Six Pack MK6, and the Hope R8 Vision, one of the big cycling retailers does serious volume.
What are you goin on about WAKI? ;-) what did the doc say?
Anyone stating "cheap chinese parts" needs to quit kidding themselves! Where do you think this light is made?!? Where is 99% of the electronics in the world made?!? And bikes, carbon, nearly everything is made in China. The only difference in most cases between buying it directly from China, and in your own country with a 400-1000% markup is not as good of a warranty and yes sometimes stuff is crap, but do your homework and you'll be fine usually.
There is only about three manafactures on the planet making these led bulbs.
The body is made in the UK but a cnc machine in China does the exact same job as a cnc machine in the UK.
The only lumen figure i would believe is from an independent test facility.
yeh right....
I mean, I'm more than happy with the performance of my £30 Chinese light. There is the labor argument, but there is also the pricepoint argument, I cannot justify paying 10x more for a british made light, I'm not going to work 10x as long to pay for a british light. it simply doesnt make sense to me. When all is said and done, if its bright enough to do the job, then the role of a light is done. I dont find I need cadence sensors or accelerometers in my light. I just want it to convert chemical energy to light.....
going on your logic the £100 crapper from asda will "do the job" too....
Luckily there are numerous dirt cheap alternatives so I can go night riding without splashing out half a month's wages.
(PS. I've kids too and the only riding I get in winter tends to be at night! I feel your pain!)
I believe that exposure lights have always been popular here in the UK for their race support - I think they are at pretty much every 24hrs/night event and sort out any problems, which has always been a key to their success here... I don't know if they have reps who similarly support non-UK events though?
The cheap lights made today are superior to the expensive lights made only 5+ years ago, and when 4 of these lights would come close to what my whole bike cost, I couldn't justify it.
The exposure stuff is so robust and simply works. No errant connections, no awful o-rings. Just slap it into the horseshoe mount and you can lift the bike by it. (FYI there is a 35mm mount available)
It is a shame they don't do a helmet mount for the horseshoe fit but I guess it would wreck your kid in a crash. However the helmet lights are also fantastic.
That said, I do a lot of night/pre dawn riding on local routes. For me the reliability and lack of faff is worth the price. If you only night ride occasionally then it isn't worth it.
I have a really nice bike but don't drive a car at all.
Should I have a $1.5 million home?
I own my home, but it's a mere 1/6 a Veyron.
How come bike stuff is getting so out of hand???
You can go online and buy some rather nice bike light (not cable free, not as pretty, but doesn't take 9 hours to fully charge, and in case you break it, just get another one) for 25/30$.... and bottom point is, it will light your way!
I totally agree with premium alternatives as you say. Truth is, stuff is getting ridiculously expensive.
Sure XTR and high end Sram is expensive, but the performance on gets for cheap, relative to "the old days" is out of hand. SLX > original XTR in every single way, at less than half the price.
If china can make something half as good as this for £20 why pay 300 for something you might wrap around a tree.
www.facebook.com/oli.carterreviloretrac/videos/10154445526578146
He also has a Diablo helmet light.
www.ebay.ca/itm/281838195810?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
^That's about all I read in the Pinkbike comments section, it seems.