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Bikeray IV: Cat's Review

23K views 164 replies 21 participants last post by  Rakuman 
#1 ·
Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be reviewing the much talked about Bikeray IV.
I just got the light yesterday in the mail. Usually when I do review stuff I tend to get a little over exuberant. That's not going to happen this time. This time I'm going to take my time and muse somewhat on my own observations before I start going into details. That means you'll have to be patient. I intend to compare this light to others that I already own and that means I have to take the time to see how the lights work in various situation/terrains. Some of the issues I will be commenting on: Beam pattern, light intensity, design, bang for buck, battery and battery runtime and of course over-all usability. I will comment on the things I like most about it and the things I like least about it. I will try to be as fair about it as I can. In order to do that I will need to take some time to do some careful observations. Heck, I'll probably even need to take notes..;)

I will be taking beam shots as well. Beam shots are hard to do. If they are to be done right it will take time so please be patient. Where I live has gotten a lot of rainfall lately so getting those outside beam shots might take some time.

I did take a quick ride this morning around 2:00AM and I did compare a couple other lights. Being careful not to jump the gun ( so to speak ) much of what I saw was expected. No startling revelations as yet but to keep the naysayers at bay I feel obligated to throw out a quick bone so here goes.....initial observations from my first ride ( 20 min. ): Most of what I saw I liked....but details my friends will follow. Details are everything...;) ~ ~ ~
 
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#33 ·
BikeRay IV: First ride in with readjusted Optics

I have to say I'm very pleased. Output is much, much better as is the throw. Matter of fact I found it wasn't necessary to use the helmet light as much because the throw was that good. ( I was only using an XP-G torch though. )

To describe the output and throw is not easy as it is unlike any other light I own. Still, I'll give it a shot so here goes. The Ray IV now has decent throw very much like a standard P-7 light but does not accomplish that using a reflector. Because of that it produces a much wider even beam pattern. Although not as intense as the spot on a P-7 it easily out-classes the P-7 stuff by it's ability to just light up everything it front of you for a good distance with the wide/forward throwing swath of light it produces. And I will say that light does carry a good distance depending on the terrain. Now I'm sure adding a helmet light is still going to help but if you use one it better have more punch than a single XPG as the Ray IV practically ate up the light from my torch. Well,.. almost all the light.

In my previous ( initial ) review ( before adjusting the optic ), I noted that the optics sent light everywhere...up, down, to the sides and up into the trees. Now it still does some of that but it is now more directed toward the front which is where you are going making it much more useful . Tonight as I was descending a hill towards a stream crossing I was able to see not only the stuff right in front of me really well ( and a lot of stuff at that, rocks, ruts, etc... ) but the beam also lit up the whole stream and even reached the other side BEFORE I HAD EVEN REACHED THE BOTTOM! I guess I'll have to call that "Upward spill", which in this case absolutely rocks :rockon:

Anyway, just one ride so I'll let that go for now. Tomorrow will be another ride in another area that will include some faster descents. I'll let you know how it works out but I have a feeling that the smile on my face is just going to get bigger..:D ...Oh and one last note: I found a good trail tonight for beam pics so maybe some good trail shots if the good weather continues.
 
#34 ·
adjusted optic wall photo

Before going out today I thought it a good idea to post a wall beam shot. I want others to know what the beam pattern should look like in case they were to have doubts about whither or not their optics are seated and adjusted properly.

This is a wall beam shot of the Bike Ray IV on low. Distance is about 4ft. from the wall.
 

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#36 ·
Your asking me to compare apples to oranges. BUT....I will do my best. From what I could see the build looks pretty solid however I am not an expert in such matters. I could not detect the use of thermal paste but that doesn't mean it isn't using any. The quad led configuration is firmly planted on the metal heat sink ( with screws ) and all the electrical contacts looked very clean and shiny. The only issue I saw was in the placement of the holes used to mount the legs of the optic. With those holes there was lots of wiggle room. Not a big problem really as long as you know about it.

The Ray IV is suppose to incorporate thermal monitoring of the leds that powers down from high when over-heating. How well that system works is anyone's guess. Not sure I want to test for something like that.

I don't think you can compare these to a Dinotte or a Lupine. Those systems are much more custom engineered and have way more features. Like I said before, "apples and oranges".

Now as to the issue of of "reasonable trade offs to costs"...I can't speak too much towards the trade offs as it depends on what you expect to get. With the limited use I have had with it so far it seems to be performing as expected. The high mode ( with 3hr run time ) is the biggest selling point of the Ray IV. I could always wish for a little more throw and another brighter mid-mode but in products designed for simplicity this is what you get for less than $200. With all things considered I think it is a decent value. If it sold for $150 it would be ( hands down ) a much better value. At least for the $179 you get the system as well as the guarantees and customer support of the North American vendor, which I may add is standing firmly behind his product...a big, big plus.

~ ~ ~ ~ After deciding to cancel my ride Monday because of excessive heat and humidity I decided instead to get some quick beam shots at the local trails. My loss was to be your gain. :thumbsup: I went home and got the camera gear and the rest of the stuff. Not a cop in sight. Quickly got set up and paced out the markers. Lastly I turned a light on to adjust the camera and then turned the camera on to set it for night. That was when I noticed the camera telling me the following, " No memory stick in device". :eek: :incazzato: :madman: :nonod: Would someone please do me a favor and kick this -> :ciappa: REAL HARD!
 
#38 ·
Hi Lawndart;

Thank you for the interest on BikeRay lights.
I will say, Ray-IV on helmet and Ray-III on the handlebar.

Ray-III will give you a wide beam spread of 24+ degrees. And that will cover most of your views all around you.
Ray-IV has 15 degree beam, which will give you wide yet focussed to reach far deeper than Ray-III.

We have racers who uses only Ray-III or IV on hadlebar and Ray-I or II on helmet, and they said it was plenty of light for their needs.
 
#39 · (Edited)
Cat, thanks for making your observations.

It might be "apples to oranges" at one level, but if one looks just at the lumens, same XPG LED and comparably li-ion batteries, these new generation of multiple LED lights give you the functionality of higher-end lights with a lot lower entry cost. So the issues of long term reliability beyond warranty vs functional life is probably the remaining consideration especially if you factor in the technology improvement over just a few years.

Really mixing these apples and oranges, but just look at a Nikon D1 DSLR. Built to professional standard, state of the art $5k at the time and now goes on eBay for less than $200. The still ticking Timex like Nikon D1 reliability is a moot point now. Will my Lupine Betty look like this in say 4+ years? One can attempt to argue that it still shines (or takes a good a pictures) as the day you got it. But most folks would just smile and pull out their IPhone and say smile.

For a more realistic comparison (and the reason I asked you), I only had a Geoman MS for a few day last summer before the battery/charger failed completely. But looking back, I recall how well made the actual lamphead seemed for the price. I just looked at another higher-end light and also have the Lupine Betty. If a BR IV holds up for say 3-4 years that might just be a reasonable expectation, since about that time you will be wanting a brighter and longer running light anyway.

Please keep us updated on the BR IV.

BTW, In case one thinks I am just a disposable junkie, my newest vehicle of three is 16 years old and my bike carrying truck is 24 (almost classic in Colorado) with 289k miles. But I go through digital Nikon DSLR every 2nd generation so far, so mixed bag of fruit, I am.
 
#40 ·
.... If a BR IV holds up for say 3-4 years that might just be a reasonable expectation, since about that time you will be want a brighter and longer running light anyway.

Please keep us updated on the BR IV.

.
I agree with your expectations. And yes, I'm sure more cheap Chinese lights will be sold in the future using more brighter and more numerous LED's. I totally expect someone to make a cheap duel XML light head. If they did it would likely beat everything out there for throw as long as it is driven at least around 2.8A. Then Bikeray might come out with a BR V or VI....:)

I think it a very good chance you'll get 3 years out of a Ray IV light head if not more. Batteries though are always a question regardless of what you buy. Battery technology is still lagging behind somewhat. How long your Li-ion battery last depends not only on the quality of the cells ( the main issue ) but how much you use them and or abuse them. That's the reason the vendors can only offer so many months warranty on a battery. Some fool will buy one, use it almost everyday driving it into deep discharge on a regular basis. Then they will store the battery in a hot car during the hottest days of the year. After a year when the warranty ends they will b**ch and moan because the battery doesn't last as long as it use to. :rolleyes:

In the long run I think if you get three years out of any Li-ion battery pack you've done well. When you start noticing a 20% or more loss of run time it's time for a new battery. Just use the old one for back-up.

While on the subject of batteries I just thought I'd mention that I discovered the other day that my Dinotte 4-cells work just fine with my Bikeray IV. Just for kicks I'll likely charge up one of my 3yr old Dinotte batteries and see how long it runs the BR IV. :)
 
#41 ·
Li-ion battery are basically a PITA as compared to Eneloop from Sanyo unfortunately a necessary evil today.

After the MS battery failure, I did a lot research and came to the same conclusion as you. About 3-4 years is about it- even with TLC and good storage techniques (cool and 40% charge). And one should do only about 1/2 discharge with preferably a slower 1C max charge for better life and should use a true CCCV charger with termination. I think a lot of the "so called" smart charger are not true CCCV.

For my light, I looked at my typical ride and went with the larger battery that give a 1/2 discharge cycle for my light power setting. Not sure if BR is giving us many options as a kit. And right now, I don't trust the BR battery- yet.

However Lupine and Geoman are really giving us some good battery options and reasonable prices with good cells.. Other brands max out around 4.5- 5ah, so it is easy to go over 50% discharge on a 2hr ride at full power. As you know nothing breaks immediately, but one is only going to get a few hundred cycles at best before they lose a lot of capacity. Then you hear the B&M on the forums. If folks just topped them off after every ride you probably can get at least 2 years-maybe more. Al the most reason to get a 7 or 8+ah battery, since as it ages it still has reasonable capacity while its daily use is less likely to go into the deep discharge- a win-win in my book.

Unbelievably some folks still think they are supposed to run them down before charging or even deliberately do a discharge cycle. This is know as extra profit to the dealer and probably why so few talk about it. Cynic me.
 
#47 ·
This is my very old Sony CyberShot DSC-P50. It only has one day and one night setting and is not adjustable for exposure otherwise. Still, takes a pretty decent photo at night. As others have mentioned before, night photos can only reveal so much as the eye tends to see things differently. In this case the photos can't really show the wide spread of light that the Ray IV provides. To do that I need a trail that is wide but with some trees and brush for spill reference. That means strapping the tripod to my backpack. It does collapse but still a pain to haul ( along with all the other camera stuff ).

My Adobe Photoshop program list the following information for the photos:

exposure time: 2 sec.
F-Stop: 3.8
ISO speed: 100
 
#48 · (Edited)
Been a while but the other day I noticed a couple more things about the Bikeray IV that I thought worth mentioning.

I took a ride the other night on some trails that turned out to had just gotten a quick shower. When heading back there was a good amount of fog that was hanging in the air about head high. This pretty much was making my helmet torch useless as most of the light from my torch just ended up lighting up the fog and limiting what I could see. That meant I was Ray IV almost all the way back. Because the fog was not low to the ground it had no effect on the Ray IV. I have to say the Ray IV works very well when used alone. I really didn't miss the helmet light at all. Then again trails were wet and I wasn't going as fast as I usually do. On a side note, I never noticed before but the when changing modes on the Ray IV you get a nice "click" that you can feel and hear. Likely you won't hear it going fast but you will still feel the click. Real important when switching to high from low. Two quick clicks will quickly by-pass the flash mode and put you in high mode.

Since I also had a bar torch along every once in a while I would turn the BR off and try riding with the torch. All I can say is , "Wow!, What a difference"! When I was using the torch ( XM-L emitter ) though it had excellent output, whenever I turned the bars to dodge something it seemed like half the trail had almost vanished. Since I wasn't using the helmet light, this was making a big difference in what I could see and what I couldn't see. With the Bikeray IV on high I could see almost the whole trail, even when dodging obstacles! This wider beam pattern is very, very useful. The more I use it the more I like it.

After exiting the trail I rode about two miles on the road back to the car. During that ride I noticed something else about the Ray IV; It seems to have even more throw when riding on the road. I think that's why I previous thought that the throw tripled after aligning the optics because the first test was in a completely dark parking lot. Anyway, I can't say how far it's throwing on the road because, well ...hard to do when riding. Let's just say I don't think you could out-ride the throw unless you were going really, really fast. And for those people who might fear having deer jumping out of the woods and not seeing them until too late....Not going to happen with the Ray IV. The beam pattern on high just lights up the whole road ( on a double lined road ) and the light extends all the way to the tree line ( on both sides of the road ) Of course tree lines vary on how far away they are to the road but I think you get the idea. If you have trees near a road edge, you are definitely going to see anything that pokes it's head out. Sadly, I wouldn't recommend using the high mode with on-coming traffic. Car drivers are not going to like having this much light shining in their eyes.

I really hope to get a couple more good beam shots on some good trails. I also want to try the BR on some more faster trails or fire roads. Matter of fact, I have one particular area in mind near me that will incorporate a real "white knuckled", high-speed, 30-35mph, two mile plus forest road descent that is filled with lots of the typical fire road hazards. I'm talking pot hole hell, loose scree, killer blind turns and throw in a couple on-coming cars to make things interesting. Maybe this week if all goes as planned. :thumbsup:
 
#50 ·
I know everyone always wants to know about the latest and greatest, but as for someone who has been doing nighttime riding for 20 with high power lights, BY FAR the most important thing is reliability. This isn't just long-term reliability, but general, night-to-night robustness. Having your light fail 10 miles out in the woods or in the countryside is really no fun.

I know nobody is going to do long term reviews on this stuff, but that would be the greater value than what beam pattern is "cleanest"
 
#51 ·
I know everyone always wants to know about the latest and greatest, but as for someone who has been doing nighttime riding for 20 with high power lights, BY FAR the most important thing is reliability. This isn't just long-term reliability, but general, night-to-night robustness. Having your light fail 10 miles out in the woods or in the countryside is really no fun.

I know nobody is going to do long term reviews on this stuff, but that would be the greater value than what beam pattern is "cleanest"
Long term reliability is of course a very important issue. Back in the day when higher power lights first started to become popular it was halogen technology that was most used by MTB'ers. If you were lucky the bulb lasted a couple seasons. Not to mention the problems with the batteries ( Ni-cad and NiMh ), so yes reliability sucked. Still, most people still bought the bulbs and worked with the batteries. Back then it was the only game in town so no one really B&M'd about it too much.

Today, LED technology is so much better that there really is no comparison. As long as the driver and component connections are solid they should continue to work for a very long time. Water resistance is important too not to mention battery life. So far I've not heard of too many people complaining about their LED light going out while raining. That goes for the expensive stuff as well as the Chinese made merchandise which I'm sure is not so carefully made.

Regardless, trusting in a single product's reliability only goes so far. That is why I always carry at least two light sources ( but usually 3-4 if I include my torches ). I think for most people simply running out of battery power is the number one reason their light will fail. That is why it is real important to know the do's and don't's of your battery's chemistry. That and it is always smart to charge the battery before you go out to ride. If you do a run time test on the battery a couple times during the riding season(s) you should never be surprised by running out of juice while on a ride. Reliability, whether it pertains to Chinese bike lights or NASA space shuttles, only goes so far. Being educated about, "How best to prepare for riding at night" will get you a lot further regardless of what light(s) you use.
 
#52 · (Edited)
I was out tonight for a really nice moon lit night ride. Conditions couldn't of been more perfect. Did bring the camera along but after fiddling with the tripod I decided to leave the tripod home. I do have a little mini tripod than can strap to a tree or branch if you can find a good one. Sadly really hard to find a small sapling close to the trail when you need one.

Anyway as I was heading back I thought I'd try mounting the camera to the handlebars thinking that maybe that could keep it steady enough. Well, the picture turned out not too bad but a little blurry and a bit dark. Thats what happens when you don't use a stable tripod and the camera moves during the exposure. Not too bad for whats up near you but you lose the ability to gather light at a distance.

With all this said I'm going to show you the picture after I altered it to compensate for the camera movement. I adjusted the sharpness, some brightness and some contrast using photo shop. I truly believe the result shows you what the Ray IV actual does. Sorry I had no way to mark distance but the top of hill is maybe 75-80 ft.
 

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#53 · (Edited)
Bad news!!

On my way home today I was caught in a typical summer-day afternoon shower. Short, but admittedly very intense.

I had my BikeRay IV flashing in front and my DiNotte 400R in the back.

When I got home after a 10-15 min ride in the rain, the DiNotte was still flashing like it always does. What a gem of a little dependable light. The BikeRay IV, on the other hand, was dead.

Interestingly enough, the button was solid green. But pressing the button did nothing, unplugging and re-plugging the battery did nothing. Since I have a spare DiNotte battery at hand (which, like the Cat Man has pointed out, works just fine with the BikeRay IV), I tried using that battery. No luck. For what it's worth, I could see mist on the inside of the lens.

Well, crap! :mad: :madman: :madmax:

I really liked that light. Really, really did. I just can't believe that one single little shower would kill it like that.

I'm gonna contact BikeRay and see if they want to replace that light. If they do, I'd give it another try because I really want that light to work. But, from what I've seen so far, reliability of the BikeRay IV is questionable to say the least. :nono: :mad: :eekster:
 
#55 ·
This is where the water got in, I think. All that stands between a shower and the electronics inside is this little button cap. It's soft and can be removed with a fingernail. It just pops out without any resistance whatsoever. Of course water will get in there.

In fact it didn't take long at all since I wasn't riding in the rain for more than 15 min.
 

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#64 ·
This strikes me as a serious design flaw, but perhaps one that can be remedied with something as simple as a new switch cover.

I don't expect an inexpensive bike light to be submersible-waterproof, but clearly it needs to be capable of resisting an hour or so in the rain.

Most cheap (<$25) tailights will continue to function in the rain, and a $180 headlight should do the same. Even my $87 Magicshine 900s have survived a few unexpected rainstorms without incident (yes, I was surprised too).

I was seriously considering the purchase of a Bikeray 4 before reading this post. Thanks for the warning, Azra.

Rakuman's suggestion to seal with silicon might work in the short term, but if the button is loose fitting, which seems to be the case, then the caulk repair would probably fail after a short time. Caulk does stretch, but it doesn't adhere well to slick surfaces like anodized aluminum. The caulk seal would probably break free after pushing the button a few times.

Hopefully this discovery will motivate a prompt, effective remedy from Bikeray.
 
#56 ·
This is the front of the light. It is actually much better designed (notice the red o-ring seal) and probably more or less waterproof. But since water got in from the back, now it's pouring out the front.

It's kind of white-ish. Must be some thermal paste inside, I guess.
 

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#57 ·
Success! After exposing the BikeRay IV to a hair dryer for a while, then letting it dry some more, it has come back to life.

Like as good as new. But useless. I mean, what am I gonna do with a light that's too delicate to ride in the rain? It's not like I have control over the weather. :mad:
 
#58 ·
Would a healthy dose of silicone then reinstall the silicone cover fix this water intrusion because there are a lot of these on the market already and a fix would be in order?
Do you think a larger outer flange on the button cover and get rid of those 2 cutouts on the button hole would cure it?
Seems like it would be a easy fix just throwing out some ideas.:thumbsup:
 
#59 ·
Would a healthy dose of silicone then reinstall the silicone cover fix this water intrusion because there are a lot of these on the market already and a fix would be in order?
Beats me! I'm not well acquainted with silicone - don't have any in me. All natural here. :p But if there is an easy fix, I'm all for it. Because it really is a sweet light.

BTW, the battery survived the rain just fine. The pouch thingy got soaked, but the battery was fine. When I got the light, I thought the lighthead looked pretty cool and the battery cheap and probably the weak link. Well, I was wrong.
 
#62 ·
Lithium grease, eh? Never heard of such a thing. I'll just ask for it at the hardware store. Anyway, the front retaining ring was not lose when I dissembled the tight to dry it. But if a little grease can make it even better, why not?

The back hole, I don't know what to do. I'm tempted to use crazy glue all around the perimeter of the switch cover. If noting else, it'll prevent it from moving around and eventually exposing one of those two cutout holes. Wouldn't look pretty, tho. :skep:

What's that silicone Rakuman was taking about? Can you buy that stuff somewhere? How do you apply it? :confused:
 
#63 · (Edited)
What's that silicone Rakuman was taking about? Can you buy that stuff somewhere? How do you apply it? :confused:
Silicone is what the switch cover is made of. you can buy a tube of it at any hardware store run a small bead around the perimeter of the hole and fill in the slots put the switch cover back on give it a day to cure and I will bet it will not leak.:thumbsup:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1276959&cp=2568443.2568447.2624903.2624913
Make sure to clean the hole and the switch cover with a little rubbing alcohol before you do it to get better adhesion
 
#66 ·
Seeker your right this would not be a permanent fix just long enough till bikeray came out with a solution silicone will stick quite well to slick surfaces if properly applied IE Prepping the metal and switch cover with rubbing alcohol. it will act more as a filler to the voids between the switch cover and the metal in turn sealing it you would be surprised how long it will last because its not going to be the part that is moving it will just be holding it in place:thumbsup:
 
#67 ·
I respectfully disagree - I don't think it would work even as a temporary solution.

No one will be happy spending ~200 bucks on this light just to have to run to Home Depot for some caulk, then pump their slick new light full of glue.

BikeRay ought to suspend sales until they solve this problem, and devise a fix for the headlights they already sold.

I'm guessing the mis-aligned lens and lack of waterproofing is only the beginning of trouble for the BikeRay 4 headlight. I just noticed that BikeRay's website clearly states that their batteries and chargers have NO WARRANTY.

All BikeRay-III & IV lights from BikeRay USA comes with a Limited Life Time Guarantee for replacement to original purchaser. Purchaser must register the Ray-III or IV online as soon as he/she purchases the BikeRay light from our dealer or from us direct. This warranty is applicable to Ray-III or IV light head only. Battery or any other product/part(s) are not covered by this warranty.

http://www.bikerayusa.com/new-bikeray-iv.html

PS - I've PMed BikeRay, referencing this thread/post, requesting a response to the waterproofing issue, and perhaps some comment on a lack of warranty for the essential components of battery and charger.
 
#69 ·
Ok, so plan here is to use some fanciful Lithium grease (otherwise known as bike grease - DUH!) on the front retaining ring - as suggested by Cat Man, and some silicone sealant on the switch cover - as suggested by Rakuman. Then I'll give it the shower test and report back... probably sometime next week.
 
#70 ·
Why don't you simply return it under BikeRay's "limited life time warranty".

Surely it covers "died after 10-15 minutes use in the rain".

There's a good chance that after you've fiddled with the guts of this light, you will have voided the warranty, and you'll be stuck with it.
 
#73 ·
re the issues from the poster above, i would expect that bikerayusa would take care of it. They seem to want to stand behind thier product, i copied this from their facebook page:

Free repairs and parts for the first year.
Any BikeRay light purchased within USA from our website and our appointed dealers, we will provide Free Repairs and Parts for the first year from purchase date. Free return shipping is also included~!

means, your fault or not~! Even if you broke it, we will fix it for FREE. Don't forget to fill out and register for your bikeRay light on our website's Warranty section ~!
 
#75 ·
I had my switch cap off last weekend and noticed the same. It was extremely easy to pull the cap off. I wanted to paint the inside off the cap black with a small area untouched so that the green led would not glare at me. Anyway one remedie to fix the leak is to take an Oring with the ID is very close being the same size as the OD of the indicator button. Apply a small bead of silicon or caulking to one side of the Oring and slip over on to the button cap. Press down slightly on the Oring without any pressure on the button and let it dry out.
 
#76 ·
I'm convinced the light head will be warrantied PLUS MrBikeray will take the water proofing issue up with their suppliers. Don't lose any sleep over it.

I know people don't want to hear this and I apologize in advance if it does offend but with budget priced lighting systems only a certain level quality standard can get factored into the design and manufacturing process. I've come to accept it.

I've had issues with my Magicshines in the exact same wet conditions as Azra. So far luckily after the 24 - 48 dry out period they come back from the dead. I won't bank on that happening forever though. The BR3 and BR4 rubber switches are overly delicate straight out the box yet MS though much more secure, still allow water to gain access. Having said that, neither company has made any "impervious to water" claims as far as their lightheads go.

Just IME, lightheads and batteries that have survived multiple torrential 1-2 hr downpours while riding with them on include the Dinotte and the Baja Series lights. Not in the Lupine price bracket but very solid through and through.
 
#77 · (Edited)
I know people don't want to hear this and I apologize in advance if it does offend but with budget priced lighting systems only a certain level quality standard can get factored into the design and manufacturing process. I've come to accept it.
.
I could not agree more we get what we pay for :) we want Lupine lumens for a walmart price we have to expect some flaws, First thing I do when I get a new light is check the orings and locktite the mounting bolts, then use Vulkem Polyurethane to seal any weak links in waterproofing. :)
 
#79 ·
Questions for BikeRay USA:

  1. If I decide to proceed with some DIY improvements to the switch cover as discussed on this forum (which I believe are needed in order to make the light usable in inclement weather), would that void the warranty? If down the road the light dies for whatever reason, would you replace it even tho it's been tampered with?
  2. It's been 28 days since I received the light. Is a full refund still an option?

Thank you.
 
#86 · (Edited)
Unfortunately I think the cutouts are there for a reason , to screw the back of the light on. they need to make a tighter fitting switchcap with more flange and go with a 3 prong cut out that would not need half the depth for grip. or machine it on the surface of the rear housing . its a pretty easy fix but some retooling is in order,
My personal opinion on this is they were in such a hurry to get these to market to coincide with there release of the new and supposedly improved Raylll that they just didn't have this light dialed in yet. and yes the consumer would be the tester. this is just my opinion but when they were taking preorders for the Raylll they saw $ signs and said send it out we will deal with any problems later that's why the emphasis on warranty. I see this all the time in other industries trying to beat the completion to the punch, I have no doubt that these are bright and decent lights but they need to work out the bugs before you release them to the public.

Sorry about the rant but after seeing colleens pic of the slop that switch cover has is unexcuseable and the more I think about this the more it starts to bug me:skep:
 
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