# JetLites A-51, anyone get one yet?



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

From talking to the guys over at Jet and the little I've seen on the web, looks to be a nice light. Looking for a new light for the lid and am torn between the Lupine Piko and the A-51. I know they are two different animals in price, size, etc. but I'd love to get someone's take on the A-51 if you already have one.


----------



## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

It appears to be a P7 with an orange peel reflector.

Probably be alot like this, except it costs more.



KingOfTheHill said:


> So I received my MS lights a couple of days ago and must say Geoman is great to work with. The lights came with an LOP reflector.
> 
> Took a spin at night with some friends up Spring Canyon (MTRP) at night, and...WOW. These lights kick booty. Brighter than a Trinewt, although not as floody. A very nice corona of soft light around the edges though. Put a MS on your bars and one on your helmet and be prepared for lots of very nice light. I really like the warmish LED tint I received - much easier on the eyes and an overall better night riding experience than bluer/cooler tints.
> 
> Okay, I've always been a high end light fanboi, but I'm going to be riding with the MS lights for a while.


----------



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Hahaha! Good one! Too bad the MS batteries didn't last too long before giving up the ghost.

Looks like the reflector on the A-51 might be smaller than the MS so maybe the beam is a bit different?


----------



## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

Always possible. It's either the same, floodier, or narrower. 
It's $199, so how many extra battery packs for the MS will that buy?

If quality is a concern one could order batteries from batteryspace, solder on the MS connector and plasti-dip the whole thing.

So your luck with the MS 900 wasn't any better than your niterider battery experience.

Jetlites is a good company it seems. They are looking to find their new direction.

LED Zepellin was here and gone. The X-1 is a fan cooled 900 lumen. Sound like a P7 pushed to its max, especially since they are already buying lots of them for the A-51.

Then there is that  2000 lumen single emitter rumor.

Probably sst 90 and fan cooled. Lots of lumens, but its all about the focus. 
Plus for good trail read you sort of need two lights. 
2000 lumens only on the bars or lid washes everything out. I have a couple lights that put out that many lumens. I only turn them on to annoy others. 
Riding with them at speed in the twisty, turny, whoop dee doo's sucks.


----------



## wheatgerm (Jan 30, 2006)

I have also been wondering about this light. I have a Jet Lite halogen and it has been a good light but I have no idea about any new Jets, particularly LED.

Does the orange peel-type reflector typically result in a spot or flood type beam?

I'm also looking at the Nightrider Pro 600, which looks to have a better looking beam than the MagicShine, based on the pics in the MTBR review. The JetLite also has the same/similar reflector so I'm using the MS beamshot for comparisons.

Any thoughts on the NR Pro 600?


----------



## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

The orange peel just softens edges/margins in the beam. The reflector can still have spot or flood properties dending on the geometry of the reflector. You don't know what you have until you see a picture of the beam shot or turn it on yourself.

The output should be very similar between the Jet and the Pro 600. Niterider has battery issues though. Not just the occasional failure, but docking/charger malfunctions, expensive replacements.
The driver on the pro lights is in the battery pack. In general you have to buy replacement packs from Niterider. 
Personally I think of Niterider connectors, batteries, and mounts like buying ink for a printer. They sort of screw you over.
Not sure how Jet set up their driver and switch, but for performance and output I think Jet will do everthing the Pro will do.
In the end though so will the MS 900, plus expendables/replacement parts are very cheap.
If you don't want to buy the Chinese light because its Chinese mass manufacture then consider getting a light from Scar, the Amoeba, or one of Trailled's by Zen Bicycle. Any of their lights will compete with the Pro 600.


----------



## wheatgerm (Jan 30, 2006)

Thanks. I've read more than a few reports of the Niterider battery/charger failures and issues. That's my biggest concern with them.

As for the Jet Lite, I'm not sure what to think of the company. Seems that they have been sorta outta the business lately?? Not sure. I have a Jetlite halogen and its been great but that was a few years ago. I'm leaning that way now, especially since I already have mounts and the smart charger. Though I will check out the other lights you mentioned. I haven't really paid much attention to light evolution for the past few years.


----------



## jalea (Nov 26, 2006)

Anyone with past experience with JetLites would likely say they offer solid products. I am not sure why JetLites products aren't discussed more on this forum, but my BLAST HID had been perfect since day one and it has never missed a beat. SUPER Bright and Jetlites offers really effective mounts.

That is one reason I was thinking of getting the A-51 for my handlebar as it has a REAL handlebar mount that shouldn't move when I am bombing down the trail.


----------



## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

I would like to know what the trade in is on old lights. They talk about trade ins on their site but don't say what it is.


----------



## ryman (May 4, 2004)

gticlay said:


> I would like to know what the trade in is on old lights. They talk about trade ins on their site but don't say what it is.


Give 'em a call (800) 975-5075. Great customer service. I've had my i13 for a few years now and couldn't be happier with it, no charging problems, no connector problems (can't say the same about NR  ) Although I am considering trading in the i13 lamp for a A-51 lamp.


----------



## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

ryman said:


> Give 'em a call (800) 975-5075. Great customer service. I've had my i13 for a few years now and couldn't be happier with it, no charging problems, no connector problems (can't say the same about NR  ) Although I am considering trading in the i13 lamp for a A-51 lamp.


Yeah, I'll do that. I have the original version.


----------



## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

If jetlites wants to get alot more business they ought to take in niteriders, even/especially broken ones, as trades.


----------



## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Jet Lites has always cranked out good quality...more than I can say for NR or MS. They have been lost for a while like someone said..trying to find their direction. I hope they have.


----------



## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Yeah, I agree. They defined the light market here at one point. With the passing of one owner, I found no change in the level of service or attention to detail...or availability by phone.

I too hope they find their new spot in the market.


----------



## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

I called - 20% off with my real old lights. So 10% less than the A-51 advertised special. As much as I'd like to try one, I can get a couple of MS's for that price.......


----------



## aircooled (Oct 12, 2010)

I got mine Friday. I used them Saturday night. The lamp is pretty light weight and the battery is very light. They appear to be well made.


----------



## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Under 100 grams is pretty light. The price is great too. I still see their old halogen lights up the trails here. My buddy is still using my old one (Phantom). They engineered stuff really well instead of trying to patch something together for a pricepoint or farm out everything but the design. I'd take an old halogen Jet Lites over any of the low-prices junk out there. I'm just stoked to see a couple of innovative lights from them. 

Good thing I read this thread- I almost forgot to charge my lights for tomorrow's night ride.


----------



## DanConway (Sep 18, 2010)

aircooled said:


> I got mine Friday. I used them Saturday night. The lamp is pretty light weight and the battery is very light. They appear to be well made.


you gotta give me more details than that man. any complaints?


----------



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Jet told me it's about a 15 degree beam. I'd really like to see some beamshots and real life, mounted on the helmet pictures to get a feel for the size as well as the battery. Also, a picture of the switch would be cool, beam quality, tint... It's a bummer Jet has so few details and pictures of the light on their website.

aircooled, hint hint....


----------



## aircooled (Oct 12, 2010)

DanConway said:


> you gotta give me more details than that man. any complaints?


I've only used them once. I wish I could give more info.


----------



## ridin_dirty (Apr 21, 2007)

Anyone else tried the A-51 yet?


----------



## MightyDingus (Jul 31, 2010)

I'm upgrading my L.E.D. Zepplin up to the A-51 in the next couple weeks. If there isn't any further info, I'll post pics.


----------



## Drysidematt (Nov 2, 2010)

*Used A51 a few rides*

I've used this light about ten times so far, but all on short rides <1 hr so I can't comment on battery life. So far so good, the light does what they said it would. It's bright and I like the light pattern. It's round, and slightly brighter in the centre of the circle. It's wide enough for some peripheral view but not a wide flood. My light has no strange patterns. There is one big button on the back of the light that toggles between full power, less power, flashing and off.

The helmet mount works really well. It's easy to adjust, and easy to take the light off and on. It's supposed to break away in a crash, but I haven't tested that yet!

The connection is threaded and seems sturdy, as are the connections to the battery and light itself. The battery could be lower profile, but it fits in a jacket/jersey pocket and is relatively light.

The only trail light I've had before is a Nitehawk digital emitter (dual), and this A-51 blows the doors off it.

I have limited experience with other lights, so take it with a pinch of salt, but I'm really happy with this one so far. I hope it lasts a long time.


----------



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Thanks for the write-up. :thumbsup: 

Interesting that nothing about flashing is mentioned on the Jet website. How would you compare the beam to the Magicshine's? If you haven't seen one in person, there are plenty of beamshots to be seen by googling Magicshine.

Have you been using the A-51 only on the helmet or did you buy the bar mount too? I'd love to see a picture of the switch/button. Is it illuminated? I hope not.


----------



## Drysidematt (Nov 2, 2010)

Hi,

I only have the helmet mount, and it works well, the bar mount has a similar set up for the light, I've read good things about it but haven't used it. My old light was a bar mount, and now that I have it, I really prefer the helmet mount. The light unit is fairly light, you can tell it's on there, but it's not uncomfortable.

From the pictures the light pattern looks similar to the magicshine, but the light is not as blue - it's hard to tell white balance on those pictures though.

There is one large button on the back of the light that is not illuminated. It's easy to feel and operate with gloves on.

From the magicshine reviews it seems like the quality is probably better on the A-51 - but it does cost more. I bought it because of the reviews for Jet Lites construction quality and service, I'm only a month in, but so far so good. It's a good, simple design.But it does cost more. However, it's cheaper and better than the NR stuff I can get in stores around here.

I hope this helps!


----------



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Thanks Drysidematt!


----------



## TrailNut (Apr 6, 2004)

Drysidematt said:


> Hi,
> 
> I only have the helmet mount, and it works well, the bar mount has a similar set up for the light, I've read good things about it but haven't used it. My old light was a bar mount, and now that I have it, I really prefer the helmet mount. The light unit is fairly light, you can tell it's on there, but it's not uncomfortable.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I'm bothered by the MS' O-ring rubber "mount". I will not buy any MS lights again: feels cheaply made and I'd rather support a company with reputation of good products and services.

Likely will buy a Jetlite A-51 this week, as I like the ideal of having a dedicated mount and an extra mount for my other MTB.

Which one should I be using for helmet: MS or A-51?


----------



## jalea (Nov 26, 2006)

I have the JetLites A-51 with Bar Mount. First off, the bar mount is a well thought out design that is SOLID. It is easy to make small adjustments up and down and it stays put.
The overall beam pattern is very pleasing. Very bright on the HIGH setting and it has a ROUND light pattern that gradually fades out to the edges.See photo.:

A-51 (High Setting)









Here is a pic of the BLAST HID for comparison...

JetLites BLAST HID









Compared to my JetLites BLAST HID (which has more of a SPOT pattern), the A-51 shows more peripheral details on the trail, which is nice because you don't have to aim your head so much to see how the trail is changing when you are making sharp turns, etc..

You can see that the BLAST is more concentrated SPOT while the A-51 is more spread out. Both have their advantages of course...
The BLAST really penetrates further down the trail, while the A-51 gives you a beam that is more even at the edges.

The A-51 has a whiter light, while the BLAST HID had a more bluish tint.

Another comparison::

A-51









BLAST HID









All in all the A-51 is a great light. Solidly built and both the BAR mount and HELMET mounts work wonderfully. No "O" rings here!!

As usual the guys at JetLites offer great support and have always answered my questions in a timely manner.

My BLAST HID has run without fail for over 2 years now. I am confident the A-51 will prove just as durable. Highly recommended!!

Jose


----------



## MightyDingus (Jul 31, 2010)

I have the original non 'Blast' HID (720 Lumen). The bulb finally died after 3 years. Replaced the bulb, still using the original battery (NiMH) and charger and the rest. I also have a LED Zepplin that I'm upgrading to the A51 as soon as more are available. 

It'll be interesting to see how the A51 compares to the original HID since the Blast is much brighter than the original.


----------



## wormvine (Oct 27, 2005)

Anybody else have one of these. 
Seems like a great price for a high quality company.
http://www.jetlites.com/complete-systems-a-51/


----------



## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

wormvine said:


> Anybody else have one of these.
> Seems like a great price for a high quality company.
> http://www.jetlites.com/complete-systems-a-51/


I like Jet. My first lighting system was from them when they were still back in California. I called about the trade in and they take the old lights and either use the parts for people that need something they no longer use any more or they refurb them and give them to (I can't remember who he said - search and rescue?)


----------



## MightyDingus (Jul 31, 2010)

I should be getting my A51 any day now. A couple weeks ago I spend 20 minutes on the phone talking to the owner about various light related things. Their customer service is top notch, and the lights are extremely well made. My HID system from them has been working fine for 4 years and is still going strong.


----------



## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

Our video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MtbrVideos#p/u/3/0Rffk_58VPo with a bunch of other light videos.


----------



## BikerDude001 (Jun 28, 2010)

Majicshine has a recall on thier batteries for safety and quality concerns. Seems there may be a problem with fires. Too bad, I bought two a few months ago due to the price. Lesson learned. :madman: 

The A-51 looks to be a great light for the money and they offer a 1 year warranty and have been around a while, even if it was in different hands. Looks like they nailed this light.


----------



## MightyDingus (Jul 31, 2010)

I received mine yesterday. The build quality on this light is outstanding. There is nothing cheap or cut rate about it. 

We've had 4 inches of rain since yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to test it out yet. Hopefully I'll be able to do that tomorrow.


----------



## Merost (Feb 23, 2006)

Anyone know the recharge time on the A-51?


----------



## Kook91 (Oct 7, 2008)

Merost said:


> Anyone know the recharge time on the A-51?


Not sure exactly how many hours, but it's an overnight charge for sure...

BTW, I'm pretty happy with this little light... :thumbsup:


----------



## Bike4two (Nov 16, 2010)

I have had the A-51 for a few weeks. If the battery is at the light cut off voltage it takes about 3 1/2 hours to fully recharge.


----------



## blooper (Sep 27, 2005)

Charge time on my a-51 is about 4 hours with the standard charger.


----------



## Thighmaster (Mar 25, 2011)

My A-51 just arrived. Very high quality build. It will be my lifesaver for long, down the mountain commute at night. 

What I want to stress is that the the customer service was over the top today. I had questions that weren't answered in the instructions, emailed the company yesterday, and the owner, David Joseph, wrote back and said to call him! I did and we had a very "illuminating" conversation about the light. He also added that they will be updating the instructions, dialing them in with the arrival of new products this spring.


----------



## thunderstruck (Jun 15, 2009)

Note in the video how the price is 199, now it lists for 229.


----------



## wheatgerm (Jan 30, 2006)

The $199 price was the introductory price.


----------



## Baja Designs (Aug 3, 2010)

KingOfTheHill said:


> Hahaha! Good one! Too bad the MS batteries didn't last too long before giving up the ghost.
> 
> Looks like the reflector on the A-51 might be smaller than the MS so maybe the beam is a bit different?


I like the A-51 reflector (and the whole system) quite a bit more than the MS series lights, the beam pattern is a little similar though. The A-51 is built much better in my opinion, however they are at different price points.

Hey KingOfTheHill, subject change...

Do you have any suggestions on SD area group night rides I should hook up with to do a Baja Designs demo ride?

Thanks,

Shannon


----------



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Hey Shannon,

Mike over at North of the Border had been running some mid-week night rides. Also, I think Bonita Bikers might do some night rides starting at Performance Bike on Bonita Rd, a couple of miles East of 805. I'll shoot you an email with info.


----------



## Baja Designs (Aug 3, 2010)

I have been riding with the North of the Border crew, good times! I managed to use the quick release ability of my Strykr Pro's helmet mount two times when I hit my head on trees in "The Tunnels". That was quite an adventure. I will be watching for your email, thanks man!

Shannon


----------

