# Bikeray Speed II review



## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

I received a Bikeray Speed II for review. Before I get to the review, first off is the *disclaimer*:

The package was sent to me free of charge for review. Bikeray covered the light kit and shipping.

I have no affliliation with Bikeray beside being a customer in the pass with the purchase of the BRIV.

Bikeray contacted me by referal and through PM we agreed to have me do the review.

If I left anything out, feel free to remind me to include into the disclaimer.

A little bit of info about the reviewer (yours truely...me  )
I do have some knowledge with electronic and electrical. I also work in an industial job which allows me to have some access to tools and testing device. I do not have any ideas of how I became interested in bicycle lights or flashlights but it is what it is 

Now on with the review:
The packaging of the box was neat and everything was in order. Included in the box was the light, 2 o rings, battery, charger, battery cover/holder, extension cable, and a pouch. The first thing I notice was the helmet light holder was not the typical velcro. It was made of straps. The other thing that's worth noting was the battery was encased in a soft green rubber molding and there was also a nylon pouch for the battery. The light head had a color of blue anodizing. Included in the kit was a pouch that allows you to carry the battery and light. Pictures of the packaging.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

*Pictures of the battery*

The battery has a green molded cover encasing the battery inside. I asked BR if this battery is submersible. They told me it should be but not for a long period of time. Upon inspection of the battery I noticed a cover in the back and took it off. Inside was the battery. I was going to do a underwater test with the battery but after seeing how the cover was slipped on to the casing, I decided that it is best not to unless I silicone the seam.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

*Pictures of the light head*

The light head is blue in color. The cable exit from the back. It has 5 vent holes on both side and one large vent/draain hole on the bottom. The mode button is large and easily operate even when wearing glove. The indicator light is green and bright. That probably does not matter if you have it on your helmet. On the bar might be another issue. The light cable measure 9.5 inches. The reflector is smooth and the led looks center.

I tried to remove the bezel to see what is lurking underneith the housing. First thing I notice is that the bezel is tight....very tight. This is the first light head unit where I cannot remove the bezel. I used my homemade spanner wrench and long needle nose but still it did not bulge. Just to give you an idea of how tight the bezel was screw on, I tried to used a channel lock with some rubber pad that are use to open jar lids. No success with those also. As a matter of fact, the channel lock worked through the rubber padding and left a small burr on the bezel. That is how tight the bezel was screw on. Unless the thread is reverse thread, I think I will try again when the light head heats up and hopefully the house will expand enough for the thread to have some clearance and loosen up a little.

I do wonder about the integrity of the O ring under the bezel if it is that tight. Hoefully it is not split or smash too much.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

More to come...including beamshot, lux measurement, battery testing and temp testing.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*I would like to know a little bit more about the reviewer*

So colleen, are you a male or female? Does not matter, just curious as there are not many females that hang out in this forum and BikerRay referred to you as a female in one of his posts. What kind of riding do you do? I am thinking mostly road based on your previous posts. Do you prefer to run a bar light, helmet light, or both? I am thinking I saw a picture of your bike with like 4 lights mounted to the bar. What part of the country are you from?

Sorry for the questions, but they will help me understand your review better

***


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

scar said:


> So colleen, are you a male or female? Does not matter, just curious as there are not many females that hang out in this forum and BikerRay referred to you as a female in one of his posts. What kind of riding do you do? I am thinking mostly road based on your previous posts. Do you prefer to run a bar light, helmet light, or both? I am thinking I saw a picture of your bike with like 4 lights mounted to the bar. What part of the country are you from?
> 
> Sorry for the questions, but they will help me understand your review better
> 
> ***


Aw, nothing better than the feeling of a thread derailment, but that's OK. It come to me as no surprise someone will ask this of me. I get asked this all the time on the Internet, but in real life in 3D, the question never arises. It come to me as no surprise that we female don't hang around forum group that are more specific to the male gender. It is assume that we do not take interest in such subject. In reality, I know of many girlfriends who are quite technical and even some of us sare in the labor force. You should see the expression of the new male employee when they see the female forklift driver cruising around in a forklift that's capable of lifting 12,000 lbs 

There are limted pictures of me posted on some public forum group and on facebook. That there alone should answer your questiion.

When I was young, my mom had to work weekends while my dad work on his ford which was something he always had to fix. I was the third hand to hold his lights. I aquire most of my skill watching him in boredom swearing why would anyone want to do that type of work at all. Well that was until the 80's when the engineering field was a hot thing to go for. I tried to get my degree but failed and instead of a MS, or EE degree, I ended up getting a MRS. When I enter the work force for a double income for us, the highly skilled labor force paided soooooo much waaaaay more if you know what I mean? Well hopefully this helps you or other members understand where I am coming from.

My primary riding is commuting. Spending countless hours in the dark just because of these odd works hours that are so traditional of the industry. This is where I got my interest for lights. Twice I had been closed to assault by vehicle and when I spoke back to one driver, he wanted to come out and teach me a lesson in manner. Luckily for me, I had a good helemt torch that was a SST50 which shine him up light a movie star when he opened his door. I already had my C3 Taser in my hand and he backed out. This is another reason why I have such interest in LED lights.

Was this disclosing of info helpful in anyways? I surehope it does


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*Thread derailment????*

Wow, sorry if I offended you by asking about you and what type of riding you do, but I do that with *ALL* of my potential customers. I like to understand where they live and what type of riding they do as that is very important as to what type of light they are looking for. I don't treat a female customer any different than a male customer, but rather as each customer is an individual and has their own needs.

Pictures of you on the internet, no thanks, not interested. What interests me more is why I should take your review of this product above anybody elses reviews? Why did BikerRay pick you for the review? Do you have any special skills/knowledge It does sound a little biased being that you already own a BikerRay light.

So here is where I was confused with who you are. You are posting on a mountain bike site, your profile says your favorite type of riding is downhill but you just said you are commuter. When I look at the history of your previous posts they have all been in the Lights and Night Riding forum, nothing in any downhill forum, commuting forum or even in your local area forum. Kind of stange to me as I post up in many different forums as all aspects of both cycling and lights are my passions.

So to your question if your disclosure helps, somewhat. Now I know you are a commuter and may be looking for different results from a light than the majority of people that post on this site.

****


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

scar said:


> What interests me more is why I should take your review of this product above anybody elses reviews? Why did BikerRay pick you for the review? Do you have any special skills/knowledge It does sound a little biased being that you already own a BikerRay light.


Greetings Scar,

We were referred by a forumer because, of Colleen's DIY Integrated Sphere Thread where she has tested a decent amount of lights. She is getting good feedback on how to make the sphere better by fellow forumers. We asked her if she would give it a shot in the sphere and she offered her full review on our SPEED II as well.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

scar said:


> Wow, sorry if I offended you by asking about you and what type of riding you do, but I do that with *ALL* of my potential customers. I like to understand where they live and what type of riding they do as that is very important as to what type of light they are looking for. I don't treat a female customer any different than a male customer, but rather as each customer is an individual and has their own needs.
> 
> Pictures of you on the internet, no thanks, not interested. What interests me more is why I should take your review of this product above anybody elses reviews? Why did BikerRay pick you for the review? Do you have any special skills/knowledge It does sound a little biased being that you already own a BikerRay light.
> 
> ...


Naw, no offense at all Scar, I'm sure there are others who also wondering where I got my knowlegde with these stuff. I guess that's what happen when an individual enter the technology world.

BTW, I lived in the East Bay in the Bay Area in a city. It can get hard to find trail here to ride sometimes. On top of that, the trail are closed every night. When I took up commuting two years ago, I stop going MTBiking. Commuting takes up most of my weekday time and my weekend are spent for catching up. I have not rode my FS Navaro Float 2.0 bike for a while now. Maybe I need to dust it off again 

I am a former customer of BR. I only used that light for three months before going with something else. The one thing that did interest. Me was the throw of the Speed II. I think I posted in a thread here from Gemini suggesting a dedicated thrower light. BR offer me a chance to do a review of their light which is has the potential to be a thrower and I accepted it. I have many other throw torch that I can use as comparison. This will be a unbias review.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

colleen c said:


> *Pictures of the light head*
> I tried to remove the bezel to see what is lurking underneith the housing. First thing I notice is that the bezel is tight....very tight. This is the first light head unit where I cannot remove the bezel. I used my homemade spanner wrench and long needle nose but still it did not bulge. Just to give you an idea of how tight the bezel was screw on, I tried to used a channel lock with some rubber pad that are use to open jar lids. No success with those also. As a matter of fact, the channel lock worked through the rubber padding and left a small burr on the bezel. That is how tight the bezel was screw on. Unless the thread is reverse thread, I think I will try again when the light head heats up and hopefully the house will expand enough for the thread to have some clearance and loosen up a little.
> 
> I do wonder about the integrity of the O ring under the bezel if it is that tight. Hoefully it is not split or smash too much.


Hi Colleen,

Thanks for the quick response of getting a review started . We apologize for not informing you that we seal the bevel to prevent tampering of the lighthead and voiding of the warranty. The O-ring is not damaged unless someone tries to take the bevel off. Even then, it might not be damaged if took off. We are hoping that when you do get it off - the o-ring is not damaged because, that will look bad . But we understand that you want to look underneath the housing. We are hoping that you can get it off without damaging the O-ring with the tools you have. We also seal the battery casing - We shipped out a number of lights that day from our pre-orders and didn't seal yours - for that we apologize.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> Greetings Scar,
> 
> We were referred by a forumer because, of Colleen's DIY Integrated Sphere Thread where she has tested a decent amount of lights. She is getting good feedback on how to make the sphere better by fellow forumers. We asked her if she would give it a shot in the sphere and she offered her full review on our SPEED II as well.


Those result should be in by tonight. I had to let the battery charge fully. I will be taking an inital reading then another reading after the lighthead heats up after 10 minutes with normal cooling while taking relative reading on the Sphere.

I did a intital preview test yesterday and the inital numbers put the Speed II as about the same as the MS XML which is typical of most single XML light. However, the peak lux at one meter was more than the MS XML which indicate a better thrower. In comparison to my better throwing torches like my 2.8A KD C8 where I shimed the reflector out for maxium throw or my Maelstrom X10, the Speed II did not seem to have better throw than those. I will have some numbers tonight.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> Hi Colleen,
> 
> Thanks for the quick response of getting a review started . We apologize for not informing you that we seal the bevel to prevent tampering of the lighthead and voiding of the warranty. The O-ring is not damaged unless someone tries to take the bevel off. Even then, it might not be damaged if took off. We are hoping that when you do get it off - the o-ring is not damaged because, that will look bad . But we understand that you want to look underneath the housing. We are hoping that you can get it off without damaging the O-ring with the tools you have. We also seal the battery casing - We shipped out a number of lights that day from our pre-orders and didn't seal yours - for that we apologize.


Well that explain the Bezel. I thought it was me for doing something wrong like holding the channel lock backwards...duh  Ok lucky there were no damage done. As a side note for Bikeray as a recomendation is to include a tag or note of "Warning. Do not attempt to remove Bezel."

As for the battery: lucky me for being caution when I saw the cap even after I was given the OK to drown the battery. That would have been bad for the PCB.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

> Originally posted by BikeRayUSA-Michael
> _We shipped out a number of lights that day from our pre-orders and didn't seal yours - for that we apologize. _


You not only shipped out to colleen but also a "number of lights that day". So I am curious how you go about resolving this issue with the other pre order customers shipped out that day?

****


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> We also seal the battery casing - We shipped out a number of lights that day from our pre-orders and didn't seal yours - for that we apologize.


I was going to make some comment about BR sending out a specially prepped light. But I guess they didn't. 
Ideally you would purchase anonymously for a test.
Collen are you sending the unit back after you test it or is it a gift?

Now on to the light head...
Is that the Oring I see underneath, exposed to the elements?


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## seeker (Feb 15, 2004)

znomit said:


> Is that the Oring I see underneath, exposed to the elements?


 Good catch. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll do fine in that dunk test BR promised us over 2 weeks ago. Right?


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

znomit you have an eye of an Eagle. By golly I think you are correct. I took another look and this picture and it is the O ring.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

znomit said:


> I was going to make some comment about BR sending out a specially prepped light. But I guess they didn't.
> Ideally you would purchase anonymously for a test.
> Collen are you sending the unit back after you test it or is it a gift?


Funny you ask this question is such a timely manner. For the time being it looks as if I will be sending it back even more so sooner than later.

Long story short. I did some wallbeamshot yesterday. Then I took one more today for the beam pattern. I then set up the Intergrating Sphere and did the test for instant start lumens and after 5 minutes of run time. I did this test for several other lights. Each one had a cooling fan running constantly. Anyway, after I did the 5 minute test for the Speed II, I changed mode to see what the lumens were for medium and low mode. Guess what? It shutoff on me and the green indicator light was off. Thinking it was battery, I tried a MS light and the Speed II battery was good. I then tried the Speed II with a Geoman pack and it was still not working. So for now it seem like the unit had failed for some reason.

I emailed BikeRay and they will take back this failed light head for evaluation for reason why it failed. They will send me another lighthead for the review. I hate to report this as I was begining to take some liking to the light but honesty is honesty and an unbias review is what was promised and here it is folks. So for the time being, further testing is in intermission. Well at least we know the unit sent was not a specially prepped light.

I just uploaded some wall beamshot photo. Bear in mind that the wall is not pure white but has some beige tint to it. We decided to paint the wall last year and there is not a single white wall in the house. No left over white panel or sheetrock to use as a white wall. *Please do not take the beam tint into full consideration but rather just the beam pattern.* There is a yard stick with markers at the 12, 24, and 36 inch mark. I will explain in detail what those are the data I gather. Same with the sphere result. For the time being, you can see the picture here:

wall beamshot pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket

sphere test pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket


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## seeker (Feb 15, 2004)

colleen c said:


> Funny you ask...


So, 145 lux for the MS XML and 133 lux for the S2.

What's that in lumens, Colleen?


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

seeker said:


> So, 145 lux for the MS XML and 133 lux for the S2.
> 
> What's that in lumens, Colleen?


Those number are in the X10 scale. The S2 reads 1330 x 10 = 13,300 lux. My final correction factor for the sphere after 3 coats of paint stands at 22.6 after calibrating it with known tested flashlights. So for the S2 after 5 minutes of runtime, the lumens is 13,000/22.6 = 588 lumens OTF. Reason for 5 minutes is to allow for heat loss and that's where the readings slow down in the loss of likens.

Here are the number in raw and converted lumens at 5 minutes. First number is the raw lux reading and the second is the converted lumens.

Speed II. 13,300. 588
Magicshine XML. 14470. 640
KD C8 2.8 amps focused. 15,820. 700

The initial start had much higher brightness for all three before dropping from heat loss.
speed II. 697
Ms xml. 690
KD C8. 748

Please keep in mind these are only relative readings. My sphere can be off by 5 to 8 percent from a real calibrated sphere. However for reading relative reading of one light in comparison to another it less of a factor.

2nd thing to note. The speed II did failed after the test. I will retake another test to see if these reading are still the same or if the driver was failing during with these results.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

When I did the wallshot at 5 meters, I took a maximum lux reading then calculated that number back to peak throw lux at one meter using inverse square of the distant. The higher this peak throw number will mean a much better beam throw (usually). One thing I learn is that high overall lumens does not always means good throw but it is important for flood. Take for example is my Debree DBS aspheric. It only had about 250 to 300 lumen but the peak Lux at 1 meter is over 75,000 Lux. That light can easily throw 1000 ft and light up the top of a palm tree.

Here are the peak throw lux at one meter.

Speed II 19000 lux
MS XML. 15750 lux
KD C8 2.8 amp driver with reflector focus at Max 24750 lux
Maelstrom X10 25325 lux
Stock KD C8 old 1.5 amps pill 16875 lux

This result shows the Speed II can outhrow the MS 808E XML. When I took the speed II out last night, it did indeed outhrow the MS XML. It was noticeable but not as good as the mod KD with the 2.8 amps or the Maelstrom X10 torch which has a really hot spot. Further testing the lights also reveal some useable corona and spill. I do think it can be use as a bar light if needed to be.

I would have love to have the chance to have taken some outdoor beam shot at the park where all my other lights were previously taken for comparison. This will show better detail than just numbers. But sadly the light failed tonight and hopefully a replacement will arrive for outdoor beamshot. Until then..........


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

colleen c said:


>


Not really the tight spot we expected from BR pictures 
Can you chuck the light meter on there and measure the beam angle? Bonus points if you do some comparison graphs.

Oh, Scar should send you one of his lights, see if you can destroy that :ciappa:


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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

Is the BR made in China or is just the housing made there and then assembled here at BR.

Just curious.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

> Originally posted by znomit
> _Oh, Scar should send you one of his lights, see if you can destroy that_


I have over 4 years worth of lights in places all over the world out there being tested regularly :cornut:

***


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

znomit said:


> Not really the tight spot we expected from BR pictures
> Can you chuck the light meter on there and measure the beam angle? Bonus points if you do some comparison graphs.
> 
> Oh, Scar should send you one of his lights, see if you can destroy that :ciappa:





scar said:


> I have over 4 years worth of lights in places all over the world out there being tested regularly :cornut:
> 
> ***


I swear to Gawd I was giving it TLC as I was getting attach to the baby blue anodizing. Well as the old saying goes...."Never get too attach to anything?"


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

mb323323 said:


> Is the BR made in China or is just the housing made there and then assembled here at BR.
> 
> Just curious.


Semi assembled in China - final assembly done here in Port Orange, Florida.


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## seeker (Feb 15, 2004)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> Semi assembled in China - final assembly done here in Port Orange, Florida.


It's been over 2 days since Colleen reported the BikeRay Speed 2 failing 5 minutes into testing. As BikeRay's representative and driving force behind this review, do you not have any comment at all about your product's dismal performance in this review?


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

seeker said:


> It's been over 2 days since Colleen reported the BikeRay Speed 2 failing 5 minutes into testing. As BikeRay's representative and driving force behind this review, do you not have any comment at all about your product's dismal performance in this review?


We will comment on what we think went wrong when we get the lighthead back from Colleen and have a look at at. We have sold a number of SPEED II's and have had no issues from other customers.

Thanks.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> Semi assembled in China - final assembly done here in Port Orange, Florida.


Details?
From the review I guess this means you put your own battery cover on.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

znomit said:


> Details?
> From the review I guess this means you put your own battery cover on.


Bump.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

scar said:


> I have over 4 years worth of lights in places all over the world out there being tested regularly :cornut:
> 
> ***


We are not worthy oh mighty one....


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## juergenor (Mar 30, 2004)

znomit said:


> Details?
> From the review I guess this means you put your own battery cover on.


Looks to me like an identical to MS battery pack with just some minor changes, maybe some silicone is used to make that rubber boot more water protective.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

znomit said:


> Bump.


Znomit, do you know how perfect your timing happen to be? I got an email notification on my phone because I subcribed to this thread and when I read the post within minute after you post this, I was just happen to be at the park taking some beamshot of the BikeRay Speed II. I had to look around to see if there was someone watching me or something. Anyhow, I just got those shot upload and will do a long awaited update.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

OK, here is an update.

I sent the first unit that cut out on me back to BR for evaluation. They sent me a second unit with a note telling that the second unit had a mod that allows me to take the bezel apart so I can examine the inside but to not submerge it in water. Upon powering it up, I notice there were some artifact and the center hotspot was not so hot or focus. I looked closely at the reflector and it was not set properly most likely due to the mod that was made and along the line that there was an extra Oring to the bezel unlike the regular unit they send to other. 

I send that unit back in also because the beam pattern was not standard and also the unit itself was not a true representation of the unit other customer gets. They sent me the third unit which came in the mail today. It is a standard off the shelf unit and I was able to get some beamshot with it. I did do a quickie check with the sphere and lux @ 1meter. The sphere was a little higher than before and still register in the 704 lumen range on start up. I feel this is about normal for reading OTF for this and any other single XML led lights. The lux at 1meter came back with a value of 19,475 for the peak throw. According to what I can tell from these number is that this light should be able to out throw the Magicshine 808E xml and should be slightly less than my 4sevens Maelstrom X10 which happens to be a very good throwing flashlight comparing with most others.

Next up is the beamshot.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

The Speed II perform not to bad at all in the beamshot outdoor. It did out throw the Magicshine 808E xml. I had my doubts during my wall beamshot but I can see a difference. As a matter of fact, it did not do to bad in comparison with the KD C8 or the Maelstrom X10. Keep in mind that both the C8 and X10 has reflector in the 40mm class while the Speed II is smaller. Also note that my KD C8 has a different pill and driver. It has a 2.8 amp driver and I shimmed the reflector to where I got the best focus beam out of it. Both the KD and X10 scored at or near the 25,000 lux @ 1meter. The original OEM driver for my KD C8 was only driving the led at 1.5 amps and the peak throw was much less. So what you see in yhese photo by the C8 is not the OEM C8 unless you have recieved a C8 with the higher power driver. The beamshot scene description is this:

All picture is as follow:
F4.0
4.0 seconds
ISO 100
Daylight
Manual Focus

Mounted on the tripod from left to right is: Magicshine 808E xml, KD C8, Maelstrom X10, BikeRay Speed II

The bottle on the ground is 100ft
The tall background tree is 185ft (i thought it was 200ft but a 100ft tape measurment was only 185ft)
The power pole way out there in the last photo shot is 285ft.

The aim was at the bottle, then at the center of the large tree in the background, and then the light pole.

All pictures can be viewed at this album:
speed II parkbeamshot pictures by Colleenlc - Photobucket

First set of pictures is the daytime scene shot and the control shot:


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Here is the photo where the primary aim is at the bottle on the ground away at 100ft. 
First photo is the Magicshine xml at 100ft
Second photo is the KD C8 at 100ft
Third photo is the Maelstrom X10 at 100ft
Last photo is the BikeRay Speed II at 100ft

Magicshine XML at 100ft









KD C8 at 100ft









Maelstrom X10 at 100ft









Bikeray Speed II at 100ft


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

This group of photo is aimed at the center of the large tree in the background and not the first large tree.

The sequence of order is as follow:
Magicshine 808E xml at 185ft
KD C8 at 185ft
Maelstrom at 185ft
BikeRay Speed II at 185ft

Magicshine 808E at 185ft









KD C8 at 185ft









Maelstrom at 185ft









BikeRay Speed II at 185ft


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

In this set of photo, the primary aim is the power pole and scrubs below it. The distant to that pole is 285ft.

The order of photo is as follow:

Magicshine 808E xml at 285ft
KD C8 at 285ft
Maelstrom X10 at 285ft
BikeRay Speed II at 285ft

Magicshine 808E xml at 285ft









KD C8 at 285ft









Maelstrom X10 at 285ft









Bikeray Speed II at 285ft


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

It was clear that at 285ft, the Magicshine 808E XML did not throw well enough to light up the power pole. The Speed II did a fairly decent job keeping up with the KD C8 with the driver mod and the stock Maelstrom X10 which by the way has a weird two diameter reflector designed for throw.

At the 100ft mark with the primary aim being the bottles on the ground, the BikeRay Speed II has enough spill and corona to not just light those bottle but to also provided some width to the beam. Anything less than 100ft is another debate as some will feel the spot will be too tight.

The primary reason why I chose these light as a comparison is because these are my best throwing light that I have in my collection (not counting Aspheric lens flashlight). The KD C8 and Maelstrom is not too bad when they are helmet mounted but they do weight in the 200 gram and 250 gram where the Speed II is lighter. Another factor to weigh in is the run time of the battery flashlight vs the 4 cell pack which has a claim runtime of 4 hours from BikeRay.

Coming up: Runtime test. Stay tune.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

Bravo!







Very well done. I think this is probably the best beam shot line up *( For Distance Throw )* I've seen in some time.

I think it's surprising what the Speed II can do considering the smaller reflector. Since the throw did pretty much what the C8 did, that means it can throw in the 300ft. range. Since I own a C8 I know how nice that is.

Now in practical terms the Speed II should be able to light up stuff pretty good at near
200ft. ( 60.9M ) _which._.I may say is about as much as you really need. The MagicShine 808E does very well up to 160ft. and has a wider beam. As such it will suit a lot of peoples needs. It really does depend though on the terrain you generally ride but for people doing high speed fire road descents on a regular basis, a Speed II ( or clone version ) might be just the thing.

Colleen, can you provide a photo of the Spd II on medium ( preferably aimed near 
100ft. ).?


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Cat-man-do said:


> I think it's surprising what the Speed II can do considering the smaller reflector.


Could we clear up whether its a reflector, a plastic TIR optic or a "molded optical glass lens" which sounds really quite impressive.


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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

Nice work Coleen.

By the way, still curious as to what is assembled here and what is assembled in China?


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Bravo!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No problem. I will do a beamshot at 100ft in the med and low this coming weekend at the park since I also was thinking of doing a beamshot on the Glowworm V2 for that thread. In the the meantime I will find a 100ft beamshot around close by here until I get back to the park.

I wish I can put back the old OEM driver for the C8 and do a comparison, but centering the emmiter and undoing the spacer under the reflector can be a PITA. It would have been nice though because I heard that some of the C8 had the 1.5amp and some 2.8 amps. Just from memory, I can say for sure that the BR Speed II will out throw the C8 with the 1.5 amp driver.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

colleen c said:


> It was clear that at 285ft, the Magicshine 808E XML did not throw well enough to light up the power pole. The Speed II did a fairly decent job keeping up with the KD C8 with the driver mod and the stock Maelstrom X10 which by the way has a weird two diameter reflector designed for throw.
> 
> At the 100ft mark with the primary aim being the bottles on the ground, the BikeRay Speed II has enough spill and corona to not just light those bottle but to also provided some width to the beam. Anything less than 100ft is another debate as some will feel the spot will be too tight.
> 
> ...


Thanks Colleen for the the great pictures!!! Can't wait for your runtime testing.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

znomit said:


> Details?
> From the review I guess this means you put your own battery cover on.


No - the battery cover is not put on by us. We seal the battery cover. We conduct the final the assembly of the products - which we reserve the right not to disclose. We test each light before it goes to the customer.

When we got Colleen's light back - we found in a rush to get Colleen her light - her's was the last one sealed and shipped late night - the sealant was not completely cured and the reflector got shifted during the shipping to her place of residence. Thus - it shut down.

We simply took out the reflector and placed it back in - and it works great. We are now using that light as a demo light for festivals, races, and events.

We have not had any complaints or returns of the SPEED II to this date from the orders that we shipped that day. And if there is - we honor our 1 year full warranty. Simply contact us and we will get the process moving as fast as humanly possible.


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## seeker (Feb 15, 2004)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> When we got Colleen's light back - we found in a rush to get Colleen her light - her's was the last one sealed and shipped late night - the sealant was not completely cured and the reflector got shifted during the shipping to her place of residence. Thus - it shut down.
> We simply took out the reflector and placed it back in - and it works great. We are now using that light as a demo light for festivals, races, and events.


The light worked when Colleen received it, long enough to get a reading in the integrating sphere, then just a few couple minutes later it died, still mounted in the sphere, after a second "hot" reading was taken. Your account does not actually explain the root cause of the failure of the light, stationary in a stand undergoing testing.

Can you please explain further how a reflector shifting during shipping can cause this chain of events? I don't understand it, and if there is a logical explanation, then I'm sure other readers would like to know.

Can the reflector somehow impinge on the leads to the LED, thus causing a short circuit? Does this happen only if you assemble the reflector and retaining ring, then tighten the retaining ring before the sealant dries, forcing the reflector down into contact with leads? Is a thin layer of sealant the only insulator preventing a short? Is BR modifying the assembly procedure or components to prevent recurrence of this assembly error? Do tell....



BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> We have not had any complaints or returns of the SPEED II to this date from the orders that we shipped that day.


 This is at least the second time I've read your claim here at mtbr.com that BikeRay has had "no returns or complaints" of product. All bike light mfgs/sellers have some returns and complaints. In this one testing example alone, Bikeray had 2 of the 3 lights sent to Colleen returned, thus Bikeray's reject rate is 67%!

I don't think BR's actual reject rate is really this high, but I'm certain it's not zero either. Please refrain from spouting nonsense, and try to compose some honest answers for a change. No one here believes the Speed 2 failed because the "reflector shifted during shipment". Don't blame UPS. Bikeray evidently has a band-aid assembly process for the Speed 2 to prevent water ingress from the cooling holes, which is essentially that you load the thing up with glue before you fit the reflector and tighten the retaining ring. While this simple fix might actually work well most of the time, it is clearly subject to errors which can result in a light with intermittent operation resulting. I think all the jarring and shaking a bike light endures fitted to the handlebar of a mtb will not work well with a thin film of sealant being the only thing between the LED lead and a short.

Finally, Colleen measured the output of the Speed 2 between 600-700 lumens, not the 1000 lumens BikeRay claims for this product. So there you have it, this light has no magic, it's the same output as any other XML light driven to maximum current. Maybe you should correct this in your advertisements.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Colleen, can you provide a photo of the Spd II on medium ( preferably aimed near 100ft. ).?


I did some beamshot with using High Med and Low setting at the bottles on the grass and at the trees. Tonight there were a little more ambient light than before from the moon and partial low overhead clouds, so I included the High setting photo in this setting.

High setting









Medium setting









Low setting









High aimed at tree









Medium aimed at tree









Low setting aimed at tree


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

I did a video with the MS 808E xml side by side with the Speed II both being on while recorded. I did the same for the KD C8. This will show the comparison in beam pattern and the intensity of the light. In both case, the beam for the Speed II is on the right side.

This one is the MS 808E XML and Speed II





This video is the KD C8 and Speed II


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## juergenor (Mar 30, 2004)

Colleen - thank you. Great way to compare beam patterns by video.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

*First test ride with Speed II*



juergenor said:


> Colleen - thank you. Great way to compare beam patterns by video.


Thanks. I figure that video usually does not do justice when it comes to bike lights. Most camera I tried are horrible in capturing Led light. It usually gets dark exposure result, although some sub compact digital camera does do an OK job but the exposure does gets wacky when trying to compare one light in one video to another video with a single light. So I figure having two lights in one video is a better representation for a comparison since the exposure for both are identical.

This weekend was my first time out with the Speed II. Let me just say that the beam on the Speed II is better than I was expecting although I saw what it does when I did the beamshot. I had it mounted on my helmet with an Olympia and Gloworm on my bar with testing of each of those alone with the Speed II as a combo flood and thrower. I thought the Lumens from either the Olympia or the Gloworm will degrade the overall intensity of the Speed II. That did not happen. The tight focus of the Speed II was spot on enough to serve as a thrower even when used with either on of these 1000+ lumens lights.

The claim 6 degree spot is not so far off as I thought. I was able to get a 12ft hot spot spread from 80ft out. That is larger than the 6 degree claim but yet still under 10 degree for that distant throw. So far I am liking the Speed II to use as a helmet light.

Here is a sample video of the Speed II mounted on the helmet and the Olympia on the bar. I have the Olympia angle lower to provide more close quarter illumination since the Speed II can cover the distant so well. Sorry for the grainy video since this was taken from an Contour HD and rendered back to a low res internet video file. If interested, I can do a video on the street as a sample of what the Speed II can do as a commuter light.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

colleen c said:


> ..... I thought the Lumens from either the Olympia or the Gloworm will degrade the overall intensity of the Speed II. That did not happen. The tight focus of the Speed II was spot on enough to serve as a thrower even when used with either on of these 1000+ lumens lights.
> 
> The claim 6 degree spot is not so far off as I thought. I was able to get a 12ft hot spot spread from 80ft out. That is larger than the 6 degree claim but yet still under 10 degree for that distant throw. So far I am liking the Speed II to use as a helmet light.


That pretty much says it for me. I want something that can out-throw the *Gloworm ( *which has great throw ) and the Speed II sounds like it has the focus needed for a good helmet light.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> That pretty much says it for me. I want something that can out-throw the *Gloworm ( *which has great throw ) and the Speed II sounds like it has the focus needed for a good helmet light.


The Gloworm with a spot spot combo does a pretty good job of throwing. It can throw just enough intensity to make out an object at 150 to 180ft, but beyound that it diminish rather quickly because of the peak throw. The Gloworm is one of my best throwing bar light I have.

The Speed II provides the extra needed lumens in additional to the Gloworm when aiming at the 150ft to 250ft mark. The Speed II width of the spot at 150-200ft covers an area with a good balance between a spot coverage and a flood coverage. With the Gloworm on High, my eye does get a little bit constricted but the intensity of the hot spot from the Speed II is still hot enough that I can see and define objects when I tilt my head from a down position to a heads up position to view 150ft to 200ft ahead of me. It is an awesome combo.

I tried using my older MS900 P7 and Gemini Titan P7 with the speed II. I had to use the medium mode on the Speed II because the spot intensity took away all my focus. In the case of the Gloworm or Olympia, a setting of either high/high or med//med on the Speed II and Gloworm/Olympia combo is a perfect match.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

Colleen, Can you tell if the Speed II has memory? ( when you turn it off does it come back on in the last mode used? ). Additionally, is the flash mode accessed along with the other modes or is it push and hold like the ( H-M-L/Flash version ) MS 808E?

Also, I think someone else asked this question but I didn't recall seeing an answer: Does the front glass on the Spd II have something to do with the tight focus? To put another way, is the front glass an optic or just glass?


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Colleen, Can you tell if the Speed II has memory? ( when you turn it off does it come back on in the last mode used? ). Additionally, is the flash mode accessed along with the other modes or is it push and hold like the ( H-M-L/Flash version ) MS 808E?
> 
> Also, I think someone else asked this question but I didn't recall seeing an answer: Does the front glass on the Spd II have something to do with the tight focus? To put another way, is the front glass an optic or just glass?


The mode menu on the BR Speed II is what I would consider as "Old School". Personally I think there is room for improvement in this area. There is no memory and it switches on in Hi mode everytime. For each click of the switch goes as follow: HI-Med-LO-Strobe-Off-Hi.....etc.

No typo error there, it does go to off mode before going back to high mode. If the power button is held for more than two seconds, it also will turn off. As soon as I turn it back on, the unit goes into High mode regardless of what mode I turn the unit off before. With all the new stuff out there, I think something better can be implemented in the future. One neat thing that this driver they are using does offer differently is the strobe mode. The strobe is not a standard on/off cycle. Instead it blink three times at about 120hz then pause for about 2-3 seconds and then repeat the cycle again.

The lens of the Speed II is all clear glass. Behind it is a reflector. There is no TIR optic involved. I beleived the reflector is sealed to the housing so that once the focus is set, it cannot be moved. The bezel is seal also so that it cannot be moved also. The second unit that I got from BR which was not focus properly had a mod where I can unscrew the bezel, but in the Mod itself, I think the assembly of the reflector was not properly seated and I had to send that back. I cannot put blame as a defect in that unit since the unit had a Modification that allow me access to the inside and it was not a standard unit they sold.

I'm about completed with the battery test and I will be posting that soon.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

colleen c said:


> The mode menu on the BR Speed II is what I would consider as "Old School". Personally I think there is room for improvement in this area. There is no memory and it switches on in Hi mode everytime. For each click of the switch goes as follow: HI-Med-LO-Strobe-Off-Hi.....etc.....No typo error there, it does go to off mode before going back to high mode. If the power button is held for more than two seconds, it also will turn off.
> 
> ....One neat thing that this driver they are using does offer differently is the strobe mode. The strobe is not a standard on/off cycle. Instead it blink three times at about 120hz then pause for about 2-3 seconds and then repeat the cycle again.


Yeah, the driver is definitely Old School. Had it included "mode memory" that would helped immensely. From one of the Sellers video's they mention that the switch changes modes very easily ( little pressure needed ). If true that could soften the inconvenience of having to switch through four modes to get to high if using the mid-mode. FWIW the driver on the MS 808E is much more user friendly.

The strobe mode you mentioned sounds interesting. Anyway to do a quickie video of that?


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Yeah, the driver is definitely Old School. Had it included "mode memory" that would helped immensely. From one of the Sellers video's they mention that the switch changes modes very easily ( little pressure needed ). If true that could soften the inconvenience of having to switch through four modes to get to high if using the mid-mode. FWIW the driver on the MS 808E is much more user friendly.
> 
> The strobe mode you mentioned sounds interesting. Anyway to do a quickie video of that?


The switch on the Speed II reminds me of the BR IV. It is large and can easily operate wearing thick glove. It does not require much pressure to operate.

I uploaded the strobe sample. Below the bottom embedded video is also a picture sample showing a comparison of the Gloworm version 2 throw and the Speed II throw. By no mean am I downgrading the Gloworm with the comparison, but rather just showing the effectivness of the Speed II as a combo with the Gloworm or any other high power bar light which the rider may want that extra touch of throw.















The zoom in cropped picture show the Speed II lighting up the area more. The distant is at least 160ft away. The spot from the Speed II is lighting up between the tree trunk space without too much extreme flood but with some spill. One thing I should have taken a picture of was the combo of both on at the same time....duh, but imagine if both pictures are merge together. What you get is good flood with good throw without additional flood if the combo was Gloworm on bar and Speed II on helmet.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

Here is the test for the Speed II battery. I was able to get 4hrs 14min out of the battery pack. The indicator light changed to blue status at about the 2hr mark. I took a reading with the sphere and got 690 lumens. The indicator light changed to red somewhere between 2hr20m and 2hr30m. It stay red unitl 4hr14m before shutting off. 

Some final thoughts. The claim time of 4hrs runtime from BikeRay is accurate as claim. The beam focus is the tightest focus lighthead I have in my inventory of lights. It rivals the larger reflector flashlights like the Maelstrom X10 and surpass the KD C8 stock but was about the same as the the KD C8 with the 2.8 amp driver. 

There are area for improvement. I would rather have the blink mode in it's own selection so that changing the mode will not have to go through the strobe mode. Same with the off mode. Intuitive programming will be ideal for a light of this nature since it is a thrower. Ideally, I like having the first mode set at medium and then the second mode at high so that I can switch to high power when I need it. Presently I will have to go through several mode to get back to high. This seem to be the weakest Con so far. Time will tell the reliability of the light. I did have the first unit shut off on me. The second unit had a modification made for me resulting in a focus issue. That second unit I cannot place fault with BikeRay since it was not a "off the shelf unit" that would have been sold to customer. Regardless, having the shipping source out of Florida was a big plus and I did not have to wait for long for receiving the replacement.

As for the 1000 Lumens claim, well we all know how that goes. Is it measure right at the LED hot spot and not OTF? Or does it matter any until there is a standard use by the bicycle light manufactor company similar to something like the ANSI for flashlight? Nevertheless, I got typical reading from my Sphere for single LED driven at this level which is around 700+ lumens at start up and settling in the high 600 lumens. One thing to keep in mind is that for a thrower light, the lumens number can be deceiving. It is more about Lux at 1 meter resulting from the focus and reflector/lens design for a thrower light.....but again that is debatable. So far I would give this light a positive thumbs up and an another thumbs up for BikeRay for taking a path toward designing a thrower light.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

Thank you Colleen for taking the time to give our SPEED II a detailed review of our light system. Job well done :thumbsup:


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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

It looks like the V2 is pointed down a bit and the speed 2 pointed up a bit more. 

Also, would be interesting to see the Speed 2 against a $40 clone w/ a smooth reflector. Just curious as to what the difference would be. I have a clone w/ smooth reflector and am in the Bay Area so I could potentially send it to you if you could do the test fast and send back fast. Up to you though.

I just curious as to the differences in output.

Thx

MB


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

*Colleen,* I'm still on the fence about buying one of these.

Can you show the size difference of the Spd II compared with an 808E....side by side preferably so I can gauge size.

*@ BikerayUSA*....I really like the flash pattern shown by Colleen. That would make a great "heads-up" feature for when on the road. If there is one thing you could do to improve the product ( that wouldn't increase cost ), it would be to include a memory feature for the driver. This would allow the user to turn the light off and then back on to the last mode used. Some people ( like myself ) only use the helmet light when needed. As such it would be real nice to turn it on and have it come on in the mode you want. A small thing but would be a nice option to have.

Oh, and if you can upgrade the driver, please don't change that flash pattern. I think it rocks.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

BikeRayUSA-Michael said:


> Thank you Colleen for taking the time to give our SPEED II a detailed review of our light system. Job well done :thumbsup:


Thanks.
Info reqest; is the helmet mount offer in the BikeRay website is the same as the strap/buckle helmet mount that came with the Speed II or is it the velcro variety? I found the strap with buckle much easier to use than the tradition velcro strap type mount.



mb323323 said:


> It looks like the V2 is pointed down a bit and the speed 2 pointed up a bit more.
> 
> Also, would be interesting to see the Speed 2 against a $40 clone w/ a smooth reflector. Just curious as to what the difference would be. I have a clone w/ smooth reflector and am in the Bay Area so I could potentially send it to you if you could do the test fast and send back fast. Up to you though.
> 
> ...


The V2 was pointed center at the same spot. I too was a little curious when I saw the picute reviewed on my camera after the shot. What is happening is that the spread of the V2 at that distant cover a lot of area. There is quite a bit of ground coverage from the bottom half of the V2 beam making the forground much brighter because the center of the spot is shining at the farther distant while the forground is much closer. Notice how the first forground tree on the extreme left is lit up? That tree is over six feet tall is is relatively close to the camera setup. That was about how high I aimed the V2.

I am tempted to take up your offering of the clone for testing. More curious as to see if the reflector has the same diameter and depth. I'm hestitant to take someone else light even for a short time to test and return it with the thought that it may get damage etc.. However we be able to work something out like a quick beamshot comparison and Sphere testing somewhere if I get the OK here.



Cat-man-do said:


> *Colleen,* I'm still on the fence about buying one of these.
> 
> Can you show the size difference of the Spd II compared with an 808E....side by side preferably so I can gauge size.
> 
> ...


Here are some side by side comparison of the Speed II with the 808E. One thing the picutre does not show is the depth of the Speed II reflector. Judging from my old eyes as as accurate as I can tell, I say the Speed II is at least 1/8 to 1/4 inch deeper than the 808E.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

Thanks Colleen. For some reason I thought the size of the Spd II was smaller. One of the seller videos shows someone holding it in their hand and I remember thinking it looked real small. I guess the guy had big hands.  Basically it looks about the same size as an 808E only a tad longer in order to house the deeper reflector.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

Cat-man-do said:


> *@ BikerayUSA*....I really like the flash pattern shown by Colleen. That would make a great "heads-up" feature for when on the road. If there is one thing you could do to improve the product ( that wouldn't increase cost ), it would be to include a memory feature for the driver. This would allow the user to turn the light off and then back on to the last mode used. Some people ( like myself ) only use the helmet light when needed. As such it would be real nice to turn it on and have it come on in the mode you want. A small thing but would be a nice option to have.


Thanks for the feedback Cat-man-do. I will relay your great ideas - for our upcoming products. I'm only the web director though - I don't make final decisions .



Cat-man-do said:


> Oh, and if you can upgrade the driver, please don't change that flash pattern. I think it rocks.


I like the flash pattern also :rockon:.

If you want a shot a getting one of these like us on FB - if you already have not. We are 18 likes away from giving away a SPEED II light System. 1 in 400 chance to get at one of these for free. www.facebook.com/bikeraylights


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

colleen c said:


> Thanks.
> Info reqest; is the helmet mount offer in the BikeRay website is the same as the strap/buckle helmet mount that came with the Speed II or is it the velcro variety? I found the strap with buckle much easier to use than the tradition velcro strap type mount.


The SPEED II comes with the buckle strap. Our other light systems come with the velcro strap.

If I'm understanding you correctly - we have not offered the helmet buckle strap as an accessory for individual sale as of yet. But, I will check into that this week.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

Cat-man-do said:


> Thanks Colleen. For some reason I thought the size of the Spd II was smaller. One of the seller videos shows someone holding it in their hand and I remember thinking it looked real small. I guess the guy had big hands.  Basically it looks about the same size as an 808E only a tad longer in order to house the deeper reflector.


It is about the same size - but a little longer. I do think it is a little smaller than the 808e diameter wise.

Sorry for my big hands :madman:


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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

I am tempted to take up your offering of the clone for testing. More curious as to see if the reflector has the same diameter and depth. I'm hestitant to take someone else light even for a short time to test and return it with the thought that it may get damage etc.. However we be able to work something out like a quick beamshot comparison and Sphere testing somewhere if I get the OK here.




Wouldn't matter to me if it broke. I can just buy another for $30.00 No big deal. 

Don't live in E.Bay but do work in E.Bay so can arrange a drop off or whatever works. Prolly would just be a few bucks at most to send as I would just be sending the light head.

MB


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## Mud Pig (Aug 30, 2009)

Colleen, what kind of flashlight bar mount do you use for your Maelstrom X10? Thanks in advance.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

yeti4ever said:


> Colleen, what kind of flashlight bar mount do you use for your Maelstrom X10? Thanks in advance.


I used a Cycloblock and not the Locblock. I think BatteryJunction sell the Cycloblock cross mount for handlebar use. You might need some friction tape to keep the mount from tilting.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

*sample video of Speed II and Gloworm used on the road*

Update:

Last week I used the Speed II on my helmet in combination with my Gloworm version 2 on the handlebar. It is more lights than will will ever typically need for commuting. The Gloworm has good spread and medium range throw while the Speed II on helmet even in low mode can get drivers attention at cross intersection while providing long throw in high mode. When I switch the Speed II in high mode, it is very bright and I don't recommend it if there is traffic comming toward you.

I made a short video sample of what the combination of a Gloworm on the bar and Speed II on the helmet looks like when both unit is on high. Sorry I did not have video of the Speed II in med or low mode but only in the High mode. In the lower right corner of the video, you can see the body housing of an Gemini Olympia light that was also on my helmet. The Olympia light was off during the duration of the video, however the Speed II was mounted behind the Olympia and the spill from the Speed II was lighting up the body of the Olympia whenever the Speed II was turn on and you can use that as an indicator of when the Speed II was on or off. The video is 720 HD but Youtube default to low resolution but you can choose the higher resolution after opening the video. Noticed the top of the Palm tree lit up at around 2:04 of the video.


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## BikeRayUSA-Michael (Apr 4, 2012)

colleen c said:


> Update:
> 
> Last week I used the Speed II on my helmet in combination with my Gloworm version 2 on the handlebar. It is more lights than will will ever typically need for commuting. The Gloworm has good spread and medium range throw while the Speed II on helmet even in low mode can get drivers attention at cross intersection while providing long throw in high mode. When I switch the Speed II in high mode, it is very bright and I don't recommend it if there is traffic comming toward you.
> 
> I made a short video sample of what the combination of a Gloworm on the bar and Speed II on the helmet looks like when both unit is on high. Sorry I did not have video of the Speed II in med or low mode but only in the High mode. In the lower right corner of the video, you can see the body housing of an Gemini Olympia light that was also on my helmet. The Olympia light was off during the duration of the video, however the Speed II was mounted behind the Olympia and the spill from the Speed II was lighting up the body of the Olympia whenever the Speed II was turn on and you can use that as an indicator of when the Speed II was on or off. The video is 720 HD but Youtube default to low resolution but you can choose the higher resolution after opening the video. Noticed the top of the Palm tree lit up at around 2:04 of the video.


Thanks for the video post Colleen


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## h79 (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks for the review! 
The only thing I don't like are those little holes themselves, they don't fit the great design …


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

h79 said:


> Thanks for the review!
> The only thing I don't like are those little holes themselves, they don't fit the great design &#8230;


I agree. Those slots does take away the beauty of the light. The light barely runs warm when there is a little bit of airflow at slow speed. Personally I feel those holes are not needed for air cooling at all, however since the inside of the reflector and Led are sealed, perhaps they are breather hole so the heat does not get trapped inside?


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## InLafayette (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks for the review.

The Speed II states on website the the head is 100% waterproof. Do you have any information on the survivability on the head if used in a heavy rain. When the light is used as a commuter light and the rain comes the need for dependable light is huge. This is a safety issue that should not be fudged like the brightness. I bailed on the MS over this and currently use several single 18650 DX XL-Ms that have had good o-rings put in place. I have a Jetbeam 40w but don't like using it particularly on the road bike fear that vibration will damage a very nice light. The run time on the flashlights is too short. This company said something about an underwater test, still waiting. Safety and BS don't mix.

$130 is a lot of money for an LED light. Any plans on doing some vibration test?:madman:

If the head stays cool to the touch does this not mean the LED is cooking?:madmax:


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

InLafayette said:


> Thanks for the review.
> 
> The Speed II states on website the the head is 100% waterproof. Do you have any information on the survivability on the head if used in a heavy rain. When the light is used as a commuter light and the rain comes the need for dependable light is huge. This is a safety issue that should not be fudged like the brightness. I bailed on the MS over this and currently use several single 18650 DX XL-Ms that have had good o-rings put in place....


Most Chinese made lamps are not designed to be completely waterproof however some are better at handling rain than others. The same could also be said to apply to torches as well. If you're willing to ride with Chinese made torches it makes no sense to fret over whither a MagicShine or Bikeray bike light is going to fail if it gets wet. At some point you're going to have to make a choice if you want to buy something less expensive but still want longer run times.

If it's really that big an issue I suggest you buy the lamp of your choice and give it your own water exposure test before the warranty expires. If it fails you can always return it for a refund.

BTW, I took one of my older torches swimming a year ago and later had to replace the driver so unless your torches were designed to be waterproof you might be better off with a MS, BR or other cheap bike light.....just my thoughts.


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## colleen c (May 28, 2011)

InLafayette said:


> Thanks for the review.
> 
> The Speed II states on website the the head is 100% waterproof. Do you have any information on the survivability on the head if used in a heavy rain. When the light is used as a commuter light and the rain comes the need for dependable light is huge. This is a safety issue that should not be fudged like the brightness. I bailed on the MS over this and currently use several single 18650 DX XL-Ms that have had good o-rings put in place. I have a Jetbeam 40w but don't like using it particularly on the road bike fear that vibration will damage a very nice light. The run time on the flashlights is too short. This company said something about an underwater test, still waiting. Safety and BS don't mix.
> 
> ...


When BR send me the unit, the heavy rain season here was about over. I did have some chances to ride with it on my helmet in some light rain shower but has yet try going through a heavy cell of rain cloud.

I tried to remove the bezel off the first unit I had and it was very tight where I feel water entering the bezel will not be a probelm. According to an email I had with BR, they inform me that the unit are seal with some high temp silicone and not just regular low temp siliccone.

As for the temp of the light head, I don't believe the LED is running at a high temperature. Reason being is that as I recall from memory, the amp draw from the battery was less than 1.3amps from the 8.4v pack. Also keep in mind that the OTF was measure at about 700 relative measurement value. The battery pack also last 4hrs. These indicate that the LED is not drawing excessive current where lot of that will become heat which the heatsink of the light housing will have to dissipate.


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## imaca (May 1, 2010)

This looks like what is sold here (NZ) as Blaze or Inferno 1200:
images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/56/219547256_full.jpg
Had one (lost when I moved recently) and was also impressed with the throw.
Any idea how it compares to Inton NB-02?
images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/1/222957501_full.jpg
I need a new light and am tossing up between one of those 2 or a glowworm.


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## imaca (May 1, 2010)

Also, not sure what changes Bikeray have made, but the OEMs sold here have a pretty weak mounting bracket. Externally it looks like a magicshine bracket, but when you remove it, its has much thinner walls and looks like different plastic (maybe polyester? - I think magicshine is HDPE). Mine broke after only 2 weeks.
Also, my "Blaze" didn't have the little rubber grommet that magicshines have to give strain relief where the cable exits between the light-head body and the bracket. 
Hopefully Bikeray have rectified these problems.


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