Hope or Exposure? R8 or MaxxD?

It’s Xmas bonus time and I want to upgrade from my SolarStorm X2

I can buy a Hope R8 for £240 or a MaxxD for around £309

Give me your opinions and experiences STW

R8 is astonishingly good, having upgraded from a £30 Chinese lantern, with a leap of faith charger and battery pack.
Downside to the R8 is it’s equally astonishingly heavy battery pack.
I can’t speak for the Maxx though.
EDiT….I also doubt the R8 as a useable helmet mounted light too, it’s simply too big and heavy, but as a bike mounted light, it’s way more than I need most of the time, on its max setting, you’d swear it could cut down trees on the trail 😉

In true STW style;
Lumicycle Explorer Enduro
Much brightness here

Latest Maxx D is amazing, really good. My one criticism is that although the “hh:mm” remaining burn time read out is good, you can’t actually see it when riding along without contorting yourself. The red/Amber/green light was, at times, more useful. If you’re stopping periodically it’s a moot point though.

Got 1 Hope Light and 4 Exposure lights. Even though the Hope light has just had new batteries and leads I never use it. I only ever use the Exposures.

The R8 battery pack does look super heavy, but it looks very well built.

Guy I ride with has the R8. Super bright but the handlebar mount seems a bit cheap and nasty. Wobbles a lot.

Exposure all day long. Separate battery packs are ok on cheap Chinese lights but they scratch your frame up and are a faff. I always manage to have acres of cable left over too which is a pain in the arse if you’re regularly removing them.

Exposure bar mounts are awesome and apparently their customer service is top notch (although I’ve not had to use it yet and apparently Hope is pretty good too).

I like the fact that taking my lights off is as easy as whipping the Garmin off – and once fitted they don’t move. Unlike lights with a separate battery pack where you have to thread the cable round the frame just so you don’t lasso anything.

I went from Hope to Exposure about 4 years ago. Both quality kit, but prefer the simple contained Exposure’s by a mile. Also using current MaxxD and Joysticks here. Perfect setup for me.

don’t forget Exposure have “reflex” technology

Just had an out of warranty 6pack repaired that I dropped down a hill in the snow
Cost of repair including post and pack £17.50
Cracking service

Did anyone by a MaxxD and wish they had spent the extra on a 6 pack.

Even a new MaxxD is a lot of light. The only reason I can see to buy a 6 pack is for longer run times. For your average mid-week night ride of ~2hours a MaxxD is plenty.

Maxx-D paired with a Diablo on my helmet, fantastic combo. Went to Exposure to get rid of the cable that separate battery packs bring and I’m so glad that I did. Really nice and simple mount system that you just leave on the bars, clip the light i and go 🙂 Paired with the Diablo I hardly ever put either of them into high and together they produce enough light to ride for hours.

Even a new MaxxD is a lot of light. The only reason I can see to buy a 6 pack is for longer run times. For your average mid-week night ride of ~2hours a MaxxD is plenty

Just to back this up, the Maxx-D on full power is bonkers bright. The Six Pack is ludicrous, the extra light isn’t really usable! As someone who rides and sells them, the only real reason to go for the Six Pack over the Maxx-D these days is if you need the extra burn times, as Six Pack will do Maxx-D brightness but for a lot longer (which is where it becomes more useful).

Another MaxxD and Diablo combo here, bought the Diablo first as I wanted a cable free light so I could ride without a pack and then added the MaxxD later when I got the start of a night ride and my Chinese lights threw a wobbler. I was originally after a Hope light but once I had a good look at the MaxxD the deal was done, really like the all in one design, it’s more than bright enough for me, and I like being able to pop it off the bars quick at the end of the ride or at a pub stop. Also like that I can charge it indoors overnight without the fear of burning the house down!

Just replaced my Hope HID that was very reliable with a Toro that kept turning itself off during a race last night! Not a happy bunny so far… 😡

Exposure all day long but personally if you’re willing to spend maxx D money I can’t see why you wouldn’t buy the six pack. Can’t see any down sides to the six pack over the maxx D?

It’s a lot bulkier, a lot heavier, a lot more expensive, and the additional light output unnecessary…? 😕

I’d never bother with the 6-pack (having used one) YMMV.

I love Exposure for helmet lights and I have one of their Strada road bar-lights as well, but I’ve been using Lumicycle since the halogen days and, in contrast to the self-contained thing that you get with Exposure – for longer, winter, rides, I really like having the option of simply changing the battery if you need extra burn time or want a back-up in proper sub-zero conditions when burn times drop off due to slower battery chemistry.

Not an issue if you’re only out for four hours or less I guess, and you could, I guess, simply fit a back-up cell / Piggyback or whatever they’re called now, but the latest Lumicycle units are ace ime: stone reliable, great back-up and I like being able to change up and down the light output sequence rather than having to cycle through the whole lot.

That said, the programmability on Exposure stuff is great and I’ve found their customer service excellent as well.

Recently splashed out on a new Maxxd and joystick after one of my magicshines gave up on ride, they lasted well but always fancied exposures. No cable or battery faffs, dont need to rush around around local trails in fear of battery life running out,even the quality feel when you take it out the box, and from what Ive read the good customer service. Expensive yes but well worth the cost in the long run imo.

njee20 – Member
It’s a lot bulkier, a lot heavier, a lot more expensive, and the additional light output unnecessary…?
I’d never bother with the 6-pack (having used one) YMMV.
POSTED 8 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

A lot heavier? And a lot more expensive?
There is only 79grams on it. And £55.

£345 is a lot to pay for a front light so of your already wiling to shell out for a maxx-d at that price another £50 is hardly going to make a difference.

I’ve just bought a Six pack for £326 and very pleased with it.
Never contemplated the maxx-d.

I’m thinking of getting a helmet light too, what exposure are people using?

Diablo on the helmet seems very common. Or a joystick if funds are more limited

I’m running a Diablo with a Nitefighter BT40s. One day I might get myself an exposure front light but they’re a bit spendy right now (considering what I use them for)

I have a new six pack and a joystick.

I went big as it’s nice to have the option to ride out and back to meet others and have extra burn time.

Did a four hour ride and still had 50% left when I got back (toggling up and down during the ride – probably didnt need to though). The mounting bracket and buit in battery are a massive bonus too rather than nasty fixings, velcro and o-rings – rock solid and unclips very easily onto another bike.

Big investment – but its nice to get home without the light running out.

I’ve just bought a Six pack for £326 and very pleased with it.
Never contemplated the maxx-d.
I’m thinking of getting a helmet light too, what exposure are people using

20% heavier and 15% more expensive. It’s hardly nothing. Maxx-Ds outsell 6-packs significantly (at my LBS anyway), so plenty of people don’t see the point.

For a helmet light Anything less than a Diablo will be a waste of time paired with a recent 6-pack!

Its only £50 – its nothing

Not considered a Four4th Holy Moses or OMG light.

I also went from Hope to Exposure but about 2 years ago. Agree both quality kit, but I also prefer the simple contained Exposure’s by a mile. Using last gen MaxxD and last gen Diablo (with an extra battery pack to get max output for ~ 2 hours). Been a near perfect setup only minor glitch being the need to carry the additional battery but it only weighs 80g so not a huge problem.

BTW Big Hope fan but just like that I don’t have an external battery and cord with the MaxxD.

Maxx-D on the bars, Diablo on the helmet for me too, brilliant, the lack of external battery / wires is an absolute winner all day long for me. Most light failures whether Chinese or premium branded ones have been at connectors / wires being over pulled etc etc. My only minor criticism is I have never really got the TAP function to work well enough on the Diablo (even on the least sensitive settings it can change mid trail if the terrain is rough) Eitherway, I have absolutely no issue with pressing the button to change modes, so its not a deal breaker. Awesome kit

I’ve been running a MaxxD Mk8 with an Axis Mk3 for the helmet / backup – no regrets at all. 2 year warranty is reassuring too.

Another Exposure here. Mine started playing up 6 months after the 2 year warranty expired and they fixed the light for free. MaxxD all the way. Only criticism is the Diablo only burns one full for 60 mins, and only 120 with a piggy back battery, which is not sufficient for a night ride. When I need to buy a new light it will be an exposure