Exposure

Toro Mk4

It's hard to imagine that the high-end lights we raced with five years ago are already overpowered by much lighter and brighter options. In fact, last year's Exposure Toro Mk3 light is now over shadowed by the Mk4 -- which pushes out 25% more lumens.

But that's not the extent of the Mk4's improvement, it also gets the new Optimum Mode Selector. This allows you to select from a number of programs to offer the optimum lighting for your ride conditions. The requirements needed for a high-paced trail ride are quite different than 24hr race or a week of commuting -- and the OMS lets you tune the light for the conditions.

The MK4 uses three Cree XPG R5 LED emitters to deliver 1200 lumens, enough light for serious off-road use. They're housed in a high-tech resin lens to maximize efficiency and beam pattern for cycling. Best of all, the 8700mAh Lithium ion battery is contained in the light itself. There are no external batteries or wires to fuss with or mar the finish on your bike.

The Toro Mk4 mounts on your handlebars with a small, but sturdy CNC-machined aluminum clamp assembly for 31.8mm bars, and includes a shim for 25.4mm bars. The clamp features a spring loaded button that holds it securely for trail use or over broken pavement. When you need to remove the light for charging you simply pull the red button and the lamp unit slides right out.

Within the CNC-machined, aerospace-grade aluminum housing, O-rings seal each interlocking section to make it totally weatherproof. This affords the protection necessary to keep the rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries and all of the electronics that control the LED lamp unit safe from moisture, muck, and grit -- what we'd expect from a U.K. manufacturer.

The Toro Light also has Smart Port Technology Plus. Essentially, it's a cylindrical plug on the back of the lamp unit that allows you to insert the smart charger. But it also enables you to plug in accessories like a red LED taillight and back-up batteries, or to even charge other USB-powered devices. It will automatically recognize each accessory and configure the system to take a charge or power accessory lights. A remote switch is even available for quick light control.

The Toro Mk4 features Exposure's Intelligent Thermal Management (ITM), a patented technology to keep your light safe from damage caused by overheating. If the internal temperature gets too high, the light will automatically drop down to the next lowest setting. It will remain at the lower setting until the temperature inside the housing returns to within the normal operating range.

The built-in battery pack will run for 2 hours on the 1200 lumen high setting. Dropping it down to medium will net you approximately 10 hours of use, and it will run for 24 hours on the low setting. It has a flash setting that Exposure claims will go for days. The power button is on the back of the unit, where the new LED info display resides under a clear silicone covering.

This allows you to see the colored indicator, with a five step fuel gauge and three level mode indicator that also doubles as the OMS display. The Exposure Toro Mk4 has a two year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship