The Light & Motion Vega 200 is the next generation of the 85-lumen original. Scheduled for release later this summer, the Vega 200 pumps out a brilliant white, 200 lumen beam. (There’s also a scaled down Vega 120 that’s capable of a 120 lumen output.) The Vega 200 features a 4w LED bulb, a self-contained NiMH battery and a tool-free elastomer mounting system, which simplifies installation, but doesn’t really inspire confidence. At 240 grams, the Vega 200 is 15g lighter than its predecessor.

The Vega 200 charges in just two hours and features integrated smart charging technology. In contrast to a trickle charger, which continues to feed electricity to a battery that’s completely full, a smart charger senses how much power is stored and only replaces what’s necessary. This helps maintain the battery’s lifetime and maximum capacity. The battery is designed to run for two hours at 200 lumens, and up to 8 hours at its lowest setting. And conveniently for me, the Vega 200 is backwards compatible with the old Vega’s charger.

The light shown here is a pre-production sample, personally delivered by Light & Motion sales rep Jon Shell. Unfortunately, the prototype’s mounting strap isn’t up to snuff, so we’ll have to wait for the improved version before we can begin test riding the new Vega. The production light will be slightly different in color, but otherwise structurally the same for all intents and purposes.

The Vega 200 retails for $190, and the Vega 120 goes for $130. Look for an updated review down the road. For more information, visit www.bikelights.com.

This entry was posted by Urban Jeff on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 12:02 am and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.