Lockhart Moto Light

LOCKHART MOTO LIGHT

TRAVELING LIGHT

IT'S DARK AND YOU'RE LOST. SO YOU pull over, and dig into your luggage for a flashlight so you can read your map. But did you pack a flashlight? Are the batteries fresh? Is the bulb intact, or has it popped from vibration? Where is it?

Instead of cursing the darkness, you could shed some light on your dilemma with Lockhart’s new Moto Light. A tiny map-light mounted on a 4-inch-long, flexible stalk, the Moto Light bolts on the handlebar, where it’s always within easy reach. The light features full rubber coating for weather protection, and draws power from the bike’s battery via a fused (1 amp) lead.

Bolting up the Moto Light is supremely simple, requiring only the tools in your bike’s toolkit. The light itself mounts either to the front-brake

reservoir (or the clutch reservoir, if your bike has one) using one of the stock clamp bolts, or directly to the handlebar via a clamp included with the light. The 6'/2-foot-long fused lead connects to the battery’s positive terminal, and a shorter, 1 '/2-foot lead must be grounded somewhere on the motorcycle. The leads should be routed carefully, however, because they’re extremely thin. Once mounted, the Moto Light is ready to serve as your reading lamp on wheels.

It’s convenient to use, too, with a large On/Off switch that’s a cinch to find and operate, even if you’re wearing heavy gloves; and the flexible stalk makes directing the beam as simple as pointing your finger. Admittedly, the Moto Light isn’t as bright as some flashlights, but it’s sufficient to read a map by, and it’s not

so bright as to be distracting, should you leave it on while riding.

But although a flashlight might shine more brightly in terms of candlepower, the Moto Light has more staying power, thanks to its connection to the bike’s battery. That point got illuminated nicely when two flashlights we carried along for comparison during our test of the Moto Light went belly-up.

Overall, the Moto Light qualifies as an exceptionally handy device, although one with an excruciatingly high suggested retail price of $24.95 (from Lockhart, 15717 Texaco St., Paramount, CA 90723; [800] 2217291). For that amount, you could buy a dozen cheap flashlights, a fact that makes the Moto Light more of a luxury than a necessity—that is, until you get lost, cursing in the dark. E3