Exposure Link Plus MK5 Gun Metal Black

The Exposure Link Plus MK5 is a front and rear bike light that lives on your helmet. A white LED faces forward at up to 630 lumens, a red LED faces back, and both sit in one 83 g aluminium body that charges by USB-C and is rated IP67 for water and IK09 for impact.

Who it's for

Commuters and road riders who want to be seen from every side. Up on the helmet the Link Plus MK5 sits above the traffic, lights up in both directions at once, and turns with your head when you check over your shoulder at a roundabout. Because the light travels on your helmet rather than the bike, you unclip it with the helmet when you lock up at the station and it goes with you onto the next bike. It is the light for dark winter mornings on the Brisbane bikeways and the long ride home after daylight saving ends.

Brightness and runtime together

Choose one of three programs, High, Medium or Low, then press the button to step through the front and rear combinations. Double the runtime and you halve the output, so the program you pick sets the pace of the battery:

• Both LEDs constant: 4 hours in High, 7 in Medium, 14 in Low
• Front constant, rear pulsing: 5, 10 or 20 hours
• Both pulsing: 10, 20 or 40 hours
• One LED constant: 6, 12 or 24 hours
• One LED pulsing: 16, 30 or 60 hours

Program 1 uses Exposure's DayBright flash pattern, made for being seen in daylight traffic. Built-in thermal management eases the output back if the light runs hot and brings it straight back up once it has cooled.

Beam shape

The Link Plus MK5 is built to make you visible rather than to light a trail. The white front and red rear together give coverage all the way round, and a ball joint in the mount lets you aim the light so the front beam sits where drivers will see it. Run front only, rear only or both, steady or pulsing, to suit the road you are on.

Charging and battery

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery charges through a USB-C port hidden under the silicone band, and a full charge takes just over an hour. The charge LED flashes green while charging and goes solid green when full. One press of the button with the light off shows battery level for five seconds: green above half, amber down to a quarter, red below that. Slide the band back over the port after charging to keep water out.

Mounting

The helmet mount passes through a vent and clamps with a nylon bolt, and two bolt lengths are supplied for helmets 22 mm to 40 mm thick. It works with MIPS Essential, Evolve and Air Node helmets, fitted between the outer and inner shell, and is not for MIPS Spherical or Integra helmets. A quick release lets you take the light off to charge it, and the bracket is designed to pop free if it snags. The nylon bolts are a deliberate weak point in a crash, so never swap them for metal ones.

Weather resistance

Rated IP67 for water ingress and IK09 for impact, with an anodised 6063 aluminium body and scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses. Summer storms on the ride home are no reason to leave it off.

Looking after it

Wipe it clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm soapy water, rinse it with fresh water after a coastal ride, and keep the pressure washer away. If it sits unused over summer, top up the charge every 6 to 8 weeks.