The 400L Taillight system purchased from our online store includes 400L light engine, 2 batteries (user configurable), Worldwide smart charger (just add your country's plug), Extension cable, Straps and universal bar mount kit. Additional lenses are not available for the taillight as the taillight already has the widest lens option available, and the widest lens is what gives the taillight maximum visibility. Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout - over 50 bike lights reviewed, photographed and measured here.
Submitted by
Peter Treloar
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2010
Strengths: Very bright, good battery life, lots of modes
Weaknesses: It would be good if the battery lasted forever.
Not Cheap (but worth the money).
Bottom Line:
Brilliant. This is the best taillight product on the market.
Super bright, can be seen for miles. Great battery life. Worth the money for a serious night commuter. Love the product.
Submitted by
rooftop77
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Rapids, MI
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2010
Strengths: Bright as @#%$!!! I think the aliens think I'm signaling them.
Weaknesses: As with all battery apperated devices, they need to be charged every once in a while.
Bottom Line:
This taillight is retardly bright! Cars move over to the other lane now. When I leave my driveway. I see the reflection off my garage door into the neighbors window and even that is bright. The batteries really do have four hour run times as stated in Dinotte's website. They charge quickley and connect/ disconnect easily. Customer service is also the best I have ever dealt with. Rob will give you all the time in the world when talking with on the phone. After using this taillight I wonder Why I didn't buy one many moons ago. I feel safe on the road now. I commute in crap winters with road salt and other grimy dirty crud and this light is still going strong. No sign of cracking wires or anything. I have a set of the 200L front lights that I have used for two winters now and they are just as good.
Dinotte Lighting has desinged a wonderful light that will last through a nuclear war. Get one today!
If you can pony up the dough, they are well worth the big $ that comes with them.
Submitted by
rt5000
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, TX USA
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2010
Strengths: Extremely bright, solid mounting system, mounts on seat post and leaves room for the seat pack, versatile mounting, comes with lots of brackets to mount on anything from the skinniest seat stay to the thickest seat post.
Weaknesses: Needs an external battery, so it's one more thing to strap onto your bike before a ride, and take off to charge after you're done.
Would have liked to have a blink mode that flashes only to medium intensity, since high is so bright it blinds following cyclists.
Bottom Line:
If you want to be seen, this is the one. On low beam, the light is as bright as the tail light on my truck and gives 10 hours of run time. On medium intensity (50% power) it's as bright as a truck's brake light, can be seen from about a mile away, and will run for about 5 hours on one charge. High setting is insanely bright and will blind overtaking cyclists. At night I think it is just too bright, but it makes a great daytime running light.
I don't use it in flash mode because 1) it only flashes to High, and is therefore too bright except in daytime 2) You don't need to flash to be seen and conserve run time. On the streets I run it on medium, and on the bike trails I use low.
Note on the price paid--Dinotte offers a great deal to add this as a package when you buy their headlights (which you should because they're great). As a stand-alone purchase it's kind of expensive for a tail light, but if you add it to their 800 or 1200 lumen headlight, then it's only $100 extra--including a 2-cell li-ion battery. And for $100 it's a bargain.
One more thing: Unlike all the other light makers, Dinotte charges reasonable prices for replacement li-ion batteries. This battery should run for years, and replacements are currently priced at $50.
Similar Products Used: Wide assortment of blinkers
Bike Setup: Trek carbon road bike with Ultegra.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
geoffb1723
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2010
Strengths: The "Neural Disruptor" of tail lights. Cars pull in to another lane when they pass me. Not sure if it can melt paint, working on that. Probably should carry insurance against causing seizures and bad acid flashbacks.
Weaknesses: None, had the 120 model and upgraded to be more noticeable. You might need to shield the light with your hand at stop signs, I noticed drivers using sun glasses and sun visors (hey.. this IS California ya know!)..at night. Sigh. Would like to have variable 3 level dimming of flash mode brightness, sometimes it's just too bright (say your buddy is following you)
Bottom Line:
I found out about this light by following a rider up a local road *in the day time bright sun* who was visible from about 4-5 city blocks (1200m) away.
Me - "Hoser, er' excuse me, what is that thing..... ?"
Him -"DiNotte 400 Neural Disruptor"
Me - "Killer"
Him - "Done saved my bacon 50 times, way cheaper than an ER visit"
Me - "Thanks man !"
Him - "Ride-ski during daytime ! k ? "
Similar Products Used: tons, they all were a joke except the blinky from Planet Bike. This unit is to the Blinky like Hoover Dam wihth all turbines on line as to a 1.5 HP-2 stroke generator.
Bike Setup: not important, MTB and Road Bike, both.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
uglyatc
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfax, VA USA
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2009
Strengths: Maximum visibility. Low profile mounting. This sucker is BRIGHT and makes you be seen.
Weaknesses: Navigating the push-button modes can be a struggle at first.
Bottom Line:
This light is quite impressive. Yes,... it is high dollar, but I caught it on sale via the website. What is the price on one's own safety anyway? I have had many cyclists flag me down to tell me how bright it is, wondered what I am using, and where to get one. The price has never been a factor in conversation after 'seeing' its function.
The bottom line... cars have provided me a full lane! They actually have moved over to the next lane to get around me. I demand my 1/3 of the right lane when riding, but when this light is running, it gets you noticed and cars respectfully have given me room to ride. I feel pretty safe running this light. Also, Rob's customer service at Dinotte is FANTASTIC! I highly recommend the product and the company.
Strengths: I bought the pair a 400L front and rear light. The package price was great.
Astoundingly bright.
Good Battery life (5hrs.+) for both the front and rear 400L lights off of one 2 cell Lion.
Waterproof (tested that on 2hrs + of riding in the rain last week)
Excellent connectors. 2nd only to Jet Lites in my opinion.
reasonable prices for extra batteries $50, and chargers etc,.
Weaknesses: None really so far. I have noticed that with one battery running both the front and rear lights (on blink mode) around 5hrs, the front will shut off with the rear still running. Don't know if this is by design or not, but I like it. I commute so I am more worried about cars behind me not infront.
Bottom Line:
I have had multiple blinkies but in the day time they are all washed out and cannot compete with the signage and lights etc. in the city. This light is BRIGHT. I've been commuting with it for three weeks. Other bikers have commented on it, cars too. There is no question that you will be noticed with this light on. I have a Jet Lite to ride by in the dark, I consider these more safety lights then for seeing in the dark by.
There is absolutely no comparison to other red blinkies. I was surprised by how small it was compared to the picture on the web.
I would recommend this without hesitation. If the price isn't a problem, but you are worried about spending a chunk of change on some lights that may not be what you hoped for. Don't hesitate, this is an incredibly effective light.
Similar Products Used: NiteRider, Cat Eye, Jet Lites
Bike Setup: Giant OCR C1, a sweet 29'er, and some other MTBs
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
racer2008
a Racer
from Alexandria, VA
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2008
Strengths: By far the most powerful rear light on the market, in a league of its own, cannot be compared to an average blinky. Strong enough to scare the devil. Long-lasting rechargeable battery.
Weaknesses: Atrociously expensive for a rear light, but then again, how much is your life worth?
Bottom Line:
A light that is effective during daytime and absolutely frightful at night. DiNotte advocates the concept of being annoyingly visible, I am sold.
I hate to give 5/5 to anything - nothing is absolutely perfect and this light is no exception - but it is so much better than anything else out there that I have no choice.
However, there is still room for improvement. In addition to the 2 rear-facing LEDs, I think it would be great to have two additional LEDs, one on each side. Hopefully the good folks at DiNotte are not sleeping on their laurels.
Submitted by
willco99
a Cross Country Rider
from New Hampshire
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2008
Strengths: Super light, awesome brightness, simplicity, great battery.
Weaknesses: Fixed mounting bracket. Not as easy to change between bikes as it could be.
Bottom Line:
I have been commuting at night for over 11 years and have used hundreds of different rear lights. After being hit during the day last summer, I decided not to take any chances this winter at night.
After reading reviews and talking to the guys at Dinotte i decided on the 400L rear in a package with the 600L and 400L headlights.
I cannot express how amazing this light is. When i say it is bright, I mean it is akin a red sun! Cars now pass with considerably more care and distance than ever before...it creates a "zone of protection" around you! It is also incredibly light, way lighter than any Niterider or L&M system I have owned.
I will never go back now...if you commute you NEED this light.
Similar Products Used: Niterider, Nitesun, Light & Motion, cateye, planet bike, etc....
Bike Setup: 08' Trek Madone 6.5, Trek XO1 commuter, Bontrager Race lite hardtail.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eclectus
a Weekend Warrior
from Wichita, Kansas
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2008
Strengths: Brilliant light
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
Nothing else comes close to this light. Mount it next to a Blinky, and ride 300 feet behind it in daylight: you can't even see the Blinky, it's just overwhelmed by a 10x difference in power.
For night riding the Blinky is fine, and you can't beat it for the price.
But for full daylight, overcast and early evening riding in car and truck traffic, in cities like the one I live in that don't have dedicated bike lanes or bike-conscious drivers, the 400L is without peer as a safety device.
Submitted by
fisker76
a Cross Country Rider
from Underhill Ctr, VT
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2008
Strengths: Incredibly bright, blinding is more apt description, weight, appears to be very durable, excellent fit and finish. Battery system is awesome. Costumer Service is outstanding. Bob at Dinotte helped me put together a package. I put the order in on 3pm friday and had it by 1pm Saturday, by the postal service no less!
Weaknesses: None that I have encountered.
Bottom Line:
Bought this as part of a 400 L package and couldn't be more satisfied with my purchase and with the good folks at Dinotte. Light has different flash rates, excellent battery system and same ruggedness as the headlights. Products are spendy, but then again its made here in the USA, not in china and then sold by the Waltons. With Dinotte you get everything you pay for. See my review of the dbl 400L headlights.
Though it's not shown on the 'in the box' photo on the Dinotte site, the 400L taillight comes with a handy little bracket that can be mounted to a flat surface (needs a 6mm hole th Read More »
