I bought a USE Exposure Axis light
at the end of 2022
and wrote about it in January 2023 (→here),
but that was a wholesaler's stock item.
USE lights go through minor revisions with model names like "Pet name + MK (number)",
and what I bought was the Axis MK8.
I'm extremely happy with this light.
The runtime options provide a wide range of mode settings,
and it doesn't have that annoying
"blinking while on" mode that I hate.
So I ordered the latest Axis at that time,
the Axis MK9, from the wholesaler.
This was a phone order done verbally, and
the wholesaler handles Tni products, but
the capital and personnel changed and the company relocated
from Kobe to Tokyo, so
I wondered if the order had gone through. Then,
a year and a half later, it actually arrived!
Though it was the latest model at the time of shipment, the MK10.
I could have obtained it through overseas online retailers,
but since I have a relationship with an official distributor,
I thought it would be unfair to do that,
so I'm glad it arrived.
Below, there's considerable overlap in content
with the past article in the link,
but first I'll write about the Axis MK8.
The Axis MK8.
USE Exposure lights only publish their maximum lumens,
but for the Axis MK8, the box says 1300 lumens,
while the print on the unit itself says 1250 lumens.
Since the shortest runtime is 1.5 hours,
the high setting when modes (PGM = program)
1, 4, and 8 are selected corresponds to 1250 lumens.
I normally use mode 5 with high 2 hours / low 6 hours,
and the high appears to be over 1000 lumens.
The low is noticeably different when you press the button to switch,
you can feel the brightness change, but the difference isn't so dramatic that
it looks much darker despite the runtime being 3 times longer, so
my operating method is
"always turn on high when the light activates→
immediately switch to low; use high only on downhill stretches without streetlights".
The bracket consists of a plastic holder that the light fits into,
and a rubber-band mount that secures it to the handlebar.
In the linked article I said
it doesn't droop,
but after extended use, the tip droops downward
from vibrations while riding.
According to the manufacturer, the part of the bracket where the rubber catches
should be the longer hanging part facing the rear,
but if I mount it front-to-back reversed,
the tip doesn't point upward from riding vibrations either.
The light's weight distribution isn't
extremely biased in either direction.
So, keeping the bracket orientation as the manufacturer specifies
and positioning the light
all the way to the back of the bracket
means it doesn't move much.
I use the Axis MK8 with the markings facing straight up,
but the light's position relative to the bracket
began to rotate and slip forward,
so I applied non-slip
plastic tape to the inside of the bracket.
If you don't mind the looks,
wrapping a thin cable tie around the unit body
will prevent the light from sliding forward.
In my recent article, I mentioned the Reckmont
cylindrical light or mobile battery holder
that can be secured with rubber bands or cable ties.
This makes it possible to attach it to a Cateye H-34 bracket,
making the mounting more secure.
But I like the lightness of the USE bracket, so
I don't use this on the road bike.
I do plan to mount the Axis under the SRAM Claw stem on my gravel bike Niner,
and I'll use this then.
The Axis MK10 box.
Both the MK8 and MK10 have
stickers on the box saying 1300 lumens.
All current models now come in gunmetal color.
The marking on the unit has been
changed to 1300 lumens for the MK10.
Actually, the Axis is not classified by the manufacturer
as a road light.
The 2024 catalog was also sent with the light.
Regarding USE lights,
either their price per lumen is high→
"For that claimed brightness, there are cheaper options from other brands!"
or their absolute price is high→
"I can't spend that much on a light!"
so I don't think they sell well in Japan.
The Axis MK10 I ordered was set at
39,000 yen pre-tax based on the wholesaler's price at the time,
but if you order now it's 37,000 yen pre-tax,
or 40,700 yen including tax.
First, the MTB models.
Sixpack, Max-D,
Toro, and Race are four models
that use what the company calls a QR bracket,
an aluminum handlebar mount.
To list the model, stated lumens, and stated weight:
Sixpack MK13 3900 lumens 386g
Max-D MK15 2900 lumens 310g
Toro MK14 2250 lumens 236g
Race MK17 1700 lumens 186g
These models aren't listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
They have Bluetooth connectivity and pair with an app
feature called "SYNC"—
Sixpack SYNC MK5 at 104,500 yen including tax and
Max-D SYNC MK5 at 91,300 yen including tax are listed.
These SYNC models have the same stated
lumens and weight as the latest Sixpack and Max-D.
The older Max-D MK8 and MK6 models before SYNC came out
remain at the wholesaler for 53,350 yen and 46,200 yen including tax respectively,
so someone please buy them.
The MK6 should be a model from about 10 years ago.
These four models
feature Reflex Plus Plus Technology
(the icon shows overlapping + signs),
a function where the light detects
rough terrain vibration while riding
and gets even brighter.
For the Sixpack, this can reach
a stated 5450 lumens maximum.
In other words, if you only ride unpaved terrain,
the runtime will be shorter.
The last of the above four models,
Race (no SYNC version),
is also listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
It says "Race is an ultra-lightweight 2600 lumen light, ~"
but that's for Reflex Plus Plus mode—
the normal maximum is 1700 lumens.
The price including tax is 52,800 yen.
Next, the four MTB models
that don't use the QR bracket system.
Zenith, Diablo,
Axis, and Joystick,
but according to the manufacturer's usage chart,
these aren't categorized as road-oriented.
There's a reason for this, but first let me list
the model, stated lumens, stated weight, and
Japanese wholesaler price including tax:
Zenith MK3 2200 lumens 150g
Diablo MK14 2000 lumens 120g 45,100 yen
Axis MK10 1300 lumens 186g 40,700 yen
Joystick MK17 1150 lumens 93g 35,200 yen
Zenith isn't listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
The Axis MK10 weight looks wrong, but that's as originally stated.
My actual measurement is 102g.
Of these four models, only Diablo has a SYNC version:
Diablo SYNC MK5 at 55,000 yen including tax.
The SYNC models let you turn
two lights on/off simultaneously with one switch, so
the manufacturer's catalog shows
package deals like this.
As for why these four non-QR bracket models
aren't considered road-oriented,
it's because the primary intended use is
the helmet-mounted bracket supplied with the light.
The M6 plastic bolts of different lengths are included
because they're used depending on the helmet shell thickness.
To use this way, the helmet must have
a hole at the crown (this is essential),
and ideally an odd number of holes (3 or 5)
so the light can be centered.
↑This section is a ball joint
so the angle is adjustable.
USE envisions the Axis as a topknot beam,
but since I found their road models a bit chunky,
I went with the Axis.
I was initially thinking of buying a Diablo,
but it had no stock available, so I chose the Axis.
Regarding the USE-recommended road models.
"QR bracket models without Reflex Plus Plus, smaller than the MTB versions"—
There are four Strada models like this.
First, regarding brightness,
there's Strada SB (Super Bright) 1700 lumens 230g and
Strada RS (Road Sport) 1450 lumens 183g,
and each has an "AKTiv" version that
detects oncoming traffic and automatically switches to low beam,
returning to high when the car passes, giving four types total.
All of these are listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
The prices including tax are
Strada SB AKTiv 74,000 yen
Strada SB 63,800 yen
Strada RS AKTiv 60,500 yen
Strada RS 55,000 yen
Honestly, I don't understand why
the Strada's radar chart differs so much
from the MTB models.
There's a Sirius MK10
950 lumens 84g listed as the rubber-band bracket road model in the catalog,
but this isn't listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
Regarding light accessories.
When I bought the Axis MK8,
it came with a USB charging cable.
Besides normal charging, you can also
use this to power the light
from a commercial mobile battery.
↑The left image is the AC charger
that came with the Axis MK8, and the right is a separate AC charger.
The left-looking one was previously sold
as a "Smart Charger" and the right one as a "Fast Charger"
by the Japanese wholesaler.
With the separate charger, the Fast Charger
has a caution against use with models before a certain year (←I forgot),
and since the Axis MK8 was Fast Charger compatible, I bought it.
Both chargers in the image are marked with output 4.2V,
and all other specs are identical.
Looking at USE's official site,
the accessories section has
older lights' low-output chargers for sale,
with 4.2V, 2.8V, and 1.5V options.
But those pages don't specify compatible models.
My guess is that what looks like the left image above
was the 2.8V version sold as "Smart Charger"
by the Japanese wholesaler, and
the Axis MK8's included accessory is
the left-looking charger but
with 4.2V output.
If someone buys the Max-D MK6 still at the wholesaler,
it probably comes with the 2.8V "Smart Charger".
Someone please buy it.
I bought an extra AC charger
because I wanted to charge the light at both home and the shop.
The charger comes with an adapter
compatible with Japanese outlets.
Ordering through overseas retailers
might be problematic here.
The Piggyback, USE light's dedicated external battery.
The blue cover on the connector
I added for waterproofing.
This is single-cell with just one internal battery,
but there's also a triple-cell bundling three.
Even then, the cross-section isn't clover-shaped
but cylindrical.
The Piggyback has been redesigned as the "Support Cell",
a cylinder with a coiled cord between the cell and connector.
There are three capacity options: 8.7A, 3.4A, and 1.7A,
but technically it's not an external battery—
it extends runtime for an already-lit light, and
it won't supply power if the light's own battery is nearly dead,
as per the design.
Well, I'm writing a long explanation here,
but it's not listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
Both the Piggyback and charger
have male connectors, so
charging the Piggyback requires
the included dual-female adapter.
Lose this and the Piggyback becomes
garbage (difficult-to-dispose garbage at that).
Charging the Support Cell requires something similar,
sold as the Support Cell Connector
labeled Exposure rather than Piggyback.
at the end of 2022
and wrote about it in January 2023 (→here),
but that was a wholesaler's stock item.
USE lights go through minor revisions with model names like "Pet name + MK (number)",
and what I bought was the Axis MK8.
I'm extremely happy with this light.
The runtime options provide a wide range of mode settings,
and it doesn't have that annoying
"blinking while on" mode that I hate.
So I ordered the latest Axis at that time,
the Axis MK9, from the wholesaler.
This was a phone order done verbally, and
the wholesaler handles Tni products, but
the capital and personnel changed and the company relocated
from Kobe to Tokyo, so
I wondered if the order had gone through. Then,
a year and a half later, it actually arrived!
Though it was the latest model at the time of shipment, the MK10.
I could have obtained it through overseas online retailers,
but since I have a relationship with an official distributor,
I thought it would be unfair to do that,
so I'm glad it arrived.
Below, there's considerable overlap in content
with the past article in the link,
but first I'll write about the Axis MK8.
The Axis MK8.
USE Exposure lights only publish their maximum lumens,
but for the Axis MK8, the box says 1300 lumens,
while the print on the unit itself says 1250 lumens.
Since the shortest runtime is 1.5 hours,
the high setting when modes (PGM = program)
1, 4, and 8 are selected corresponds to 1250 lumens.
I normally use mode 5 with high 2 hours / low 6 hours,
and the high appears to be over 1000 lumens.
The low is noticeably different when you press the button to switch,
you can feel the brightness change, but the difference isn't so dramatic that
it looks much darker despite the runtime being 3 times longer, so
my operating method is
"always turn on high when the light activates→
immediately switch to low; use high only on downhill stretches without streetlights".
The bracket consists of a plastic holder that the light fits into,
and a rubber-band mount that secures it to the handlebar.
In the linked article I said
it doesn't droop,
but after extended use, the tip droops downward
from vibrations while riding.
According to the manufacturer, the part of the bracket where the rubber catches
should be the longer hanging part facing the rear,
but if I mount it front-to-back reversed,
the tip doesn't point upward from riding vibrations either.
The light's weight distribution isn't
extremely biased in either direction.
So, keeping the bracket orientation as the manufacturer specifies
and positioning the light
all the way to the back of the bracket
means it doesn't move much.
I use the Axis MK8 with the markings facing straight up,
but the light's position relative to the bracket
began to rotate and slip forward,
so I applied non-slip
plastic tape to the inside of the bracket.
If you don't mind the looks,
wrapping a thin cable tie around the unit body
will prevent the light from sliding forward.
In my recent article, I mentioned the Reckmont
cylindrical light or mobile battery holder
that can be secured with rubber bands or cable ties.
This makes it possible to attach it to a Cateye H-34 bracket,
making the mounting more secure.
But I like the lightness of the USE bracket, so
I don't use this on the road bike.
I do plan to mount the Axis under the SRAM Claw stem on my gravel bike Niner,
and I'll use this then.
The Axis MK10 box.
Both the MK8 and MK10 have
stickers on the box saying 1300 lumens.
All current models now come in gunmetal color.
The marking on the unit has been
changed to 1300 lumens for the MK10.
Actually, the Axis is not classified by the manufacturer
as a road light.
The 2024 catalog was also sent with the light.
Regarding USE lights,
either their price per lumen is high→
"For that claimed brightness, there are cheaper options from other brands!"
or their absolute price is high→
"I can't spend that much on a light!"
so I don't think they sell well in Japan.
The Axis MK10 I ordered was set at
39,000 yen pre-tax based on the wholesaler's price at the time,
but if you order now it's 37,000 yen pre-tax,
or 40,700 yen including tax.
First, the MTB models.
Sixpack, Max-D,
Toro, and Race are four models
that use what the company calls a QR bracket,
an aluminum handlebar mount.
To list the model, stated lumens, and stated weight:
Sixpack MK13 3900 lumens 386g
Max-D MK15 2900 lumens 310g
Toro MK14 2250 lumens 236g
Race MK17 1700 lumens 186g
These models aren't listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
They have Bluetooth connectivity and pair with an app
feature called "SYNC"—
Sixpack SYNC MK5 at 104,500 yen including tax and
Max-D SYNC MK5 at 91,300 yen including tax are listed.
These SYNC models have the same stated
lumens and weight as the latest Sixpack and Max-D.
The older Max-D MK8 and MK6 models before SYNC came out
remain at the wholesaler for 53,350 yen and 46,200 yen including tax respectively,
so someone please buy them.
The MK6 should be a model from about 10 years ago.
These four models
feature Reflex Plus Plus Technology
(the icon shows overlapping + signs),
a function where the light detects
rough terrain vibration while riding
and gets even brighter.
For the Sixpack, this can reach
a stated 5450 lumens maximum.
In other words, if you only ride unpaved terrain,
the runtime will be shorter.
The last of the above four models,
Race (no SYNC version),
is also listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
It says "Race is an ultra-lightweight 2600 lumen light, ~"
but that's for Reflex Plus Plus mode—
the normal maximum is 1700 lumens.
The price including tax is 52,800 yen.
Next, the four MTB models
that don't use the QR bracket system.
Zenith, Diablo,
Axis, and Joystick,
but according to the manufacturer's usage chart,
these aren't categorized as road-oriented.
There's a reason for this, but first let me list
the model, stated lumens, stated weight, and
Japanese wholesaler price including tax:
Zenith MK3 2200 lumens 150g
Diablo MK14 2000 lumens 120g 45,100 yen
Axis MK10 1300 lumens 186g 40,700 yen
Joystick MK17 1150 lumens 93g 35,200 yen
Zenith isn't listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
The Axis MK10 weight looks wrong, but that's as originally stated.
My actual measurement is 102g.
Of these four models, only Diablo has a SYNC version:
Diablo SYNC MK5 at 55,000 yen including tax.
The SYNC models let you turn
two lights on/off simultaneously with one switch, so
the manufacturer's catalog shows
package deals like this.
As for why these four non-QR bracket models
aren't considered road-oriented,
it's because the primary intended use is
the helmet-mounted bracket supplied with the light.
The M6 plastic bolts of different lengths are included
because they're used depending on the helmet shell thickness.
To use this way, the helmet must have
a hole at the crown (this is essential),
and ideally an odd number of holes (3 or 5)
so the light can be centered.
↑This section is a ball joint
so the angle is adjustable.
USE envisions the Axis as a topknot beam,
but since I found their road models a bit chunky,
I went with the Axis.
I was initially thinking of buying a Diablo,
but it had no stock available, so I chose the Axis.
Regarding the USE-recommended road models.
"QR bracket models without Reflex Plus Plus, smaller than the MTB versions"—
There are four Strada models like this.
First, regarding brightness,
there's Strada SB (Super Bright) 1700 lumens 230g and
Strada RS (Road Sport) 1450 lumens 183g,
and each has an "AKTiv" version that
detects oncoming traffic and automatically switches to low beam,
returning to high when the car passes, giving four types total.
All of these are listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
The prices including tax are
Strada SB AKTiv 74,000 yen
Strada SB 63,800 yen
Strada RS AKTiv 60,500 yen
Strada RS 55,000 yen
Honestly, I don't understand why
the Strada's radar chart differs so much
from the MTB models.
There's a Sirius MK10
950 lumens 84g listed as the rubber-band bracket road model in the catalog,
but this isn't listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
Regarding light accessories.
When I bought the Axis MK8,
it came with a USB charging cable.
Besides normal charging, you can also
use this to power the light
from a commercial mobile battery.
↑The left image is the AC charger
that came with the Axis MK8, and the right is a separate AC charger.
The left-looking one was previously sold
as a "Smart Charger" and the right one as a "Fast Charger"
by the Japanese wholesaler.
With the separate charger, the Fast Charger
has a caution against use with models before a certain year (←I forgot),
and since the Axis MK8 was Fast Charger compatible, I bought it.
Both chargers in the image are marked with output 4.2V,
and all other specs are identical.
Looking at USE's official site,
the accessories section has
older lights' low-output chargers for sale,
with 4.2V, 2.8V, and 1.5V options.
But those pages don't specify compatible models.
My guess is that what looks like the left image above
was the 2.8V version sold as "Smart Charger"
by the Japanese wholesaler, and
the Axis MK8's included accessory is
the left-looking charger but
with 4.2V output.
If someone buys the Max-D MK6 still at the wholesaler,
it probably comes with the 2.8V "Smart Charger".
Someone please buy it.
I bought an extra AC charger
because I wanted to charge the light at both home and the shop.
The charger comes with an adapter
compatible with Japanese outlets.
Ordering through overseas retailers
might be problematic here.
The Piggyback, USE light's dedicated external battery.
The blue cover on the connector
I added for waterproofing.
This is single-cell with just one internal battery,
but there's also a triple-cell bundling three.
Even then, the cross-section isn't clover-shaped
but cylindrical.
The Piggyback has been redesigned as the "Support Cell",
a cylinder with a coiled cord between the cell and connector.
There are three capacity options: 8.7A, 3.4A, and 1.7A,
but technically it's not an external battery—
it extends runtime for an already-lit light, and
it won't supply power if the light's own battery is nearly dead,
as per the design.
Well, I'm writing a long explanation here,
but it's not listed on the Japanese wholesaler's site.
Both the Piggyback and charger
have male connectors, so
charging the Piggyback requires
the included dual-female adapter.
Lose this and the Piggyback becomes
garbage (difficult-to-dispose garbage at that).
Charging the Support Cell requires something similar,
sold as the Support Cell Connector
labeled Exposure rather than Piggyback.
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