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I had seen pictures of this light in catalogues and had thought it expensive and limited in its use of unusual bulbs.
But I was totally amazed to find how small and neat it was when I came across one in a shop. The light weight (about 80 g, similar to a LED rear light), chunky build and sturdy quick-release mount totally won me over. I bought just the headlight for about 32, as I use a variety of battery packs and it uses the 'standard' coaxial power socket used by other VistaLite and CatEye front lights.
The bulb is a sealed halogen unit, rather like a miniature car headlamp unit, no more than 3cm in diameter. It uses an unusual MR11 mounting system, and is not focussable.
Lack of focus ability is not a problem. Playing with the light in the garden, it gave the smoothest beam I have ever come across, no patterning whatsoever, a bit wide for my taste and with a strong central hot spot.
On the road, I ran it alongside a VistaLite VL400 headlight with a 3V 2W bulb, with the VL500 powered from a 3 Ah sealed lead acid battery. The light was very impressive and encouraged me to ride at daylight speeds along unlit lanes, something I had never felt inclined to do before. I have always been sceptical about the usefulness of high powered cycle headlights, but the sheer quality of light obtainable with this unit did much to change my ideas.
A powerful light like this is likely to be used in very short bursts alongside a less powerful 'cooking' headlight. A good switch is vital. I found the sealed push switch to be rather stiff and clumsy in use, and have since fitted a wired handlebar switch to make it easier to flick the VL500 on and off. The 10 W bulb draws about 1.7 Amps so the main problem is carrying a suitable power source - alkaline batteries were unable to drive the bulb effectively but the small sealed lead-acid battery did a good job. The 4.5 Ah NiCad battery supplied as part of the VL520 kit is no doubt ideal, but this is an expensive option.
Downsides - the bulbs are very expensive (£15) and bulky, and use an unusual mount. They are said to be much more reliable than the familiar MES or push-fit halogen bulbs, they will need to be, as many people would not be prepared to carry a spare. 10 W or 15 W bulbs are available, the literature suggests that a 6 W bulb is also available, but it appears this is not imported into the UK. The 15 W bulb is 'wide angle' or 'flood' beam, and is probably more suited to off-road use than on-road.
The QR mount is good and sturdy and easy to use, but I would have preferred the mount to be uniform with the VL400 series, which is quite the best mounting system I have come across.
Overall this is a first-class product, well worth investigating by any serious night-rider, with the potential to lend a whole new dimension to the night-riding experience.