I admit I was shocked. I spend $30 or $40 on some Cateye or similar product every year or two, usually because I forgot to remove a light at the parking rack and it got stolen, or I dropped it and broke it. Still, if I think about it, I ride to work 130 days/yr, and compared to taking the bus (which I use the other 70 or so days, I save about $520 CDN. So, I theoretically have that amount to spend on my bikes every year if I consider them purely as a business transportation expense. And, compared to if I bought a second family car and used that for my 5 mile commute (my wife is the main user of the one we have) I suppose I am saving $4000+ annually in gas, parking, insurance, maintenance, and interest/lease/depreciation. So when I factor those savings in, $800 for safe, reliable lighting on one's primary vehicle seems pretty affordable.
Of course the bikes are also recreational, so discretionary spending is available too.
Carless...how do you handle security...do you take the whole lighting setup inside with you when you park the bike?
Robert