Lezyne Super Drive 1600XXL review

The all-in-one form factor of the Super Drive 1600XXL from Lezyne means it packs a fair punch for its compact size and 237g weight.

It touts a 1,600-lumen output from three forward-facing LEDs projected through the brand’s ‘Tri-Focus Optics’ lens that’s claimed to create a broad, even spread of light with a bright central focal point.

Its integrated rubberised mounting strap means it’s compatible with multiple bar diameters, while its aluminium CNC-machined body features cooling fins to help manage heat.

It’s compatible with Lezyne’s Smart Connect smartphone app, where its modes and their outputs can be customised. The single on/off button doubles up as a battery charge indicator.

The light has nine modes, with claimed run times from 148 hours down to 1 hour 45 minutes in the 1,600-lumen setting. It features mode memory, so the light switches on in its last-used setting.

The 1,600-lumen Overdrive output is available only in Race Mode, however, which requires a long push of the mode button to access.

Although not included with this version of the light, the Super Drive 1600XXL is compatible with Lezyne’s wired LED remote button that’s sold separately.

Lezyne Super Drive 1600XXL performance

The Super Drive’s rubberised strap bar mount means changing it between bikes is quick and easy, and it doesn’t matter whether the bar is 35mm or 31.8mm diameter.

However, the strap is quite wide, taking up space on the bar, and it takes a bit of fiddling to get the right amount of tension to ensure the light is mounted correctly.

A quick read of the instruction manual is required to understand how to access the highest 1,600-lumen output mode, where a long push of the button while the light is off activates it. From there, single pushes of the power button cycle through the modes.

The illuminated power button (that doubles as a battery indicator) is easy to see on the move, but proved to be stiff to operate, causing the light to rotate on the bar.

In the maximum setting, power felt up to Lezyne’s claimed 1,600 lumens and is well matched to the beam pattern. It has a close-up central focal point combined with a good throw down the trail, where straight sections of trail and wider, longer fireroads are lit up comprehensively.

However, the beam’s spread isn’t as wide as it could be closer to the light. Although spread down the trail is impressive, up-close it has sharp cut-offs that are relatively near to the central, focused, high-intensity portion of beam.

This lack of spread to the sides makes tackling switchback corners and twisty sections of trail tricky because it's hard to spot lines on the exits of turns, and peripheral on-trail context is limited. Speeds must be kept relatively low to remain in control and stay within the confines of the light’s power.

Its cowl could be bigger to reduce dazzling on take-offs and rises or undulations.

That said, it's great on straighter trails or fireroads and provides enough light for high-speed straight-line bombing.

The green/blue hue of the beam makes the colour of the vegetation pop and is great at providing plenty of definition without bleaching, even in the most concentrated part of the beam.

In the run time test, the light lasted for 2 hours 4 minutes on maximum power, 36 minutes less than Lezyne’s claims.

Lezyne Super Drive 1600XXL bottom line

The Super Drive 1600XXL has a premium-feeling finish and its price per lumen isn’t bad. On wider, straighter trails, the beam’s throw and at-distance spread is good, both matched with an LED hue that's easy to see with.

However, the focused nature of the spot beam closer to the light’s source is limiting on twisty or more technical trails.

Given its relatively low weight and ease of mounting, it would be great as a back-up light, or for someone looking just to dabble in night riding.