The X-Power 1500 delivers 1500 lumens through its bright triple Cree XM-L LEDs – on par with most of the other top end off road lights currently on sale. With a sorted beam pattern of white, but not burnt out, light it has an acceptable amount of illumination for hardcore off roading. The XP 1500 has five separate settings, with these performance figures: Overdrive 1500 lumens / three-hour burn, High 1000 lumens / four-hour burn, Standard 700 lumens / six-hour burn, Low 320 lumens / 11.5-hour burn and Flashing 1100 lumens /15-hour burn.
Our on-trail testing revealed these burn times to be largely accurate, though it pays to be cautious when estimating your total ride time as with all Lithium Ion batteries there’s no ‘browning out’ period and no warning indicator. The 265g 80x50x50mm battery will run out of power and be off, just like that. However, there’s more than enough light and power for most excursions and with economical use of the main switch to use full power when necessary even hardcore night riders should be able to nail any ride on one battery.
The head unit weighs 130g and is well vented to cope with slow speeds and warm temps without overheating. We were more worried about water ingress, though a couple of summer downpours haven’t caused any issues. Moon uses waterproof cable junctions, so it should be good for a wet winter. The weight is on the limit for helmet mount use we think, but while up there did a great job of seeing round corners on the trail. We preferred it mounted to the bar using its tool-free rubber strap to securely attach it, and we’ll be running it this way with a lighter light for our helmet (Light and Motion’s Stella is a favourite). A solid option for regular fat tyre night owls.