![\"2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-rear.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-rear-1024x683.jpg\")
2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-rear.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)<\/p>\nThe Exposure Sirius 11 stands out as one of the most refined, high performance compact bike lights on the market. Its combination of high lumen output, excellent DayBright pulse modes, class-leading flashing runtimes, low weight, and long-term serviceability make it a superb choice for road cyclists and commuters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite its relatively small 98g size, the Sirius 11 can output a hefty 1300 lumens, with an 8-degree spot beam. It also boasts 270-degree visibility. The build quality is impressive with a CNC-machined aluminium outer shell, and it has three different program sets, with three output modes in each.<\/p>\n
Program mode 1 \u2013 1300 lumens for 1 hour, 570 lumens for 3 hours, 1300 lumen DayBright flash, then a pulse of 700 lumens for 12 hoursProgram mode 2 \u2013 755 lumens for 2 hours, 312 lumens for 6 hours, 1300 lumen DayBright flash then a pulse of 300 lumens for 24 hoursProgram mode 3 \u2013 140 lumens for 12 hours, 65 lumens for 24 hours, flashing mode for 130 hours<\/p>\n
It is easy to use. If you have used other Exposure lights, you\u2019ll be at home here. To turn on, you double press the metal button. Single presses then cycle through the three modes of the currently selected program. You hold the button down for two seconds to turn off again.<\/p>\n
To switch programs, you hold the button down with the Sirius switched off and then count the flashes, as they correspond to the program number: two flashes for Program 2, three flashes for Programme 3. You then let go when you reach the one you want. Turn the light back on and it will now be in the selected mode. The various running times in hours of the various modes are etched into the casing.<\/p>\n
Like all other Exposure lights I\u2019ve experienced, the Sirus 11 is superbly well made. The body is an attractive gunmetal type grey, made of machined 6063 aluminium, with eight concentric cooling fins added to its casing. These increase the surface area of the casing, allowing it to release more heat. The circuitry inside also has thermal management built in, so if it gets too hot, it will automatically reduce its output until it\u2019s cool enough to go back up to max lumens again.<\/p>\n
2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-rear.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)<\/p>\n
The metal button on the rear is easy to press with gloves on and the USB-C \u201cstorm port\u201d cover has just the right level of flex and forms a tight seal over the USB-C port to secure it for waterproofing. This rubber seems a good improvement over the previous squidgier rubber used on previous lights which had the \u201csmartport\u201d.<\/p>\n
I own Exposure lights that are still going strong after over 10 years, with similar mounts, and see no reason to expect anything different from the Sirius 11.<\/p>\n
The strap mount is a durable, thick plastic, with a very thick elastic band strap which is the best I\u2019ve tried for any light.<\/p>\n
The clamp is secure in use. It needs a decent shove to clip it in, and a decent bit of pressure to release it, but this also means it stays put over rough surfaces.<\/p>\n
![\"2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-bar-mount.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-bar-mount-1024x683.jpg\")
2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-bar-mount.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)<\/p>\n
It can be used either above or below the bars. Personally I preferred above the bars, so that it was easy to adjust modes with my thumb, or cover the lens a bit to reduce any glare for oncoming cyclists. It is still possible to make tilt adjustments on the fly which is really handy.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that Exposure does separately offer some nifty accessories to make the Sirius 11 more adaptable.<\/p>\n
If you have Aero flat bars Exposure sells a longer 80mm band<\/a> which can stretch to 160mm for a fiver.<\/p>\n You could also use a GoPro out-front mount and put it under your cycling computer. Exposure sells a compatible clip<\/a> for a tenner.<\/p>\n You can also get a stud bracket for any M5 bolt<\/a> \u2013 for example down on the fork. These are twenty quid.<\/p>\n The Sirius 11 features an 8-degree spot beam, brightest at the centre, but it also offers 270 degrees of visibility, so you can more easily be seen from the side. It lights up the whole lane of a road, with a little bit of the side verges as well. It\u2019s a very white light, which I found made potholes easy to spot.<\/p>\n I do however think you need to be responsible with a beam like this. Personally, I wouldn\u2019t wear it on a helmet, unless I was off-road with no oncoming traffic. I think it is so bright that if used on a cyclepath or road you could irritate oncoming traffic. It\u2019s most sensibly used on the bars, where you have immediate control over the beam and mode selection.<\/p>\n My commute is 90 minutes each way and I managed to get two days\u2019 worth of commuting, switching modes \u2013 generally a mix of Programs 1 and 2.<\/p>\n I was testing in proper pitch darkness along unlit paths, mostly using the 755 and 312 lumens modes. I found I only need 1,300 lumens on some downhills on weekend rides.<\/p>\n The DayBright and regular flashing modes are also really, really good, with those 12 and 24 hour run-times, or 130 hours on flashing.<\/p>\n The battery indicator works via an LED on the back of the unit, just below the button. When it\u2019s 100 per cent full, it is solid green. Once it loses 15 per cent of its charge, it will flash green. It continues this, 15 per cent at a time, decreasing through amber, and red, until it gets to the very last 10 per cent, when it will flash red. Once it\u2019s properly exhausted, the LED switches off, and puts itself into a really low powered mode, just enough to try and get you home.<\/p>\n You can also check the battery level by single pressing the button before turning it fully on to check the colour of the LED.<\/p>\n Exposure reckons on 2:05hrs to recharge the 4,000mAh Li-ion battery , and I reckon that\u2019s pretty much bang on what I was getting. The Sirius can charge from an external battery pack, but can\u2019t be kept powered on from one.<\/p>\n As well as being well made in the first place, Exposure stands out for offering a two-year warranty, extended to three years if you purchase via its own website. The brand also states it will try and repair any defects for up to 10 years after purchase.<\/p>\n \u201cLifetime serviceability\u201d is advertised on the box the Sirius comes in, which is really encouraging. Top marks for embracing \u2018the right to repair\u2019.<\/p>\n In my experience, Exposure has been really good when sending previous lights I owned back for a repair, quoting the price to fix it, and then repairing and returning really quickly. It\u2019s great to have this peace of mind.<\/p>\n It sounds like I\u2019m properly raving about the Sirius 11, but there were just a couple of things I\u2019d like to see improved in a future version<\/p>\n It takes a little bit of getting used to, placing the Sirius in the mount, otherwise on your first button press it can slide forward. I put it as far forward in the mount as it would go, so it didn\u2019t do this.<\/p>\n If you use the light in 1,300 lumen mode, it gets surprisingly hot on the \u201ccooling fins\u201d of the case. Similarly, the lens can be surprisingly hot on bare fingers if you forget to turn it off straight away and keep it held in your hand.<\/p>\n When switching modes, it takes about three seconds for the colour to change to show the appropriate battery level, and it will show green for a few seconds before turning to the \u2018true\u2019 battery level colour \u2013 which could be red. I guess it\u2019s calculating, but it means you often end up double checking.<\/p>\n > See and be seen with our top front bike lights for on the road, trail or path<\/a><\/p>\n Value<\/p>\n The Ravemen LR1000<\/a> is 137g, so a little weightier, but still outputs 1,000 lumens, not quite matching the Sirius 11. Like the Exposure, we were impressed by its secured mount, and the amount of power on offer from something so lightweight. It\u2019s half the price of the Exposure at a shade under \u00a360.<\/p>\n![\"2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-front.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-front-1024x683.jpg\")
2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-front.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)<\/p>\n![\"2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-USB-C-port-and-power-button.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-USB-C-port-and-power-button-1024x683.jpg\")
2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-USB-C-port-and-power-button.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)<\/p>\n![\"2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-run-times.jpg\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-run-times-1024x683.jpg\")
2025-Exposure-Sirius-11-run-times.jpg (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)<\/p>\n