The Lab: Lupine SL A 7 in review

In the “The Lab” we present the latest products and put them through their paces for you. Some undergo long-term tests, while we check others out only briefly. This time we reveal how the Lupine SL A 7 bicycle light fared.

“Let there be light” has been Lupine’s credo for 25 years now. With the Lupine SL A 7, the German brand launches its first StVZO (German road traffic regulations) compliant bicycle headlight. The version we tested comes with a 6.9 Ah / 50 Wh battery, an output of up to 1,300 lumens from 12 Luxeon high-intensity LEDs. The complete setup weighs 385 g. Fear not, at the sight of the high-quality finish of the aluminium lamp,, you’ll forget the weight just as fast as the gram-to-euro ratio of almost 1:1. The Lupine has four different light modes. In high beam, the SL A 7 delivers a full 1,300 lumens for up to 3 hours. This level can only be activated from the low beam mode (850 lumens for up to 5 hours). The sensitivity of the light sensors on the light can be adjusted – once you’ve done so the light switched into night or day mode automatically. In addition, the night mode is dimmable to 450 lumens, increasing the Lupine’s battery life to up to 10 hours. In daytime mode, the battery will last for up to 33 h according to the manufacturer.

When riding at dusk, it was unusual not to be able to manually switch the light from daytime mode to night mode. Adjusting the sensitivity of the sensor let our test rider Ben tune exactly when it switched and once set up, reliably turned on to light up the road as soon as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Even with the headlight dimmed, the Lupine is sufficiently bright to ensure your safety on the bike. The beam pattern is consistent yet clearly defined. If you’ve got it correctly mounted the 850 lumens of low-beam night mode won’t bring the oncoming traffic to a halt.

Okay, different bike: things get exciting on the gravel bike when turning onto the pitch-black forest road. Using your thumb to push the included remote mounted on the handlebar and you activate the Lupine’s high-beam mode, blasting out a full 1,300 lumens. Full-speed escapades on forest roads at night? Check! However, with that much light, you’ll also get a lot of heat, though the engineers at Lupine have thought about this too. Depending on the temperature, the light will only achieve maximum output if you’ve got enough airflow. Without cooling, the Lupine SL automatically dims its light. A look at the list of accessories shows that the team at Lupine has really thought of everything: e.g. an additional adapter that converts the battery into a USB power bank. Oh, and the red LEDs of the battery charge indicator can be converted into an emergency taillight too…

<strongThe Lupine SL A 7 has convinced us in every respect. From first-class workmanship to sophisticated software and clever accessories. You'll learn to appreciate both the StVZO conformity and the manually activated floodlight with every ride, especially on a gravel bike. One to go please!

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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl