Six Pack is the biggest of Exposure’s self contained bar lights and the MK14 Reflex+ is the equal brightest too. It’s not the smartest or most expensive light Endura makes, but for most riders that’s a good thing as the tech you get is totally practical. It’s a noticeable lump on the bars though and takes a similarly obvious chunk out of your savings.

– Short of time? Click here to skip to the verdict –

Design and specifications

The UK machined casing of the latest Six Pack hasn’t changed from the old MK13. You’re still getting a cylindrical body with deep cooling rings carved into the head and tail. The single stainless steel control button and gold plated (better for conductivity and corrosion proofing) Smart Port recharge point pokes through a clear rear plate. This covers the circuit board for the narrow OLED strip display and coloured mode and battery indicator lights.

Exposure says it’s repositioned the LEDs for a wider spread, and while it’s impossible to spot on the unit itself the beam pattern is definitely wider | Credit: Exposure

Exposure says what has changed is that the five radial LEDs have been repositioned outwards ever so slightly to create a broader beam. I couldn’t tell the difference looking dead on at the unit itself, but there’s no denying the improved spread. Battery capacity is on parr with the best mountain bike lights out there, and has increased to 20,000 mAh. You can still plug in an auxiliary cell into the Smart Port if you want more time. Alternatively you can plug in a wired remote control for £21 more, which does the same on/off, mode change and power change job as the button on the light. You can get a USB charge cable too, but it’ll be slower even than the dedicated smart charger to fill the huge battery.

The mount is unchanged too so you get the same narrow two piece alloy clamp with 4mm clamping bolt. The wedge bolted onto the base of the lamp then slides into a short triangular shoe with a sprung, red anodised locking pin stopping it sliding back out.

Exposure’s 6 Pack body is machined in the UK, and while it’s chunky on the bars the slimline mount means you can position it just where it fits best

Performance

The mount has long been a point of contention with Exposure, particularly on their bigger lights. Our previous reviewer Paul Burwell was a big fan of its slim design and it certainly means you can squeeze the Six Pack close to the stem. The jigsaw style interlocking hinge is a lot more durable than the pin hinge version that used to crack regularly too.

But even with plastic spacers spreading the load slightly, I’m always slightly nervous about clamping a narrow metal band around the highest load point on a handlebar – particularly a carbon one. Then again I’ve never damaged a bar as a result and never heard of one breaking either, so I should probably just get over it.

I have seen multiple instances of the very short bolt that holds the mounting wedge in place on the light itself coming loose though, letting the light swing round or potentially fall completely off. That’s particularly common if you try to twist the light in the mount, so my advice would be to just leave it alone. Or if you do move it, make sure you retighten the bolt to the correct torque.

Now in its 14 iteration, the 6 Pack is one of the best bar lights going, which explains its longevity

The shoe / wedge interface can also become worn and rattle so keep checking regularly and replace it if it starts to niggle. Sensitive souls might be able to feel the extra weight on the bars too, but you’ll soon get used to it and it’s way more convenient to fit than a separate battery system. Disappointingly, I managed to strip the bolt on my last time out and had to sit out the ride, indicating the alloy isn’t the highest grade going.

In terms of lighting performance the Six Pack couldn’t be more solid. The broader beam pattern is definitely noticeable and I was better aware of upcoming turns climbs as well as tracking changes in the general environment. It’s powerful enough to outshine Exposure’s own Zenith helmet light, and I could only notice the secondary illumination when looking outside the main beam’s spread. The reach of the Exposure is still huge too, saturating the surface of the trail in light for further than most eyes can make use of anyway. It’s a very even, consistent light, which leaves you free to translate the trail without any weirdness.

The Six Pack doesn’t support Exposure’s Sync bluetooth link to and management app or other lights and wireless remotes, but that’s no bad thing as it saves £65. I didn’t really miss it either because the 10 different preset modes give plenty of output and run time options to choose from.

The run time displayed on the Exposure 6 Pack display was unerringly accurate

My preferred setting on the Six Pack is one of three Reflex modes. These use onboard accelerometers to sense speed of movement and trail vibration and brighten or dim the light accordingly. The Reflex tech has evolved to a point where it really works too, extending real world run times noticeably without ever leaving me in the dark dropping into a descent.

The likely run times displayed on the simple OLED strip are a lot more accurate than they used to be as well. And if you can’t see the screen tucked underneath you, you’ll still probably be able to spot the ‘traffic light’ LEDs that give rudimentary charge and mode feedback.

While pricing is very high, a big part of the value in buying an Exposure light comes from the customer support. While the official warranty is three years, Exposure provides servicing and repair back up indefinitely and is present at most major UK MTB events for troubleshooting too. That’s why while they can be randomly glitchy sometimes, stories of Exposure lights still going 10 years plus are common. So are very loyal repeat customers, which says a lot.