Secondly, mechBgon, what light setup do you have that provides over 2000 lumens.
If I wanted >2000 lumens, I would use my
Light & Motion Seca 700
DiNotte 600L
Dereelight DBS V2 with the OP reflector and 1S R2 pill
Olight M20 Warrior Premium
and my crummy TrustFire MC-E
and I could throw my Fenix L2D Q5 on for good measure
Normally, I haul the Seca 700, the DBS and the Olight. I've also begun taking along the MC-E, although it's such a low-quality light that I expect it to fail eventually.
Thirdly, from your image, my view at night is about the same, but reach is further down the road.
I regret to say that my digital camera is no substitute for human eyesight
There is also a paradox regarding human vision... if I just want to see down the roadway as far as I can, I can see as far or farther by using the Dereelight DBS
alone at about 245 lumens out the front, as I can with the DBS plus the Seca 700. Because the DBS puts the brightest illumination at the far end of its beam, and my eyes "auto-level" to that, and then that's where I see best. Excessive light in the foreground is actually counterproductive if I want to see farther down the road.
This is one reason I don't use the DiNotte 600L for road riding anymore. Too much light close to the bike, and not enough light 4-6 seconds down the road. It's like driving a car with only the fog lights, instead of the low-beams. A great off-roading light, but it doesn't suit my preferences for road riding.
Hit something that sounded like a metal fork pinging.
I'm always hearing stuff go flying from under the tires that I didn't see, day or night. It's not merely a lighting problem