I have been using the Squadron Pro since one of the first prototypes and somehow I was accused of riding my bike underwater and helped BD find that water could travel into the light through the wires. Problem solved and I love them on my adventure bike for night riding. In pairs they are incredible and difficult to ride without once you get used to them.
But where a rider on the off-road/dual-sport bike with a single headlight has to make a $125 decision is between the standard and the XL. In reality the spec sheet for the LED is the same. It is in the lens, specifically the size and angels of projection where the XL literally shines. I’m known as a picky bastard when it comes to headlights and I learned from some of the best at the time and was very progressive when HID, small spots and even as LED came into the market. I know why I like mixing light temperatures and mounting on the frame verses the forks for different applications. So when I first rode with the XL it was obvious Baja Designs did a lot of homework to spread the light out farther on the sides and throw it further down the trail without the light getting too “spotty”. Larger lenses help with this, especially if mud starts getting on the light. The trick with LED has been reach but focusing the light into a tiny spot is as distracting as your eyes tend to follow the spot and not take in the whole scene. On a bouncing motorcycle this is not good. The XL, plain ans simple paints you a larger picture of where you are going and lights it better. If “smoother” makes any sense, that is what it does with the spread. I use the mixed spot/spread lens pattern and they are adjustable to all of either or the other.
For those serious the added $125 ($374.95 MSRP) is easily worth it. The light packs in tighter on the back of the headlight shell and weighs only a little bit more. The Squadron Pro is excellent, the XL is better.