Bright Light!
- Thread starter fxmatt
- Start date
Inthewoods
Member
- Apr 1, 2002
- 33
- 0
I think the highest watage you can run is 35w, but I'm not to sure, I also am looking for brighter light but my understanding is that you may have to get a bigger stator?
A slick trick is to replace your headlight with a piece of Lexan then glue (silicone seal should work) two 12V, 20watt halogen bulb/reflectors to the inside. If you remove your taillight bulb you can run the 40 watts up front with no problems. 40 watts from a halogen setup is way brighter than 35 from a tungsten filament. You need to be a bit of a "do it yourselfer" but it works well and costs about $15. A blast of black paint on the backside after the lights are glued on makes for a trick looking setup.
The best lights are the ones like in the Acerbis DHH or Blitz lights, same as the UFO Twins lights. You can get them from Home Depot for like $9 each in 20w, 35 and 55w units. In flood and pencil beams. They have a lifetime warranty also! haha
Those are the best lights I have used offroad on a bike with a limited budget. They work better than any H4 bulb or other automotive bulb that I have tried out there. They leave no blind spots like the automotive bulbs can.
Anyhow, you can wire up one 35w bulb or 2 x 20w units. You can do the homemade method like I did for a while on my XR600:
Or you can buy a UFO Twins light and just run one of the bulbs from there. I have the green twins in my KDX250 and it looks great! I am very anxious to get out on the trails with it.
For the rear, get a LED replacement bulb. They draw almost no power to run! They are great for low output stators!
Those are the best lights I have used offroad on a bike with a limited budget. They work better than any H4 bulb or other automotive bulb that I have tried out there. They leave no blind spots like the automotive bulbs can.
Anyhow, you can wire up one 35w bulb or 2 x 20w units. You can do the homemade method like I did for a while on my XR600:
Or you can buy a UFO Twins light and just run one of the bulbs from there. I have the green twins in my KDX250 and it looks great! I am very anxious to get out on the trails with it.
For the rear, get a LED replacement bulb. They draw almost no power to run! They are great for low output stators!
G. Gearloose
Pigment of ur imagination
- Jul 24, 2000
- 709
- 0
Tell us more, Matt!
Do they plug into a std socket? Are they common enough to find at typical auto part stores? Thx
Well on my XR600, the rear taillight used a 1157 bulb. You can get the LED replacements at most autoparts stores for the 1157 and the more common turn signal bulbs. They even make the small ones like the 194 units. They are clear, but when they illuminate it is red.
I went from dimming the headlight when the brake light was applied to not dimming it at all with the brakes on after the LED bulb was installed in the rear.
Pilot Motorsports and APC make them for sure.
http://www.4apc.net
I went from dimming the headlight when the brake light was applied to not dimming it at all with the brakes on after the LED bulb was installed in the rear.
Pilot Motorsports and APC make them for sure.
http://www.4apc.net
G. Gearloose
Pigment of ur imagination
- Jul 24, 2000
- 709
- 0
:cool: Many Thanks!
G. Gearloose
Pigment of ur imagination
- Jul 24, 2000
- 709
- 0
One more question, please...
Have you actually used them on your directionals? I'm curious because the reduction in current draw could affect the blinker-speed or prevent it from cycling. I'll get some anyway but just curious if you knew.
Have you actually used them on your directionals? I'm curious because the reduction in current draw could affect the blinker-speed or prevent it from cycling. I'll get some anyway but just curious if you knew.
We installed a new tail section on my friends streetbike that included all led lights and turn signals. The current draw was too low and the flasher circuit wouldn't work. The streetbike has plenty of power for lighting so we just put two small bulbs in a black plastic box under the seat and hooked them up with the led signal bulbs.
MattGt90 How about a little detail. Do you use a flood and a spot? Do they seem to hold up to offroad conditions? How did you install yours on your XR? I ride an enduro series and have one night enduro I need to get through I need all the help I can get. Thanks
On the XR600 setup, I ran one spot and one flood. If I were to do it again in the VERY tight woods I would run dual flood lights.
I took out the XR light in the shell there. Took a plastic trash can, cut a piece that would fit in its place. Then used a speaker speed nut on the back of the stock headlight screw to hold the unit to the shell. I found a few $.97 flash lights and used the ring that screws into the body to hold the lights. Then just wired them up by Ying the same post on both lights together. It held up great offroad. I have not had a lot time with it as the days are getting longer now. But the lighting was MUCH better on the trails in the twilight hours.
On the KDX250, I have the UFO twinns light:
http://www.ufoplast.com/images/FANAAL.jpg
That has one spot and flood. I still have the other 2 lights from the XR project I did, so I have a spare of each bulb. Again, my KDX is weighing in at 125lbs at the moment (no plastic, tank, airbox, everything to do with the rear suspension and brakes).
Some other notes is that you can get those bulbs in the 2" size in 35w and 55w. The 20w units are like 1.5" in diameter. Check your local home depot for them. They do have a lifetime warranty, so I kept the packages and receipt. Should be interesting if I go through one here. Hopefully it will be a painless swap out.
I took out the XR light in the shell there. Took a plastic trash can, cut a piece that would fit in its place. Then used a speaker speed nut on the back of the stock headlight screw to hold the unit to the shell. I found a few $.97 flash lights and used the ring that screws into the body to hold the lights. Then just wired them up by Ying the same post on both lights together. It held up great offroad. I have not had a lot time with it as the days are getting longer now. But the lighting was MUCH better on the trails in the twilight hours.
On the KDX250, I have the UFO twinns light:
http://www.ufoplast.com/images/FANAAL.jpg
That has one spot and flood. I still have the other 2 lights from the XR project I did, so I have a spare of each bulb. Again, my KDX is weighing in at 125lbs at the moment (no plastic, tank, airbox, everything to do with the rear suspension and brakes).
Some other notes is that you can get those bulbs in the 2" size in 35w and 55w. The 20w units are like 1.5" in diameter. Check your local home depot for them. They do have a lifetime warranty, so I kept the packages and receipt. Should be interesting if I go through one here. Hopefully it will be a painless swap out.
