https://www.dirtbikeaddicts.com/con...ing-the-how-to-make-stock-lights-better.1702/
Very clean!!! Looking GREAT!!! -BIG DAN
Very clean!!! Looking GREAT!!! -BIG DAN
Night riding, the how to make stock lights better
- Thread starter SRAD97750
- Start date
This is the man you need to know if you own a husky and live in so cal. Mr George Erl of Up-tite Husqvarna. He is now 64 and one fast son of a bitch. Raced Baja since the beginning. Missed a total of two ever, once he was in VN and the other his son was born. I owe it to this old Vet.
There is a simpler way to get more light and you can do it with your stock setup. Do a HID retrofit. Now if you have an AC headlight you do have to make it DC and add a battery somehow. Your typical 35 watt HID actually uses 40 to 44 watts or so and makes 2800 to 3000 lumens. That's a big boost over 500 lumens from most stock bikes.
The best part is the cost. A dual car kit will do two bikes and costs about $40. Yea a $20 upgrade, how can you beat that. The current draw is low enough that many if not most electric start bikes can run one with no stator upgrades.
Don't take this as knocking LED's. They are by far the coolest. They are much more robust than a HID setup. I'll be adding some LED's to my setup.
One thing. Beware the ratings. Those so called 900 lumen lights are actually more like 700 to 750. You see the LED they use is a Seoul Semiconductor P7 D bin LED. They are rated at 800-900 lumens. Now heat reduces the output and the optics are not 100% efficient. That's how it ends up with 700 lumens to the trail.
Now for the most important part. If you want to ride at night get at least two lights. Sudden darkness on the trail sucks. I've crashed into things that I never saw because of it. Now I run independent dual lighting. I want to add a helmet light as well. A LED battery helmet light is the real ticket. One of those "900 lumen" lights on the helmet and you could ride back with no other lighting.
The best part is the cost. A dual car kit will do two bikes and costs about $40. Yea a $20 upgrade, how can you beat that. The current draw is low enough that many if not most electric start bikes can run one with no stator upgrades.
Don't take this as knocking LED's. They are by far the coolest. They are much more robust than a HID setup. I'll be adding some LED's to my setup.
One thing. Beware the ratings. Those so called 900 lumen lights are actually more like 700 to 750. You see the LED they use is a Seoul Semiconductor P7 D bin LED. They are rated at 800-900 lumens. Now heat reduces the output and the optics are not 100% efficient. That's how it ends up with 700 lumens to the trail.
Now for the most important part. If you want to ride at night get at least two lights. Sudden darkness on the trail sucks. I've crashed into things that I never saw because of it. Now I run independent dual lighting. I want to add a helmet light as well. A LED battery helmet light is the real ticket. One of those "900 lumen" lights on the helmet and you could ride back with no other lighting.
Everything Cleonard said is spot on, You may not get the cheapest set up but I have a plastic lens and the HID melts the cheep lens. A baja design kit would be nice because the lenses are glass. This complete set up ran me 350 bucks, so it is not a inexpensive way to go for sure.
This is the place for the singles.
http://www.visionxonly.com/11.html?psid=srembwgT4bTnpQ53BNkb
This is the place for the replacement.
http://www.uptitehusky.com/
This is the place for the singles.
http://www.visionxonly.com/11.html?psid=srembwgT4bTnpQ53BNkb
This is the place for the replacement.
http://www.uptitehusky.com/
What computer is that on your dash? It looks cool!
I like the lighting. I would suggest that you find a way to get those singles mounted in closer to the bike so you don't end up breaking them off in a crash. We all know how many blinkers one can go through on any ride so I would think those light are very susceptible to the same conditions.
I would suggest trying to mount them up under the curve of the cycra hand guards above the fork tubes. That seems like a more bullet proof area than where you have them.
Once again great job though. I have been through many setups for lighting and finally settled for the Trailtech X2 and replaced the 35w bulbs with 55w bulbs and wired it so both lights are on at the same time. It works pretty damn good and I have rode single track at night with it. A helmet light would rock for sure.
I like the lighting. I would suggest that you find a way to get those singles mounted in closer to the bike so you don't end up breaking them off in a crash. We all know how many blinkers one can go through on any ride so I would think those light are very susceptible to the same conditions.
I would suggest trying to mount them up under the curve of the cycra hand guards above the fork tubes. That seems like a more bullet proof area than where you have them.
Once again great job though. I have been through many setups for lighting and finally settled for the Trailtech X2 and replaced the 35w bulbs with 55w bulbs and wired it so both lights are on at the same time. It works pretty damn good and I have rode single track at night with it. A helmet light would rock for sure.
Stock computer for the TE. The lights are tighter to the forks now because the stock blinker mounts were to wimpy. I have hit the ground allot, "hard to" and the blinkers and lights are fine, never even touch the ground. How I have the lights set up is like this: The big eight LED beam is on the high beam switch and the two Solstice are on a handlebar switch. This way I can leave them off during daylight and not burn hours.
Post up a before and after photo. This thread is not just about LED but how to make night riding better!
I have yet to ride at night time but I am not looking forward to it either. The lights on my bike suck. I have gone through 3 bulbs as the low beam is always breaking the filament and works for a couple of weeks maybe. I will look into some mods if the need comes along but it seems expensive for something I may not do too much of.
Pocket change? NO....
Improvement? 100%
We all do what we need to feed that need.
$225.00 plus a little time will get the solstic spots (outside lights.)
Could go with those alone. Have them on both of my other bikes with a stock head light. (TE250, SM610)
Improvement? 100%
We all do what we need to feed that need.
$225.00 plus a little time will get the solstic spots (outside lights.)
Could go with those alone. Have them on both of my other bikes with a stock head light. (TE250, SM610)
I don't have a good enough cameraPost up a before and after photo. This thread is not just about LED but how to make night riding better!
