Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="cleonard" data-source="post: 30004" data-attributes="member: 21">There is a simpler way to get more light and you can do it with your stock setup.&nbsp; Do a HID retrofit.&nbsp; Now if you have an AC headlight you do have to make it DC and add a battery somehow.&nbsp; Your typical 35 watt HID actually uses 40 to 44 watts or so and makes 2800 to 3000 lumens.&nbsp; That's a big boost over 500 lumens from most stock bikes.The best part is the cost.&nbsp; A dual car kit will do two bikes and costs about $40.&nbsp; Yea a $20 upgrade, how can you beat that.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; They are by far the coolest.&nbsp; They are much more robust than a HID setup.&nbsp; I'll be adding some LED's to my setup.One thing.&nbsp; Beware the ratings.&nbsp; Those so called 900 lumen lights are actually more like 700 to 750.&nbsp; You see the LED they use is a Seoul Semiconductor P7 D bin LED.&nbsp; They are rated at 800-900 lumens.&nbsp; Now heat reduces the output and the optics are not 100% efficient.&nbsp;&nbsp; That's how it ends up with 700 lumens to the trail.&nbsp; Now for the most important part.&nbsp; If you want to ride at night get at least two lights.&nbsp; Sudden darkness on the trail sucks.&nbsp; I've crashed into things that I never saw because of it.&nbsp; Now I run independent&nbsp; dual lighting.&nbsp; I want to add a helmet light as well.&nbsp; A LED battery helmet light is the real ticket.&nbsp; One of those &quot;900 lumen&quot; lights on the helmet and you could ride back with no other lighting.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="cleonard, post: 30004, member: 21"] 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. [/QUOTE]

Verification