Lights!

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 04:12 pm Oct 21 2005

I'm sticking lights on both bikes using the UFO twin headlight from DennisKirk
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_c ... uId=615155

I've discovered the bulbs in my headlamp are a standard MR16 used in home low voltage track lighting. Home depot sells the lamps for about 5 bucks apiece in 20, 35 and 50 watts. I also found an LED version of the lamp:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/ ... mmerce.cgi
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... Track=true

It puts out about 80 Lumens; equivalent to about 30 or 35 watts and draws only 3 watts. A pair of those would total about 75 watts equivalent halogen bulbs with a load of only 6 or 7 watts!! Heck, a small gel cell battery behind the headlight number plate at 7.5 amp hours would drive it for several hours; over 12 I figure.

I'll post up photos when it's all finished.

canyncarvr · Post by **canyncarvr** » 06:54 pm Oct 21 2005

Would you repeat that for clarification, please?

You're saying that the BOTH of them will draw hardly over 1/2 an amp? How about putting a meter on that....

Thanks for the info, ski!!

I get mine from Steahly. I usually get a spot and a flood for better coverage (well, they are angles of diffusion..not called spot/flood) I don't use the 35s. Too much current. He sells them for less than $5. The 20s? They are considerably more $$.

Home depot, 'eh? Heck. I never even looked there!

Thanks!

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 09:17 pm Oct 21 2005

CC: check the links I put up on the LED lights. 3watts each with the ebay selling a lens that has a 25 degree angle and the other site with both a 45 and 100 degree angle of diffusion.

From what I've been able to read about them, they draw 3 watts and put out 80 lumens. Whatever a lumen is. (See conversion links at the bottom of this post) 80 lumens are about 850 LUX. I found one place that mentioned 38 lumen is equivelant to 15 watt halogen. That would infere that 80 lumen is equivanent to 30+ watt halogen. Is there any spec like that from your stock bulbs we can compare this to?

Home Depot for sure. GE and Phillips type MR16 halogen low voltage track lighting. The exact same bulb. I bought some 20 watt units to try and they are dimmer than the 35 watt units on a fixed power supply. The 20 watt bulbs pull 1.5 amps and the 35 watt bulbs pull 2.5 amps. I bought 2 of the LED bulbs from the non-ebay website.....well..... actually the company I work for did.

I stumbled on these while working out a problem for lighting some equipment cabinets, but will need to do extensive testing. I volunteered my dirtbike for the ruggedness testing. They aren't cheap at $39 each for those, but the eBay ones are $22 with shipping. Much cheaper than a piss poor aftermarket lighting coil. I just ordered the bulbs on-line today, so I can't put a meter on them or compare output light until they arrive.

Right now, I'm set up with my punny stock coil and a 7.5amp gel cell battery mounted to the headlight shell above the bulbs. That battery fits perfect and will work great when lighting is needed without needing to run the motor.

CC, what wattage bulbs you running if not the 35's? That's what came with my UFO set-up. And yes, the 20 watt bulbs are a few cents cheaper than the 35 watt bulbs at home depot.

FUN STUFF!!! I love to dink with my bike(s)

I got a UFO rear fender with enduro tail light from Dennis Kirk for $19(KX250 only, sorry). He has one left. I'll wire it up as well so I have a tail AND a brake light. The hydraulic brake pressure switchs were $18 each and it looks like the rear one might not have clearance. It replaces the banjo bolt and since that is pointed down towards the swingarm, I think the wires won't have enough room to fit. New brake pads coming from Rockymountain so I'll find out when they arrive and do the rear brake then. In the meantime, I will wire up the front brake for the brake light. I use it more anyway.

My efforts right now are focused on the KX250. It has a small lighting coil used to power the power valve on the carb. Included on the bike is a voltage regulator AND a recifier. The LED bulbs can run on AC or DC, but are voltage sensitve: too many volts will damage them. The output current on the KX stator coil is small but unmeasured at this time. If the LED lamps don't work, I'll stick this on: a 50 watt stator from Electrex.
http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/
From England, even with shipping, it is at least $50 cheaper than anywhere I can find State-side. Model L-98 for anyone interested at $103 US.
Their installation guide shows using the stock voltage regulator and recifier.

Here's a conversion page to calc and compare just about anything:
http://www.onlineconversion.com

For lighting go here:
http://www.onlineconversion.com/light.htm

Then choose either Illuminance or Luminance

Post by **Indawoods** » 09:58 pm Oct 21 2005

It's so funny how things change... first everyone wondered why I want to run lights... and then someone reads a horror story and suddenly they see the light! Get it?

I kill myself sometimes....

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 10:15 pm Oct 21 2005

I resemble that remark!

Actually, I've done every possible thing I can think of to both the KDX and the KX. I've raised my family and now have more than 2 nickles I can rub together and am now making up for 20 years away from off road riding. I'm a tinkerer, an eBay shopahaulic, and I love to ride. My chores at home go undone; I haven't cleaned my gutters in years, the oil needs changing in both cars, I haven't washed a car in I don't know how long; but both those bikes shine (now literaly) Ha!!!

My wife thinks I'm building a Stepford Wife out in the garage the way I talk lovingly to the "girls" as I'm prone to call them. Afterall, they give me pleasure with a good ride.

P.S. I found a box for the pipe!! Look for a tracking # soon.

Post by **Indawoods** » 10:21 pm Oct 21 2005

Well... I think lights are just plain smart!
Always have since I ride woods and not on some well located groomed track with asphalt parking.

Anything can and will happen...

Post by **Indawoods** » 10:31 pm Oct 21 2005

Don't worry about it Jerry... I'm on the same path to Zen!

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 10:49 pm Oct 21 2005

In that case, you may use the knowledge gained from my quest into LED lights!!

Imagine a night time ride with your camera running. Too cool!

Post by **Indawoods** » 10:54 pm Oct 21 2005

I'm already running a LED tail/brakelight on my KDX with the stock coil. So there.... I'm ahead of the curve!

Green Hornet · Post by **Green Hornet** » 10:33 am Oct 22 2005

skipro3 wrote:
My chores at home go undone; I haven't cleaned my gutters in years, the oil needs changing in both cars, I haven't washed a car in I don't know how long; but both those bikes shine (now literaly) Ha!!!

Sounds like me

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 07:00 am Oct 23 2005

so that light from dennis kirk brightens up the trails better than the stock light? ALso does anyone have a pciture of this on there bike??

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 11:36 am Oct 23 2005

Here's Carvr's and Wibby's bikes with the UFO lights; the same light I'm sticking on, next to Farmerj's stock light. I rode last night in the dark. This headlight is as bright as any street legal motorcycle I've ever ridden. I am using a battery to keep the light from dimming when at idle. Fits right behind the # plate and rests on a built in shelf over the light bulbs. I'll take some photos to post soon. It would be best to get an aftermarket or rewound lighting coil for more amps capactiy.

Post by **Indawoods** » 11:40 am Oct 23 2005

A Cap would do the same thing and is more durable. I would use a battery if I had a charging circuit but not otherwise.

m0rie · Post by **m0rie** » 11:45 am Oct 23 2005

Ski functionally has a light charging circuit on his KX already. The coil is already being rectified so it will charge the battery a little bit while the lights are off.

Post by **Indawoods** » 11:47 am Oct 23 2005

I think it's rectified but not regulated for a battery.

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 12:13 pm Oct 23 2005

To charge a battery AND to keep from over charging it, you need to both regulate and rectify the voltage. My little KX unit puts out a clean, 14.2vdc level from idle to 8k rpm's and above. The stock little coil can only put out 1.5 amps at 12vdc loaded with a tail/brakelight bulb. I found a coil from Electex out of England for $103; cheaper by many dollars for the same thing anywhere in the states. It puts out 50watts (about 4 amps) That's why I'm looking into LED bulbs. The battery is pretty cool to have lights with the motor off and to stabilize the brightness. I cap will do the same when the bike is running? Good to know. But then a battery is nothing more than a capacitor with a huge amount of capacity in practice, right? What valuce cap are you using?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 12:34 pm Oct 23 2005

so, would the stock light or this light be brighter at idle and by how much??

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 12:35 pm Oct 23 2005

i also forgot to ask if the aftermarket light uses more juice than the stock light??

Post by **fuzzy** » 12:41 pm Oct 23 2005

You would need to use a .5-1 farad cap about the size of a beer can. That's cool info on the coil...

skipro3 · Post by **skipro3** » 01:20 pm Oct 23 2005

kdx220freak:
I think the KDX bulb is a 35watt element and the UFO has 2 35 watt bulbs. If the coil can drive both bulbs at the same time, then that is brighter. Also, you need to consider the beam pattern. On the UFO, one bulb has a 15 degree beam and the other a 45 degree beem I think. Both use the same wattage but if you are looking at the ground, one will have a bright spot and the other will light up a larger area but not as bright. That's why I like this unit, you can choose between the two, or if you have a strong enough coil you could drive both bulbs at once and have a bright/wide area lit up.

Fuzzy: Here's the link:
http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/

KDXRIDER.NET

KDXRIDER.NET

Lights!

Lights!