Lights!

[Indawoods]

Just to drive that little bit I doubt you would need that large of a cap.

1 Farad is huge and what is used to help 1000W amps. But to be honest I haven't looked into it because I have no need. I have toyed with caps with car stereo equipment and they have to be treated just like a battery... They will bite quite hard if given an opportunity!

[Ryan]

how much would a new coil cost that would power both lights at the same time??

[skipro3]

Try http://www.rickystator.com/

Call him at his #. He doesn't list a coil for the H model KDX but will either have them or rewind yours for more current. I think the cost is around $50? but I don't know.

[m0rie]

The DRZ400 guys use Caps to eliminate the battery on their S (street model) bikes when they convert them to kickers. A quick search over at Thumpertalk should give you all the info as far as cap size.

[canyncarvr]

Caps? As a supply? Sure! With zip. for current.

You can get small 1 Farad caps that are good for RTCs (real time clocks) or some-such...but running a lamp? Doubt it.

I run both lamps..two different diffusion angles. Something like 24º and 32º.

On second thought....it may be the 25Watters that cost quite a bit more than either the 35s or the 20s. I've run one 35 and one 20. Usually two 25s.

I don't know that an LED would be good for much more than emergency lights...the spectrum is too narrow. LEDs generally look 'thin' to me.

If you like 'em...the higher output stator, your KX reg/rec with a little battery and a couple of LEDs would be great!

I'm assuming the reg/rec setup can handle the current, too?

[skipro3]

Caps?

I'm assuming the reg/rec setup can handle the current, too?

I asked you how to tell. But the Electrex site where I'll be getting my 50 watt stator has PDF instruction sheet showing and saying to use the stock reg/rec unit, so it's good.

I think I'm going to prove to you LED's are going to work with the stock stator and battery AND have plenty of spectrum to see quite well.

As is: my battery alone will drive the light for at least 1 1/2 hours before getting too dim to function. If I decide to stay with the stock bulbs and install the 50 watt lighting stator, I'll still run a battery, just a smaller one for the weight savings. I'll keep you posted.

[canyncarvr]

Yes you did ask. That's why I answered! ;)

Hook up a variable load (rheostat) and a couple of meters (volts/amps). Increase the load until the voltage starts to drop. The current indicated will be the max.

That doesn't mean the pieces can thermally handle the load even if they are satisfying it electrically. If they glow red...or start smoking...you know the indicated current is a tad on the high side!

[Indawoods]

And you believe those Limeys?

You know that Lucas is known as the King of Darkness don't you? (A old Triumph riders saying because of the shotty electronics) A English company... don't trust 'em I'm tellin' ya!

[skipro3]

O.K. The L.E.D. light bulbs came in today and I installed them this evening. They are the exact same size as the stock bulbs and fit in perfect. Makes the bike look that that robot, #5, from the movie. Remember that movie? Anyway, the lights both on at the same time put out more light as one 20 watt bulb does driven with 13.8vdc, but not as much as one 35 watt bulb. They are not too directional; they have a 25 degree pattern that has a nice coverage. No moon out at 9pm when I took a test ride up and down the street. Plenty of light to easily go 50+mph. Turned the lights off just for affect and scared myself crappy for as long as I dared, then turned them back on. In that situation, they are REAL bright and plenty to see where you are going and what you want to do. Much whiter than the halogen bulbs; more like daylight to me, and not that jaundiced yellow glow of the halogens. The stock coil drives them to full brightness at any rpm above idle. At idle they flicker just a bit with the firing of the engine. No battery needed unless I want to run them without the motor on, and I do, so the battery will stay. Just a smaller battery because both bulbs running draw just a hair over half an amp. That's 1/10th the energy needed to drive both 35watt bulbs. I know it's not as much light, but it is more than adaquate and more than just for an emergency. IMO and all that. So, I save myself $130 for the coil and installed a battery 1/4 the size I had in there; a 2ah battery that should drive the light for about 2 to 4 hours with the motor off. Since the stock coil puts out about 1.5amps, I can easily keep the battery charged and the lights on at the same time. I'm changing the brake/tail light to L.E.D. as well.
Next, I'll get a set of the LED bulbs off eBay and give them a try. They are about 1/2 the cost of the bulbs I bought at $40 each; they are $20 each. Nice to know I have plenty of light to get out of the woods now, have light in case the bike won't run, and didn't need to install a new lighting coil/stator. Photos to come shortly.

[KDXer]

Short Circuit 1 & 2. Johnie 5 is alive !!!

[KDXGarage]

"Who's Johnny", she said, then smiled and looked the other way... (GAG)

Congratulations on the lights, skipro3. Having lights when the engine is not running sounds great. I once had the joy of changing a plug in the dark at the bottom of a ravine in the dark.

That story you posted a couple of weeks ago on the guys running out of light and gasoline was a good reminder.

Thanks!

[skipro3]

I'll use the eBay equivalent bulbs in the KDX if they are as good as the more expensive ones I have now.
BTW the MR16 in all it's various forms of LED lights would make great lights in any RV type vehicle where battery power is used.

[WestDXer]

Hello, first post on the site.

I have a 97 KDX and my buddy just bought a 2004. We went for a ride yesterday afternoon and didn't get back until well after dark.

My headlight has a somewhat defined beam that lights up the trail straight ahead while his 2004 is diffused and spread out about 180 degrees. The combination works great when riding side by side but on the trails I always had to lead. Not a problem for me. My question is could the lenses be differant in the span of 7 years or is the bulb the reason?

Also have you all decided on the best replacement bulb for a stock system?

Thanks

[quailchaser]

Well, It's officially hotter than Hades here. Supposed to be 115 degrees tomorrow. Thoughts of lighting the '02 KX and night riding came to mind(It's only 100 degrees at night ). I recalled seeing something about lighting from Skipro awhile back...and this is one of the threads that came up in the search. I guess it was a long while back.

Anyway, some interesting stuff here. Too bad I don't get any of it. Actually that's not entirely true. I get the UFO twins, light switch (that's the same switch I put on the KDX and it's pretty slick), led tail/brake lamp, and banjo style brake light switches. The rest is all Greek to me.

So Ski, what is the scoop with lighting your KX? Has it worked well for you using the existing "lighting" coil? Where are the photo's you promised? Did the ebay LED's work as well as the "expensive" ones? An English version (layman) of how you set your system up using the existing OEM power would be greatly appreciated.

[m0rie]

Ski showed me the lighting setup on his KX when we were down there over Memorial Day weekend. It put out a pretty good amount of light. Certainly enough to limp back to the truck at night and it looked like it would be bright enough to do some extended night riding with.

[skipro3]

To tap into the lighting coil, just tap the wires going to your carb. I ran the power through a switch so I could control each of the two bulbs seperately. I eBay bulbs worked fine but I used some RTV sealant to be sure they didn't leak and fill up with mud or water. LED taillight didn't survive very well; the fitting in the socket kept breaking due to poor quality.
The light output is about the same as a 25 to 35watt bulb. Meaning, it'll get you out of the woods better than holding a flashlight in your mouth, but I wouldn't be planning a trip based on it's output. Well, maybe on a night that's clear with a full moon on open desert, but certainly not a moonless, cloudy night in the forest.
Photos wouldn't really show anything; it's the standard UFO twins assembly with 2 LED bulbs replacing the stock bulbs wired to the two wires leading to the carb and routed through a switch.
It works pretty good on a street or a dirt road but single track? You'd have to be a little nuts to give that a go!! Ha!!

[jc7622]

I found this thread searching around for lighting info. There was some discussion further up about whether or not you could use a capacitor instead of a battery. I asked Trail Tech that very question last week. They said that if I was only interested in haveing my lights work while the motor was running I could use a capacitor. They said that their smallest capacitor would work. FWIW.

I'm trying to learn how to do a rewind on my stator and possible covert it to DC in case anyone knows how to do that. Otherwisw I will have to pay actual money to have someone do it for me.