KDXRIDER.NET

QUOTE:
Factory bulbs are 12 v but you have an operating voltage at high RPM
around 100 volts. There is a considerable voltage drop as soon as you turn the lights on.
I would wonder if you take the 35 watt headlamp out of the system and
replace it with an led if it would smoke the LED's immediately ??[/quote]

If you put a 100 volts on a 12 volt bulb, I would be willing to be it would blow just past 15............

I'm going to break the meter out tomorrow and test some currents via the headlight harness, I find it hard t believe that I will pick up ac current.

I do admit that it will fluctuate between maybe 10 and 14 volts, but I just can't see 100.............[/quote]




After you break out your DVOM and brush the dust off be sure to
leave us a report of what you find.

With / with out the light attached to the system and AC/DC.

TWMOODY wrote:QUOTE:
Factory bulbs are 12 v but you have an operating voltage at high RPM
around 100 volts. There is a considerable voltage drop as soon as you turn the lights on.
I would wonder if you take the 35 watt headlamp out of the system and
replace it with an led if it would smoke the LED's immediately ??

If you put a 100 volts on a 12 volt bulb, I would be willing to be it would blow just past 15............

I'm going to break the meter out tomorrow and test some currents via the headlight harness, I find it hard t believe that I will pick up ac current.

I do admit that it will fluctuate between maybe 10 and 14 volts, but I just can't see 100.............[/quote]




After you break out your DVOM and brush the dust off be sure to
leave us a report of what you find.

With / with out the light attached to the system and AC/DC.[/quote]

No dust on my DVOM, I live in a 12 volt world on auto sound systems......

It's just these bikes that don't have batteries I'm trying to learn about at the moment.

All you vets are probably right, but I just have to see it for myself to become a believer.

Resurrection time...

Did anyone actually try this Tusk kit on a KDX?

Results?

I bought my '04 with a hacked up BD kit already installed in it. The BD battery (10- sub-c ni-cads) was missing, so I soldered up 10 AA ni-cads. It worked enough to pass inspection, but was worthless for actual night riding. The BD kit has the voltage regulator/rectifier component.
Later, I found that (2) 6v emergency light batteries (about 3"w x 3.5"d x 4"h) from Lowe's fit very well in the air box, so I wired them up in series and zip tied them inside the air box. I also purchased an LED 1157 bulb for the tail light from superbrightLEDs.com, and got the "high powered" blueish tint headlight bulb from RMATV. I also soldered up a quick charge pig tail so I can plug the batteries in to my charger without removing the seat or any body panels.
All of this helped greatly, and I can now actually ride home in the dark, but it is still nowhere near as good as the lighting found on my old DRZ400S.
Looking over the components of the Tusk kit, I can not imagine that it works as well as what I have done to my bike. I have found that, with the stock stator, a large capacity battery is crucial.

Indawoods wrote:There is a VR in the system and yes it is AC! A bulb doesn't care if it's AC or DC...

Definitely AC as Inda posted. A rectifier coverts AC to DC and a regulator controls how much goes into the battery. I am not saying a KDX needs a regulator, I am just explaining how the parts work.

I have been giving this a lot of thought. I never ride at night so I don't care about that. My main hurdle, and the reason I haven't even looked into wiring issues yet, is a title for registration. That can be a hassle here in PA.

Couldn't give a hoot about riding at night. Just want to get the bike registered so I can ride to/from and connect trails which are never more than a few miles onroad. I have a 75W stator coil on the way.

I actually do ride at night. Especially in the winter. In winter conditions (ie: snow), the 35w bulb actually suffices, because the snow is so reflective.
I also am fortunate enough to live close enough to my work place to commute on my KDX once in a while. This time of year, it gets dark around 5:30 or so, and once they change the clocks back, it will be dark at 4:30. I like not only for oncoming traffic to be able to see me, but to actually see where I am going...
My current set up is about as good as it is going to get without dumping a boat load of cash into it.
There are some good bicycle/mountain bike sites out there that outline some home made HID set ups that would probably be next on my list, if I were to continue pursuing it.

I use these for night riding on my mountain bike:

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?mai ... csld7rb9e1

They are as bright as the 400.00 light kits and have proven to be pretty tough. 3+ hrs of battery life on the high setting with a very small Li-on battery

That is one of the nicer ones (for that kind of money) that I have seen.
Can you tell us how 900 Lumens compares to 35 watts?

gregp wrote:That is one of the nicer ones (for that kind of money) that I have seen.
Can you tell us how 900 Lumens compares to 35 watts?

Night and day. I have ridden at night extensively doing 24, 12 and 6 hr MTB races and training for those. I have tried several light systems and this is almost too bright. The throw may be a little short for moto but probably not.

The light is also VERY white. It overpowers all but the highest end MTB lights.

So, 900 lumens is closer to 55/60 watts? That is the standard set up on most "Factory" Dual Sports... and is kind of what I was after.
The 35 watt beam of my stock shell, with the Tusk bulb is still very narrow, but very bright and white/blue-ish in color. For trail riding, periferal lighting is important.
How is the Magicshine is this regard? I am thinking about purchasing one. I do not mind that it is battery powered, and I like that I would be able to move it from bike to bike, or maybe mount it to my helmet.

When I trail ride on my mtb I use this on my helmet. I cannot trail ride with only a handlebar light. Ideally I have both. I prefer to have a dide beam on the handlebars to light the whole width of the trail and a spot beam on my helmet that goes where I look. That way when the handlebars turn off of the trail I can still see it with my helmet light. I do not know if you would get comparable to 55-60 watts but they are quite a bit brighter than the stock headlight.

For the money they are a great buy. They also have a 1400 lumen kit for 129.00 that would be a great match for the 900. 1400 on the handlebars and 900 on the helmet...