Lighting Questions

[Mayor Brap Brap]

My KDX came with a UFO Sahara (Gibli) headlight. Unfortunately, it did not come with the headlight socket assembly and I had to find a headlight switch. The rear fender is also UFO, and comes with three separate wires. I'm assuming one is for a brighter beam for the brake?

Anywho, here is a shot of the headlight module:



It looks like it's got a high beam. But the headlight is 35W, and it's my understanding that the KDX can only handle 35W total. How would I wire this once I find a stock KDX headlight socket/wireharness?



I am missing this part, but do I need it? Could I buy wire at a hardware store and make it work by soldering connectors?



So, I'm looking for ideas here. Can I get a totally new light module to fit inside the UFO headlight housing, or should I just get a whole new system? I know I'll probably have to get the stator upgraded, but do I need a battery? I'd love to go LED or HID with turn signals. In Maine, you don't need a title for bikes under 200cc, so street legal would be awesome.

Anyone with experience?

[Goofaroo]

It looks to me like it is set up similar to my Baja Designs headlight. The festoon bulb is a parking light and the other is a headlamp high/low beam. If you are not trying to make this street legal you could just build a harness and wire it for the bulb to be on either high or low beam.

[Mayor Brap Brap]

It looks to me like it is set up similar to my Baja Designs headlight. The festoon bulb is a parking light and the other is a headlamp high/low beam. If you are not trying to make this street legal you could just build a harness and wire it for the bulb to be on either high or low beam.

Thanks! What type of wire would I have to get? Also, would I have to splice in wires that go the handlebar light switch?

[TheJackRabbit]

The kdx can handle 40 watts. stock is 30 watt and 10 watt tail light, It might be able to do 45 if the revs are kept up

[6 Riders]

Looking at that main bulb, it doesn't look like a high/low bulb, with an additional parking light bulb.
The two spades that are connected together, in the picture it's the posts on the left, would be the ground, so only one wire would go from there to the ground in the stock harness.
The two posts on the right would be; Top post to switched power, bottom post to unswitched power. You don't HAVE to use a switch on the headlight. You could direct wire both posts in, or even ignore the small bulb and just wire in the big bulb, which would be more like stock. I never turn off my headlight so the switch is kinda moot to me. In fact, my kids turn the light off, or I bump it off, which is annoying because I like to have my light on when riding trails, even in the daylight, for safety.

[pumpguy]

With 2 insulated connection points at the base of the bulb, one is high beam, the other is low beam. Ignore the other bulb since it's just a low power parking light.

If you're not interested in a road legal set-up, just wire to one and ignore the other. Again, you can wire direct without a switch, or use a switch if you want to be able to turn the lights on and off. For switch wiring, try to use the same gauge wire as OEM. Undersize wire can cause overheated wire in extreme cases.

For testing your circuits w/o the engine running, use a little 12V power source transformer or a 12V battery. AC or DC doesn't matter for incandescent light bulbs.

[6 Riders]

stock wiring is 18 gauge, you can use 16 gauge if you like. Use water proof "bullet" connectors and it should plug right into stock wiring, also it's easily removed for service this way.

[Mayor Brap Brap]

Ideally, I'd love to have an LED/HID setup with the ability to go street legal down the line. The more I look at this thing, the less I want to flog it on a trail.

So would something like a Tusk dual sport kit work?

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/382 ... MgodPi8AMg

[Goofaroo]

The more I look at this thing, the less I want to flog it on a trail.

You're not looking at it right.

[6 Riders]

I used the stock headlight & housing, but with a different bulb socket, from a cheap after market head light that came w/the bike. The stock bulb is actually a dual element 35/35 bulb, but the stock socket is a single pull socket, so you never use the 2nd element.

[Mayor Brap Brap]

Does anyone know what kind of socket that is? I'd like to convert to HID, and this is nothing like a standard H4 or H6M.

[6 Riders]

The socket for the KDX is an H6M, but you can stuff...err push an H7 into the socket and safety wire it, it'll stay in on it's own, but there is nothing securing it.

[Mayor Brap Brap]

The socket for the KDX is an H6M, but you can stuff...err push an H7 into the socket and safety wire it, it'll stay in on it's own, but there is nothing securing it.

Any idea what kind of socket the UFO pictured above is? Also, can't I just replace that bulb shown above with an LED to avoid running around looking for an HID setup?

[6 Riders]

I looked at the Gibli headlight and everything that i see points at H-4

[Mayor Brap Brap]

I looked at the Gibli headlight and everything that i see points at H-4

They have two versions: the cheapie non-DOT 35W that I have, and the H4 DOT 55W. I think I'll sell the Ghibli and another unused headlight I have, and buy a Polisport MMX, which is DOT approved. Then I'll HID it with a BA20D Hi/Low HID kit and call it a day.

[dude541]

I looked at the Gibli headlight and everything that i see points at H-4

They have two versions: the cheapie non-DOT 35W that I have, and the H4 DOT 55W. I think I'll sell the Ghibli and another unused headlight I have, and buy a Polisport MMX, which is DOT approved. Then I'll HID it with a BA20D Hi/Low HID kit and call it a day.

the hid kit wont run on ac, it needs to be dc.
best regards
john

[6 Riders]

I looked at the Gibli headlight and everything that i see points at H-4

They have two versions: the cheapie non-DOT 35W that I have, and the H4 DOT 55W. I think I'll sell the Ghibli and another unused headlight I have, and buy a Polisport MMX, which is DOT approved. Then I'll HID it with a BA20D Hi/Low HID kit and call it a day.

the hid kit wont run on ac, it needs to be dc.
best regards
john

A $4 Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier from Radio Shack will fix that problem easily enough. (PN# 276-1185)

[dude541]

A $4 Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier from Radio Shack will fix that problem easily enough. (PN# 276-1185)

it still wouldn't run enough power for a hid kit, ideally you would need a reg/rec, battery and rewound stator to make any kind of decent lighting.
best regards
john

[Mayor Brap Brap]

I'm assuming most HID kits come with this? Had no problems on my CRF 230. I rewound my stator and am going with a capacitor. It's not a law to run lights/horn with the bike off here.

[dude541]

I'm assuming most HID kits come with this? Had no problems on my CRF 230. I rewound my stator and am going with a capacitor. It's not a law to run lights/horn with the bike off here.

hid kits wont come with a reg/rec, you need to convert your ac system to dc to use one.
crf may have already had a dc system?
best regards
john