Headlight question...

[bassman]

Is it just me, or is the "HI" setting on all atc headlights crappier than "LOW"? All my trikes(200x, 200, triz) seem to suffer on hi. It takes away the close range light and focuses on.....nothing really. I can maybe a LITTLE better, if I was looking up at the trees, because thats where it seems to focus at.
Also, what are some really good bulbs I can upgrade too on my Z? I ride mainly at night now, and while it works good now, I could still use more light(who coudn't?).

[troy]

LOL...i to like having good lighting on both my bike and ski doo, on my ski doo i installed two halogen blue bulb driving lights (very small form fit's nicely into the vents) rated for 55 watts each. I run those off my battery. As for the bike i use the same lights with one exception, I run one driving light off the low beam and one off the high beam, and adjusted them. because of two reasons i'm restricted from running both at the same time. 1) the battery charger will not put enough back into the battery fast enough, and two the lighting coil can not handle two 55 watt halogen bulbs at the same time.. BUT i'm still hoping some one else can figure out a way for me to do it:p ...


P.S maybe try a blue blub in the factor light housing. :)

[bassman]

To press further on the issue, i was just out riding about 10 minutes ago, and I scared up a NICE big buck, I think it was about a 10 pointer. I was riding on the edge of the field and it darted across my neighbors into the field. I stopped and pointed the headlight at it, disappeared within a second, so I forgettingly switched it to HI, and lost him for good.

[mark38090]

My YTM200 headlight is almost yellow... Not much more light than a 2 "d" cell flashlight. The 250sx is alot brighter, whiter light and spreads out more. I'm also curious to see what other people are doing.

[troy]

My YTM200 headlight is almost yellow... Not much more light than a 2 "d" cell flashlight. The 250sx is alot brighter, whiter light and spreads out more. I'm also curious to see what other people are doing.


LOL...well at least i'm not the only one to notice that about the stock light on the E's (thought i was going blind for a while . lol). hints the reason mine is gone and replaced with much better...:)

[aquapunk]

on my firends ytm 200 we went up to wal-mart and bought some 20 dollar fog lights, like 2" by 5", and hooked them up to where they lit up where the low beam hits, and he runs it on high, so he has good lighting up close and further down trail

[mark38090]

LOL...i to like having good lighting on both my bike and ski doo, on my ski doo i installed two halogen blue bulb driving lights (very small form fit's nicely into the vents) rated for 55 watts each. I run those off my battery. As for the bike i use the same lights with one exception, I run one driving light off the low beam and one off the high beam, and adjusted them. because of two reasons i'm restricted from running both at the same time. 1) the battery charger will not put enough back into the battery fast enough, and two the lighting coil can not handle two 55 watt halogen bulbs at the same time.. BUT i'm still hoping some one else can figure out a way for me to do it:p ...


P.S maybe try a blue blub in the factor light housing. :)

Troy, I don't suppose you could shoot me a pic of your setup?
mark38090@windstream.net

[DeePa]

there are adjustment screws to andlge the headlights downward more...give them a shot.

mike

[Sargon2112]

My 225DX light is the same as the E's and y'all are right, they suck compared to my 250R and 350X.

When I was a kid, my Dad had an E and did the Wal-Mart fog light fix on it... worked like a charm and didn't look bad either mounted on the front rack of the E.

[troy]

Troy, I don't suppose you could shoot me a pic of your setup?
mark38090@windstream.net

Sorry it took so long for me to respond i thought this thread was dead. Not a problem man, i'll try to get them up before the end of the weekend. i have to work the weekend but try to fit in some picture taken time:)

Later

[troy]

Heres the pictures you wanted to see, the wires arn't in place just yet because i just finsh painting it, but they are hooked up. the two top ones are 55 watt blue bulbs (love them, 100 percent white lighting) and the other one where the OEM light use to be, is a 55 watt driving light that i bought for my old car and never used.:)

P.S all three lights are on because i had the key in light mode and the hi and low beam switch in the middle..LOL...there is no way in the world i could have all three going while riding, the battery would be dead in 10 minutes, or the lighting coil would be dead

[200xman]

The biggest problem is the stock stator can not handle much bigger lights. just getting the stator rewound or buying a higher wattage one from Ricky stator will help a lot. I used to have a 250SX that someone put a car bulb in the stock light socket. It had great lighting but would kill the battery even while riding if you had it on high. At least on the trikes the lights turn with the bars. When I bought my KFX it took a while to get used to not being able to turn the lights.

[troy]

The biggest problem is the stock stator can not handle much bigger lights.

Your 100 percent right on that one she can't handle it, thats over 150 watts of power being sucked up. thats what 110 more then the OEM. i know my ski doo has no problem keeping my battery charge while running the extra lights, But thats a ski doo. I though of rerouting my head light coil into a second charger and run that into the battery to help it out a little more. but then theres a high risk of a fire to. I know i have to rewire my bike soon, so what i might do it get a really good head light for the light housing and take the other two off, basic back to the orignal way it was

[mark38090]

Thanks for the pics... I'm going to look into that this weekend. We just got back from a night ride and the Honda 250sx light makes mine look like a candle.

[troy]

Thanks for the pics... I'm going to look into that this weekend. We just got back from a night ride and the Honda 250sx light makes mine look like a candle.


LOL! at least yours didn't blow out like a candle, like mine did. I only had one beam on it when i first got and didn't know until that night when i was on a trail heading home and it burn't out. that was fun trying to find my way home in the dark..


I forgot to say, if you go this route like i did, make sure only ONE light is on at the time and not two of them. Example of the right way to go. Low beam - driving light on the right side. High beam - driving light on the left side. Adjust your lights to high and low beam. Never run both at the same time or you might burn out your lighting coil. remember i had my key in the light mode running off my battery to take these pictures. i would never run all three off the engine..

[mark38090]

I just need one decent light. I don't worry about high beam low beam, I just ride on a long relatively straight dirt road at night. Shane you can't run all three together though... That would be bright!

[burnoutboy]

My 200 ern is a bit dim aswell.. Might get some new blue bulbs for it tomorrow.

Thats a nice trike you have there Troy. Any chance you could get up some more pics of it?? I just got my tri moto a couple of weeks back. They are fun bikes.

[3 weelin geezer]

I carry a small led Hedlight (for my head/hat) just in case. I've had blown bulbs before at the most inconvenient time when there's no traffic to at least light the road farther down so I can see what I will be gettin into (while on my bike not the atc.) At least those little LED's put out enough light to see any bumps and rabbits in the roads going to a ranch where I go sometimes now that the sun sets so fast these days.