Atc (and most other atv/dirt bikes) LED headlight how to

[plevib]

Here is the stock wiring diagram. it's pretty similar for most old hondas.

Here is how you modify your machine so that you can see at night haha....
You will need a regulator/rectifier, A CAPACITOR (or battery) around 12v and somewhere around 2500-3500 microfarads should work, and obviously your LED headlight.

So some theory first,
Your trike runs on ac current, as do most old bikes and atvs. That means that the voltage your machine produces goes from + to - voltage many times a second.

You can hook up your LED headlight to your existing wiring, and it will likely work, For a short while.... But not for very long.
First you need to rectify the sine wave (make all of the negative voltage positive) with a regulator/recitifer

You will also need to unground your stator. This is accomplished by taking off your side case, removing the wire that grounds the stator to the case, and soldering a wire to that lead. I don't have any good pictures of that step so you will have to do a search.

K, a lot of people forget about or ignore this next step. YOU NEED A CAPACITOR OR BATTERY IN YOUR SYSTEM! If you dont get rid of that ripple effect (the 0 to positive voltage wave) you will burn up your led! (ask me how I know haha...) The capacitor will give you a consistent positive voltage. Which will make your LED light happy. I prefer a capacitor because it is small and you have no real need for a battery on a kick start or pull start trike haha...

Other than that, if you can't figure out how to read the diagram you should probably not try to tackle this project haha... but in this diagram i actually eliminate the ac system, but you don't have to do that. you can tee off of the ac system to run your brake light. But it's probably easier to just convert your whole system to dc, and it will all still work fine. You also will not need your high-low beam, unless you do something fancy with two lights. Pretty simple, and awesome results

[AK47KID]

Mods can this get pinned? Good thread needs to stay at the top and not go in the grave

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[MPDano]

So this is just for ATC's with no stock battery, correct? If you have a battery and starter like a 250SX, you should be good to go?

[plevib]

Correct, but I don't know exactly how the sx's electrical system works. It may still use ac on the headlight, many machines have both ac and dc. If I were doing a led on a system with a battery I would track down the wiring to see if it is ac or dc

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[MPDano]

Heres the wiring diagram for a 1985 250SX

[plevib]

Ok yes that system is all dc so you can just hook up to your existing wiring

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[MPDano]

Ok yes that system is all dc so you can just hook up to your existing wiring

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Awesome! Thanks.

[f76]

You are forgetting probably the most important step of floating the ground of the lighting circuit off the stator. Your wiring diagram is incorrect as it has the inputs for the rec/reg still grounded in the stator. While that can be made to work, the lights and everything else using the rectified 12vdc must be grounded directly to the battery or capacitor, not frame grounded. Having your ac input frame grounded and the dc side frame grounded as well is incorrect and will more than likely cause malfunctions. I can't say for sure what the effects would be as I haven't done it that way but I do know it is incorrect.

[plevib]

You are forgetting probably the most important step of floating the ground of the lighting circuit off the stator. Your wiring diagram is incorrect as it has the inputs for the rec/reg still grounded in the stator. While that can be made to work, the lights and everything else using the rectified 12vdc must be grounded directly to the battery or capacitor, not frame grounded. Having your ac input frame grounded and the dc side frame grounded as well is incorrect and will more than likely cause malfunctions. I can't say for sure what the effects would be as I haven't done it that way but I do know it is incorrect.

Good catch. You are right. Sorry I've been working with xl motors that don't ground the ac system. I will fix the diagram tonight on my pc

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[f76]

The stator needs to be removed from the engine and have the lighting circuit frame ground removed and have a wire attached to the coil which then runs out the stator and is used as the other input for the rec/reg. After that, frame ground can be used for the dc light circuit.

[plevib]

Update, I have fixed the diagram, thanks f76 for pointing that out

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[f76]

I don't mean to be picky, but for the floating ground update the picture of the coil needs to have the floating ground wire coming straight off the coil and not from the frame. Your picture is correct except for the floating ground is still technically "grounded" on the stator frame.

[Scootertrash]

Good thread