All 2st Night riding and lighting

[lankydoug]

Last summer here in central MO it rained two or three times a week so this spring I mounted a good knobby to motivate in the greasy clay... I was prepared

This summer it has been the driest year since the 1930s and also temps in the 100s until after dark. I got to thinking about buying a good lighting system and riding at night when it is much cooler. I'm told my WR250 has a 55 amp stator so it should handle a pretty bright light. The factory bulb would get you out of the woods @ about 10mph but actual riding would be suicide.

I'm stir crazy from lack of riding and I'm pretty sure that buying a good lighting system would either bring rain or some relief from riding withdrawal. I'm trying to decide if I should wait out the heat or drop some coin on lights. Any suggestions or experience would be appreciated.

 

[XLEnduroMan]

Please buy a light and stop the drought!

Get a good light on your Husky like I did (Baja Designs H4/PIAA bulb) and enjoy the dirt with the ability to go go fast as you like as you can see if someone is coming the other way. I could ride up to about 40mph with the stock light before I out ran the glow.

 

[TROFFER88]

Trailtech helmet lights plus the halogen x2

 

[lankydoug]

Please buy a light and stop the drought!

Get a good light on your Husky like I did (Baja Designs H4/PIAA bulb) and enjoy the dirt with the ability to go go fast as you like as you can see if someone is coming the other way. I could ride up to about 40mph with the stock light before I out ran the glow.

I didn't know I could get just the bulb and put it in the stock light. Did you put a switch in the circuit to shut it off? I run with my light on all the time now.

 

[ohmygewd]

TROffer88 is spot on the helmet light as l regularly ride at night on boys riding weekends and it's quite an experience riding trails in the dark especially when you are descending down a rocky trail and the bike stalls...the term 'shitting myself' really springs to mine!!
I run a BA20d 35/35W bulb on Polisport headlight and l'm sure you can get a 45/45W bulb.

I might go down the path of trying a CREE LED in a BA20d light bulb...if you can go a headlight with CREE LED's like the Baja Design unit then go for it as your stator will love ya!!

 

[ajaxauto]

My CR 125 has a light set up and only puts out 35 watts So your WR 250 would be even better.

What I did was Since I had the stator rewound and got 35 watts I purchased a Rigid Industries
light which only pulls 26 watts It was bright enought that I have won a few Night races with it.
So you could get a bigger light for the 250. Then I mounted a Stock battery holder from a 2006 TE
fits right in no bolts needed.The Earth X battery only weigh a few ounces.So now at a idle the light is still bright.Some times the home made stuff works better then the stuff off the shelf

 

[colemanapp]

I've been using a Nite Rider from REI in addition to the light on my bike (switched to 45w bulb, made a small difference on my 450 but that 360 still seems dark). Nite rider lasts about 3 hours. I just duct taped the light under my visor. It really makes you focus on the trail. Without the nite rider, I couldn't get the bikes going fast enough in the slow stuff to keep them from overheating at night.

 

[jmetteer]

Another vote for the trailtech LED setup, the single LED is good enough for trail riding by its self. The dual setup makes things even nicer, I have both... And a MR16 HID. The MR16 still is a bit brighter but you cant beat the battery life of the LED's.

Helmet light is more important than bike light in my opinion, especially for trails. I have the 8" trailtech HID, it rules! It is almost too bright on the trails, with that and the helmet lights you can pretty much ride like it is daytime.

Later,

 

[BCdirtbikegal]

I have done night races using a Cyclops HID helmet light that I borrowed, it was really bright and didn't need to run a bike light. Not cheap though, $345 I think with the battery pack.

 

[XLEnduroMan]

I replace my whole headlight with the BD, as the stock bulb was not an H4. I thought the '09 and later bikes had a H4 bulb. Maybe a PIAA or similar bulb with a better/white light color could work, more near 5000k.

 

[lankydoug]

This Baja Design light says 55/60 amp, could a stock 55 amp WR250 stator handle it or would it be dim @ low rpm? http://www.bajadesigns.com/ProductDetail/601098RD_Headlight-Baja-D-Red

This one looks like the shizzle except for the price, tree-fiddy http://www.bajadesigns.com/ProductDetail/660100BK_Squadron-Mc-Led-Race-Light-Black is it worth it?

 

[marcmo0]

You really dont need a light onthe bike itself. Get a good set of quality helmet lights! I have a couple of HID lights that strap onto my helmet. You have light everywhere you look. The disadvantage of a bike only light is that the bike isnt always pointed where you need to look. A combo is best, but if you can only get one covered, go for the helmet. We ride quite a bit and its awesome. My lights are old now and new tech you can get brighter and lighter setups with longer battery life.

 

[lankydoug]

You really dont need a light onthe bike itself. Get a good set of quality helmet lights! I have a couple of HID lights that strap onto my helmet. You have light everywhere you look. The disadvantage of a bike only light is that the bike isnt always pointed where you need to look. A combo is best, but if you can only get one covered, go for the helmet. We ride quite a bit and its awesome. My lights are old now and new tech you can get brighter and lighter setups with longer battery life.

That sounds like good advise plus it would also work for my mountain bike or my trials bike. What system would you recommend?

 

[Kyspeedfactory]

I personally agree that the helmet light is VERY important...I have an OLD 8" BD HID light and I still flick the switch off here and there with a branch...

I thought it was so bright you didnt need it....but just as in the daytime you are looking ahead and not exactly where the bike is...thru the trees or around a corner.... you still need a bike light even if it is a cheapo light....

 

[Gotlabs]

Tusk makes a new high output led at a reasonable price. The youtube video shows it to be bright.

 

[marcmo0]

That sounds like good advise plus it would also work for my mountain bike or my trials bike. What system would you recommend?

I have 2 Light & Motion lights. They are both HID and throw a lot of light. I have ridden all my bikes with these two lights, no bike light just helmet lights, all over. Slickrock trail, singletrack, wide open desert. They work great. All the way up to WFO on the 300 in a desert wash. And this is at like 11pm...and much later. I have had them since 2006, so not sure what the latest and greatest is these days. I know that the Light & Motion rep was telling me the LED stuff now is just as bright or brighter, smaller, lighter and less expensive. I will say that a good quality light, is going to cost you some money. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to lighting. These both set me back about $350 a piece if I recall.

Like I said though, having helmet lights and bike light is best. However if you can get only one setup, helmet lights are the way to go. In my opinion.
With the WR its nice because even the stocker, while not bright, helps a little. And at the very least, will get you back to the truck if stuck out after dark.