| Light it up! |
Up until a few years ago, about the only off-road motorcycle racing I knew of which involved riding at night was the Baja 1000, and maybe a
select few west coast events like the 24 Hours of Glen Helen. Most of these were held on fast, open courses where 20 pounds worth of
huge lights mounted to the triple clamps didn't really slow a guy down too much. For woods riding, however, this kind of weight isn't real
attractive, especially having it mounted high on the bike and attached to the same parts as the handlebars. Here in the Midwest, we change
direction often, and some of us lack the defensive lineman physique needed to manhandle a couple million candlepower worth of
illumination. So, rare was the event which involved tight woods and night riding.
However, lighting technology has progressed rapidly in the last 10 years. The lights are smaller, lighter, and brighter. We can now strap
30-watt HID lights to our helmets and see 100 yards ahead of us. Batteries are compact and more powerful, too. A pair of batteries, each
the size of your average TV remote control, can run those 30-watt HID's for probably more hours than you have the energy for. With these
advances in technology, it's now possible for the average rider to strap on some lights and extend his riding activities well into the evening.
Night races have popped up all over the country, with the most publicized woods event in recent memory being the Red Bull Last Man
Standing. Now the Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club in Georgia has a 24-hour race, and the Hillbilly Riders in Southwest Missouri host a
100-mile endurance event which involves a night portion.
I had never thought much about night riding until I stumbled across a thread on KTMtalk.com about "next generation" LED lights. To that
point, my only experience with LED lights was a battery powered trouble light for the garage and a handlebar mounted light for a mountain
bike. Neither, I felt, was very effective. The color of the light was too blue and the output too weak. When the KTMtalk guy raved about the new
10-watt LED's, I was skeptical....very skeptical. But I couldn't see much bias in his writing and he was pretty honest about its capabilities (i.e.
they aren't Baja 1000 lights, but are excellent inside the woods). With the Ozark 100-miler approaching in November 2009, I decided to light
up the 250XC in case I were to qualify for the night portion of the race.
After much research, I ordered three lights from Cyclops Motosports: an Orion headlight, producing a combined 70 watts from a pair of
select few west coast events like the 24 Hours of Glen Helen. Most of these were held on fast, open courses where 20 pounds worth of
huge lights mounted to the triple clamps didn't really slow a guy down too much. For woods riding, however, this kind of weight isn't real
attractive, especially having it mounted high on the bike and attached to the same parts as the handlebars. Here in the Midwest, we change
direction often, and some of us lack the defensive lineman physique needed to manhandle a couple million candlepower worth of
illumination. So, rare was the event which involved tight woods and night riding.
However, lighting technology has progressed rapidly in the last 10 years. The lights are smaller, lighter, and brighter. We can now strap
30-watt HID lights to our helmets and see 100 yards ahead of us. Batteries are compact and more powerful, too. A pair of batteries, each
the size of your average TV remote control, can run those 30-watt HID's for probably more hours than you have the energy for. With these
advances in technology, it's now possible for the average rider to strap on some lights and extend his riding activities well into the evening.
Night races have popped up all over the country, with the most publicized woods event in recent memory being the Red Bull Last Man
Standing. Now the Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club in Georgia has a 24-hour race, and the Hillbilly Riders in Southwest Missouri host a
100-mile endurance event which involves a night portion.
I had never thought much about night riding until I stumbled across a thread on KTMtalk.com about "next generation" LED lights. To that
point, my only experience with LED lights was a battery powered trouble light for the garage and a handlebar mounted light for a mountain
bike. Neither, I felt, was very effective. The color of the light was too blue and the output too weak. When the KTMtalk guy raved about the new
10-watt LED's, I was skeptical....very skeptical. But I couldn't see much bias in his writing and he was pretty honest about its capabilities (i.e.
they aren't Baja 1000 lights, but are excellent inside the woods). With the Ozark 100-miler approaching in November 2009, I decided to light
up the 250XC in case I were to qualify for the night portion of the race.
After much research, I ordered three lights from Cyclops Motosports: an Orion headlight, producing a combined 70 watts from a pair of
halogen bulbs; a 10-watt LED helmet light; and an identical 10-watt LED for
mounting on the handlebars. I ordered the Orion not so much for night riding, but
more for making the 250XC enduro legal should I chose to race enduros on the
bike. The helmet light is powered by a small but potent 12-volt lithium-polymer
battery, while the handlebar mounted light is powered by the 250XC's 12-volt
battery.
All that I'd read about night riding made clear that the directional views provided
by a helmet light is absolutely essential. Bike-mounted lights illuminate where
you're headed, but not always where you need to go. Helmet lights also tend to
reduce bouncing light, since your body and head naturally smooth things out.
What I wanted was a combination of both: one stationary light to keep things
illuminated directly in front of me, and a helmet light to show me where I should
be heading.
mounting on the handlebars. I ordered the Orion not so much for night riding, but
more for making the 250XC enduro legal should I chose to race enduros on the
bike. The helmet light is powered by a small but potent 12-volt lithium-polymer
battery, while the handlebar mounted light is powered by the 250XC's 12-volt
battery.
All that I'd read about night riding made clear that the directional views provided
by a helmet light is absolutely essential. Bike-mounted lights illuminate where
you're headed, but not always where you need to go. Helmet lights also tend to
reduce bouncing light, since your body and head naturally smooth things out.
What I wanted was a combination of both: one stationary light to keep things
illuminated directly in front of me, and a helmet light to show me where I should
be heading.
In the KTMtalk review and discussion, there was
universal agreement that the Cyclops guys were
outstanding to work with and always eager to help. This
shows in their attention to the hardware that came with
the LED lights. Both lights contained mostly the same
hardware. The main difference was the helmet light
came with a battery and a charger. The lights could be
stuck to the top of the helmet with double-stick tape,
side-mounted to the helmet at the chin area with a velcro
strap, handlebar mounted on just about any diameter of
bars, or bolted flush to a flat surface.
Every conceivable idea I had for how to make all of this
work to my satisfaction was covered with what came in
the package. For example, while experimenting with
various positions for the bar-mounted LED light, the
plastic bar clamp for the mount fit fine on the inside of the
handlebars, where the diameter is largest, but were too
big where the diameter was smaller next to the grips.
Then I saw a couple of rubber inserts inside a bag of
parts, and presto!, all was good. Same goes for wiring
the bar-mounted LED light to DC current in the KTM's
electrical system. The bike's wiring harness delivers AC,
which is fine for halogen but not so much for the LED's. A
supplied cord was long enough to tap into a spare DC
terminal on the starter relay in the air box.
universal agreement that the Cyclops guys were
outstanding to work with and always eager to help. This
shows in their attention to the hardware that came with
the LED lights. Both lights contained mostly the same
hardware. The main difference was the helmet light
came with a battery and a charger. The lights could be
stuck to the top of the helmet with double-stick tape,
side-mounted to the helmet at the chin area with a velcro
strap, handlebar mounted on just about any diameter of
bars, or bolted flush to a flat surface.
Every conceivable idea I had for how to make all of this
work to my satisfaction was covered with what came in
the package. For example, while experimenting with
various positions for the bar-mounted LED light, the
plastic bar clamp for the mount fit fine on the inside of the
handlebars, where the diameter is largest, but were too
big where the diameter was smaller next to the grips.
Then I saw a couple of rubber inserts inside a bag of
parts, and presto!, all was good. Same goes for wiring
the bar-mounted LED light to DC current in the KTM's
electrical system. The bike's wiring harness delivers AC,
which is fine for halogen but not so much for the LED's. A
supplied cord was long enough to tap into a spare DC
terminal on the starter relay in the air box.
| Starter relay: the thicker, all-yellow wire is the positive lead for the handlebar- mounted LED light (dark brown is ground; relay terminal has been pulled away from its housing on the plastic battery holder for better photo ops). |
Another nice touch is the inline switch on the cords for the LED lights. It's an
easy-to-see blue button with a blue LED that indicates when the cord is sending
power to the light. On the helmet light, this is helpful in preserving the 6-hour
capacity of the battery. One push of a button and you can easily turn off the light
when you're stopped along the trail, trying to figure out where the hell you are.
The cords themselves are also high quality and appear to be mostly waterproof.
They snap together nice and tight, and they're thick enough to take a beating.
Wire It Up!
So how did I make it all work? Well, let's begin with the bike-mounted lights. For
starters, I rigged up the Orion headlight. It's probably not really necessary for
night riding, since the LED's overpower it, but it does provide some backup light,
just in case. The Cyclops package includes a wiring harness and bar-mounted
Hi/Low beam switch that also replaces the kill switch. The harness leaves the
stock headlight connector free for whatever auxiliary power you desire. However,
both of these connectors produce alternating current. That's fine for the Orion's
halogen bulbs, but not as desirable for the LED's. They prefer direct current, so I
searched for a DC source on the 250XC.
easy-to-see blue button with a blue LED that indicates when the cord is sending
power to the light. On the helmet light, this is helpful in preserving the 6-hour
capacity of the battery. One push of a button and you can easily turn off the light
when you're stopped along the trail, trying to figure out where the hell you are.
The cords themselves are also high quality and appear to be mostly waterproof.
They snap together nice and tight, and they're thick enough to take a beating.
Wire It Up!
So how did I make it all work? Well, let's begin with the bike-mounted lights. For
starters, I rigged up the Orion headlight. It's probably not really necessary for
night riding, since the LED's overpower it, but it does provide some backup light,
just in case. The Cyclops package includes a wiring harness and bar-mounted
Hi/Low beam switch that also replaces the kill switch. The harness leaves the
stock headlight connector free for whatever auxiliary power you desire. However,
both of these connectors produce alternating current. That's fine for the Orion's
halogen bulbs, but not as desirable for the LED's. They prefer direct current, so I
searched for a DC source on the 250XC.
Fortunately, the fact that the KTM comes with a battery
pretty much guarantees that somewhere you'll find direct
current. After some experimentation, I found what I
needed in the starter relay terminal. It has an unused
positive terminal that just happens to be inline with a
10-amp fuse. I didn't worry too much about the light
drawing straight off the battery, since it doesn't take much
juice to power the LED light. For the higher-powered HID
lights, though, this isn't something you'd want to do. In
those cases, the Cyclops experts recommend a stator
upgrade which generates 100 watts of DC at idle. That
way, the engine is powering the lights, not the battery.
A couple of crimp connectors later, I was ready to route
the wires under the tank and to the front of the bike. This
is also fairly simple, and made even easier with the
connector on the end of the supplied wires, which plugs
right into another cord that goes into the LED light. If
there's any downside to the Cyclops package, there is
almost too much length of supplied wiring to work with. I
could probably have run the wires back and forth across
the bike and still had plenty of length.
pretty much guarantees that somewhere you'll find direct
current. After some experimentation, I found what I
needed in the starter relay terminal. It has an unused
positive terminal that just happens to be inline with a
10-amp fuse. I didn't worry too much about the light
drawing straight off the battery, since it doesn't take much
juice to power the LED light. For the higher-powered HID
lights, though, this isn't something you'd want to do. In
those cases, the Cyclops experts recommend a stator
upgrade which generates 100 watts of DC at idle. That
way, the engine is powering the lights, not the battery.
A couple of crimp connectors later, I was ready to route
the wires under the tank and to the front of the bike. This
is also fairly simple, and made even easier with the
connector on the end of the supplied wires, which plugs
right into another cord that goes into the LED light. If
there's any downside to the Cyclops package, there is
almost too much length of supplied wiring to work with. I
could probably have run the wires back and forth across
the bike and still had plenty of length.
| The mount plate swivels from side to side, while the bar clamp allows for vertical aim adjustments. |
The first thing you notice about the light is its size, especially when compared to
its output. These things are small, but bright! The output is so intense that I can't
look into the beam without hurting my eyes. The outer shell is all metal, so it's
hard to imagine that these could get destroyed too badly. When not in use, the
light and its wires disconnect easily. Since the lights are powered directly from
its output. These things are small, but bright! The output is so intense that I can't
look into the beam without hurting my eyes. The outer shell is all metal, so it's
hard to imagine that these could get destroyed too badly. When not in use, the
light and its wires disconnect easily. Since the lights are powered directly from
Orion Halogen Lights: two for the price of one!
Electric starters on the KTM's required the need for stators
with more power output. My previous KTM's, a 1999
300EXC and a 2002 300MXC, came with the Kokusan
2K-2 stator (40 watts). The 250XC has a 100-watt
Kokusan 2K-3 stator, which is nice because it can handle
headlights that are reasonably bright. Case in point: the
Orion dual-halogen headlight. Cyclops sells this
moderately priced headlight with a wiring harness and a
hi/lo beam switch.
The wiring harness replaces the kill switch and also
preserves the stock headlight connection. I'm not sure
what this connection would be used for - grip warmers,
maybe? Cyclops made the wiring about as easy as can
be, thanks in part to its excellent instructions. If the Orion
had been the only equipment I was adding, it would have
been a 30-minute job.
The headlight shell fits nicely with its rubber straps and
has two options for fitting onto the fender pegs. It also
comes with an integrated cable guide that keeps the
brake line on the back side of the shell. And to top it all off,
I think it looks pretty cool.
Electric starters on the KTM's required the need for stators
with more power output. My previous KTM's, a 1999
300EXC and a 2002 300MXC, came with the Kokusan
2K-2 stator (40 watts). The 250XC has a 100-watt
Kokusan 2K-3 stator, which is nice because it can handle
headlights that are reasonably bright. Case in point: the
Orion dual-halogen headlight. Cyclops sells this
moderately priced headlight with a wiring harness and a
hi/lo beam switch.
The wiring harness replaces the kill switch and also
preserves the stock headlight connection. I'm not sure
what this connection would be used for - grip warmers,
maybe? Cyclops made the wiring about as easy as can
be, thanks in part to its excellent instructions. If the Orion
had been the only equipment I was adding, it would have
been a 30-minute job.
The headlight shell fits nicely with its rubber straps and
has two options for fitting onto the fender pegs. It also
comes with an integrated cable guide that keeps the
brake line on the back side of the shell. And to top it all off,
I think it looks pretty cool.
By time I was done wiring and mounting the lights, I
probably added 4 or 5 pounds to the bike. The headlight
isn't super heavy for what it is, nor is the LED light, but all
together they put some weight on the handlebars. How
noticeable that is depends on the rider. For me, I can't tell
much difference in handling or turning effort. But that's just
me.
Helmet Light!
After installing the bike-mounted lights, it was time to move
on to the helmet light. This is where battery technology
comes into play, and it's pretty dang cool. Even though it's
possible to wire helmet lights into the bike's electrical
system, I don't know why anyone would want to. Fall off the
bike, and what happens? You're now in the dark. Today's
lithium-polymer (Li-Po) batteries are compact, but don't let
probably added 4 or 5 pounds to the bike. The headlight
isn't super heavy for what it is, nor is the LED light, but all
together they put some weight on the handlebars. How
noticeable that is depends on the rider. For me, I can't tell
much difference in handling or turning effort. But that's just
me.
Helmet Light!
After installing the bike-mounted lights, it was time to move
on to the helmet light. This is where battery technology
comes into play, and it's pretty dang cool. Even though it's
possible to wire helmet lights into the bike's electrical
system, I don't know why anyone would want to. Fall off the
bike, and what happens? You're now in the dark. Today's
lithium-polymer (Li-Po) batteries are compact, but don't let
the battery, the LED can be turned on when the engine is not running. Hard to say how much of an advantage this is, but it might be nice
when parked along the trail and need some extra light.
when parked along the trail and need some extra light.
that fool you. Combined with the low power needs of LED's, these batteries can hold their juice a good long time. Cyclops claims one
battery can power a 10-watt LED light for up to 6 hours. Even though I cannot imagine riding for 6 hours in the dark, the power is there if I
ever need it.
A cool feature of the Li-Po batteries is their ability to be "stacked" together to increase capacity. Each battery is hard-wired with two
connectors. Match up the male and female ends of the two batteries and you've now got enough power to run a 10-watt LED for up to 12
hours! Stacking is probably more useful for higher powered HID helmet lights, such as the 30-watt models that can run for two hours on a
single charge. In endurance races, these lights would probably require stacked batteries if you don't want to constantly be charging them
during the race.
battery can power a 10-watt LED light for up to 6 hours. Even though I cannot imagine riding for 6 hours in the dark, the power is there if I
ever need it.
A cool feature of the Li-Po batteries is their ability to be "stacked" together to increase capacity. Each battery is hard-wired with two
connectors. Match up the male and female ends of the two batteries and you've now got enough power to run a 10-watt LED for up to 12
hours! Stacking is probably more useful for higher powered HID helmet lights, such as the 30-watt models that can run for two hours on a
single charge. In endurance races, these lights would probably require stacked batteries if you don't want to constantly be charging them
during the race.
Mounting the light to the helmet can be done in two ways:
stick-on or strap-on. The stick-on mount has a curved
surface that conforms to the contour of the helmet and is
designed to mount to the top of the helmet. Double sided
tape keeps it in place. The strap-on mount wraps around
the chin area of the helmet, using Velcro to put the light
lower and to the side. From what I read, I don't think
Cyclops was too crazy about the strap mount (they still
think a top mount is best), but in response to customer
requests, they provided the strap-on anyway.
stick-on or strap-on. The stick-on mount has a curved
surface that conforms to the contour of the helmet and is
designed to mount to the top of the helmet. Double sided
tape keeps it in place. The strap-on mount wraps around
the chin area of the helmet, using Velcro to put the light
lower and to the side. From what I read, I don't think
Cyclops was too crazy about the strap mount (they still
think a top mount is best), but in response to customer
requests, they provided the strap-on anyway.
| Above: strap-on. Below: stick-on. |
| A little duct tape will hold the strap in place. |
Darkness!
So how does it all work? Well, so far I've only ridden in the fields around my
subdivision. I didn't qualify for the night portion of the Ozark 100 race in
November 2009, which was probably ok since I had neither the energy nor the
abilities to ride without sunlight on those trails. Once the LED lights are aimed
where I wanted them, they are pretty impressive in their output. For fast, open
riding, HID's are clearly better, but I think these will be just fine in the woods. At
the Ozark 100, I brought the helmet light with me while watching riders in the
night portion, and it really does light up the woods. Two of these will be just fine,
I think.
Update: Winter 2010
When I began serious testing of the light setup, winter was fast approaching. I'd
So how does it all work? Well, so far I've only ridden in the fields around my
subdivision. I didn't qualify for the night portion of the Ozark 100 race in
November 2009, which was probably ok since I had neither the energy nor the
abilities to ride without sunlight on those trails. Once the LED lights are aimed
where I wanted them, they are pretty impressive in their output. For fast, open
riding, HID's are clearly better, but I think these will be just fine in the woods. At
the Ozark 100, I brought the helmet light with me while watching riders in the
night portion, and it really does light up the woods. Two of these will be just fine,
I think.
Update: Winter 2010
When I began serious testing of the light setup, winter was fast approaching. I'd
already decided to winterize the KTM, so snow became a way test my cold weather and nighttime equipment at the same time. At this point I
must admit I chose a questionable method of testing all of this equipment. The snowmobile trails crisscrossing Northern Illinois were an
irresistible temptation. After consulting with my sled-fanatical neighbors, I was basically told: a) I was crazy; b) I would be the only dirt biker
anywhere on the trails, and c) because of this, nobody would probably care. The first two were pretty much correct; the third turned out to be
erroneous.
Anyway, my 6 weeks of testing revealed several facts about the light setup:
The LED's have accomplished what I set out to do, though: get in more riding time. In the winter, I can come home from work and take my
sweet time in preparing to ride. If I want to ride at midnight, so be it. The lights have opened up a whole new universe of riding opportunities.
must admit I chose a questionable method of testing all of this equipment. The snowmobile trails crisscrossing Northern Illinois were an
irresistible temptation. After consulting with my sled-fanatical neighbors, I was basically told: a) I was crazy; b) I would be the only dirt biker
anywhere on the trails, and c) because of this, nobody would probably care. The first two were pretty much correct; the third turned out to be
erroneous.
Anyway, my 6 weeks of testing revealed several facts about the light setup:
- The halogen lights are far overpowered by the LED's, so most of the time I rarely used them. Also, they compete for power with my
grip warmers. I'd rather have warm hands. - The helmet light helps me see where I need to go, while the bar-mounted light shows what's straight ahead. In the woods, this
setup is just fine. In open fields, however, I could use more distance. The Baja-type racers use HID lights for this reason - when
flying through the desert and warp speed, you need to see a hundred yards ahead. The LED's give me about 100 feet. It's a quality
100 feet, but sometimes I would like more. - Battery-powered lights are a definite advantage when stopped on the trail. The engine stops, but the lights keep shining. When
you're searching for a bolt in your fanny pack to replace the one that had been securing the seat, the helmet light is indispensable. - The small-gauge wire connected to the battery relay eventually started to break. It was replaced with a larger wire.
- The velcro strap on the helmet requires a little duct tape to keep it stable.
- Have not tested the full capacity of the Li-Po battery, but so far 4 hours is no problem.
The LED's have accomplished what I set out to do, though: get in more riding time. In the winter, I can come home from work and take my
sweet time in preparing to ride. If I want to ride at midnight, so be it. The lights have opened up a whole new universe of riding opportunities.