85/86 ATC 250r Headlight/Bulb Questions

[Afrothunderkat]

Anyone know if 85 or 86s Rs use rectifiers? Im looking for DC voltage as that is what is required for running LEDs correct?

Was thinking these...

http://www.jcwhitney.com/jam-strait-...2840d58178u0j1

If it's not viable, what would be the max wattage/lumen bulb I could use?

[Flyingw]

The regulators on the Rs are not rectifiers. They are shunts capping the output of the stator at 13.6vac. Only trikes with batteries will have a true rectifier but the lighting on them is still AC voltage. All trikes have alternators not generators. The output of the stator is 159 watts so total up the lights (60+55+5=120watts). This leaves 39watts available. Whatever lights you use, dont exceed 159watts total.

[Afrothunderkat]

The regulators on the Rs are not rectifiers. They are shunts capping the output of the stator at 13.6vac. Only trikes with batteries will have a true rectifier but the lighting on them is still AC voltage. All trikes have alternators not generators. The output of the stator is 159 watts so total up the lights (60+55+5=120watts). This leaves 39watts available. Whatever lights you use, dont exceed 159watts total.

Could I run LED? or is LED DC only?

55w is stock headlight voltage for 85/86 R's?

[kb0nly]

LED's are DC only. So no you couldn't, unless you wired in a rectifier/regulator and added a small battery to filter the output and stabilize the DC voltage for the LED lights, without the battery or a large capacitor on the output of the rectifier/regulator the LED lights will flicker.

Stock is a 55w light on high beam, the low beam is 35w i think.

[Afrothunderkat]

LED's are DC only. So no you couldn't, unless you wired in a rectifier/regulator and added a small battery to filter the output and stabilize the DC voltage for the LED lights, without the battery or a large capacitor on the output of the rectifier/regulator the LED lights will flicker.

Stock is a 55w light on high beam, the low beam is 35w i think.

Think this would work? http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-K75-K100...c845bd&vxp=mtr

or this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-Halogen-1...f0a2bb&vxp=mtr


Was thinking of switching to this for my rear for less power draw, but like you said need a bat. http://www.ebay.com/itm/170723571014...84.m1438.l2649

[Flyingw]

Hold on KB... I have LED accent lights on a couple of my trikes and they work just fine. Keep in mind that even trikes with batteries and a regulator/rectifier only has one tap out of the regulator thats DC and all it does is recharge the battery otherwise the the lighting circuit is still run off AC voltage. Am I smokin crack? One of my Rs and an SX both have accent lights.

[Flyingw]

Crap, now you have me confused......

[Xpress]

250R's output current is AC, Halogen bulbs work just fine on AC current. The rate at which the current switches is too fast for the filament to dim down and fire back up fully, so it just stays lit. With LED's, it's instant on and instant off, so you will see the switch rate through the lamp. Same goes for HID's.

You need to convert the bike to DC power if you wish to run any strictly DC powered applications, such as LED's and HID's. It's not difficult to do, what you have to do is pop open the stator cover and play around with the stator wires. There should be 2 wires for the lights- one will be the ground lug (which grounds out where the stator is mounted) and the other will be a lead that runs to the lighting harness. You need to lift the ground lug off the stator mount and solder on a length of wire to this lug. This is now a floating ground. From here you need to snip off the other lighting wire and run the 2 leads to a Regulator/Rectifier. TrailTech has a good unit that works very well, and it's simple to wire up.

Now all you need to do is wire the Reg/Rec to a 12 volt battery and from there you can run your lights. Alternatively you can use a capacitor instead of a battery, however a battery is a much more redundant setup (allowing you to run your lighting incase your engine cuts out for whatever reason). The battery acts as a filter to the system and absorbs the voltage spikes that might occur from the rectification process.

If I did this to a Tecate then it's absolutely possible with a Honda, and there are a few members around here that have done the mod already (KASEY comes to mind).

[Afrothunderkat]

250R's output current is AC, Halogen bulbs work just fine on AC current. The rate at which the current switches is too fast for the filament to dim down and fire back up fully, so it just stays lit. With LED's, it's instant on and instant off, so you will see the switch rate through the lamp. Same goes for HID's.

You need to convert the bike to DC power if you wish to run any strictly DC powered applications, such as LED's and HID's. It's not difficult to do, what you have to do is pop open the stator cover and play around with the stator wires. There should be 2 wires for the lights- one will be the ground lug (which grounds out where the stator is mounted) and the other will be a lead that runs to the lighting harness. You need to lift the ground lug off the stator mount and solder on a length of wire to this lug. This is now a floating ground. From here you need to snip off the other lighting wire and run the 2 leads to a Regulator/Rectifier. TrailTech has a good unit that works very well, and it's simple to wire up.

Now all you need to do is wire the Reg/Rec to a 12 volt battery and from there you can run your lights. Alternatively you can use a capacitor instead of a battery, however a battery is a much more redundant setup (allowing you to run your lighting incase your engine cuts out for whatever reason). The battery acts as a filter to the system and absorbs the voltage spikes that might occur from the rectification process.

If I did this to a Tecate then it's absolutely possible with a Honda, and there are a few members around here that have done the mod already (KASEY comes to mind).

Id love to run HIDs with a solid state cap, thats my pipedream goal. but for now I plan on getting these. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-K75-K100...c845bd&vxp=mtr

Fake HIDs right? So they will work right?

Im pretty sure I could one of these, should have enough power right? http://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-Halogen-1...f0a2bb&vxp=mtr

[Afrothunderkat]

Still looking for what you guys are running for modified lights.

Bump.

[kb0nly]

There isn't much for choices to replace the bulb in the stock housing, i tried a few, modified a couple bulbs that sorta fit. I just ended up adding a couple LED lights to the front instead. Low beam is the stock low beam filament in the stock bulb, switch the light switch to hi and it flips off the low beam and turns on my added LED lights. Works great.

[Afrothunderkat]

Just bought a new bulb plug as mine is gone and I am currently using raw wires to a bulb. http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-High-Hea...30844705261%26

And im going to try this new bulb

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270785393802

Wicked cheap, can't hurt to try. Looking for whiter light than 3500k of stock yellow.

[kb0nly]

Hey if that works post up some pics of the results!!

[Afrothunderkat]

Hey if that works post up some pics of the results!!

Will do!

Going to give this a shot for the rear too http://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-BA15S-115...item27bfeaf546

It says AC, probably a scam, will find out though!

[Jabcon]

any updates on this?