DIY Baja Lights?

[HeadTrauma]

I was recently riding in the dark and it occured to me that my stock headlight is rather inadequate, even for fairly slow riding. I have always wanted some lights like the Baja/Dakar bikes have, so I looked on Google and found the Baja Designs Baja lights. I liked the lights, but not the price; $1500-1600 for the dual 8" HIDs and $800 for the same, but with halogens. If I cant afford something, I always see if I can make my own. Has anyone on here ever put together their own Baja-style headlights with something like Hellas or KC Daylighters?

[mikekay]

its super easy.

just find someone who can bend some pipe--make a 10" circle for 8" lights....add some tabs on the sides to mount the lights, add some tabs on top for the adjustment knob (which is available seperate from Baja Designs...) Also from BD buy the fork tube mounts...weld the side tabs to the fork tube mounts and there ya have it...dont forget a mount into the bottom triple clamp with a hole and some cotter pins for quick in and out.

oh yeah---re-wind your stator for 200 watts.

Buy 2 8" 100 watt H3 bulbs...total cost is about $200 plus the stator...

You can buy a set cheap from RickyStator.com

HID's are only for racers (IMHO) and the H3 or H4 halogen is in many ways better for riders. Also--theres really no need for dual lights unless you are Steve Hengeveld or Chris Blaise. Single 100 watt light is more than enough.

There is another answer. Put in a glass lens OEM housing with a 100 watt H3 into your existing 650R plastic. Its really more than enough for cruising around at night every now and then. No matter what you will need a stator rewind...

[JohnnyAirtime]

Not that money grows on trees... since my tree is bare.

However, I like the BajaD "Tecate" light. Single small HID with a 35W Halogen MR16 light for tight stuff and streets.

On the street, run just the Halogen. Then, when the night darkens and your tapped 5th in Mexico... flip on the HID!

I used to run the Dual HIDs on my XR and quad (when I sold the quad the lights made the deal! Now I have another quad with a better light setup). The BajaD mount was nice because I could remove it in seconds and put it on another bike. It was heavy... and you really CAN use the light if you ride at high speed. One light directly out in front of you... and one waaaay out in the distance. Remember... when you're on the gas, the light points more to the moon... hard on the binders and it's gopher hunting. So two lights do help, you may not need the two enormous HID power however.

Now.. since this is my opinion.. I must say HIDs are awesome. Pricey... but awesome. There's no comparison. But sometimes... they can be too bright. They make small whoops look like neck breakers. Why?! Cuz of the shadow they cast and the reflection of the sand/dirt or street (especially wet). Sooooo....

You fast? You want safe lighting? Reliable? Lots of it? Go HID and pay the price.

Otherwise... Like said already, upgrading your stocker (to glass lense and 100w bulb) and rewinding the stator is a large difference. Enough for most.

Hope that helped too.

?

[curtjeaz280]

For a simple cheaper option, you can also get the lighting improvement kit from Baja Designs. It replaces the stock plastic lense with a glass unit and a halogen bulb. Much better lense unit and the halogen are a world of difference over the stock unit. Plus you can put in a 55 watt halogen using the stock stator wind. It's under $50.

[HeadTrauma]

However, I like the BajaD "Tecate" light. Single small HID with a 35W Halogen MR16 light for tight stuff and streets.

That was the second option I was looking at, although I usually tend to want more than I need which led to my drooling over the BD dual HIDs. I'm kind of stuck in the middle, though. The two places I ride most are brushy/mountainous and more open desert. Decisions...

I'll try with a high power halogen in a glass lense housing first. If thats not enough, I'll step up to twin Hellas, maybe in conjuction with the stocker.

You've all been a great help. The party's not over, so anyone else is welcome to toss the in their $.02.

[JohnnyAirtime]

Cool.. glad we could all help.

There's many more comments in TT about HIDs and such, search on it and you'll see what i mean.

The only problem I had with the dual HID setup was a special one. Basically I'd be 'duning' the big bowls at Glamis on either quad or bike... and at speed, you can't see far enough to the sides or around the bowl. So I notched my mounts to give me more outward direction. But it still wasn't enough really. I had the 'euro' style beam which is closer to a pencil than a fog. And with HIDs... I think one 'fog' and one 'euro' is a better setup. If you look at the fluting on a Hella 4000 FOG, you'd be amazed. It seriously gives you 180 degree light in front of you... and pretty damn far out in front of you as well. However I don't like the 4000s in a Euro. The HID Euro is pretty nice (I've got one mounted on my quad, with two small HIDstore.com 3.5" HIDs on each side and lower)... but doesn't 'outshine' the smaller ones I've got on the quad. Amazing, the 8" light and the 3/5" light also give off a similar beam pattern. And shine the same distance across a dune or in the trees.

Search the site on "lightforce" and you may be surprised... someone on here had a HUUUUGE setup. If you've seen Lightforce lights, they're already gigantic. And someone added a couple more smaller lights to the XR front end that had a Lightforce as the main light.

I'm rambling... trying to wind down after work obviously... and now heading to bed.

GOOD LUCK...

There's many options... but the Tecate light works all around and foots the bill. Cost isn't tooo bad either.

[qadsan]

earch the site on "lightforce" and you may be surprised

I believe that was 'Kritter' here on TT who actually made that system using the lightforce lights. Hmmm, maybe we could talk him into a TT discount ?

[ODSC1]

I saved this TT post from a while back on exactly the same subject. Homemade Baja Lighting

Here's another example. Homemade Baja Lighting, Example Two

By the way, the Lighting Improvement Kit that Baja Designs sells for the XR650R is Honda part number 33120-MK2-671 and a H3 bulb. Any Honda dealer can order it for you.

I'm using the glass lense and a 55w H3 bulb. Will there be any problem running with a 100w bulb? The heat won't damage the wiring or lense? Anyone using any of the Xenon high output bulbs available? I've already re-wound my stator for max. output.

Brian

Ontario Dual Sport Club

[mikekay]

i run a 100 watt H3 in the OEM glass lens...there arent any problems...i have even used that for pre-running in Baja....just to save wear and tear on the race lights. Unless you are racing or doing a lot of night stuff its all ya need IMHO....but some like the bling factor and maybe in the great white north where it gets dark at 4pm night rides are more common.

Maybe the most important thing about night rides is to remember to keep the lens very very clear. It makes a BIG difference...

[NKTM]

It's not an HID setup, but have you looked at the Honda Ruckus? That headlight set runs in the $300 range and looks like it would still be better than the stock XR light.

http://powersports.honda.com/scooters/model.asp?ModelName=Ruckus&ModelYear=2005&ModelId=NPS505

[Homey]

For $230 you can get the dual Halogen set up from Ricky Stator that would be way better than that light. Or for $150 more get the Tecate HID.

[HeadTrauma]

I saved this TT post from a while back on exactly the same subject. Homemade Baja Lighting

That is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind!

I just got some 18awg high-temp 392*F magnet wire and some 3M 2216 epoxy so I can rewind my stator. I think there might be at least one off-road type store around here, so I'll look for a couple 6 or 8" 4x4 lights. Maybe even do a triple. I might have to get some steel U-bends since I dont have access to a bender.

I forgot to mention my whole premise for doing this is to save major cash. Think I can do for less than $100?

[JohnnyAirtime]

Think I can do for less than $100?

Cool.. you pull that off and you could MAKE some money!!! ?

However.. as long as it doesn't look like Lamont built it (Sanford and Son). ?

[durkn]

I talked to BD today.

They told me the rewound stator with an 80W Xenon bulb is a good way to go. The Xenon bulb has white light & they say compares to a 130W halogen. Has anyone tried that?

[qadsan]

Yeah, lots of people have done this. You'll get a huge improvement in lighting when compared to the stock setup.

[HeadTrauma]

Think I can do for less than $100?

Cool.. you pull that off and you could MAKE some money!!! ?

However.. as long as it doesn't look like Lamont built it (Sanford and Son). ?

We'll see. So far I have $10 in it and that got me a rewound stator and H3 bulb.

I've been looking around for 6-8" offroad lights and there isnt a huge selection, but some are pretty cheap. I saw BD's pin-mount light frames, but does anyone know what the brackets look like?

And no, it wont look like Lamont built it. ?

[Cosmo]

Baja D brackets are curved and are designed to be clamped to your fork tubes(hose clamps).They use rubber gromments to accept the lite frame.For a "quick" race install,sand off the powdercoat on the pins.Also spray some WD40 on the pins.Then install,along with the clips.All their setups are clean.We used a dual HID last year,awesome setup!

[Winkel]

ODSC1,

Thanks for saving that older post!! I was looking for it the other night and couldn't find it. I plan on doing something similar real soon. I had my first night ride (on the road)the other night and the stocker reallys sucks. I'll post pics when I'm done.

Wink ?

[malevolent73]

I also use the BD glass kit, w/ 100w halogen bulb... BD re-wind! It makes mecca lecca light at night!!! But if you are interested check out the HID helmet light systems available... you'll have to do a search, but the one I looked at was rechargable, and lasted 4 hrs... plus its attached to your helmet, so you get great vision where ever you look!!! ? :cry: ?

[Mikie1]

I inquired at a big bike shop about the highest-powered helmet lights available. According to the shop manager, NiteRider has an HID model that's 10 or 15 watts (can't remember...), but supposedly they're coming out with a model called "the blowtorch" that's 40 watts HID.

I'm sure the pattern won't be as good as an 8-incher, but I like the helmet-mount idea. Should be worth a look...