Lets talk head lights

GoldenMotor.com

Flyman

Member
Nov 28, 2014
259
3
18
Vian Oklahoma
What do you guy recommend for a bike head light.Do they run
off a battery pack & if so for how long.I,m new to all this & counting
on you folks help.

Fly .trk
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
What do you guy recommend for a bike head light.Do they run
off a battery pack & if so for how long.I,m new to all this & counting
on you folks help.

Fly .trk
This is what I use, these are super bright and the 8.4volt rechargeable battery pack last for a good while, they have low beam, high beam and strobe flash.

Only thing I have found that using the strong L.E.D. lights due that is a slight pain is that my digital speedometer are rendered useless as long as the light is on, maybe I just have them to close together, but there is some kind of interference that the light puts off that wacks out the wireless or wired digital speedos I have, other than that they are excellent and will really light things up, best bang for the buck in lights I have found and you can get higher MAh batteries fairly cheap, here is one that is twice the capacity almost as the standard 6400mah battery, the claim is that the headlight will last 4-6 hours with this 12,000 mah battery.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18650-Recha...US_Rechargeable_Batteries&hash=item258744f848

I dont have one yet but I also plan to get the red taillight version that uses the same batteries. here are a couple links to what I'm talking about.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zoomable-16...510?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item462e230ffe

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MagicShine-...=100012&prg=11353&rk=1&rkt=10&sd=281067506059

Hope this helps out a bit Flyman

Oh by the way the headlight comes with a method to mount on bike bars or it can just be worn as a head lamp so when you turn your head you will always have light where you're looking, I kinda like using them that way at times, battery will strap onto belt loop and its an easy set up that I can use no matter which bike a decide to ride since I have four of them.

Map
 
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mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
Man 4 to 6 hours is longer than I thought would be available.

I thank you guys Fly
You're very welcome, I think a standard 6400mah battery pk will run around an hour on bright and maybe close to 2 hours on low beam, I haven't actually ever tested it to see for sure but I havent ever had it run down on me either and that was on a 40-45 minute night ride on high beam the entire time.

map
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
1,581
6
38
Central Illinois
I use these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C2MHNJK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're plenty bright.

I use two of them. Not so much for the light. One gives plenty. But I run two in case one of them ever goes bad by surprise.

I've never used up the battery. I have a feeling I can get 6 hours or so on low setting.

My only complaint is that the mount is a bit squirrely. But it wasn't hard to fasten a different mount.
 

SuperDave

Member
Sep 24, 2011
179
0
16
Panama City Beach, Fl. USA


I took a standard bicycle bullet light & modded it myself with 5mm blue/white LEDs from LED Warehouse (.com). Now they are very bright, from my driveway to the corner(1/4 mile away) it will luminess the reflective material on the stop sign, and I'm told that I am easy to see even during daylight on a sunny, cloudless day.
 

Tyler6357

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2012
1,293
294
83
Santa Barbara, CA
I don't ride at night that often so I got two of these headlights. They are very bright and with 2 of them they light up the road very well. You can adjust the narrowness of the beam and they run on 3 AAA batteries. What I like about them is that the mounts fit all the way around the lights so my china girl won't vibrate them loose. Also, it's handy to be able to easily remove one of them to use as a flashlight on the side of the road at night if needed. These are pretty cheap and does not fit if you are going for a more classic bicycle look.
 

HDCowboy

Member
Jan 3, 2015
44
0
6
Texas Gulf Coast
I'm a newbie here and still haven't even completed my first build yet, but if my memory serves me correctly the ChinaGirl engines have an extra 6 volt wire coming from them that is unused and which should allow you to use one of any kind 6 volt light of your choice (depending on wattage ect). I dont know if they make 6 volt LED lights but one of the old 6 volt generator set up lights like these ought to be able to be direct wired to the motor if you so choose.........


 
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Flyman

Member
Nov 28, 2014
259
3
18
Vian Oklahoma
Funny I started this thread when I was building me first bike a few months
back. So ya, I,m still a newbie so to speak. But I do know this, there only
one bike light & then there is the rest.

Cree makes the best light out there money wise or brightness. When I first came
into this hobby I had Cree flash lights & they are unbeatable. I had no idea
they made bicycle lights.

My Son rides mountain bikes in Tucson at night in the desert. Every one of
there group has Cree lights on there bikes. If you want to see were you are going by a Cree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGKnw3bUSx0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRU5RUf-jI The one thing China did right.

Fly JMOHOP PS $20 prime Amazon, can't be beat!
 
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Rudz

New Member
Jun 24, 2014
454
1
0
Tyler TX
I have two cree 6x T6 XML lights, 12 leds total and two 9600 mah 8.4v 18650 battery packs on my bars, a cree solar storm light on my helmet with a 6400 mah 8.4v 18650 pack on my helmet.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
a person should always have very bright lights for night riding in my opinion, the tail light should be extremely bright if possible also, some of the dinky little tail lights wont cut it, but the larger ones that flash are good because I sure dont want to get run over from behind by someone who couldnt see my light.

I like a bright long distance head light because a moyor bike move so much faster, those big pot holes or something in the road can be under the front rire before you know it if you cant see at least 40-50 yds out ahead.

only problem I have had eith the 1600-1800LM lights Ive bought is that the LED lights screw up my digital speedo when the lights are on,they jack with the wired and the wireless ones Ive used, I wish I knew of a good way to shield them from that interferene.
 

Flyman

Member
Nov 28, 2014
259
3
18
Vian Oklahoma
(only problem I have had eith the 1600-1800LM lights Ive bought is that the LED lights screw up my digital speedo when the lights are on,they jack with the wired and the wireless ones Ive used, I wish I knew of a good way to shield them from that interferene. )

Hummmmmmmmmmmm I have not tried mine yet with the speedo. Interesting, there
must be something that can be done. Tell you what Map next time I make it to OKC, I
will drop by the company I worked for before retirement. Our R&D dept has some really
slick sparkys designing the electronics on the stuff we made. I,m sure one of those
guy's will know a fix.
Fly
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
(only problem I have had eith the 1600-1800LM lights Ive bought is that the LED lights screw up my digital speedo when the lights are on,they jack with the wired and the wireless ones Ive used, I wish I knew of a good way to shield them from that interferene. )

Hummmmmmmmmmmm I have not tried mine yet with the speedo. Interesting, there
must be something that can be done. Tell you what Map next time I make it to OKC, I
will drop by the company I worked for before retirement. Our R&D dept has some really
slick sparkys designing the electronics on the stuff we made. I,m sure one of those
guy's will know a fix.
Fly
sounds good Fly, a way to sheild the speedo or something to put around light to stop whatever its sending out would be excellent.
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas