BRIGHT headlight powered by engine needed

GoldenMotor.com

NoMorePedaling:)

New Member
Nov 10, 2010
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Springfield, IL
drn2drn2hi every body i have a 49cc chinese 2-stroke just got it-- running great except for a whining noise, and more speed would be great; but very pleased overall. my question is: what BRIGHT light that hooks up to the auxillary white wire from the engine would you recommend? any ideas from you guys would be great.
 
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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Bright is a relevant term when it comes to headlights. Keep in mnd that you're restricted by wattage. The Chinese 2 stroke ignition system is magneto driven and the notorious white wire is only capable of providing you with something in the neighborhood of 2.5 to 3 watts, max. 3 watts isn't going to give you motorcycle type lighting if that's what you're after.
The rechargable battery idea is the better choice. Many of us run 6 or 12 volt lights from a rechargable SLA (sealed lead acid) battery available at some department stores, lawn and garden tractor supply outlets and industrial battery suppliers. Some members have experimented with using the engine's white wire to recharge the battery with mixed results. A small battery maintainer style of charger will keep your battery in good shape and fully charged when you're ready to do some night riding. I use a 7.5 amp hour battery that will give me a solid 90 minutes of good light from a 55 watt sealed beam headlight. And that's getting in the motorcycle range as far as brightness. Good luck and keep reading. There is some good information here as to what others have done for lights. My input is just one opinion.
Tom
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Yes, bright is a relative term. I think it is easy enough to make yourself visible to others using the white wire, but making the road highly visible to yourself for night riding using the white wire is less likely to happen. Also, where you ride also makes a difference. I live and ride out in the country, so a white light up front and red one in back is highly visible when it is just you on the road and the oncoming car. If you need to compete with lots of other lights you need more wattage. You can maximize what is available from the engine using LRD light instead of incandescent bulbs. When I tried using a little single bulb light up front and one in back it would kill the engine. But I can put LED lights inside an old headlight and taillight and the engine starts and runs fine. I found a deal a couple years ago on 6 volt Christmas tree lights in a strand of eighteen of them. I ran all 18 up front and 18 in back off that little white wire. Now I make running lights for my bikes which have nine bigger LED lights inside on the front fender behind the seat and also have a brake light with nine inside and have had no trouble. This was on an engine like yours. I'm about to experiment with the same on the HS and HF 4 stroke motors to see if I can do the same. My plan then it to have a more powerful headlight powered with a battery to turn on and off if I need it. The others will be on if the engine is on. LED lights is the way to go if you're using the white wire.
SB
 

Mr.Gadget

New Member
Nov 9, 2010
96
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South Carolina
$14.99 up at wally world gets you a good bicycle set that I use on both my bikes. It may not fit the "Look" your after for some builds. But if you want a good cheap head light and tail light, these are an awsome deal and provide enought light for me to ride at night.
I have not seen a good enough light running off the white wire yet. I do however have some ideas in the works. I am Mr.Gadget, and if I want it, I make it.

Good luck.
 

yodar

New Member
Jul 26, 2010
147
1
0
Orlando Fl
$14.99 up at wally world gets you a good bicycle set that I use on both my bikes. It may not fit the "Look" your after for some builds. But if you want a good cheap head light and tail light, these are an awsome deal and provide enought light for me to ride at night.
I have not seen a good enough light running off the white wire yet. I do however have some ideas in the works. I am Mr.Gadget, and if I want it, I make it.

Good luck.
[jpg]http://www.geekalerts.com/u/led-bike-light.jpg[jpg]

http://www.geekalerts.com/u/led-bike-light.jpg

This thing has 20 LED's, only takes ~50 ma at 4.5 volts and will run off the white war

I put rechargeable AAA NiMh batteries inside the light and the white war keeps the charge from diminishing

YODAR
 
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