Trail Tech MR11's

[BrokenR1]

Was researching lights and came across these before I found this sight, http://trailtech.net/helmet_light_kits.html. I want to get a DOT approved headlight http://www.acerbis.com/p107_headlight/3002.html and put them in it. This is part of making a Dirt Bike street legal when I need it to be. I want to make it run off of batteries much like a Bicycle normally would be. For two lights and about a 7600 mAh batt plus charger it would cost $375. I'll be using a 3 GENIII led setup for the tail and brake light http://www.sirennet.com/whrs-03zcr-mc.html.

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with these? Did a search but didn't find any good info, just some on their 30w lights. I may do up some led's for a low power running light setup during the day and just use these at night.

 

[bbaker22]

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with these?

Since no one has piped up, I'll give a little tangential info:

I have had a Trail Tech MR11 HID setup in use as a single headlamp for mountain bike use for a few years. It has worked flawlessly for me. So much better than previous halogen setups (much higher output and longer runtime). No reliability probs for me, although I have heard others have had probs. I drive my light off of a Li ion battery pack from batterspace.com.

baker

 

[bfly]

FWIW, have you thought about running a normal motorcycle battery. I know, on my KTM, you can easily retrofit a battery box and run a cheap motorcycle battery. Then all you would have to buy is the Trail Tech MR11 and forgo the expensive NIHM battery. Just recharge the motorcycle battery with a battery-tender.

That is what I was thinking about to make my bike 'street legal'.

 

[mudmojo]

You're going to have a few issues running a motorcycle battery on a bicycle. I've thought about it myself and this is just a quick brain dump

1) weight shift - have to mount that battery solidly - ever have a 10lb battery with sharp edges SMASH the inside your knees when you are bombing down a hill with no time to collapse?

2) absolute weight
- going to slow you down (premature rider fatigue)
- accelerate drivetrain wear (break chains; rounds cassettes/chainrings; tires don't last as long)
- on the plus side, it may be a better "training" bike although pro trainers still debate the heavy bike topic and how it's not exactly like a medicine ball

3) weight distribution - high mounted battery will make bike feel tippy. Basically if it's not mounted centrally and as low as possible, the handling dynamics will change drastically

4) safety - are motorcycle batteries sealed lead acid? if not, then corrosive acid could spill out all over you

 

[BrokenR1]

Well I ordered them and they should be here in a couple days. Thank you baker for starting some feedback. :thumbsup: I bought through a local motorcycle dealership that is ordering them. Trailtech recently started offering Li-ion batt packs so that's what I got. I've heard good things but also many horror stories about batterspace.com

bfly, I think a normal battery would be heavier and bigger, plus I don't have anywhere to mount it. I plan on making something in the airbox to hold this, or something on the handlebars. Plus I can always take it off and use it on my Mountain Bike when I want to, or actually use them on either helmet. My bike is a YZ250, I decided to go this way versus an aftermarket stator because of the flexibility on using it with other bikes plus I can keep it when I sell this bike.

You're going to have a few issues running a motorcycle battery on a bicycle. I've thought about it myself and this is just a quick brain dump

No worries, it's going on a Dirt Bike. Also Motorcycle batteries do come in Gell Batteries. That's what I was running in my R1, also just put a Gell battery in my truck.

 

[bfly]

bfly, I think a normal battery would be heavier and bigger, plus I don't have anywhere to mount it. I plan on making something in the airbox to hold this, or something on the handlebars. Plus I can always take it off and use it on my Mountain Bike when I want to, or actually use them on either helmet.

No worries. Sometimes I forget that not everyone rides a KTM. Since they share the same plasic, all KTMs have mounting holes for a battery box in the airbox.