Light bar options

agn5008
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agn5008
Edited Date/Time 5/31/2021 4:59pm
I’m looking to put a light bar on a 2022 KTM 300 xc when I get it. I rarely ride at night however I have a 24 hour race I’m doing in July.

I’m not really looking to spend an absurd amount of money on it for this one race. I already have a Oxbow helmet light that works really well.

I know Task racing, cyclops and Baja designs all make plug and play kits but like I said, I’m not looking to spend crazy money for one night.

Also, I’m a complete moron when it comes to anything electrical so talk dumb to me Laughing
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CKNY
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CKNY 5/31/2021 6:44am
5/31/2021 6:44am
Just put a light with mask on it. Lots of cheap options with great power.
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 5/31/2021 6:56am
5/31/2021 6:56am
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
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LungButter
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LungButter 5/31/2021 6:57am
5/31/2021 6:57am
I’ve heard good things about the Acerbis Universal one that is like $125.
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agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 7:36am
5/31/2021 7:36am Edited Date/Time 5/31/2021 7:37am
LungButter wrote:
I’ve heard good things about the Acerbis Universal one that is like $125.
I have too I’ll have to see if they make it for the XC. It kinda sucks they don’t come with the same wiring harness as the XCW anymore.

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agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 7:38am
5/31/2021 7:38am
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled) and all I had was the stock Headlight on my ‘17 TE 300 and the Oxbow helmet light and I had no issues at all.
CKNY
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CKNY 5/31/2021 8:20am
5/31/2021 8:20am
So just use the helmet light. That’s what I do.
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APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 5/31/2021 10:05am
5/31/2021 10:05am
I've seen a couple of dual sport guys here who bought some LED driving lights from Walmart for something like $40, and used hose clamps (with a cut up water hose to prevent scratching) to mount on the upper fork tubes. Didn't look elegant but it sounds like they did the trick as they used them to run the who WABDR trail in 24 hours. One of the guys mentioned that he initially bought the cheapest light set but that it didn't adjust correctly on all 2 axes, the next step up did the trick.

Wish I had taken a picture of them, but like I said they weren't done for beauty!
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BigBoreFan58
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BigBoreFan58 5/31/2021 10:35am
5/31/2021 10:35am
Is it a high speed race or a low speed race? I'm no expert but what little night riding I've done was in moderate speed single track. Seems to me a helmet light is the best option.
agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 10:46am
5/31/2021 10:46am
BigBoreFan58 wrote:
Is it a high speed race or a low speed race? I'm no expert but what little night riding I've done was in moderate speed single...
Is it a high speed race or a low speed race? I'm no expert but what little night riding I've done was in moderate speed single track. Seems to me a helmet light is the best option.
It’s a typical northeast harescramble race. It is fairly open, but tends to get extremely rough by the time nighttime comes along.
agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 10:47am
5/31/2021 10:47am
APLMAN99 wrote:
I've seen a couple of dual sport guys here who bought some LED driving lights from Walmart for something like $40, and used hose clamps (with...
I've seen a couple of dual sport guys here who bought some LED driving lights from Walmart for something like $40, and used hose clamps (with a cut up water hose to prevent scratching) to mount on the upper fork tubes. Didn't look elegant but it sounds like they did the trick as they used them to run the who WABDR trail in 24 hours. One of the guys mentioned that he initially bought the cheapest light set but that it didn't adjust correctly on all 2 axes, the next step up did the trick.

Wish I had taken a picture of them, but like I said they weren't done for beauty!
That’s kinda what I’m aiming for. Something cheap that won’t fall off halfway through the race.
BogDogPenny
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BogDogPenny 5/31/2021 12:04pm
5/31/2021 12:04pm
We have run 5 24 hours of Glen Helen. You really want a light on your bike. Ideal is something that offer good peripheral coverage. This helps eliminate tunnel vision. Helmet lights fill in all the holes that the bike light is missing. Like your landings and corner exits. Helmet light also are a big help after a crash and you are looking for your motorcycle. Don't ask me how I know this
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hartebreak
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hartebreak 5/31/2021 12:52pm
5/31/2021 12:52pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2021 12:54pm
I've done 6 or 7 24 hour races and skimping on lights is a bad idea. Go with the best lights you can afford. A bike light and at least 1 helmet light. The expensive part for lots of people is the stator/battery/rectifier. Your 300 should have plenty of clean power to run whatever you want. The race I did (Starvation Ridge) had everything from 70MPH fast sections to rock gardens and briar patches. Its very easy to outrun your lights at speed. Anyone who has experience with these races can tell you the races are won and lost at night. Don't be "that guy" that shows up with a weak helmet light and a Maglight duct taped to the handlebars. Just my .02

I ran a Trail Tech 8" HID race light on the bike and a 2 HID lights on the helmet (1 spot and 1 flood). Seems like most everyone is running LED now days and I dont think Trail Tech is in the light game any longer. Baja Designs makes killer stuff too.

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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 5/31/2021 12:53pm
5/31/2021 12:53pm
BogDogPenny wrote:
We have run 5 24 hours of Glen Helen. You really want a light on your bike. Ideal is something that offer good peripheral coverage. This...
We have run 5 24 hours of Glen Helen. You really want a light on your bike. Ideal is something that offer good peripheral coverage. This helps eliminate tunnel vision. Helmet lights fill in all the holes that the bike light is missing. Like your landings and corner exits. Helmet light also are a big help after a crash and you are looking for your motorcycle. Don't ask me how I know this
Won Over 40 a few years back. We went into the night with really good lights...
LungButter
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LungButter 5/31/2021 2:15pm
5/31/2021 2:15pm
I've done 24 hours races in the "fast stuff" and the "slow stuff" in the trees. We used to have 2 in the North West, the fast one at Starvation Ridge and a slow one at Reiter Pit.

In my experience if you are mostly in the trees doing hare scramble style you'll be good with a solid helmet light and a decent light on the bike. I don't think you need the big Baja Designs/Trail Tech systems unless you are spending a lot of time going fast.

One thing to think about, if you get an easy to 'plug and play' system, you could always throw it on to do some night riding in the Summer when it's hot out...
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Bauer
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Bauer 5/31/2021 2:49pm
5/31/2021 2:49pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
agn5008 wrote:
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled)...
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled) and all I had was the stock Headlight on my ‘17 TE 300 and the Oxbow helmet light and I had no issues at all.
If you had "no issues at all" with your 2017 Husky headlight and Oxbow helmet rig, then you'll likely have "no issues" with your 2022 KTM headlight and Oxbow rig. Which leads me to wonder why you are asking for suggestions in here? Manny gave you the best possible option re bang for your buck, the Baja Designs Squadron, which is only $200. I'm not sure what you were hoping to spend, but clear vision at night isn't cheap and $200 will sound like pocket change if you face plant because you hit a rock or tree root that you didn't see. I'm just guessing here, but if you can afford a 2022 Katoom, you can probably spare a couple hun to see where you are going on it...
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 5/31/2021 3:00pm
5/31/2021 3:00pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
agn5008 wrote:
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled)...
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled) and all I had was the stock Headlight on my ‘17 TE 300 and the Oxbow helmet light and I had no issues at all.
Bauer wrote:
If you had "no issues at all" with your 2017 Husky headlight and Oxbow helmet rig, then you'll likely have "no issues" with your 2022 KTM...
If you had "no issues at all" with your 2017 Husky headlight and Oxbow helmet rig, then you'll likely have "no issues" with your 2022 KTM headlight and Oxbow rig. Which leads me to wonder why you are asking for suggestions in here? Manny gave you the best possible option re bang for your buck, the Baja Designs Squadron, which is only $200. I'm not sure what you were hoping to spend, but clear vision at night isn't cheap and $200 will sound like pocket change if you face plant because you hit a rock or tree root that you didn't see. I'm just guessing here, but if you can afford a 2022 Katoom, you can probably spare a couple hun to see where you are going on it...
I get that people scrutinize their moto-dollars; but, I'm probably more of an "error on the side of safety" kind of guy. I'm thinking you are, too.

In my case, I've had to start the Baja 1000 in the middle of the night...I understand ALL the things that can go wrong by not having a good amount of light out ahead of me...I've learned this the hard-way.

As for the Squadron: It can be used on other bikes. Case in point: My "new" Squadron S2 was assembled from and old squadron from my 2013 250X race bike stash and Xeno at JCR Speed turned it into his special "Ultra-Spot" S2. I went for a few night scoots with it. It is AMAZING!

Monk
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Monk 5/31/2021 3:15pm
5/31/2021 3:15pm
I went overkill...


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FWYT
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FWYT 5/31/2021 3:23pm
5/31/2021 3:23pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2021 3:24pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
Where are you seeing a Squadron Pro for $199?
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 5/31/2021 3:39pm
5/31/2021 3:39pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
FWYT wrote:
Where are you seeing a Squadron Pro for $199?
The basic A/C unit & use your stock shell. Last I looked was $199.
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kxfracer108
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kxfracer108 5/31/2021 4:09pm
5/31/2021 4:09pm
The task lights are really nice. I have the helmet and triple clamp/ handlebar mounted light. Their fork clamp setup is way nicer but more expensive. I think their helmet lights are enough for slower trails but much past 3rd gear you want the bar mount as well.
agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 4:14pm
5/31/2021 4:14pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
agn5008 wrote:
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled)...
I just can’t see myself spending that much on a light that’ll get used once. I did the race two years ago (last year was canceled) and all I had was the stock Headlight on my ‘17 TE 300 and the Oxbow helmet light and I had no issues at all.
Bauer wrote:
If you had "no issues at all" with your 2017 Husky headlight and Oxbow helmet rig, then you'll likely have "no issues" with your 2022 KTM...
If you had "no issues at all" with your 2017 Husky headlight and Oxbow helmet rig, then you'll likely have "no issues" with your 2022 KTM headlight and Oxbow rig. Which leads me to wonder why you are asking for suggestions in here? Manny gave you the best possible option re bang for your buck, the Baja Designs Squadron, which is only $200. I'm not sure what you were hoping to spend, but clear vision at night isn't cheap and $200 will sound like pocket change if you face plant because you hit a rock or tree root that you didn't see. I'm just guessing here, but if you can afford a 2022 Katoom, you can probably spare a couple hun to see where you are going on it...
The 300 XC doesn’t come with a headlight like my TE did. I can afford to spend a couple hundred on a headlight. The problem is I’m spending a lot of money on a skid plate, pipe guard, bark busters, radiator guards, new tires, tubeliss for the rear and bib for the front, shark fin and a radiator fan as soon as I get my new bike in. My wife is already not happy with me 😂

I am gonna check out the squadron if that’s what Manny recommends and it’s about $200. I guess $200 ain’t too terrible.
agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 4:14pm
5/31/2021 4:14pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well... It's $199 for your bike. Just ran a Squadron Pro S2...
Baja Designs Squadron. If I'm gonna need light -at night- and -during a race- ...well...

It's $199 for your bike.

Just ran a Squadron Pro S2 on The Rip to Cabo and it's worth every penny.
FWYT wrote:
Where are you seeing a Squadron Pro for $199?
TeamGreen wrote:
The basic A/C unit & use your stock shell. Last I looked was $199.
I don’t have a stock shell. I am getting the XC which has a regular front number plate.
agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 4:28pm
5/31/2021 4:28pm
LungButter wrote:
I’ve heard good things about the Acerbis Universal one that is like $125.
Thanks I just saw that one. It looks pretty solid but I haven’t found any reviews on it.
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agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 4:51pm
5/31/2021 4:51pm
Thanks LungButter. Sounds like either of those two options would be great. I think his price may be a little off on the Acerbis but that’s no biggie. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to go with the universal one if I go Acerbis because I can’t find one made specifically for the XC.
LIVEWIRE
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LIVEWIRE 5/31/2021 4:55pm
5/31/2021 4:55pm Edited Date/Time 5/31/2021 4:56pm
LungButter wrote:
Not me, but this guy definitely takes a no BS approach to product reviews/testing. He calls it like he sees it. View this post on Instagram ...
Not me, but this guy definitely takes a no BS approach to product reviews/testing. He calls it like he sees it.

Food for thought:

Color Temperature (Kelvins or "K")
The three primary types of color temperature for light bulbs (Lamps) are: Soft White (2700K – 3000K), Bright White/Cool White (3500K – 4100K), and Daylight (5000K – 6500K). The higher the Degrees Kelvin, the whiter the color temperature. Although whiter lights will appear "brighter" than those of a lower Kelvin reading, the number of lumens (measurement for brightness) will not change, since this is an effect of color temperature, not true brightness.

Lumens are a measure of the total amount of visible light (to the human eye) from a lamp or light source. The higher the lumen rating the “brighter” the light will appear.

Typical auto headlamps are 3700K and 3000 - 4000 Lumens

I do not race at night. I do lighting & power design build for commercial facilities such as Amazon distribution facilities, Living Spaces stores, etc.
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LungButter
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LungButter 5/31/2021 4:56pm
5/31/2021 4:56pm
That post was from last Summer, I think they have just went up in price like everything else ?? Laughing
agn5008
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agn5008 5/31/2021 4:59pm
5/31/2021 4:59pm
LungButter wrote:
That post was from last Summer, I think they have just went up in price like everything else ?? Laughing
Ah most likely. Damn covid. I will say this, when I did the 24 hour race two years ago I was very impressed with the Oxbow helmet light. I highly recommend it for anyone looking.

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