I posted this in the corner for my buddies but thought some of you regular folk would find it interesting. Yesterday I installed a stereo and HID headlight system onto my bicycle. The stereo is a pair of $20 desktop speakers bolted onto the frame w/ custom brackets, and I use a ring clip to attach my iPod to the handlebars. There's a locking safety latch for the belt clip so the iPod is like having a removable faceplate on my headunit



For the HID, I use a can of natty ice for the reflector so I can shape the beam. The OEM s2000 car battery is a bit heavy, I'm hoping to pick up a lightweight battery today and then install a headlight switch on the handlebars.



here are more pics:
click for gallery

 

But how are you going to charge the battery? Or does your pedaling somehow do that?

Jean

 

my first thought is to just trickle charge overnight, but an alternator might be good. the 12V is just for the HID, the speakers run off their own set of 4AAs and the ipod is powered by its internal battery.

 

Where does the sub go?

 

gonna put a pair of 8" subs on the luggage rack once I get an amp

 

Josh your so PIMP

 

maybe u could get one of those motors that light batterys. It was kind of a fade many years back where there is this motor that powers a light as you right your bike. As the wheels turn it rotates a little motor that powers the lights, so that could eithery power ur hid or recharge battery if that is possible

 

yes, that's more commonly referred to as an alternator A device that translates a torque (rotational force) into DC current.

 

I bet if you did a little modding on one of those beer hats, you could drop the speakers in there and get better staging and a bit more bass response.

 

Unfortunatly those bike alternators were 6 volt only. They wern't very popular because they added drag to rideing and didn't give out much power, only about a half Amp. (3 Watts). They are still around as a lot of riders in other countrys use bikes as there main transportation. To charge a battery you would have to rectify the output to DC and as the voltage wound be less then 12 volts arange to recharge the batt several cells at a time. The British did make a setuo that would recharge a small battery but it was never imported over here in any large numbers.
Andy