Looking to buy a dirt bike with headlight? Whether you need a street legal dirt bike or just want to be able to ride at night, you're in the right place!
In this article I'll show you what kind of off-road motorcycles have headlights, which one is right for you, and some tips for buying your first bike to help prevent common mistakes beginners make.
Do dirt bikes have headlights?
Some dirt bike models come with a headlight from the factory, but most do not. There are specific types of dirt bikes that come with lights, but most are built for off-road competition or trail use only.
What are dirt bikes with headlights called?
There are two different types of dirt bikes with headlights. Dual sport bikes and enduro bikes can come with a headlight, but not all Enduro bikes have them.
Dual sport vs enduro dirt bike
The biggest difference is that a dual sport bike is generally a lower-performance motorcycle that's made for longer and more comfortable rides, while an Enduro bike is a high-performance trail dirt bike.
A dual sport bike is simply the name used for a street-legal dirt bike. It comes with road-legal tires, lights, a horn, and all the accessories and registration needed to legally ride on the road.
How do you put a headlight on a dirt bike?
First, you need to figure out if your dirt bike can even handle a headlight. Most dirt bikes that come without a headlight don’t have a lot of extra power to add accessories.
For example, the stock stator on a typical dirt bike might only put out 35 watts of electric power. Part of that is used to power the CDI ignition box and spark plug. The rest is only enough to power a low output bulb or a medium performance LED bulb.
To get more power, you’re going to need to get the stator rewound to increase the wattage. You can buy an aftermarket high output stator for some models, which would be enough to power most lights.
The next step is getting it wired, and this can be a challenge if you’re not familiar with electric wiring. This is especially true if your dirt bike doesn’t have any pre-built wiring for lighting.
Some enduro models come with a pre-made wiring loom or harness that you can buy a simple kit to plug in. You will have to do some research for your specific model and model year to know exactly what it needs. Your OEM service manual may have some helpful information as well.
No-loss vs Total-loss lighting system for your dirt bike?
The two most common types of lighting systems for a dirt bike are a total loss system and a No loss system. The difference is that a total loss system has to be remotely charged and a no-loss system is automatically charged by your dirt bike’s power system when the engine is running.
If you have a dual sport dirt bike with lights and a battery, then it’s a no-loss or light-loss system. Even though the lights are using power from the battery, the battery is continually being charged by the stator with the engine on.
A total-loss system is commonly used on a dirt bike that has no battery or a weak stator. You have to put together a battery and wiring system that feeds off of this battery.
The battery doesn’t get charged by your dirt bike, so you have to manually charge it with a battery charger or trickle charger.
How much does it cost to put a headlight on a dirt bike?
It all depends on what parts you need to install the headlight and who’s doing it. If your dirt bike already has the wiring and electrical system to be able to power lights, then you may just need a $50-150 dollar headlight assembly.
On the other hand, it will cost a little to a lot more if you need to start from scratch. You could spend $500+ on a lighting kit, and that doesn't even include an upgraded stator or a battery to power it. It would, however, be street legal if you could get it legally registered
Best dirt bikes with a headlight for beginners
Just need a good dirt bike to ride in case you get stuck riding after dark? Unfortunately, there aren't many lightweight trail bikes that come with lights.
You'll have to pick a small dual sport bike because they are the best starter bikes due to weight and size.
The best dirt bikes with a headlight for beginners are:
- Yamaha TW200
- Suzuki DR200S
- Kawasaki KLX230
- Yamaha XT250
- Honda CRF300L
All of these are street legal dirt bikes and easy to ride with low seat heights. They're great if you want to ride on the road and on some easier trails or gravel roads.
Enduro & trail dirt bikes with headlights
Need a more hardcore trail motorcycle with a headlight? You're going to spend more to get more performance.
Trail bikes with a headlight are typically a mid to high performance dirt bike. This means that they're not good if you're a first time rider, but they are more comfortable for casual trail riding than the high performance enduro or hard enduro bikes.
These are the most popular trail dirt bikes with a headlight:
- Yamaha WR250F
- KTM 250XCW
- KTM 350 EXC-F
- Yamaha WR450F
- Husqvarna TE 300
- Honda CRF450RL
Best cheap used dirt bikes with a headlight:
How to buy your first dirt bike
Now that you have a good idea what dirt bike to get, I want to help you buy your first dirt bike so that you find a good and reliable bike. Click here to download your free guide.