E-Line Lighting Coil
E-LINE LIGHTING COIL
.CW EVALUATION
Lights, action, power!
CONVERTING A MODERN MOTOCROSSER into a trail-worthy enduro weapon typically involves one significant stumbling block: lights. More specifi cally, once you've got `em, how do you power `em? E-Line (54 Spectacle Pond Terrace, East Wareham, MA 02538; 508/2950812) makes bolt-on lighting coils for most late-model Japanese MXers. The $399 kit consists of a twin-lead igni tion cover/coil housing, 13-ounce mag netic flywheel weight and 100-watt voltage regulator, to which you can add your choice of lighting equipment. Installation on our 1996 Kawasaki KX250 was as simple as removing the stock sidecover, liberating the flywheel nut and adding the E-Line weight to the existing flywheel setup-all held se curely in place with a supplied hex head bolt. Aside from a locating pin that replaces one case bolt, the gold anodized billet-aluminum cover ac cepts stock fasteners. To clear the wider cover, though, we had to replace the shift lever with one from IMS (S30).
Mated to an Acerbis DHH twinbeam headlight ($79), the kit pro duced a crisp spray of light that worked well at lower speeds. For high-speed riding, we replaced one of the standard 35-watt bulbs with a 75-watt pencil-beam. This re quired a second regulator ($58) and wiring harness ($29) and a dedicated lead. We ran the stan dard flood and a 20-watt Acerbis tail light ($39) from the second lead. At idle, the bigger bulb was slightly dim, although cracking the throttle resulted in a piercing, full-strength beam. Since E-Line's setup is separate from the stock electrics, spark delivery is not affected.
What effect does the added flywheel weight have on the KX's engine? Tractability is greatly improved. The E-Line-equipped engine lugs from idle, and the motocross-mandated midrange snap is reduced enough that traction-robbing wheelspin is less of a concern out on the trail.
But is the result worth $634? Ab solutely. Potential riding time is ex tended, and the KX's trail manners are better, to boot. With anything less, you're in the dark.
