List Price: $19.99
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The generator was much better than expected. I had a more powerful unit that could not withstand the elements (rain, mud, etc.) but this unit, although less powerful, is rugged.
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I bought one of these and set it up on my bicycle back when they carried the BELL brand name, but it's the same unit now that it's sold under the X Factor brand name.This light is easy to install and set up. Clamp the front bracket to your front forks and adjust so that the bottle dynamo driveshaft is in line with a radius line drawn from the axle. Attach the rear light similarly. Be sure that the ground screw goes into the frame enough that you have a nice circuit or else it won't work. I think a lot of people don't know what the ground screw is for.
String the wire between the generator and the headlamp and the generator and the rear lamp and off you go.
I ride my bicycle for exercise very early in the morning and this system throws plenty of bright white light with the halogen bulb. People can see you better than with reflectors and you can see them. You can also see objects in the road, potholes, cracks, puddles, etc. I really do think it's very, very bright. The rear light gives off a nice bright red glow as bright as the tail light on a car or motorcycle, though it is a lot smaller.
It does turn off when you are not in motion because it is driven by friction from the wheel turning. I have an auxiliary battery-powered rear light for that, but also reflectors keep you visible.
For $20, you really can't go wrong. They do create a bit of noticeable drag depending upon how heavy your bike is, but it's not bad. Since I ride my bike for exercise, the extra drag is good.
Bulbs last a long time if it's wired up well and maintained well (make sure those contacts are clean and bright!). I bought and installed my first one of these back in 2003 and have ridden my bike an hour and a half a day three to four times a week in that time and I haven't had to replace a bulb yet. You can get bulbs on line pretty easily or at reflectalight on the web.
Installing this kit will double the value of your old 1970s era Columbia!
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Thought I was getting a good deal with the price. Good price, but the product is lacking in quality. Used it a couple times, then once I got above 20 mph riding the generator wouldn't produce a charge. Overheated very easily. If you gently ride and know how to install it's worth the money, but if you're like me and do a lot of fast riding then it's not worth it. Would have scored higher with a better review if the product was better made.Honest reviews on X Factor 3-Inch Bicycle Generator Light Set
One issue I had is No Instruction!!! it is very difficult to install this thing.-This generator is designed to be mounted at the front so the headlight has a shorter wire than the taillight.
In my case, my front fork is too fat so I had to mount it at the back. Then I found out the only way I could
do that is to mount it on the left side (the side without the chain ). It is the only place that you can mount
the dynamo so that when you press the lever it should swing toward the tire to engage the dynamo.
-I also realize that by mounting it at the back, my headlight wire will not reach the dynamo bottle. Also
I would have extra wire length for the tail light; so I had to improvise. Note that each light and the dynamo
has only one positive terminal. The negative terminal is the bike frame so make sure you have good electrical
contact with the bike.
--I figured out how to mount the dynamo but the lights, I had to strap it to the bike using plastic zip ties.
I just don't know how to do it otherwise. I ended up with some screws and bracketts that I had no clue what
to do with them. You may find yourself making a trip to the hardware store to make this work.
-While I tested it worked well enough. The lights are not supper bright but good enough. One thing I like
is the friction wheel (drive wheel) is very quiet. I could hardly hear it or feel it. Note the lights are Not LED.
I opened up and check.
-The drive wheel is plastic but it is hard enough that I don't think it will wear out easily.
-I also tested the voltage with a meter. It can go as high as 9V AC no load, and the current is 0.5 Amps so there
is some extra margin. After you connect the light, the voltage will drop.
Here are some numbers:
The friction wheel diameter is 19 mm which mean if you bike at 15 km / hour or 10 mile / hour, it will turn
at 4200 RPM
The dynamo bottle has two diameters: 4cm and 1.4cm
The total heigh is 8cm and the heigh of the lower part is 3.2cm
fairly small dynamo bottle.
Overall it works fine, if you want a cheap generator. Personaly I would go for the 12V 6W dynamo.
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I own an older light set and dynamo (Made in "West Germany") that I pulled off of an old race bike. I got a new bike so I figured let me purchase a new dynamo to compliment it.My first complaint with this product is that after a certain speed it cuts out. I haven't experienced this with any other generator, but it's extremely inconvenient when you pick up speed as things are getting dark and the light cuts out. To remedy this in I substituted the old dynamo back.
After my second ride, my lights began to flicker after hitting some bumps in the trails (bad connections). Tightened everything up but the plastic bulb holder inside the tail light cracked on me rendering the light useless. So, I substituted the old red light in the back.
As of now I am three days into using the product and 2/3 of the product is already out of commission/not being used. The front light seems to be holding up, but the only problem is when I adjust it it temporarily loses connection and I'll have to tap it to get it running again (happens with bumps too, so I'll have to open him up and see if everything is tight inside).
Overall, I trust the deals in Amazon, they always treated me well. This product though is a perversion of the older dynamo's that used to be sold. At least it shipped to my house quickly :-/.
