I just got my Sputnik. It has track bars that have a thick taper in the middle, which only leaves a small spot next to the tape for a head light attachment. I bought a knog skink when I got the bike, it's bright enough but it's too wide.. are there any smaller lights that are still pretty bright that I might be able to fit on there?

You can kinda see the bars in this pic for reference

My front and rear are Cateyes that mount using what is essentially a plastic hose clamp. I like the mounts and I have not had any problems with them.
I guess the light itself is not smaller, but the mounting portion is very narrow.
https://www.rei.com/product/745522

since you have a lot of steerer poking through, you can attach a light or bar extension mount to it.

minoura space grip.

Blackburn Flea should fit with some space to spare. It is surprisingly bright imo.

there's no rule that says you have to wrap up the bars that much.

True, but I like to ride with my hands in the middle section of the bars sometimes, so i'd like something that's out of the way.

The flea posted above looks pretty interesting. In L.A. there are street lights on most roads. I'd mainly just need a light to be seen, with occasional dark spots.

the solution is not 'buy a new light' it's to mount the light elsewhere.

since you're only using it to be seen i would do one of two things.

you can (seen this done and love it because it looks clean and prevents theft) take the bars off and put the loop of the skink through the stem, then put the bars back on and mount the skink around the stem/bar joint in front of the stem's bar cap. you can't take the light off without taking the bars off, but neither can passersby.

alternatively, you can just put it on the steerer tube/spacers. it looks like there's plenty of room for it, it will still be very visible to drivers and other road users, and it keeps the lamp away from your hands. a fork might hold it if you can't stretch it over the spacers but your other options all involve buying extra stuff or different lamps, which is not really a solution to your problem.

Ummmm....

Maybe this'll help..

If the light does push against the cable when mounted over the stem clamp then angle the lever down a little, but it probably wont be a problem. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you wont.

now that i see pictures i definitely say mount it over the stem clamp.

or get a knog boomer.

or put it on a fork blade.

Not the same bike, but you can run a Dinotte 200L, Stella 200N, or even a MagicShine with their elastic-band mounts on a rig like that... you just need to be able to tighten the bands enough. Most of the Knog-type lights have sort of a fixed diameter, large is okay, but smaller bars may make for too loose a fit.

In a pinch, I've run my Dinotte with just a large rubber band wrapped a time or two around the bars.

Thanks for the input.. i'll probably give the center mounting a try and move the cable down some. I can always take it off if it's not working out.

I put my light on the fork blade since I have the same issue as you. Works fine.

A real headlight is not gonna happen on a 31.8 taper like that.