Topic: Converting to electronic ignition

[Athame57]

I see I can convert my CB400F to electronic ignition, does it justify the £110 price tag?

[innovativems]

That's ultimately up to you.  If you don't want to mess with points then yes. 


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[AwesomeCB]

If you have a reason to switch to electronic ignition, then yes, go right ahead.

[Bankerdanny]

Most basic EI systems don't work any better than a properly functioning and set up original style ignition. However, it seems to be getting more difficult to get quality points and condensers now.

On the plus side EI is generally set it and forget it. No periodic maintenance.

On the negative, EI is subject to failure without warning and unlike points you can't carry spares with you. EI is also sensitive to battery voltage and if it is too low can make it very hard to start, even using the kick start. My 550 came with an older EI system probably installed in the 1970's. When riding through the desert on a trip last year mine started to overheat causing a misfire on cylinders 2-3. I ultimately switched back to points.

I ran a more expensive EI system on my '77 GL1000, and a basic one on my '02 Royal Enfield Bullet. In both cases it improved start up and idle.

[Bodi]

Nothing wrong with points, they just need periodic adjustment and lubrication. Nothing really wrong with EI either.  Some EI units almost double the ignition electrical load though, and your 400 doesn't have much excess alternator power as is.
I've worked on several 350 and 400 fours where adding a Dyna S or Martek (long out of production) EI caused poor battety charging. Definitely don't try to use the Dyna 3 Ohm coils.
The Hondaman ignition module uses the points as triggers: vastly reduced current makes the points hold ajustment well and they last almost forever, while only slightly increasing ignition system power load. A decent answer if you just hate setting points periodically.

[Jore]

I swapped the points on my 400 for a tytronic unit I think it was around 60 dollars shiped to mexico from china, I've liked it a lot so far.

[Bankerdanny]

Nothing wrong with points, they just need periodic adjustment and lubrication. Nothing really wrong with EI either.  Some EI units almost double the ignition electrical load though, and your 400 doesn't have much excess alternator power as is.
I've worked on several 350 and 400 fours where adding a Dyna S or Martek (long out of production) EI caused poor battety charging. Definitely don't try to use the Dyna 3 Ohm coils.
The Hondaman ignition module uses the points as triggers: vastly reduced current makes the points hold ajustment well and they last almost forever, while only slightly increasing ignition system power load. A decent answer if you just hate setting points periodically.

The ignition that started to fail on my trip last year was a Martek 440. I had to remove the points cover to get airflow direct over the unit to cool it. That allowed the ignition to work, but was obviously a temporary solution. Its why I switched back to points.

I picked up a NOS Gerex Multifire a few years back that I installed on my GL1000. That is set up similar to an MSD or Dyna III with the electronics in a sealed box secured on the frame rather than being completely housed in engine case. I think one of the reason the simpler units fail eventually is that they are subject to high temps under the points cover with no airflow to cools them.

[PeWe]

Interesting about Dyna rotor
https://www.motorcycleproject.com/text/GL1000_ignition_tech.html
.....
Dyna timing rotor onto the stock advancer assembly, it is all too easy to end up with an advancer assembly that does not fully advance. It is imperative that you check full advance when installing an aftermarket electronic ignition. The problem was (it may have been fixed by now for all I know) the Dyna rotor was thicker than the stock points rotor, so the advancer flyweights came to rest in a partially deployed position, meaning that some of the advance was already used up. Watch out for this, as I say, by checking the full advance.