Author Topic: Electronic ignition  (Read 3338 times)

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Offline Mark M

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Electronic ignition
« on: July 12, 2005, 01:58:39 PM »
Has anyone else had problems setting up a Neutronics ignition.

I had the bike up and running, just trying to fine tune the timeing, and it kept cutting out on me.
Finally traced the problem to the battery loosing it's charge. Checking the voltage at the battery it would drop like a stone the moment I switched on the ignition. The wireing is non standard as this is a CR750 replica, so I worked my way round all the connections to try and find where the problem was. Finally worked out that if I dissconect the ignition unit earth lead then the voltage drop stops.

So the question is, could this be a problem with the ignition unit - it's new. Or can someone suggest another solution.

How about you Terry - should I be calling M+P and threatening to send the boys round, or is there a vegimite derived solution.
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

eldar

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2005, 02:01:53 PM »
I dont think the veggie or the mite could do this one. Is this a new battery? It could be possible there is a fault in the ignition. I guess the only thing to do to find out for sure is to throw the points back on and see what happens.
It could be just part of this ignition.

Offline Mark M

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2005, 02:32:42 PM »
Yes it is a new battery, but just to be sure i charged up a spare and tried that with the same results.
Unfortunatly I dont have a set of points to try. The new ignition was to repalce a crash damaged lucas setup.

The voltage drop is realy quite dramatic, drpping down to 5volts in a matter of minutes, then as soon as I switch off, or disnnect the ground wire it starts to climb just as fast. 
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

Offline Mark M

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2005, 02:49:28 PM »
I should have said - the 'short' also stops if I disconnect the feed/hot side if the ignition unit. 
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

the_genrl

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2005, 04:31:57 PM »
have you noticed any wires (or the unit itself) getting hot?

Offline Mark M

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2005, 01:57:03 AM »
Can't find anything generating heat.

Thinking about it overnight I had a eureka moment, so this morning checked my battery earth resistance.
Then I tried checking the positive battery side to the ignintion unit power feed and still no resistance.

I guess I need to work my way round the ignintion cuircuit and check for where my volts are going.

Appart from the battery there are only 3 things in the ignition - the pickup the ignition control unit and the coils, so could any of these cause this?
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

Offline oldbiker

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2005, 02:26:05 AM »
It would be a good idea to connect an ammeter in series with the ignition unit feed and check just how much current is being drawn by the ignition. It should not be more than 2 or 3 amps.

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2005, 04:31:39 AM »
G'Day Mark, well while my last remaining microns of logic suggest that the old Mr Baker is offering the most sensible ignition test, I believe that you have succumbed to "Pommy Ignition Systems Shutdown", or PISS for short. Now I realise that being a brit it's convenient for you to use your home-grown product, but lets face it mate, the Brits (apart from being abysmal sportsmen) were totally incompetent when it came to the black art of auto electrics, as any ex-british bike or car owner will attest.

To further compound the problem, you've added your best efforts with your home made wiring loom, so you don't even have a reliable starting point? My suggestion, for what it's worth, is to take that english paper weight back to M&P and swap it for a Dyna S, then find a Jap to build you a new harness mate, they might have a few disgusting habits like eating raw fish and killing whales for "scientific purposes" that always seem to end up in restaurants, but they're bloody good with wiring, it must have something to do with their little yellow hands, and the fact that they concentrate much better than we do, because they haven't got any friends to distract them with offers of trips to the pub etc.

If you need any more usefull technical advice, you better ask old Mr Baker before he falls off the perch, he's probably got more experience of diabolical electrics in his 60+ years of riding bikes in Britain than anyone, he's a legend! Cheers, Terry. ;D   
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Offline oldbiker

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2005, 06:20:49 AM »
Hi again Terry, thanks for your kind words. You know, when I reach middle age I might come and live in Aussie land where the weather lets you ride round all the time but then again I have just seen an episode of neighbours and I'm not certain that being surrounded by such un-funny characters wouldn't push me into the nearest loony bin. G'day mate and buy me a beer when we stuff you in the test. Pardon me while I go and fall off my bike,  John.

Offline Mark M

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2005, 06:37:40 AM »
John,
Try and reserve your falling off for the wet days, you will find the road a much more forgiving surface when well lubricated.
And no, I'm not advocating the practice of riding under the influence.
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

Salem350F

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2005, 08:05:20 AM »
I just installed ( 2 weeks ago) a Newtronics ignition in my CB-350F.  Plugged right in ans set right up.  No problems what so ever.  Bike runns like a top.  Sorry no ideas about your problem.

Offline Mark M

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2005, 01:19:03 PM »
Well guys I think I've pinned it down to the little black box of tricks from newtronics. After checking everything else, including swapping the coils I found a cople of earths that needed improving but nothing bad enough to cause my trouble, the speed of the voltage drop did seem much better this evening though. I decided to void my warranty by taking the back off the ignitor unit, it was getting very hot in there. I guess as it heats up things would get worse and the drop would speed up. Replacement now on order, I realy should get into the habbit of keeping reciepts.
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

eldar

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2005, 03:16:10 PM »
where did you find your newtronics ignition?

Salem350F

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2005, 09:08:59 PM »
I got mine through, motorcycle-ignition.com very quick service, took about 8 days to get to NY State via Royal Mail.  Item came from the UK but the order was placed in Australia,  Shayne was very prompt and I got numerous emails from him detailing the order status.  Shayn M/C Ign" <shayn@motorcycle-ignition.com>.  Just got the Visa bill today was @ 158.00 with priority shipping.

The kit went in easily and it works very well.  instant starts, will throw a sparrk across a two inch gap, only troulbe I had was figuring the best place to mount the black box.  I can send pictures of the installation if anyone would like them.  I went electronic because the stock points just didn't seem to hold a setting more than a week(100 miles) 

Offline Mark M

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2005, 01:07:05 AM »
M+P sell them, or MPS (www.thefastone.co.uk), or they are often on ebay uk. £85 aprox is the going rate
In the UK anything over 40 years old only needs insurance and Fuel.

eldar

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Re: Electronic ignition
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2005, 11:55:53 AM »
Hey thanks, Something to look at.  I was thinking about electronic but I was also thinking about going with resistor-less plug caps to increase spark. Not like I have anything to worry about with radio interferrance.