Topic: 4 cyl. magnetos??

[kayaker43]

I've seen articles on how to convert the old CB350/450's to magnetos, has anyone seen or done this to a 550/750? Has anyone ever sold a kit for this?

I would love to lose the battery and starter especially if I could also lose some rotating mass off the crank. I ran total loss ignition on my race bike and cut off the unused crank end. That's the easiest 15-20 lbs of dead weight you will ever trim (starter, Battery, dyno. regulator, wiring)

I want to build a vintage 550 "superbike" replica and wouldn't even mind running a small Lipo battery for an LED brakelight and fakey headlight. A magneto would clean up the looks as well by eliminating the battery.

Alternatively I could find a small rotor and charging system from something else that could keep a very small battery charged and stay with batt/coil ignition? Any more ideas, the goal is less parts and lighter weight.

[754]

If you run track and are willing to use points, you can run total loss ignition , if you use a small battery.

 It will run for hours  if not using any lights..

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah mate, there are plenty of threads on this site regarding magneto's, try searching for "ARD", "RC", etc. You can't buy them new any more, and used ones on EBay go for big bucks (I've sold 3 ARD's for well over 500 bucks each) and at 10+ pounds they aren't very light, but if all you want to do is run a total loss system anyway, just use an electronic ignition (Dyna S for instance) with a small 12V "Gel Cell" battery, and maybe a little solar charger for when it's parked? Cheers, Terry.

[merc2dogs]

 If you are, or know someone who is good with machine tools, most V4 johnson outboards have an impressive little magneto. All that's needed is a 2:1 drive system and a way to mount it to the bike.
  Reasonably cheap, they're almost giving those old V4 boat motors away.
 
 Learned from experience that it will knock you on your tail just by twisting the drive end if your fingers are too close to a tower.

ken.

[754]

GET A PIC OF ONE, i COULD BUILD SOME DRIVES..


DONT KNOW HOW BIG A 500 POINT PLATE OR COVER IS COMPARED TO A 750 ..BUT 750 MAGS ARE OUT THERE.

[Terry in Australia]

Hit the "Caps Lock" key mate, it looks like you're yelling! I'm off to the boat shop to buy an old Johnson Maggy!

[merc2dogs]

 I can get a pic of one up in the morning.

 It's been a 'sort of' project for me, When I finish a project and start looking for something else to do I end up looking at it, then I run into something else to do and put it away again.
 
main hang up has been whether I want to go with the ARD style mount behind the cylenders, or make up a mount like the old harley magnetos where they mounted above the timing cover.

Ken.

[754]

Lets weld up a cam cover and go of the end of the cam..

 have not seen that for a while..

[Terry in Australia]

 I can get a pic of one up in the morning.

 It's been a 'sort of' project for me, When I finish a project and start looking for something else to do I end up looking at it, then I run into something else to do and put it away again.
 
main hang up has been whether I want to go with the ARD style mount behind the cylenders, or make up a mount like the old harley magnetos where they mounted above the timing cover.

Ken.

Thanks mate, I'd like to see a pic so I can see what I'm looking at. I'm driving past a huge boat shop tomorrow, so I might drop in and see what they've got! Cheers, Terry.

[Sam Green Racing]

Does anyone know why they stopped making these magneto conversion kits ?     

Sam.

[Terry in Australia]

Does anyone know why they stopped making these magneto conversion kits ?     

Sam.

They were very expensive Sammy, pretty agricultural in design, and the race boys dumped them for "total loss" electronic ignitions to further reduce weight. Cheers, Terry.

[Sam Green Racing]

Precisely 

Sam.

[Ichiban 4]

Know there's been some gripes about this source..but Wayne & Sons of Minnesota..offer magnetos for SOHC 4's.  Also Low Riders by Summers (can Google @ that web address) have done builds with Joe Hunt mags I believe.

Bottom line..if you're willing to pay the bucks ($400 to $800.00) you can convert to magneto.

But my thinking is: why bother..when the systems like Dyna S..III..etc. are probably better?

Ichi

[754]

A dyna sticker wont strike fear into the hearts of the competition like a magneto will..

Better yet, a magneto, Webers, Gnarly Highpipe off a turbo & a huge megaphone.. and slammed so low to the ground you .. can easily push the bike around one handed.. those mods will convince them its stock..    

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, that's one of the disappointing things about modern technology, it doesn't LOOK tough, it just works really well.......... 

[Sam Green Racing]

A mate of mine, a top tuner had a couple of sayings...bull#$%* will allways baffle brains and, when the flag drops the bull#$%* stops.

This bull#$%* is expensive and isn't fooling anyone. Ask Jay at APE why they sell electronic ignition systems instead of magnetos.

Sam.

[merc2dogs]

 At present there are plenty of better alternatives, but magnetos are cool and if you want to go without a battery they are in my opinion, the best way to do it.

Ken.

[hahnda]

I know very little about this subject but there is this info?

[754]

If there is a way to run w/o battery & no magneto..someone please tell us..

 some of us like the looks of themm... besides I could not buy a Dyna for what I got in my mag...

 Besides.. modern bikes and CB 750,s dont belong in the same sentence... some of us prefer metal over plastic...

[Sam Green Racing]

Yes, you can run a self generating system. It's a small generator that supplies just enough for a good spark.

We were going to have one fitted to the CR but decided to go with the battery.

For cold starts you would need a boost battery then disconnect.

I think if you look on the M3 website you might see them.

Sam.

[Jim F]

Who wants to be practical
Its the COOL factor that I like

I did by an ARD from Terry and yes its big bucks

But so cool


Jim

[mark]

If you are, or know someone who is good with machine tools, most V4 johnson outboards have an impressive little magneto. All that's needed is a 2:1 drive system and a way to mount it to the bike.
  Reasonably cheap, they're almost giving those old V4 boat motors away.
 
 Learned from experience that it will knock you on your tail just by twisting the drive end if your fingers are too close to a tower.

ken.

Yep, it's a nice little unit alright. There's a small issue there, however.... They quit using the darn thing in 1963... points can be got because they fit something else but the cap is unobtanium.


Happy trails.

[Sam Green Racing]

Who wants to be practical
Its the COOL factor that I like

I did by an ARD from Terry and yes its big bucks

But so cool


Jim

Pack some ice cubes down your pants Jimmy....that's cool 

and cheaper than a mag

Sam.

[merc2dogs]

Yep, it's a nice little unit alright. There's a small issue there, however.... They quit using the darn thing in 1963... points can be got because they fit something else but the cap is unobtanium.


Happy trails.

  So, you're saying I should take the extras I have out of the junk box and put them somewhere safe?
 
 Last two V4's I picked up because I talked a guy down $300 on an old beater truck, on the condition that I'd haul the motors to the junkyard.

Ken.

[Terry in Australia]

Do modern boat engines still run magneto's? I would like to build a reliable modern one for a CB750 just for fun, but not because I think they're better than modern alternatives, (in fact, a Dyna S is about as old as an ARD magneto anyway, but I digress) like Jim says, they are cool!

I want to be able to build one with auto advance too, those old ARD's and others were too agricultural for that luxury, so were fixed at full advance, making starting a painful nightmare, if you actually tried to kick start one. Can everybody say "Kickback", and "bruised foot"?