Topic: Ignition identity?

[medic09]

A friend found this in a '84 Kawasaki KZ550 that he's rebuilding.  Their doesn't appear to be an advance mechanism.  Can anyone identify this ignition system and tell us about it?  Thanks!

[Jay B]

My son has a '82 KZ750 and that ignition doesn't look anything like his. The bolt and hex washer looks the same though, are you sure there isn't an advancer under that trigger plate?

[medic09]

I only had a chance to peek behind the trigger plate.  I couldn't make out an advancer; at least not that I could recognize.  All I could make out was the shaft behind the trigger plate.  By now Dave may have the thing out and figured it out, but I haven't heard any more about it.

No one going to be able to tell us about this ignition?

[750goes]

I think it's electronic -180 degrees between firings - equivalent to a Dyna ignition - set once and forget??

I'll show my ignorance and suggest that you set the ignition to "F"  on 1 & 4 on TDC, then when the bike is running you could check/adjust it using a strobe timing light to check it falls between the two timing marks for any advance or retard.

[medic09]

I was guessing in that general direction, though I didn't know what to do with the marks on the plate.  Your theory sounds plausible.

Anyone else have any insight into this?

Thanks!

[medic09]

So, friend Dave found the fiche for this.  This is the email he sent:

Hi Guy, Well I looked up the parts fitch on the bike, and that ing. system is box stock 1984 KZ550. It must have been one of the last ones made, they switched to that system from the mech. advance to electronic. The parts book shows that system sans advancer. So we move on to another fix. Thanks for your input, Dave

Guess that answers our question.  It wasn't even aftermarket.