Atlas ignition key- did they even have one?

I’m working on a 1964 Atlas that has had its wiring complete hacked up. It has a coil/points ignition which I think is original but its wired directly to an unidentified aftermarket regulator/rectifier and powered directly from the alternator. There is no ignition key or kill switch, just a sad toggle taped beneath the fuel tank. The bike has no battery and the battery box has been filled with an oil filter addition. It does make sparks and apparently ran this way for some time.

The rest of the wiring has similarly been either abandoned or kludged- I’m planning to ditch it all and install a new harness, a Lucas #1160 appears to be what I need.

One question I haven’t been able to answer is if this bike ever had an ignition key and if so where the heck it was located. The harness diagrams seem to support a switch, but I can find no pictures of an Atlas with a visible switch anywhere.

The switch on my G15 is super inconvenient but it at least exists…..

What’s the deal here?

Thanks!

AFAIK the Atlas never had an ignition key. Not on mine, a 62 build, nor on my brothers, a 65 model.
Also, the Atlas had magneto ignition in1964.
k

I was under the impression battery/coil ignition was an option in ‘64, but it’s possible mine was changed later

Elfix said:

I was under the impression battery/coil ignition was an option in ‘64, but it’s possible mine was changed later

Click to expand...

I cannot say if such was an option or not, I do not remember any coil ign in 1964. But that was sooo long ago ..... the synapses may not be firing properly.

Slick

You might refer to the wiring diagrams here:


The last two are similar and can be used for the Atlas.

Slick

My 64 650SS has magneto ignition. I put an ignition switch on it that does nothing else than earth the magneto (white wire) same the kill switch.
Not very good security if someone knew what they were looking at, but...

The last year of the Atlas used the commando style distributor with points and coils which were mounted on the backside of the oil tank. The ignition switch was/is mounted on the right side (I think) below the seat and close to the oil tank. I got tired of fussing with the magneto on my 1965 Atlas so I removed the magneto, installed an early Commando distributor but used a Boyer instead of points. I fabricated brackets to mount the coils on the backside of the oil tank, wired it like the last year of the Atlas and mounted a normally closed switch on the bike so I can kill the ignition without grounding the ignition. The only other thing I'd recommend is upgrading the alternator so it's more reliable.

Thanks everyone!

The coils on mine are under the fuel tank- and are certainly not factory. The coils on my 68 G15 are mounted between the oil tank and battery box as described above, and I may relocate the set on the Atlas to match, once I figure out where to put the oil filter that presently resides in the battery box.

It looks to me that the most sensible place to add a key switch would be below the tool tray and behind the main frame loop….. but given the lack of a fork lock or other “security” fittings I may just not bother.

Seems you just missed out as '64 is listed as the year the Atlas got wider front forks with a steering lock...

And as a BTW, the '67 Atlas 'Cycle' magazine tested alongside the P11 was still using a magneto..

My '66 had a mag when I got it. The wiring harness was still factory. There is still a red kill button on the handlebar but there was no switch, key or otherwise. It does have a fork lock provision but no lock piston or tumbler. When the mag died for the second time I went to the "distributor" with a Boyer and installed a switch on the left side near the tool tray. So with the same hand I turn the key then shut off the gas. The mag wire is still in place should I ever decide to fix it.

My 66 magneto Atlas appears to have never had an ignition switch other than the kill button. The bike was relatively unmolested when I bought it in the 1980s so I think that is how it was made. Has the hole in the top fork yoke for a steering lock but if it ever had a lock barrel in there it vibrated out long ago, along with the guts of the speedo and tacho.