Boyer or Tri-spark

I am new to this board and to Norton generally. I hope this is not a religious issue, but should I put boyer or tri-spark electronic ignition in my new '74 850?

Cheers

Recent reviews suggest that the fav is Trispark folled by Pazon and then Boyer.

The Tri-Spark Classic Twin system would be my recommendation.

There are two Pazon systems, the Sure-Fire and more expensive digital Smart-Fire, and three options of Boyer Bransden ignition, new Micro MkIV, Micro Digital, and Micro Power.

There are probably a lot of old stock Micro MkIII systems still about, so try to get the MkIV version if you do decide to buy a Boyer.

I'll throw in a +1 on the Tri Spark just for the fact that there is no black box to mount anywhere so there is less wiring clutter.

I have no experience with the Tri-Spark, but hear a lot of positives. I have 30+ years and lots of miles with the Boyer (and Lucas RITA). No complaints in kickstart applications. I have had one stator wiring failure 10+ years after it was installed. Tri-Spark hasn't been in business for 10 years so more time is needed to assess durability.
Boyer is nearly $100 cheaper than Tri-Spark, so that may enter into the equation. Either is a significant improvement over points and ATD in my opinion.

Colorado Norton Works will only install Tri-Spark, so that says a lot.
Also, the installation of the Tri Spark is truly simple - they've really thought of everything.

Apparently I was reading somewhere else that its only (relatively) recently that electronic components are available to withstand the heat and vibration of being installed where the points are. Which is why Tri Spark can do away with the black box.

Kev_England said:

Colorado Norton Works will only install Tri-Spark, so that says a lot.

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Yeah, it means it's dead flash !

Kev_England said:

Colorado Norton Works will only install Tri-Spark, so that says a lot.
Also, the installation of the Tri Spark is truly simple - they've really thought of everything.

Apparently I was reading somewhere else that its only (relatively) recently that electronic components are available to withstand the heat and vibration of being installed where the points are. Which is why Tri Spark can do away with the black box.

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CNW is the N. American distributor as well so that is why they obviously use Tri Spark exclusively. I'm sure the fact Tri Spark is a good product also has something to do with it.

Kev_England said:

Apparently I was reading somewhere else that its only (relatively) recently that electronic components are available to withstand the heat and vibration of being installed where the points are. Which is why Tri Spark can do away with the black box.

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I seem to remember Dyna S (Dynatek) ignitions made similar points housing contained units over 20 years ago, although the mechanical AAU was retained!

Also Martek, Boyer MkII, and a friends GS1000 imported from the US (as many US bikes were imported and sold as 'cheap wheels' in the UK when the pound was high against the dollar) which had a Pemtex(?) Pemetex(?) ignition which I've never been able to find anything about (it was blown, and I replaced it with a Dyna S).

The Tri spark is the single mod I've done to the bike whaich made me the happiest. I fired it up in flip flops (jandles to some of you) the last few times. When I was using the Boyer I got my boots on.

Cookie said:

The Tri spark is the single mod I've done to the bike whaich made me the happiest. I fired it up in flip flops (jandles to some of you) the last few times. When I was using the Boyer I got my boots on.

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I'm sold! Gonna' order that sucker.

Cookie said:

...(jandles to some of you)...

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:mrgreen:

Straying off topic for a mo - in my less than affluent student days i three pairs of footwear, two of which were jandals - known as my old pair and my dress pair.
Used to be worn all year round, incl walking to lectures across frosty fields in the winter. Young and stupid is like old and stupid but with better circulation.

Another TriSpark vote, but have also heard v good feedback on Pazon.

Sorry to spoil the party boys and grrrrrls but it seems to me that Tri-Spark has yet to be proven. Boyer is time-tested and there are complaints but also lots of satisfied customers. I have to admit that I like the simplicity and apparent quality of the Tri-Spark setup, but I worry about the longevity of any electronics (no matter how robust) glommed on to an old British twin that vibrates like there is no tomorrow...........what is that old saying "the proof is in the pudding"?

Matapassiones said:

I am new to this board and to Norton generally. I hope this is not a religious issue, but should I put boyer or tri-spark electronic ignition in my new '74 850?

Cheers

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I suspect that the Boyer Mark III' s are probably really cheap right now because Boyer has just introduced the Mark IV plus there is a lot of competition from Pazon, Tri-Spark, SPARX etc. There is nothing wrong with a Boyer Mark III on a kickstart Commando as long as your battery is up to snuff. Sure they draw some power but who cares? I have the Mark III running on several bikes and am completely happy with them.

I haven't tried a Pazon but they are right there in Kiwi aren't they? Go over and see them. It is true the old Boyers have been much better than the stock ignition for years, but they only get to make me limp once. As for how proven they are by the time most of us are dead I'm sure these will be accepted. In the old days many electronics were flaky but these days things are different.
I'm sure Boyer's new stuff is also responding to the competition, it would be interesting to see a shoot out between them but as long as the Tri Spark is working this well I'll stick with that. Most of you guys who enjoy your early Boyers have learned to live with the couple of usual problems and compensate for them, as long as you have something working and it satisfies you...that's all that matters.
I forget who recommended the Tri Spark to me, but thanks. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. Together with the other few mods a lame rodeo clown can start my bike, and the older I get the more I resemble a lame rodeo clown.

hello!
my 2 cents....
i had a boyer mkIII and problems when my small battery was low.
stop and go in the night in city traffic caused problems with full lights on and difficulty starting when battery was in a bad mood after a cold night.

within my full restoration of my bike i also wanted a new ignition system.
at my search for my real mckoy i compared boyer, trispark, pazon and elektronik sachse ignitions [at this time, app. 2 years ago they had only optical itgnitions for commandos.....heat and engines and oil and optical sensors...? in my opinion no good match, no option for me].

my favourite became the pazon smart fire for a few reasons:
there is a timing light on the stator plate as with tri-spark [boyer doesn`t have one]...makes static timing realy easy!
there is a wire coming from the ignition module for a electric tachometer [i run the old magnetic smiths....but who knows!?!]
there is a rev limiter button [maybe someone sometime needs it.....just a bonus feature for my decision]
the wires from the ignition module are long and they are directly connected with a screw in connector [luster teminal??? Lusterklemme in german...don`t know the right word in english, sorry!]....i prefer this connection at that delicate point much more than the crimb connectors at the tri-spark or boyer system.
in the smartfire kit included is a pvl double coil. a real good quality, small and strong coil.

i was in doubt with the trispark how the electrical internal components react with or resist the heat/oil/rattling of the engine.

finally i decided to buy the pazon smart fire - and i am happy with......

No! i don`t get money from pazon for advertising....not until now :lol:

but calculated with the pros and cons it is/was the best ignition system for me:
good quality components/good features/easy installing/easy timing/good starting/good running

chris

Read the info put out by "DYNO DAVE". seams he tests out all of the ignitions as to static time, advance curve & the like. he is well known in brit bike circles.

recklessridr said:

Read the info put out by "DYNO DAVE". seams he tests out all of the ignitions as to static time, advance curve & the like.

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Unfortunately much of his information is now beginning to get rather out of date.

As the information only deals with three older Boyer Bransden systems and Lucas RITA.

Although the Boyer Bransden Micro Digital and Micro Power systems are still in production, the more common Micro MkIII has been superseded by Micro MkIV, and the RITA ignition hasn't been available for a number of years, and there's no data on the more up-to-date systems now on the market, such as Tri-Spark Classic Twin, Sachs, Sparx, Pazon Sure-Fire and Smart-Fire systems.

Hi chaps - I have a fair degree of experience with Boyer and Tri-Spark. I fitted an early Boyer to my Commando many years ago - it was ho-hum but at the time there was nothing better. I bought a BSA Rocket 3 four years ago fitted with Boyer - starting was appalling ! - I fitted the latest (at that time) Micro Digital Boyer system (with the small black 'digital' coils) - results - even worse !!!. I then fitted the new Tri-Spark system (the first Tri-Sparks were designed for the BSA-Triumph Triples), the results were astonishing - starting is always first time even with a half-hearted kick and the general engine running characteristics were improved no-end. The Tri-Sparks unique feature was that it did not use 'wasted-spark' operation - it fires each plug as required. A year later I bought the Tri-Spark twin system - this retained the 'black-box' and I gather was just an adaption of the three-cylinder system - it's main difference to other types of electronic ignition was that it did not use the 'wasted-spark' setup but fired the plugs individually (as per points). This system worked very well. When Tri-Spark introduced the Classic-Twin system I purchased it and fitted it to my Commando. I was initially surprised that it reverted to a wasted spark setup but nevertheless it works brilliantly. Staring is very easy and the best feature is the 'anti-kickback' system - this really works!!. One post-fitting modification recommendation from Tri-Spark was to fit a thick-ish card gasket to the outer points cover to reduce heat (I gather this is just as a precaution rather than as the result of any in-service failures due to overheating) - I have had no problems over a two year period with the Classic-Twin system but I made up a gasket from a cornflakes box 'just in case'. Another 'plus' is the fact that the system will work with battery voltages way down to 8 volts (good for bikes with e-starts).

Cheers,

One feature of the TriSpark is something they call idle stabilization. I don't know how they do it, but I can attest that it works. My 850 has an intermittant misfire at idle that I believe is due to a sticky valve. With my Boyer the idle speed was all over the place and the engine sometimes stalled at lights. With the TriSpark, the idle stays steady even though I can still hear the missing cylinder. Their literature says this feature is not intended to compensate for engine problems, but in my own experience it certainly made a big difference.

That being said, I've had the Boyer for over 25 years with no major issues and it'd still be installed if my troubleshooting of the misfire didn't lead me down the replacement path. In all that time I had one problem when the battery went low (bad rectifier) and at 9.5 volts the Boyer was very unhappy. The bike ran poorly, but it got me home.