Hunt Magneto arrived.

Torontonian · Jan 25, 2018

I know very little about these Hunt Mags but am wondering if anyone has fitted one to a Norton MK 111 E-START Model. Obviously the battery must be retained for starting. I think it looks great hangin' out in the wind. Aesthetics.

ashman · Jan 26, 2018

Torontonian said:
I know very little about these Hunt Mags but am wondering if anyone has fitted one to a Norton MK 111 E-START Model. Obviously the battery must be retained for starting. I think it looks great hangin' out in the wind. Aesthetics.

I can't see no reason at all why it wouldn't work with the E-START, I am sure as soon as you touch the button it would fire straight up no winding over a few times before it fired, the JHs have a instant spark.

Ashley

Stephen Hill · Jan 26, 2018

I don't understand how you obtain maximum power over the full rpm range of the engine without an advance unit. I can see how it would work on a race bike where you are at full throttle much of the time. And I can see how it would work in a street bike if your demands on the bike are minimal, ie putting around town.

But loaded up with gear, riding in the mountains, with twisties that demand lots of braking, full use of the gears and a loaded throttle throughout the rpm range? Your advance is going to be wrong at the upper rpm or the lower rpm.
What am I missing?

Stephen Hill

Triton Thrasher · Jan 26, 2018

I've run a road bike with fixed advance, in the past.

You set the timing to the figure recommended for full advance.

Apart from a few kickbacks and a lumpy idle, it didn't make much difference.

worntorn · Jan 26, 2018

Don't need no sissy pants advance/retard.
Bike starts up and runs backward, no problem just use the mirrors to see where you are going.

lcrken · Jan 26, 2018

I've ridden several Norton race bikes with fixed advance, and one street Commando with it (Hunt mag), and it's pretty much what Triton Thrasher said. More likely to kick back, particularly if also high compression, but otherwise not much of an issue. The stock centrifugal advance is all in at about 3000 rpm, and you don't run below that with a race bike, so no real gain there, except maybe starting. I never noticed any problems with the street bikes either, but that might be different if you were riding in different conditions than I was. The bike might tend to run a bit hotter if you had to putter around a lot at low rpm on a hot day, or chug up steep hills with a load, but not something I typically did. It's not like you really loose a lot of horsepower at the low end from having a bit too much advance.

Ken

Fast Eddie · Jan 26, 2018

I’ve never had a Hunt mag, although I definitely see the hot rod appeal! Even thought about one for the Trident Hunter... Maney style pipes poking out one side and a honking great mag out the other!

I’ve had mags with manual advance and retard before on Triumphs. And, being a bit of a retard myself, all I ever used it for was starting. Once the things started, I whacked it to full advance and left it there. On road and race bikes.

My hypothesis is that these engines really aren’t so fussy, especially at lower revs.

Regarding starting, didn’t Comnoz once explain that the spark power was lower at cranking speed and this kinda had a similar effect to retarding? Or did I dream that part??

worntorn · Jan 26, 2018

I haven't played with timing on the Commando, but I have done so on other bikes.
The standard Vincent likes about 4-6 degrees of advance to start and 34 or so to run above 2500 rpm. It has an ATD and mag.
Roll it ahead to 10 degrees at starting and it will try to break your ankle every time.
I can't imagine it ever starting on the kicker at full advance.
Same with my old 500 singles with manual advance /retard.
Forget to retard the timing for startup and they will launch you pretty well every time.

Perhaps parallel twins are more forgiving.

Glen

Triton Thrasher · Jan 26, 2018

worntorn said:
Perhaps parallel twins are more forgiving.

Glen

They are. I found retarding the spark to be very necessary on 500 cc singles.

arch · Jan 26, 2018

JS Motorsports no longer list this magneto on his website.

If I recall they were modified for an ignition advance. It is that correct?

jseng1 · Jan 28, 2018

The behind the cylinders type with advance is what I use personally and I find no fault with it. My modifications with the Atlas type mag was to mount an Allen screw on the end of the cam so you had an easy way turn the cam for static timing. I no longer list them because you can get them direct for the same price and make your own modifications.

Nater_Potater · Jan 29, 2018

Fast Eddie said:
And, being a bit of a retard myself, all I ever used it for was starting. Once the things started, I whacked it to full advance and left it there.

Same here, on both accounts. 'Rode an old Matchstick 500cc Single "short" stroker, and the retard was only used for starting. The owner said I could back the advance off a bit if I found myself beginning to lug the motor, but it was easier (and more profitable) to merely downshift.

Nathan

speedrattle · Jan 29, 2018

this is an ARD with a fairbanks morse, essentially the same magneto as a joe hunt or morris. timing is set here to 38 BTDC, stock (it's a triumph, and needs that advance because of the shitty combustion chambers). fixed advance, one kick, bike idles smoothly at about 1000 rpm, even with pretty radical cams. it's a shame that alan never made a casting for a norton. he was certainly capable of it.

Fnnm1 · Feb 26, 2018

I'm interested in one. Jim, how involved is the allen screw mod.
Paul

jseng1 · Feb 26, 2018

Fnnm1 said:
I'm interested in one. Jim, how involved is the allen screw mod.
Paul

Use a drill press to drill, thread and tap the points cam deep enough for a short 8/32 allen screw (red loctite in place) - then its easy to turn the cam when timing and tightening the advance sprocket (Atlas style). I use a sheet of rubber with a small hole stretched over the cam to keep chips out (use a helper with screwdriver to hold the rubber in place). Be sure to get one of my fiberglass reinforced silicone gaskets - so you don't have to use sealer - then you can always adjust chain tension.

74ok · Feb 26, 2018

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The tremendous amount of fuel present in the cylinders demands an immense amount of current flow to spark the combustion process. The popular MSD Super 44 magnetos are so powerful that they deliver 1.2 amps of electrical energy across the spark plug gap each time a plug fires. This is four times the electrical energy delivered by a hot street ignition system at 300 milliamps (0.3 amp). Think of those MSD magnetos as the equivalent of an engine-driven arc welder and you get the idea.

Hunt Magneto arrived.

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