ignition

I am new to British bikes and have just purchased a '71 Commando which has seen better days.

As a retired British car owner, I am pretty skeptical of Lucas electrics and would like to upgrade electrical system. One supplier told me to steer clear of an Accel coil system and just go to a Boyer ignition.

Any advise on this point (or any other!) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Frank

bustedknuckle,

The wiring harnesses on old British bikes are often found to be destroyed. For instance, ham-fisted previous owners will splice lamp cord into the wiring harness and use wire nuts and duct tape in place of the proper connectors. So, if you find visible damage or lamp cord in your wiring harness, I recommend installing a new one.

I feel that the stock coils and the points and condensor ignition system are excellent on Nortons. Others swear by a Boyer system. But a set of properly adjusted points will give many miles of trouble free service.

Regards,

Jason

The Accel coil system ? I ran an Aceel coils for years and have a buddy that's been going 4000 miles plus a year since 1978. No problems.
I changed both my Nortons over to the Dyna Coil system because of the ugy yellow color of the accel's and for no other reason. The wires that come with accel's are iron core and don't last real long. Solid copper does the best. The wires that accel's come with are their downfall.
Just make sure you dump the rectifier and Zener with a pod unit or Boyer power box. Degree your motor for a check of the rotor timming mark. Set it with a light to stop advancing at 5000 rpm @ 31 degrees. Put in the big dry cell battery and ride it hard. norbsa

Thanks

Thanks, guys! I feel a lot better about the situation either. Think I'll just get this puppy on the road and then phase in the upgrades with time. But it's nice to know I haven't wasted the money on the Accel, iron wires and all!

Best,

Frank