Smoking ( advance or retard )

So the engine is a new build top to bottom or vise versa.
I have run the engine in a bit, engine is staticaly timed, 31 BTDC ( Boyer )
I have messed with strobing a bit, using a separate battery just to see how it looks, though I have not yet adjusted the advance or retard in regards to the timing.

So my question is,.... I have a little smoking from the mufflers even when hot.
Would one think that the engine just needs to be run in more to seat the rings, or could the light smoke be due to not having the timing perfect.

The only run in thus far has been around the block a dozen times.
( pie eating grin every time around )
The bike sounds well to me, and the engine does not hesitate when I feed it the fuel, problem is this is the first I have ever rode a norton so I have no bench mark to compare to. Oh and the bike idles fine to.

Thanks in advance.... 8)

staticmoves said:

I have run the engine in a bit, engine is staticaly timed, 31 BTDC ( Boyer )
I have messed with strobing a bit, using a separate battery just to see how it looks, though I have not yet adjusted the advance or retard in regards to the timing.

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Static timing only gets it close enough for starting, you cannot accurately static time a Boyer. I suggest you strobe it as soon as possible. If the timing is subsequently found to be spot-on then that will be mostly down to luck.

staticmoves said:

So my question is,.... I have a little smoking from the mufflers even when hot.
Would one think that the engine just needs to be run in more to seat the rings, or could the light smoke be due to not having the timing perfect.

The only run in thus far has been around the block a dozen times.

Click to expand...

I think it's unlikely that the rings would have bedded-in fully from just going around the block a few times.

Does sound a bit like rings not seated yet, if the ring gap was right to start. Lugging and babying ain't the best way to initially run in, If its going to blow up best get it over fast, otherwise while still cool-ish giver the gun up over 5000 rpm in shed or out on the road. Best way to time Boyer is adv till back fires some to start then back off till just don't, then put light on to see where it lands on the factory dial. If not put index wheel on crank to calibrate the dial then who knows what it numbers really mean. Timing should have nothing to do with smoke just ease to start and response to throttle, w/o detonation. Combats like 28-ish others 32-ish full adv. Old and new school ring seating assist consists of dry install with a dry power like Bon Ami. TSeal rings sells this for their ring installs and say only use wd/40 on bore, which is their way of calming nerves as by time to start its mostly evaporated away and what remains is flashed on on first combustion. Good re-torquing times to ya during this new bonding period. Bon Ami in a sock bounced on carbs while blipping is past method to help rings seal and Bon Ami never scratches anything.

So I have had a suggestion from a member to use a rubber mat under the bike while reving up to 5000 to avoid the dance.
i will give it a shot tonight, but has anyone tired this method, or have any other methods for stopping or surpressing the bike dancing away while reving to 5000rpm?

and when I strobed the first time at around 2000 RPM it looked as though the timing mark was at around 45 BTDC ( is that even possible )
though I saw it blip to around the 16 BTDC at around 2000 rpm just for a quick flash or two then back to around the 45 BTDC area.
Yes I am new to strobing.

staticmoves said:

So I have had a suggestion from a member to use a rubber mat under the bike while reving up to 5000 to avoid the dance.
i will give it a shot tonight, but has anyone tired this method, or have any other methods for stopping or surpressing the bike dancing away while reving to 5000rpm?

Click to expand...

Yes, you can use a thick rubber mat or get somebody to hold the bike!

staticmoves said:

and when I strobed the first time at around 2000 RPM it looked as though the timing mark was at around 45 BTDC ( is that even possible )
though I saw it blip to around the 16 BTDC at around 2000 rpm just for a quick flash or two then back to around the 45 BTDC area.

Click to expand...

As you shine the strobe light into the timing window you should see the rotor mark come into view moving from left to right as the revs increase.

If the timing is correct, then the alternator rotor timing mark should line up with the 31 degree mark on the timing scale by the time the engine reaches 5,000 RPM. If the timing mark exceeds the 31 degree position then the timing is too far advanced, if it hasn't reached 31 degrees by 5,000 RPM it's retarded. Adjust the pickup backplate as necessary until the timing is correct.

Put any kind of cushion under the skids, rags carpet, floor mat or even plywood. Don't really have to watch tach while bent over watching the time mark, just rev up till stops advancing, which will be well below red zone and not a bother to engines at all with all their adequate fin area. Of course time light use assumes one has indexed = calibrated the factory dial, if not can also calibrate by adv to kick backs then retard til none then see where you marks land and use that till indexed later by you or someone else. Its fun to at least once Dance with your Commando over cement at 5000+ rpm out of gear.