Trispark-warranty

Colorado Norton Works says no warranty on Trispark from them unless use their aftermarket single coil, because too many failure due to using stock 6v coils. Anyone running stock coils OK? How is the advance curve on current model? Noticably slower than points?
Thanks
Doug

Douglass Harroun said:

How is the advance curve on current model? Noticably slower than points?

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commando-timing-advance-curves-compiled-reva-t6488.html

rick in seattle said:

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doug,

I bought CNW's dual lead coil along with my Trispark and also their plugs and plug lead all together over
two years ago

very happy with everything

however, would not Trispark themselves in Australian warrant the Trispark regardless of CNW?

I would think they have some sort of warranty, you could call or email them, how long you had it?

Wow!

I never realised the Pazon had so much retard - maybe I'll keep the strobe running for longer next time I'm setting one up.
I recall Hobot suggesting backing off the Combat timing by a few degrees - I was going to try it out, but now I'm not so sure :?

Trispark on the 850 with 6V standard coils. No issues, but not done a huge mileage yet either.

I do not understand why there might be a problem using the existing six volt coils, the Trsipark does not "know" the source of the total 12 volt input regardless of coil, so it seems doubtful that is the problem.

Trisparks have failed, apparently early on from a bad mix of the plastic goo or something, those units were replaced under warranty.

MY own issue with my Trispark very early after purchase was due to a lack of sufficient grounds, both from the motor to frame, and I also put another ground on the positive battery terminal and grounded its ass
to the frame, since then absolutely no trispark/ignition problems.

Are you saying that CNW is telling you that there is NO warranty either from them or Trispark on your unit which is or has beyond doubt failed? Is it because you have owned it long enough so that it is out of warranty?

OR you have no problem at all but just want to verify that CNW can indeed tell you they won't warranty a trispart without their coil? IF that is the case, then yes, CNW can do that and that fact should be made clear at time of trispark purchase from them, if after the purchase then yes that does not seem right.

I believe that Matt at CNW is a really stand up guy, he sure has been so with me.

My issue with the trispark and other similar ignitions is that the inside of a norton engine is not a place to put anything more complex than an ignition trigger.

chasbmw said:

My issue with the trispark and other similar ignitions is that the inside of a norton engine is not a place to put anything more complex than an ignition trigger.

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I disagree....What do you base your comment on other then you just don't like it?

BTW ..I have a Tri-Spark on my Commando and a Triumph and have had zero problems with them.

My issue with the trispark and other similar ignitions is that the inside of a norton engine is not a place to put anything more complex than an ignition trigger.

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I understand where chas is coming from in thinking as he does in the above quote

I had the same perception/fear when I first heard of putting the unit in the points cover.

Then I realized that time, progress, and technology marches on irrespective of me.

Fortunately no one is forced to buy anything for their bike, but many happy trispark owners putting on
doubtless very large cumulative mileages are proving the naysayers wrong.

I disagree....What do you base your comment on other then you just don't like it?

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There have been a number of reported failures of Trispark on this board, not a flood but enough in my opinion to raise questions. Also the threads have included discussion of the temps they are subject and the type of electronic component specification required to cope with this heat.

The first Boyers had the electronics in the timing chamber and even with cooling slots they went to remote boxes to reduce failure rate.

Trispark may be a very good product, I have not owned one to know but I am not sold enough that I would fit it to a bike as I would prefer fitting an ignition with the electronics in a cooler environment.

http://www.dowcorning.com/content/etron ... ics&DCWSS=

http://www.pcpower.com/technology/optemps/

Re: Trispark-warranty- E-mail from Matt

Doug,

- I have the Tri Spark ignition in stock for your machine
- I do not have stock type coils available. I only offer the single, Dual fire coil you see on the site. This coil is superior in every aspect when compared to the 6 volt coils. It may not give you the look but it does give you the performance plus reliability and that is more important in my opinion
- The single coil does come complete with the proper spark plug wires
- If there are any issues whatsoever, you will deal with us directly. Tri Spark and CNW is on the same page as how warranties get taken care of and its very straight forward.

If you run the original Lucas 6 volt coils there will be no warranty offered for the Tri Spark as we have see to many systems go down due to coil issues.

If you want to run dual coils Tri Spark does have a set available that you can find on their site

Thanks

Matt
Colorado Norton Works. Inc
28438 Road P
Dolores, Colorado 81323
USA
Ph. 970-882-7163
Fax. 970-882-7163
www.coloradonortonworks.com

----- Original Message -----
From: WordPress
To: nortonworks@fone.net
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 11:20 AM
Subject: Website

Name
Douglass Harroun

Email
dharr13177@comcast.net

Phone Number
253-221-1910

Subject
Trispark

Message
Hello-
I am interested in the Trispark for Norton Commando. I have a stock 1971 Commando with points.
Can you supply stock appearing 6 volt coils and wires with proper suppression
also?
If there is a problem later do you handle the warranty details yourselves?
Thank you
Doug

"Anyone running stock coils OK?"

I've been running the oem style 6V coils - the ones from old Britts - with my trispark for several years with no issues at all.

FWIW, the best advance curve for street commando performance is the one provided by the oem points. IMO all the electronic ignitions are downgrades for a Norton Commando in that regard. The only thing that can be called an "upgrade" is the fact that there is no maintenance once they are set.

I had switched my Commando from a Boyer (when I bought the bike in '06) back to points with no intention of ever installing an e-ignition until the Trispark came out with an advance curve that was quite close to the points. The Boyer advance is poor for best street performance. I have said many times that if I ever had trouble with the TSpark, I'll go back to the points and never give electronic ignition a further thought for my Commando.

Andy,

I don't believe that you're reading the chart correctly. The Pazon curve (it's the Surefire, BTW) is more advanced than any of the others over the operating range 2000-6000 rpm. Thus Steve's (hobot's) suggestion of retarding it a bit for Combats is sensible. At start-up and tick-over the Pazon is more retarded, which makes for easier starting and idling, but it rapidly advances with rpm.

kommando said:

I disagree....What do you base your comment on other then you just don't like it?

Click to expand...

There have been a number of reported failures of Trispark on this board, not a flood but enough in my opinion to raise questions. Also the threads have included discussion of the temps they are subject and the type of electronic component specification required to cope with this heat.

The first Boyers had the electronics in the timing chamber and even with cooling slots they went to remote boxes to reduce failure rate.

Trispark may be a very good product, I have not owned one to know but I am not sold enough that I would fit it to a bike as I would prefer fitting an ignition with the electronics in a cooler environment.

Click to expand...

I think that Komando has set out my concerns, with BMW airheads a recent entry into the market for aftermarket ignitions starting getting lots of failures and I think that the problem, failure of the electronics box was likely down to its location inside the timing cover, a place that's a lot smoother and cooler than a commando!
Back in 1973, the Boyer I fitted to my interstate was an allin one unit and did work fine for the time that I kept the bike.

Interesting. Does this mean I can take off the "idiot hat" that I have been wearing around ever since I proposed that the stock coils might be a problem with the Tri-spark? I would be happy to pass it on.

coils-have-shelf-life-ignition-curves-t16912.html?hilit=coils

FWIW - Steve Kelly has never really said one way or the other whether the stock coils are a problem unless he has new data in the last few months.

Russ

rick in seattle said:

Andy,

I don't believe that you're reading the chart correctly. The Pazon curve (it's the Surefire, BTW) is more advanced than any of the others over the operating range 2000-6000 rpm. Thus Steve's (hobot's) suggestion of retarding it a bit for Combats is sensible. At start-up and tick-over the Pazon is more retarded, which makes for easier starting and idling, but it rapidly advances with rpm.

Click to expand...

I take your point, it does have a very early advance - where I was coming from was if I dropped the fully advanced point from 32 to (say) 29 degrees, the fully retarded setting would go to 3 degrees ATDC - unknown territory :?

I did a lot of similar analysis on the multi-selectable DMC ignition for bevel Ducatis with Wolfgang at Columbia car & Cycle in Canada -the original (embedded inside the crankcase behind the primary gear) electronic ignition was a step function which jumped from retarded to advanced at 1800 rpm. Used to knock the stuffing out of the big-ends, and the electronics failed too. Many of the coils I tried just would not work with the DMC (a remote unit), but I found that a pair of 6V PVLs off my Bonneville made it come alive just fine.
Until the regulator blew up :roll:
The second one, that is... :cry:

In context, It seems Trispark have had a few issues, but are they still ongoing, or just early batch issues?
I'd certainly buy another - mine came from LP Williams up the road here near Lancaster, and other forum members from the Sunny North West have had good back up for their issues.

Just to add, I found the 3.0 to 4.8 ohm coil for the Power arc which I thing is the same CNW sell for the Trispark, a little finicky. The Dyna/Dynatec 5.0 ohm DC7-1 seems so much more robust.

For me, the elegant simple design is right there, in my face, and that trumps "maybe its a problem."

Yeah, heat is an issue but nothing's perfect; there is always a risk, this one is slight and of low liability.

Besides how many OEM auto and MC and outboard/marine engines have similar systems also screwed down onto hot engine cases and in a hot enclosed space?

But auto and boat engines are air cooled and run at a controlled temp well under the normal range of an air cooled motor.
Even then there many auto engines which mount electronics to the motor that have earned a very bad reputation. GM diesels, Chrysler lean burn, [shake and bake] off the top of my head. [and numerous others].

Of course they are not all bound to fail soon. They are just going to have a higher failure rate. There is no way around that. Jim

I still feel like there are some folks who've fried there Trispark due to operator error and haven't owned up to it. It's been pretty clear for awhile that Trisparks aren't particularly compatible with the stock coils. Additionally, I suspect some have fried the stator by trying to ground the plugs against the head, which is a no no, and is stated clearly in the instructions.