Ignition Schemes

A Possibility. Most all the new bikes that still sport carburetors have all the same sensors as their EFI'd brethren. This is to make sure that the sparks occur at the optimal advance and that the "dwell" stands at a reasonable figure. Again, all input is at zero to five volts analog, and our favored coil inputs are logic level -- so this may be much simpler.

Moving the ignition triggers and sensors up to the front cam would have several benefits. Firstly, there would be no waste spark, allowing for longer dwell times (ie, fatter sparks). Secondly, and far more difficult to achieve: the possibility of either an electro-mechanical or centrifugal system for "de-clutching" the rotor flywheel under hard acceleration. Imagine the power plant losing (at least) a third of its inertia at the flick of a switch, or when seven grand is surpassed.

I looked at after-market magnetos: all that are left are Morris and Joe Hunt. Both have motorcycle magnetos, mostly for HDs, although Hunt had one for the XS650 that looked adaptable. However: both companies use points (AKA Kettering) as their triggers and their advance mechanisms are mechanical. And start at just under a thousand. I find this completely unacceptable. If you installed a MicroSquirt and ignored the fuel injection parts, you'd be in parts (the unit itself, and a multitude of sensors) well under five hundred USD and the system is tuneable to meet any condition. Plus, you have the brain unit for EFI already installed; it's just a matter of cobbling up an intake, adding throttle bodies and hours of tuning via an attached computer.

More to come . . .

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