Thanks for this. I'm about to take delivery on my first magneto bike, a '54 Velocette 500 cc single cylinder. It has what I've been told is a modern-made BTH magneto with electronic ignition built in. Still need to understand how to set its timing and any maintenance it requires.
Good choice! The new BTH "Magneto" is a wonderful product. If the magneto is already installed, and the bike runs well, the magneto will never need any adjusting nor maintenance. If the engine timing should ever need setting or checking the best way is to open the primary and make timing marks on the crankshaft (or use a timing disk) and set it with a strobe light. I'm not familiar enough with bikes that old to be more specific.
Haha i retrofitted a stihl flywheel and magneto on a super crappy jpascrap bike. Now it runs perfect. though i always thought the points were the problem, it could have been those crappy carbs too, but they were replaced at about the same time. Its unbelievable how crappy the japanese engineered those bikes, its like a subhuman train of thought. Luckily the british and german and other europeans made bikes worth restoring. they were pretty good engineers until the world went into cheap and more mode.
I haven't had a ton of experience with magnetos but the two pre unit Triumphs I've met both started right up, no battery needed. I was impressed.
I love magnetos. They are solid as a rock and work really well.
Thanks for this. I'm about to take delivery on my first magneto bike, a '54 Velocette 500 cc single cylinder. It has what I've been told is a modern-made BTH magneto with electronic ignition built in. Still need to understand how to set its timing and any maintenance it requires.
Good choice! The new BTH "Magneto" is a wonderful product. If the magneto is already installed, and the bike runs well, the magneto will never need any adjusting nor maintenance. If the engine timing should ever need setting or checking the best way is to open the primary and make timing marks on the crankshaft (or use a timing disk) and set it with a strobe light. I'm not familiar enough with bikes that old to be more specific.
Haha i retrofitted a stihl flywheel and magneto on a super crappy jpascrap bike. Now it runs perfect. though i always thought the points were the problem, it could have been those crappy carbs too, but they were replaced at about the same time. Its unbelievable how crappy the japanese engineered those bikes, its like a subhuman train of thought.
Luckily the british and german and other europeans made bikes worth restoring. they were pretty good engineers until the world went into cheap and more mode.