Airhead ignition upgrades???

They last a life time because they need, and get, major expensive mechanical work every hundred thou or so. Throw enough money and new parts at something and it will last as long as you like. But you do get good life out of the big stuff if it's well cared for.

I had 90K on my stock electronic module before I blew it up with some mechanical clumsiness. Live and lean.

If you have a spare hall effect bean can you have a spare. Period. Set it up and it's ready to drop in if you ever need it. Carry it on long trips if yours is getting old or hasn't ever been serviced. Skip the "carry it in the saddlebags for 30 years" drama. It's bullshit.

There seems to be some odd culture cropping up around "points are better" and "points are a desirable spare". Oncw upon time if you put in a drecky Dyna or a Boyer be cause you were dual plugging or had a bent cam nose or were just sick of the hassle of points, you would carry a points plate and all the tools ans supplies on a longer trip because it was FREE, You had one left over from the electonic ignition install and buying a spare electronic was costly. You carried the old stuff and a bunch of tools and supplies to install it and figured you could limp to help if you had to. And it worked.

Nowadays, if you have a factory electronic it's hardly worth going out and buying a factory points can as a spare---especially if you have a factory electronic already. I swapped a spare points bean can to a guy for his factory hall bean can--and some other goodies, because he was only too glad to have something he thought he understood as a spare rather than a simple replacement part.. I dunno. Weird stuff.

Look again. Every electronic ignition module I found was Tiawanese. Lots of names and numbers but only a few people making them. All on the island.

Did you ask Rick who was making his parts?

Dat so? What's the Radio shack part number again? If they can even get it what's the order time?

Try DigiKey or a real electronics house.

Dynas, Omegas and Boyers all mfgr'd in Taiwan?

Really?



fwiw, I'd prefer the original ignition trigger can. The mechanical advance unit isn't ever going to fail permanently. It may need a little attention now and then with readily available cleaners and lubes, but it's not going to go "kaputt" like an electronic advance unit.

The hall effect transistors on either piece *may* need attention at some point.

blah blah blah...

IIRC, his stuff is assembled in Singapore, assumably from asian components.

Werd.

I haven't paid much attention in over a decade, but his rotors and charging systems are Taiwanese.

Ignition modules---'like BMW OEM---yes. it's a HUGE market.

Unless you call the guy making them and ask or find a sticker that says "made in ROC", you don't know. Typically if you have enough volume it makes sense, USA labor costs are too high and you can' offer a competitive price. Even Hilti set up a Taiwanese factory (theirs, not a contract shop).

I ran a machine shop for awhile. The crew was Chinese. Very skilled but not long on English. The company was paying them crap and partially they didn't know better and partially they knew they didn't have the language skills to work elsewhere. But boy were they good, two men and a woman. I leaned a bit about life in China too. Lotta stories from those day.

Correction. Taiwan. This is the guy that makes all his stuff (and a bunch of other stuff):

http://www.repro-works.com/

BMW oem, yes, Motorola, iirc. It was the Dynas etc. I wondered about.

I have zero qualms about Asian qaulity. Mfgr'g techniques and skilled workforce eclipsing our own in spades.

I have *issues* when products are marketed as "home grown" when, in fact, they aren't.

Yes. That guy's the real deal.

That can be a wise move. Even if you go electronic later the points and plate is your simple backup. Your expertise with it will serve you if you ever need it again---and electronics do wear out. You will know what you need to set it up and exactly how to do it.

BTW, Consider a monster sized Mallory condensor, they last forever. You just need to fab. a bigger bracket for it.

I compared the cost once between running points and buying a Boyer. Only allowing the Boyer a 5 year lifespan (it can be far longer) the cost vs. the points was the same. The differences were elsewhere.

If I have a couple of old cans with non-working Hall Sensors in them, can they be converted to points in a can version?

I don't believe so.


But if you want to unload them I got a couple spare new hall sensors...

Where did you happen to get your Halls at? Thanks for the offer, but one is in a bunch of pieces from me trying to see whats in there and the other I still might spray and clean and see if it will works ad a back up.

Digikey or similar. Look on the IBMWR tech pages for the honeywell part number and sources. It's a common electronic item and costs a couple bucks.

Honeywell 2AV54 according to Motorrad Elektrik.

Oak Oakleshen will rebuild your standard Hall bean can for $150. My apologies if this was posted previously.

I get mine from Newark Electronics, about $12 or so.
I think I bought 5 last time and they cut me a deal. Been awhile.
These are used on all BMW bikes from 81 -2005
I don't know if they are used on the 1200 hex head engines.

The fun part is the mechanical riveting.

Is a Boyer setup simple to do? I have my R60 and I just want to get something simple to replace my points setup.

Alternatives like Omega seem more costly and complex.