T500 Electronic Ignition

[sbaugz]

I am also using the street version powerdynamo on my T500. Have been using it all summer with no battery. I use a Battpack capacitor. . Works great. Starts on the first or second kick. I purchased directly from powerdynamo. They shipped same day and I literally had it in my hand (half across the world) within 3 days.

Just make sure you purchase the rotor puller tool right away. I learned the hard way that it didn't come with one. Luckily I found a place in the USA that sold me one for about $40 shipped.

[sbaugz]

Fine tune by moving the backplate if necessary. Pretty straight forward and I have never had the rotor move on the taper.

Cheers Geoff

I found that I cannot get access to the backplate allen head bolts once the rotor is on. Therefore, I cannot fine tune. I actually had to remove entire rotor using their special rotor puller to change the finetuning of the timing.

[Zunspec4]

Fine tune by moving the backplate if necessary. Pretty straight forward and I have never had the rotor move on the taper.

Cheers Geoff

I found that I cannot get access to the backplate allen head bolts once the rotor is on. Therefore, I cannot fine tune. I actually had to remove entire rotor using their special rotor puller to change the finetuning of the timing.

My error sbaugz,

The race set-up is as I described, forgot there was a generator rotor whizzing round on the street version

Cheers Geoff

[tintruder]

I put a Newtronics on my GT550.

NEVER AGAIN.

The optical pickup design is crap.

If you leave the ignition cover off to go for a quick ride to check how it runs, and to see if you have the timing right, it better be at night and no cars better be pointed your way, because the outside light interferes with the optical pickups and the thing won't run unless you bolt the cover back on.

If your points cover has the little drain hole in it, tape over the back side...sunlight through the hole will make the motor misfire.

Don't even think of using a timing light with it.

Heck, don't use a FLASHLIGHT...

[dollydog]

i've been using one off a fiat 500 for years now, on all my gt250's. you just need a backplate making to hold the pickup and a couple of 4mm holes drilling and tapping in the stator. fit it, time it up with a strobe and forget it. best of all you don't need a cdi with it. i'll post some pics when i get time. i also modified one to pick up off the magnets on an rg250 external rotor. it was so easy. but whether it could be adapted to a t500? i dunno
cheers, dd.

[dollydog]

if you've got normal points ignition you can fit my system. 100% reliable electronic ignition with no cdi to worry about.
an hours work and about $50 or less also works on singles.
cheers, dd.

[A.Holley]

Just to add my 10 cents worth to this discussion.
I have been running the predecessor of the Newtronics System ( Pirahna )for something like 30 years.
I bought a box full of bits , enough for 2 systems, at a swap meet. So previous history is unknown.
I have never had an ignition failure while running this system. I use Bosch GT 40 coils.
For the charging I use std alternator, feeding into a Boyer Bransden Powerbox. Again this item would be pushing 30 yrs old.
Usage has ranged from Historic class racing to road riding.
My only issue is the lack of an advance curve. If anyone can suggest a system that has a curve, I might be tempted to try it and see if I can get another 30 years out of it.

Andrew Holley
Australia

[Zunspec4]

Hi Andrew,

I would not get too fixated on the need for ignition curves for the T/GT 500 engine. As std. both the points and PEI set-ups are working off a fixed, non-variable ignition setting. This has worked well for thousands of T/GT bikes and millions of miles over the past 50 years .

As something to ponder my HPI race ignition is adjustable in 0.1 degree BTDC increments at 50 rpm intervals. Programming in a retardation at higher revs (from 5.5k rpm) did not make for a very good dyno graph. The engine performed better with only a minimal amount of retardation dialed in.

Cheers Geoff