Motorcycle maintenance was on the cards for this morning… Taking out the Boyer electronic ignition and putting the points back in. The garage was hot and humid and after four hours of sweating, kicking, cursing and nearly calling it quits at least three times, it roared to life. Set the timing advance and it settled into a old fashioned twin grumble.
Don’t ever tell me you never learn anything from this blog! Here’s the instructions I used for setting the points timing:
These bikes are time adjusted at full centrifugal advance (38 BTDC), not like other vehicles at idle or start-up
first all, before setting timing, set gap on each point where the little scribe on the cam is pointed to the points nylon lobe, and set the gap at this position only. This should be just after they start to open. (.015″).
Now, just take the cover off the rotor (front left case with 3 screws and TRIUMPH logo) and line up the scribe line to the pointer by turning the motor over slowly. This is 38 BTDC. At this point, turn the cam lobe on the point shaft as far to the right as it will go (centrifugal advance unit). Adjust the point plate to the spot just where one of the points breaks contact. Tighten the point plate. Spin the engine 1 full revolution so the pointer and scribe is lined up again, and turn the cam as before (this time it will be 180 out and pointing to the other point. Loosen the top and bottom of this point set and there is the eccentric screw to raise or lower the point assembly to set the point to it just breaks. Lock the screws down.
Now start the bike with the rotor cover still off, and check the timing with a light. Rev up until the scribe meets the pointer and doesn’t advance any further and confirm with the static settings you just performed. If it is too far, you will need to adjust accordingly with the eccentric adjustment. Do this with both spark plugs as each cylinder is independent to each point and coil. Yellow/black wire is for left cylinder, white/black wire is for the right.