In praise of the BTH electronic magneto
For at least two years I had been plagued by random hot starting problems and hesitant pick up on my Rapide. They began to get more frequent and although there was always a good spark when I checked the plugs and tinkering with the carburettor tuning sort of got me going after each starting failure I was forced to conclude that it was the magneto.
Rewind the existing mag. or get a new, non-original equipment, electronic system?
I bit the bullet and fitted a BTH electronic mag. Result – unbelievable! End of hot starting problems and much easier cold starting. Flexibility is dramatically improved to the point where I can take many first and second corners a gear higher than before and can actually trickle through town at 30mph in top. I don’t have to keep adjusting the chain because it no longer snatches as it used to. Fuel consumption used to hover around 40mpg – it’s now about 60mpg although I need to do some more miles to confirm that.
Incidentally, fitting and timing the BTH mag. is so easy that you’re left reading and re-reading the fitting instructions because ‘surely you’ve forgotten something’.
Does my experience match that of other converters?
For at least two years I had been plagued by random hot starting problems and hesitant pick up on my Rapide. They began to get more frequent and although there was always a good spark when I checked the plugs and tinkering with the carburettor tuning sort of got me going after each starting failure I was forced to conclude that it was the magneto.
Rewind the existing mag. or get a new, non-original equipment, electronic system?
I bit the bullet and fitted a BTH electronic mag. Result – unbelievable! End of hot starting problems and much easier cold starting. Flexibility is dramatically improved to the point where I can take many first and second corners a gear higher than before and can actually trickle through town at 30mph in top. I don’t have to keep adjusting the chain because it no longer snatches as it used to. Fuel consumption used to hover around 40mpg – it’s now about 60mpg although I need to do some more miles to confirm that.
Incidentally, fitting and timing the BTH mag. is so easy that you’re left reading and re-reading the fitting instructions because ‘surely you’ve forgotten something’.
Does my experience match that of other converters?