Misc: Ignition Coil ignition

[Michel]

Hello everyone,
François Grosset installed on my Rapide Serie B his electric starter with its electronic ignition instead of the magneto. He tells me that the coil could overheat and that we must provide sufficient ventilation to cool it.
What did you install, or not ? What do you recommend ?
Greeting from Belgium.

 

[timetraveller]

I find the position used on the Series D s which is above the primary chain case, works very well. The coil is visible but it is in the main air flow when the bike is moving. However, I do wonder if the correct coil is being used. Consider that just about every car with coil ignition had the coil mounted under the bonnet and on top of the engine and that with up to eight cylinder engines so over heating was not a regular problem

 

[moto8500]

I had a BTH magneto fitted to the Shadow and never looked back. Low maintenance, spot on timing, reliable and a nice blue spark at the plug electrodes - throw those contact breakers in the bin!

 

[Colin]

My Godet Egli Sport GT, Has been starting and running with a Grosset starter motor for 20 years with absolutely no problems Also,. Ignition, as built by Patrick, is a small Japanese coil (Kawasaki from memory) fixed under the front cowl, ie the bit that would cover a mag on a standard bike.
I repeat, never had any problems at all with starting or running.or overheating. (Except when forced to fill the Godet with crap E10 fuel when the bike overheated badly and was seriously down on power. Draining what was left when I got home and filling with Esso E5 cured both problems)
My Egli Comet has the coil under the seat, again no problems ever. That coil is the old fashioned type, and probably around 50 years old. Ignition is Boyer Bransden
I don't do a big mileage on either bike these days, but they used to in days gone by, especially the Comet, which despite being laid up for longish periods is always a good starter, on a kick start
Eric where is your coil mounted? If under the mag cowl, like mine it would SEEM the airflow on or under the cowl is sufficient for cooling.
Good Luck

 

[oexing]

Michel, in your case I´d connect an ammeter in the supply wire to the coil. Typically there should not be current above 3 amps when having a common coil like with breaker ignitions. It would eat contacts at high amps ! So only with electronics and CDI types you can run coils at high amps as loading time seems too short for heating up the coil. With your ignition the coil seems to be unsuitable so you want an oldfashioned type as was common with coil ignition and breaker . We still do not know what type of ignition you got, seems the blackbox does too long "on" for the coil, but anyway you better get a common breaker type coil with higher resistance Japanese, British or else, but breaker type and likely 12 V system.

Vic