Guzzi Ignition Rant

**Dodgyiti** · 20th March 2005, 08:44

Dyna 111 Electronic Ignition for Guzzi '74-96 Big Twins.
I know it could have been posted in 'sport and tour tuning and fixing', but this is a RAVING of the higest degree, if fact I probably need councelling, read on...
The electronic ignition was a headache to get going, easy to install though.
I fitted it all up and the bike fired up first pop, ran OK for about 10mins. And got up to temperature nicely.
I was just hooking up my timing light to fine tune the timing and she bloody stopped on me and wouldnt go again.
Rechecked EVERYTHING
I had also got into the wiring whilst waiting for the ignition to arrive. Fitted an aftermarket kill and start switch, highbeam relay, tidyed up all the fuse box inputs with heat shrink over every connector, got the horn working with a new relay, and replaced the starter relay as that looked old as too, and to top it off- the new ignition.
So to say I spent at least 2 hours with a circuit tester is no exaggeration.
Recharged the battery ready to test fire again.
Couldnt find anything wrong, my work passed the double check.
Fired her up, again- started first pop.
After 5 mins this time, she bloody stopped on me and wouldnt go again.
Cant be electrical, no way.
Weird, been turning it over till the battery karked it and I can't smell any petrol!!!
Yeah, I drained most of the tank to make it lighter when I took it off, she ran outta gas!!!

Up the road to fill the tin, charge up the battery again - those car size starters in the old Guzzies suck the juice.

Gas in the tank, juice in the battery.
Fire her up and second turn of the flywheel roars to life.
Cool!
This time the bitch ran for 15 mins, got to strobe set the right cylinder, and was just fettling up the left-
You guessed it, no go, at all

Head scratching time, cant be fuel or electrical, at least Im not checking everything again, no way.
Just have a little re read of the instructions, while I calm down..

Oh! this is interesting-In the instructions it says ' The Dyna 111 is designed to work with stock coils or aftermarket ones with at least 5 ohms of primary resistance'
As we all know, the lemon Mk1 coils have 3.4 ohms primary.
So I cooked the coils.

My local bike shop just happened to have a set the exact same size [ space is at a premium in that compartment] and after running my tester they came up with 5.4 ohms primary. Perfect!

Fitted them up and hey presto, she roars back into life again first pop.
Quickly got to temperature, and I set the left cylinder with the strobe, lovely!
Oh, not quite, its flippin stopped again.
Plugs out, earth to motor, one blue spark, one orange.
Oh dear. Plugs stuffed.

Check manual- wrong heat range as well.
Up the road again, 2 proper plugs.
Fitted them, and well, the story has a happy ending with me cruising off into the sunset last night, big grin, more grey hair

**Jackrat** · 20th March 2005, 08:53

The hairs not grey,it's chrome.
These things are sent to try us.
Good on ya'

**Sensei** · 20th March 2005, 09:09

Make sure you give her abit of a trash for been a Bad girl LOL Great to hear ya got it going . I love the MK1's
SENSEI

**dangerous** · 20th March 2005, 09:12

LOL..... good on ya Dodg just a little patience aye, I know often hard to with MG.
Now I'm thinking that the Dyna 3 and PC 3 are diferant things aye? as in the PC 3 is for bikes with a PCU and injection.

If you have any other probs then if you havent already been to this site http://morini.com.au/phpBB2/viewforu...046fdeabf57883 then ask there they are very good with the mechanical side of Guzzi.

**Dodgyiti** · 20th March 2005, 09:12

As an afterthought I should mention this to better explain my frame of mind during this.. waking nightmare.
When you fire up a big twin Guzzi

with zero muffling [ they look just like mufflers, but theres nothing in there, at all, honestly!] in a tin garage-
Well I dont care what you ride, but that sound will stirr anybody's heart into beating a little faster.

And every time it fired up I was really excited to say the least. The sun was shining, I could just tell through the cobwebbed windows as I slowly choked on exhaust fumes.

After every problem was solved, one by one, and she fired right up, my mind was saying " Ride Time! Ride Time!"
But she had to tease me 4 times before submitting.
Bring on the therapy!

P.S. Here is a pic, I have changed the seat since, and moved the discs to behind the fork legs.

**inlinefour** · 20th March 2005, 09:28

...for guzzi yer know.

**dangerous** · 20th March 2005, 11:50

Originally Posted by Dodgyiti

When you fire up a big twin Guzzi

with zero muffling [ they look just like mufflers, but theres nothing in there, at all, honestly!] in a tin garage-
Well I dont care what you ride, but that sound will stirr anybody's heart into beating a little faster.

P.S. Here is a pic, I have changed the seat since, and moved the discs to behind the fork legs.

Ohhhhhhhhh............. shit I miss that sound, and dont forget how the bike tilts to the left as the starter strugles to turn over and almost stops before it fires up and pushing its self over to the right ohhh yeahhh

So the Mk2 has the brakes behind the fork dosent it or is it the other way round? and what have you done to the seat..... bit hard those solid blocks of rubber aye

**Blakamin** · 20th March 2005, 12:55

Very cool!!! Glad you got it sorted... Imagine paying a mechanic!!

**Dodgyiti** · 20th March 2005, 14:40

The seat is an aftermarket Gammon dualseat. Lower rider/ higher passenger, wider and more comfy. My standard seat goes all blobby when left out in the sun, kinda melts.
Havent heard of the other ignition type sorry, cant say.
I think the Mk 2 had the calipers at the rear, but I'm no expert, Paul will answer that one.
Here is an updated pic showing the new seat etc.
If it looks pretty Bling, thats because I threw about $300 worth of stainless cap screws and acorn nuts at it, polishing them up to mirror finish first. And polished up the rocker covers,front cover and diff, plus whatever else I could unbolt onto the old bench grinder.

**Skyryder** · 20th March 2005, 20:19

Originally Posted by dangerous

Ohhhhhhhhh............. shit I miss that sound, and dont forget how the bike tilts to the left as the starter strugles to turn over and almost stops before it fires up and pushing its self over to the right ohhh yeahhh

What about slamming down a cog and the back wheel slides out from underneath: like what happened to me today. Just love those adrenalin rushes

Skyryder

**dangerous** · 20th March 2005, 21:38

Farrrrk thats looking sweet, bloody sweet as Dodgyiti.
And umm yeah I was getting balsed up with the Power Comounder 3

**dangerous** · 20th March 2005, 21:39

Originally Posted by Skyryder

What about slamming down a cog and the back wheel slides out from underneath: like what happened to me today. Just love those adrenalin rushes

Skyryder

Yeah seen you and RIB go past home along with the other HRC people, was Zapf on the bronzy SV?

**Dodgyiti** · 20th March 2005, 23:31

Originally Posted by Skyryder

What about slamming down a cog and the back wheel slides out from underneath: like what happened to me today. Just love those adrenalin rushes

Skyryder

I love that!
My Daytona was wickid for it, keeps you on the ball.
I used to do it for fun on low speed corners, kinda kicks the rear tire into the lean

**Paul in NZ** · 21st March 2005, 13:31

Man that thing is looking HOT mate....

Gotta lotta bling on that thang.... But I have to say, she is looking fine. Puts mine to shame but I really don't have time for much chrome / alloy polishing on mine.

Funnily enough... My poor old thing is still running stock coils and it took about 15mins to slip on the dyna and another 15 to time it up.. But I'd done it with the points a few times... Never touched it since.

I think I'd better knock the ignition back a little though, it pinks a little on a really hot day with Vicki and baggage aboard.

Anyway. Bloody nice bike..

Paul N