Cheap timing light?

**Wired1** · 29th June 2008, 16:04

Hi gurus, can anyone save me a lot of looking and tell me where I can find a cheap timing light suitable for my TT500. It is a 6 volt bike and has no battery so it needs to be one that doesn't need a local power supply.

**Max Preload** · 29th June 2008, 17:07

You don't have to power it off the bike... any 12V supply will do.

As for a cheap one, get a good one instead. It's one of those things that if you're a practical person you'll use on occassions and it doesn't take many occassions for it to pay for itself.

**Wired1** · 29th June 2008, 17:58

Ok so a 12 volt one will do. When I say cheap I mean not $300 - there must be something good for under $50? Anyone had a good buy recently? What can you get from Ripco & supercheap etc?

**Max Preload** · 29th June 2008, 18:29

Get an adjustable one if your budget will stretch to it and you might tinker later... that's one that you adjust until the strobe is on TDC and it gives you the current timing advance.

Otherwise, I've had a good run out of just an 'Optilux' brand one too. I think Repco and Supercheap stock them - I haven't bought a new one for probably 15 years.

**tri boy** · 29th June 2008, 18:32

+1 on Optilux. Not the topline brand, but will outlast home mechanics if looked after.

**Motu** · 30th June 2008, 18:40

Self powered are they way to go,just hook on the cable and it works.They are around $100 - but I'd never get anything else these days.

**Wired1** · 30th June 2008, 18:58

Thanks all, I bought the Optilux one today for $89 from Ripco - so I blew my $50 budget bugger it (tight bastard). . It needs a 12 volt source which my TT500 hasn't got, so I used the battery our of the SR. I initially put the sensor clamp around the HT lead to the plug but this was only picking up some of the pulses - weird? maybe a buggered coil? - anyway I moved the sensor clamp to the lead from the magneto to the coil and it worked perfectly.
The timing was about 1/8th of an inch out so I tapped the points around the correct amount and the bike revved higher and cleaner. With increased revs the bike jumps to the next mark on the fly wheel which I think is the correct advance.

Thanks Motu re the self-powered one, it would be a darn sight handier than this one needing a 12 volt source but this does the job and I had already bought it!