Changing from magneto to electronic ignition on 55 dominator 88 any advice

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

Hello, it would cost just as muchto sort out your magneto as it would to buy electronic ignition. My advice is to get your magneto sorted out as it will be more reliable than electronic ignition. Bear in mind you have a 6volt dynamo so you would have to go to 12 volt in order that the electronic ignition can work? So that's a lot of unnecessary expense! Yours Anna J dixon

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

I had the same problem but a change of plug leads and two new plug caps without resistors cured it - worth a try.

Iain

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

Hi Bob,

I agree with Anna and would get the Mag reconditioned as I had the same problem with a BSA B31. I tried a coil ignition conversion and it was not much better,so I had the Mag overhauled and the bikeis now a reliable starter even if the battery is flat.

Regards,

Ken Routledge.

Previously wrote:

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

Hello, it would cost just as muchto sort out your magneto as it would to buy electronic ignition. My advice is to get your magneto sorted out as it will be more reliable than electronic ignition. Bear in mind you have a 6volt dynamo so you would have to go to 12 volt in order that the electronic ignition can work? So that's a lot of unnecessary expense! Yours Anna J dixon

Hello again, there is one more thing to think about - if your battery gets stolen or goes flat for any reason - you aresnookered! It's the AA or RAC for you!! After 40 years of riding I know that a good magento will allways get you home, so if you look after it, it will look after you ! Norton woman Anna J Dixon

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

Dear Bob,

It is the windings on your magneto that are faulty. Years ago they were insulated with "Shellac" but over time and heat this breaks down resulting in the engine being easy to start whencold because the insulation is better and more difficult when hot because you have a partial breakdown of that insulation.

Best solution is to have the mag rotor rewound by a specialist and it will give you yet another 25 years trouble-free service (and mags loook better too!).

Regards,

Peter Bolton

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

Hello Bob, BTH now do a new electronic Magneto. self generating no batteries needed.

So you fit it and forget it all for £550 pounds - a bargain so go tohttp://www.bt-h.biz/

yours Anna j dixon

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

I have a 1955 Dommi the magneto works great and I like the fact that it will start and run in spite of the fact that my dynamo is giving me problems. However I also have a 1936 Excelsior Manxman which has been difficult to start for a couple of years , so this spring I converted it to electronic using a Thorspark unit it cost 150 GBP and runs on 6 volts. The entire module fits inside the contact breaker cover, I was able to hide the coil under the tank so the whole rig looks stock. It gives a big fat spark at low revs and starts easily now. In addition to the above I have a 1925 16H with a later Lucas mag, last year it would start fine from cold but as it warmed up the spark would get erratic. I found that the condenser was bad so replaced it with one from a chainsaw the bike now starts and runs great. Hope the foregoing is helpful, good luck

Teaticketony Lockwood

Previously wrote:

Previously wrote:

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

I had the same problem but a change of plug leads and two new plug caps without resistors cured it - worth a try.

Iain

I will try and see what happens , Thanks , bob

it may just be worth mentioning that magnetos were designed to run with pure copper HT leads , copper has no resistance to electricity but using carbon trace , suppressed leads and suppressor caps will reduce the current flow significantly , even on a newly refurbished magneto, the spark will be very poor if you do so .

Further-Copper HT lead does have some resistance-all metal will have some resistance to electricity, it is just a matter of quantity. In copper any resistance is in effect non-existence. Failing windings! yes could just as well have failing condenser/capacitor. You can get 6V electronic ignitions -but NOT recommended. The biggest problem with going electronic ignition is the QUANTITY of electricity ie the total amps from the dynamo cannot keep up with electronic ignition (which is in fact just coil ignition with a fancy switch (set of points)) AND the use of lights. Also small batteries and creeping around town don't help. In these conditions the owner of the bike needs to understand that in this condition the bike become a non viable motor vehicle! You cannot just jump on it and use it without considerations.

Ways around this? Lowest current ignition (Boyer micro power) Large battery. 12V field coil and best regulator on dynamo. LED rear light. And of course user beware.

Otherwise stick with the mag, possible cheaper and certainly easier to have mag refurbished.

Al Osborn

Previously wrote:

I want to change the magneto to electronic ignition on my 1955 dominator 88 to make it more reliable as it is harder to start when hot and i believe this might help , can anyone advise on the best system and a rough idea of cost ,

Thank you ,

Bob

Hello Bob I have Been Looking At prices , Pazon Mag replacement 369 Pounds for the kit ? But I still say a magento is the Best ??

I agree with Anna - stick with a magneto. When I first rebuilt my coil ignition Dommie in 1965 I had a lot of trouble mainly because I hadn't changed the HT leads! I changed the 1959 coil system to a 1955 K2F magneto from my old 88 as theoriginal setup wasn't up to the job and gave me too much trouble. ALWAYS, ALWAYS use copper-cored HTleads with any old classicbike- certainly if it's only 6 Volt and has coil ignition. (Legally you're supposed to have the HT supressed). As Anna says, you'd have to go 12 Volt to use electronic ignition and a lot of people seem to get trouble with it. An old-fashioned mag will get you home when the battery has failed!

BTW, has anyone here ever had their battery disconnect itself when riding at nightwith one of the terrible old screw-on plastic terminals falling off? If so, you can tell everone what happens next!!

Cheers, Lionel