Result of Tri Spark

Hi , can't comment on the compound issue ! But I replaced my boyer unit two years ago with the Tri Spark - only problem I found was my mk2a 850 would not run with NGK plugs ! had to go back to good old champion's and the bike fired up first kick and has one of the best tick overs I have ever had a Commando. Good Luck.
Cheers Ken.

aries said:

Hi All
Well I loved my Tri-Spark also. Unfortunately last week after replacing the timing cover seal, it wouldnt start. Of course I checked things over as one does, but no joy. It could be the coils possibly, so ordered a couple of Tr-Spark coils from LP Williams. Meanwhile contacted Steve Kelly who responded immediately asking me to send back the ignition unit anyway for testing and he would post me a new unit. The suspect unit also had the black sealing compound behind.
The bike has covered less than a thousand miles and in fairness it could be a coil. However, for the bike to suddenly die does unfortunately raise a potential question about the unit.

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Any feedback about the tri-spark had it failed.

Yes, unfortunately it was a faulty unit. The replacement unit has a different colour compound on the back. Possibly other changes may have also taken place internally???

aries said:

Yes, unfortunately it was a faulty unit. The replacement unit has a different colour compound on the back. Possibly other changes may have also taken place internally???

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No idea how many of these units are out there would be interesting to know the failure rate, I am not knocking the tri-spark but for such an expensive unit it is worrying, also for the cost of 1 tri-spark (£200) I can have 3 Boyers so I can always have a spare in my pocket . Will be putting my tri-spark back on and see how it goes.

I love mine.

The most pleasant surprise is the almost immediate steady idle right after starting.

Almost no need to hold the throttle until it warms up.

Of course, my new flat slides from Jim Schmidt no doubt contribute to this.

What a great combination, trispark and his flat slides, transformed my 850!

The amount of Trispark failures compared to Boyer is pretty darn few I'd wager. Like someone mentioned, defects do occur so shit happens, and Trispark definitely stands behind their product.

highdesert said:

I love mine.

The most pleasant surprise is the almost immediate steady idle right after starting.

Almost no need to hold the throttle until it warms up.

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I mentioned this in my Mikuni problems thread and a lot of guys mentioned that is not normal and I probably have a stuck choke.

Bike purrs like a kitten on start up unless it's a bit cool out side then the choke goes on for a short bit.

"The most pleasant surprise is the almost immediate steady idle right after starting.
Almost no need to hold the throttle until it warms up.
Of course, my new flat slides from Jim Schmidt no doubt contribute to this."


The trispark does exactly the same with Amals as far as idle smoothness, throttle needed for warm up is less than maybe 10-15 seconds. Trispark's really an excellent piece. I had flat slides on one of my Ducati's and one thing they DIDN'T do was help the idle!

A year ago I replaced my Boyer with a Tri Spark and also replaced the coils with a dual output coil from CNW. I also rebuilt my carbs and replaced the barrels with new ones from Baxter(BTW a good reason for a kill switch in my case is that one of the barrels sticks in the open position. Any advice on this?). I did all this work because I couldn't find a steady idle.I initially liked the fact that I didn't have the kickback on starting that I had with the Boyer and once it started it idled nice and smooth at low RPM. I had to set my idle to 1500 with the Boyer, but with the TS it will idle nicely down to 800. But that aside now I have a weird surging problem I can't understand. At about one quarter throttle (3-4000rpm)it will miss and surge up to about 5,000 rpm. It seems like it is not getting gas but I have tried every possible setting on the air screw and have changed the mains and pilot jets. I'm currently running 220 mains and 106 pilots. It had 230 and 107 to start with. If I open the throttle it will even out. It feels like its getting gas again. Its like it catches up if you know what I mean. But I had it stop on me this summer and had to get it towed home because it completely died after these symptoms. For two weeks I would go to the garage and try to start it after fiddling with the carb settings. Finally I took the timing cover off and the plugs out so I could turn it over and was getting no LED lite on the TS. I took it out, looked at it, put it back in and it was lighting up again. I don't know what I did, but last nite after taking a ride and having the same symptoms I thought maybe I'd try switching the coils back to the originals since on the previous ride the bracket holding the coil had broken and it was resting between the cylinders. I had to make a new bracket to mount it, but I thought maybe I had damaged it in some way. Then I looked at the Forum this morn and here was all this TS info so now I'm stumped on what to do.
The more I think about it after reading this post, it doesn't seem like a carb problem, but could it be an intermittent spark issue relating to the TS? I still have the Boyer and the other coils. I could try that if I can remember where the wires go: I had to re-route them with the TS and the single dual output coil. I had to bring a hot wire from the ignition to the TS. I'm not sure I remember how it was with the twin coils.
A buddy also suggested running another ground wire from the coil to the engine since it is insulated from the frame even tho I have one from the bracket to the frame. Today I will check the grounding wire from the engine to the frame after reading here about a cracked wire.
I'm really afraid to take it anywhere far from home in case I get stranded again so my test drives are confined mainly to a radius of no further than I want to push a dead bike say a couple miles. I'm not doing any more of those test drives in the boonies til I figure this out.
Any advice will be respectfully received.
THX Bruce

If I open the throttle it will even out.

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This could be lean on the needles or needle jets, but complete cut out, hmmm, electrical perhaps. The worry thing is you might have two problems here.

Have you got the insulation spacers fitted between the maifolds and head?
Cash

Hi Bruce,

I can relate to your story. I was getting raedy to do a 1500 mile ride and all was ready except this once in a while loss of ignition. Like a kill switch had been thrown. The engine was rebuilt, the coils were replaced with a high output unit and best of all the Trispark was giving me excellent starting, idleing, and running. Nothing worse in my opinion than a once in a while fault. I would much rather have something just pack it in. I removed all the original wiring and hand built my own harnass with every connector soldered and shrink wrapped. Still a problem. Replaced the original coils. Still a problem. OMG the only think left is my trusty Trispark. And thats exactly where the problem was..in the Trispark. I triple confirmed this by switching the Boyer in and out. 100% confirmed that the Trispark was the source of my problem. The next problem was an odd series of 'misunderstandings' with CNW. In the end a new unit was received and I left on my trip. After 800 miles at the top of a mountain in Oregon the problem returned. I then vented the points compartment by using small pieces of rubber hose on the screws to leave a small gap between the cover and the points compartment to provide air flow and cooling. Since then my Trispark has been 100 % reliable. So having made a short story long...check your Trispark. Good luck.

Bruce (69750S),

Get a hold of me in the shop at 970-882-7163, so that we can talk about what you are experiencing with your bike. Also you mention a broken bracket for your coil. If this is in fact the bracket that came with the single coil, then let me know so that I can send you a new one right away.

I tried to do a PM or e-mail you directly but for some reason it didnt work.

Anyway.....call me.

Thanks

Matt / Colorado Norton Works

I wish steve Kelly made the original triple style unit for the twins and not just the all in one unit.

Hey Britbike 220 great picture on your profile. Looks like you were covering some miles. Very cool

Andy

Andy, that was in Birmingham in the fall. Was one of the best motorcycle trips I've ever had. That trip and that bike helped me realize how nice a norton really is.

I just got off the phone with Matt at CNW and he is going to send me a new Tri Spark after New Years to test to see if that is the problem or carbs. It could be either with me messing with it. I told him to wait and let me rule out some other possibilities before he sent it because I didn't want him to eat the cost of the unit if it was something I did. but he said he wants to take care of his customers first.
I just want to say publicly what a great resource CNW is and how proactive they are in making sure their customers are satisfied. I didn't call them; they called me when Matt read the post. I have seen on this Forum some who have complained about the high prices CNW charges for their work. Personally I would much rather pay a little more and get superlative customer service. That is almost impossible to find today at any price.
What a great Christmas present!
Now if Matt would give me one of his $28,000 Commando rebuilds I could die a happy man. Just kidding Matt.
Thanks again
Bruce
BTW to the insulator question asked earlier; Yes I put the insulating gasket between the manifold and the head. It also seems Baxter sent me a rubber O-ring that I put between the gasket and the manifold or maybe not. I think I recall calling Baxter and asking if I should use both, but I don't remember what I did.

The thin rubber O-ring goes between the carb face and the stub manifold, then the heat spacer goes between this whole assembly and the cylinder head.

Personally I would much rather pay a little more and get superlative customer service. That is almost impossible to find today at any price.

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Those are the words of a very, very wise man!

JimC said:

Personally I would much rather pay a little more and get superlative customer service. That is almost impossible to find today at any price.

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Those are the words of a very, very wise man!

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Most businesses out there should take a page out of CNW's customer support manual to learn a thing or two. Best service and after the sale service I have ever received. EVER.

A little birdie told me CNW is making a vented points cover now. Could help out with some heat issues that some experience.

" CNW is making a vented points cover now."

But I dont WANT a vented points cover...the POINTS don't need a vented cover.