tri-spark Ignition system

I got a quick reply back from Tri Spark, a good sign.

Hi Richard,

Thank you for your interest in the Tri-Spark ignition. Your coils will be fine to use. The minimum resistance spec is 3 ohms for the Tri-Spark.


Regarding the kickback - we've been selling these kits for about a year now with the anti kick back claim and nobody has called or emailed to say they had a problem. In fact here's an email from a customer in the UK.....


Hi Steve - just to let you know that I fitted the Tri-Spark 'Classic-Twin' to my 920 Commando yesterday - it started easily first kick !!! - brilliant - it was always good with the 'old' Tri-Spark that I had fitted but this is just outstanding. The 'anti-kickback' system certainly works as I stopped and started it about thirty times during my 75 mile test ride and not once did I get any symptom of kickback.


Please let me know if you have any other questions,

Regards,

Steve


Stephen Kelly

Northstar Electronics

Tel: +61 8 8371 1664

Fax +61 8 8371 0839

email: steve@nse.com.au

www.nse.com.au

www.trispark.com.au



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-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Cook [mailto:cookiecookr@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 18 March 2009 6:31 AM
To: sales@trispark.com.au
Subject: Tri-Spark website enquiry


Message from: Richard Cook <cookiecookr@yahoo.com>

Message:

Hi,

I currently have a Norton Commando engine in a special fitted with a Boyer. It has two 12 volt high performance coils that are under four ohms together.

The Boyer tends to give me a starter kick back now and then.

First,

Will your unit eliminate the kickback?

Second,

Will your unit work with my current coils?

Regards,

Richard Cook

tri-spark

Hello All No kick back here ! Been tuning and tweeking carbs the last week just starting to get warm here for some good test runs Tri-Spark is superb starts and idles wonderful .Even on my mk111 kick starting is getting to over take the the red button. Still need to lower my needles a notch but right know i'm having fun riding. Project started in Oct. so i'm going to take advantage of this warm up and ride a little. The wrenching can wait for a rainy day. Now i just need to back off on the throttle and remember 15 over is 4 points. Got a wake-up call sunday when i was stopped for doing 80 in a 50mph zone ! The boys keep asking whats a norton ? I told them shes older than he was. But got a chance standing by the side of the road pulled over lights a flashing to show off my Norton on a sunday afternoon i'm she she turned a lot of heads. Its to early in the riding season to be losing my riding priviliges. M.C. Hows that for kick back iwant to kick my self in the ass

I bought my trident ignition direct. Guess I'll email Steve and have him send me a twin version. I am real sick of a sore ankle and foot from kickback. Plus I am not satisfied with the boyer in any way. I did put a pazon on my triumph last year and love it. Expectation for the trispark is very high.

Thanks,

BB

I considered the Pazon but it looked like more of the same. Hopefully my Tri spark will soon be in the mail.
My sore foot is almost better, I think the old Norton was in a bad mood from sitting since last fall.

The pason may look same, but it performs better and is built better IMO, but again it is similar to the boyer. The trispark on my triple was the cats meow and is many times better than either the boyer or pazon build and performance wise, but you pay for it. It sure is nice to have a few choices where as in the past there was boyer or points.

Customer service seems to be very good on all these units. I got a nice note that they have shipped my Tri Spark. In the past Boyer has been good about answering emails also.
I may have caused that big kickback I had the other day by not charging the battery before starting it. During all the construction on my garage I had disconnected the battery minder.

There was of course also the choice of Lucas RITA previously.

The Boyer does seem to have been left behind now but don't let's forget that many of us have travelled tens of thousands of trouble-free miles with them over the last thirty years or so.

I've had the odd wiring and voltage sensitivity problem but when compared with the points sytems that I seemed to spend every saturday fiddling with on various bikes through the 1970s, the Boyer was pretty much fit and forget and it did do what they said on the box.

I'll always be grateful to Boyers for making it in the first place.

I may just see if I can adapt the Boyer to my Chang. Frankly I never had much trouble with the points in my Commandos anyway. I adjusted them a couple of times a year and kept them lubed.
The Boyer was the first one out was it not? I have no experience with the Lucas Rita and I think I've heard mostly positive remarks about them.
I think at my age the new ignition might just save me an expensive injury, this is something I never would have worried about at 20.

I am also looking at buying a Tri-Spark Classic Twin unit, however I did note that the unit does not appear to have a programable rev-limiter. The Pazon Smart Fire does. Over revs on a missed shift or my 19 year old over- revving does concern me. I don't want the old girl to throw a rod through the cases..

The first Boyer I got back in 1974 (Mk 2 version) mounted entirely in the points cavity like the Tri-Spark. My old college roommate and I both bought these (mail order from England) and installed them on our Commandos, They both had a big problem with the engine heat. Boyer took them back no problem and replaced them with Mark 1As (with remote electronics box) which is basically the same as what is now a Mk 3. See link http://www.ntnoa.org/engine.htm for the model history. (Thanks NTNOA.) I'm still using my Mk 1A unit 35 years later and still happy with it. Ankle is fine too.

I'm leery of the same heat problem occurring in the Tri-Spark because it is mounted in the points cavity. The timing cover does get very hot. Has anyone using a Tri-spark compared their timing when cold to when hot? I mean with a timing light not by "ear" or how it runs.

Russ

Batrider,

I had similar thoughts about putting everything under one hat, but I purchased anyway. After reading your post I had to ask, here is what Tri-Spark said:

We’ve done extensive testing to determine actual operating temperatures in the engine. For example we’ve installed temperature probes into the stator module and run the engine under various conditions to see what the temperature really is on the inside. The components used in the construction are all rated for the conditions.

One thing you can do to reduce the temperatures in the points area is simply to use a gasket under the cap to isolate it from the engine. The cap then runs at close to ambient temperatures giving some cooling to the points cavity.

Regards,

Steve

Stephen Kelly

Northstar Electronics

Tel: +61 8 8371 1664

Fax +61 8 8371 0839

email: steve@nse.com.au

www.nse.com.au

www.trispark.com.au