setting up Ducati electronic ignition

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Jordan
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Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:29 am

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby Jordan » Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:11 am

Sorry, no photo - I have the Spanish pickup on mine.
Are you concerned that "too far out" ignition timing might hurt something? I would not worry - just get it running and adjust.
Maybe try to deliberately err on the retarded end of the scale, to avoid kickback.
If you are not getting near to what you think it should be with regard to the relative positions of the pickup rotor and stator, the gears might not have been timed correctly under the cover. Simple enough to put right, if that's the case.

Scottish888
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:47 am
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland UK

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby Scottish888 » Wed Sep 18, 2019 2:46 pm

Thanks Jordan,

Mainly concerned to avoid kickback, I have a sports injury in my knee and don't like to give more trouble.
Maybe the V notch on the rotor should line up with the white mark and not the trailing edge as I currently have it at TDC.
On this setup I am not sure where the firing point is, I could just center the stator plate to the middle of its range.

Regards

graeme
Posts: 939
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:00 am
Location: Tasmania Australia

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby graeme » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:12 pm

I have two 450’s using this original ignition but the timing is different to your 250.
The TDC mark on the stator is pretty much impossible to detect like yours.
I can take a picture and text it to you if that helps.
I started with the original position where the 2 screws had left witness marks on the plastic stator and set it a little retarded for the initial kick start. 450 kick back is painful.

Graeme

Scottish888
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:47 am
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland UK

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby Scottish888 » Thu Sep 19, 2019 9:07 am

Thanks Graeme,

It could be useful to see a pic. As per your suggestion I will first try setting the stator up where I can see the old screw marks which would mean more retarded than it is at the moment, better than being too advanced.
Seems Ducati never put any timing indication on some or all of these stators.

ducwiz
Posts: 604
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 12:52 pm
Location: near Frankfurt, Germany

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby ducwiz » Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:03 am

Hi,

this is my spare pickup set. It definitely has some adjustment marks. But: the one mounted in my 350M3D has none (no foto, bike presently inaccessible)!

IMG_0432.JPG


Seems Ducati never put any timing indication on some or all of these stators.

I think no, they did, which is visible also in the user manual.

Hans

EDIT:
I just found this: https://www.electrexworld.co.uk/acatalog/STK-169D.html
Seems to be a new product from Electrex, very interesting. Does anybody already run one of these?
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Scottish888
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:47 am
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland UK

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby Scottish888 » Fri Sep 20, 2019 3:24 pm

Thanks for the photo,
I can clearly see the mark on the pic by Hans
The manual describes it but my stators certainly doesn't have any timing marks.
Set my bike up to the mid adjustment point for now and it fired first kick then started on the second kick :) Excellent.
Engine sounds good, exhaust note is nice. With a rebuit engine the compression is high but it kickstarts easily and first time left or right foot. It was ticking over within a few minutes, no choke requited on a warm sunny day here in Scotland so maybe it is a little rich but I can worry about that later..It's alive ! :):)
Thank you everyone in this forum
Last edited by Scottish888 on Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

graeme
Posts: 939
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:00 am
Location: Tasmania Australia

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby graeme » Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:41 pm

Scottish, sorry for not posting a pic but I’m having trouble with technology

Hans has come to help again

Graeme

ducwiz
Posts: 604
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 12:52 pm
Location: near Frankfurt, Germany

Re: setting up Ducati electronic ignition

Postby ducwiz » Sat Sep 21, 2019 1:29 pm

Some more informations:

- In Falloon's book we find photo of the Ducati pickup. Strangely enough here only the rotor has a dot mark, the stator is plain.
- I just came across this: https://www.discovolantemoto.co.uk/singles-ignition-timing-tool-widecase--narrowcase-520-p.asp. Or
https://www.widecase.com/Ignition-timing-tool Not cheap, but very helpful.
Seems that the original pointing tool is presently unavailable, you have to DIY.

Again: the markings on the pickup are only for pre-adjustment. Don't rely on them. Use a strobe light and the pointer tool or a timing disk with adapter to achieve a precise ignition timing.

cheers Hans


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