Boyer Bransden Ign.

[Wally Anderson]

Hi all:
Has anybody had any experience with Boyer electronic Ignition?
Cheers,
Wally Anderson
65 250 bitsa

[Bevel bob]

The basic (analog?) system is fussy about voltage , advance curve is unlike most of the standard orriginal systems and needs to be timed with a strobe at high revs . Cheap and cheerfull?.

[ecurbruce]

Does anyone know which Boyer MKIV kit is the one that can be made to work on Ducati narrow case 250?
what needs to be modified to make it work?

Bruce

[blaat!]

Hey... y'all are reading my mind and then asking my questions

I just started looking into this for my 250 N/C too.

I'd be interested in getting opinions on the best complete system (12v generator and ignition). I've seen the electrex and powerdynamo. Anybody know if these or any other can be used without battery?

Excuse my ignorance, I have to admit that I know very little about electronics... I understand the oil and metal more than the magic electrons, resistance voodoo, wattage, amperage and such.

[sebouh]

I'd love to here any input on this topic also. Advantages of 12v versus 6v? Ignition versus full new electic system?

Sebouh

[3564cam]

Hi,
There is a chap in England that manufactures a ignition kit specifically for Ducati singles.
http://www.kirbyrowbotham.com/ignitions.php?page=5
I have no personal experience of his products but have a look,interesting stuff
Regards
Steve

[Bevel bob]

I have a Boyer Analog system on a Brit bike and its worked well and Boyer has been helpfull to deal with. It needs a charged battery to work.It is a bit vunerable to vibration. It has a slow progressive advance. It does not like low voltage.It needs to be timed at high revs with a strobe. If it packs up on the road thats it.The digital may be better. For my single i decided i wanted a battery, a system that i could take off (on the roadside) and still get going, to be able to set the timing and play with it the old fashioned way,or use a strobe, to be more reliable than stock with a better spark. To be cheap. I chose a Pazon booster,i think Boyer do one as well.The points now only carry a small trigger current and last well, The capacitor is not needed but is still there as a back up.The system has a built in timing light.I can check the timing and only need to be on one side of the bike.I can adjust the timing in the normal way or vary it by a couple of degrees by adjusting the points gap a thou or two, and return to the old setting in a few seconds without the use of a timing disc or a strobe.Works for me.The only disadvantages are, it needs a charged battery, it needs to be mounted with the timing light in view. MIne is tucked up under the tank on the primary side on the front downtube with the light just visible if i'm sitting down on my comfy stool.

[joe46ho]

For anyone wanting a full conversion, I cant really say who sells the best stuff, there are several companies that make conversions. Also, the 6v vs. 12v argument has been well documented, Im not saying my opinion on that, because it always causes a debate when someone does... I will say for anyone wanting to simply eliminate the points and condensor, and go to breakerless ignition, I would recommend the dyna s. I dont think they make any direct fit kit for the ducati single, but just about any single cylinder kit they make will work if you want to do some fab work. I have bought a few different kits from them and made them work on different engines, its really not that hard. A setup like this also retains the factory advance unit, and therefor the timing curve also. I think they make 6v systems, but the ones I have bought in order to modify, have been 12v units. Petronix also makes similar units, but only for cars, and industrial engines, as far as i know. But I have done the same with these kits... I do know petronix (used to be known as perlux) makes 6v systems, positive ground, neg. ground. 12v pos, and neg ground...etc. MSD also makes universal pickup kits, all you really want is a breakerless electromagnetic pickup for a single cylinder engine, with some type of internal amplifier. You will note if you look around that some pickups must be used with a "box" cdi, transistor, etc... The dyna s does not need an external signal amplifier, and there are others that also do not need one... If you really want a fully adjustable racing ignition (not sure why) you could run a msd, or a dyna ignition... I have a dyna 4000 on my gsxr. Its a nice ignition, but is a lot more involved to install, and tune. There are direct fit kits out there, but they all seem to be very expensive...

Attached is a picture of a typical dyna s kit. A unit like this costs around $100 usd
these systems do require a battery, as will most, if not all systems like this.

The power dynamo system is one that is a lot more involved, and you get a lot more (stator/rotor/coil/cdi box/pickup unit, etc...) but I believe they are close to $600 new.