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Dyna electronic ignition? Good Idea or no?
- Jrider
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1982 Kawasaki KZ 750 R , Stock
2007 Harley Davidson Police Electraglide
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- SWest
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- 10 22 2014
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Steve
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- zukdave
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Points nope not for me
The Dyna S DOES NOT like low voltage as in a bad battery.
If your battery will not start your bike and you have to kick it
that is what kills them.
1980 KZ650 F1
ZX750A1 motor.
Wiseco 810cc kit.
Zukiworks racing ported head.
VM 29 smooth bore's.
Dyna 2000 Ign. w/Dyna mini coil's
APE cylinder stud's and nut's.
APE valve spring's.
APE Track King clutch.
V/H KZ1000 sidewinder.
3.5x18 laced to a KZ1000 disk hub.
150/60/18 Shinko 006 Podium.
63" wheel base.
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- SWest
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- 10 22 2014
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Steve
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- 650ed
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Jrider wrote: 1) Are the electronic ignitions better then the points/condenser system? 2) are the electronic systems any less reliable? 3) is it a better spark? 4) is it maintenance free? Maintenance, I would like !! What about the Accel coils....worth the money?
I guess it depends on the definition of "better."
Electronic ignition should require zero maintenance, and as long as the system works properly performance doesn't deteriorate. Points require periodic maintenance (clean up and adjust about every 5,000 miles and replace every 8-10,000 miles). As the points deteriorate performance gradually decreases, so dressing or replacing them is necessary to maintain top performance. With a little experience, replacing points is an easy 20 minute task.
Points gradually deteriorate over time as the wear/pit, but having them fail hard and leave one stranded is pretty much unheard of. Electronic ignition doesn't normally deteriorate, but they sometimes fail and can stop 2 or all 4 cylinders from firing.
The up front cost of installing electronic ignition on a points bike can be fairly expensive as it normally requires the coils to also be replaced along with the ignitor, pickups, etc. Refreshing points and condenser with new units is much less expensive, but should be done every 8-10,000 miles. Break even point between the two technologies is probably 100,000 miles or more assuming the electronic ignition never fails.
Personally, I still use points in my 1977 KZ650, and am perfectly satisfied with that system on the bike. After owning the bike for 38+years I don't find maintaining points at all difficult. My 3 cars and truck all have electronic ignition, and I am perfectly satisfied with that on those vehicles and very happy that I do not need to fiddle with points on them. :laugh:
Regarding coils - before considering replacing them you should decide on whether or not you are going to replace the points with electronic ignition. After that decision is made, determine which coils are appropriate for your ignition system because that will depend on the rest of the ignition system. Ed
1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- RonKZ650
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I have 2 more KZ650s with the Dyna S system, the green one in my avatar has the system with Dyna coils and has worked flawlessly. The other was my work bike that I bought for $150, another 77 KZ650. The points drove me nuts on it as they did on my first 650. I had a free 1981 KZ550 that I put the factory electronic system onto the KZ650. It worked fine, but no provision to alter timing, and the timing wasn't that close, so I slotted the plate and got the timing sorted out, but the system quit working in short order. Time for another Dyna S. I ran it for 45,000 miles with the stock coils. Bike has 70,000 on it. No problems with the Dyna S. I always run a battery until it's dead too, and have run with weak batteries that required kick start. No problems. I recommend ditching points soon as possible.
321,000 miles on KZ's that I can remember. Not going to see any more.
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- SWest
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Steve
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- bountyhunter
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From the posts I have read, the Dynas blow up a lot. The factory Kawi electronic ignitions seem to be reliable.Jrider wrote: 1) Are the electronic ignitions better then the points/condenser system? 2) are the electronic systems any less reliable? 3) is it a better spark? 4) is it maintenance free? Maintenance, I would like !! What about the Accel coils....worth the money?
Not better than a properly functioning coil system. The electronics with programmable spark advance are better than mechanical advancers but it is not due to "better spark", it's because a more perfectly tailored spark advance can squeak out a bit more power..is it a better spark?
1979 KZ-750 Twin
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- bountyhunter
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Sounds like a defective design. Not sure why a low system voltage should blow it out.zukdave wrote: The factory elect. ign. is the best second to the Dyna S.
Points nope not for me
The Dyna S DOES NOT like low voltage as in a bad battery.
If your battery will not start your bike and you have to kick it
that is what kills them.
1979 KZ-750 Twin
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- missionkz
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Yeah I can't figure that one out either.... however my Dyna III went about 34,000 miles and then suddenly started miss firing over a few weeks and eventually two cylinders went out. I stuck the points system back in, set them up correctly, even though one capacitor/(condensor) tests half the uF of the other ... and noticed ZERO difference in performance between the two systems. :huh:bountyhunter wrote:
Sounds like a defective design. Not sure why a low system voltage should blow it out.zukdave wrote: The factory elect. ign. is the best second to the Dyna S.
Points nope not for me
The Dyna S DOES NOT like low voltage as in a bad battery.
If your battery will not start your bike and you have to kick it
that is what kills them.
Anyhow I have since bought a newest super whiz bang woof woof.. model/version of the Dyna S and will be installing it sometime soon.
A points plate, with the point's dwell set tight well enough with your cam, installation marked in the housing vs plate position for close enough timing to get home in good shape and it all tossed under the seat, seems like a good idea if you are out on the road a lot.
Bruce
1977 KZ1000A1
2016 Triumph T120 Bonneville
Far North East Metro Denver Colorado
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- loudhvx
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1981 KZ550 D1 gpz.
Kz550 valve train warning.
Other links.
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- missionkz
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Is this a BJT or FET or ? and is the tranny located in the advance plate or?loudhvx wrote: If the Dyna S does in fact blow up from low voltage... one way to fail, that comes to mind, could be too little gain in the output stage, allowing the driver to go into the active region, thus creating a lot more heat in the driver (transistor).
Bruce
1977 KZ1000A1
2016 Triumph T120 Bonneville
Far North East Metro Denver Colorado
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