Aftermarket Electronic Ignitions Lemans 3

[eightiesguzzis]

Hey :) Hope the new year is smoking your tires :)

I have a few choices and wondering if anyone has first hand experience with either the Dyna 3 or Silent Hektik aftermarket ignitions for my Mk3. I am leaning towards the Silent Hektik kit at present, sounds more "uptodate" if you like. Any advice out there?

cheers
Ross

[Rick4003]

I have the Dyna III and it works. or it has worked perfectly the 400km I have managed to put on the bike in the short time I had the possibility. There are some tales about units breaking down, but there is so many of them running that it is probably a very small percentage. It was quite easy to install. Just remember that it is important to ground it directly on the engine.

I'm sure there is others who has much more mileage on them that can give you some more info on it.

On the Silent Hektik I'm just like John Snow, I know nothing.

-Ulrik

[eightiesguzzis]

Hey Ulrik

Did you also upgrade the coils to the Dynatech 5 ohms? I did "read" this was a must otherwise the standard coils ran to hot...

Thanks for you reply :)

[pete roper]

In my experience the Dyna system works just fine as long as you keep a good battery in the bike. The problem seems to be that if the battery is weak, while the motor may crank and eventually fire the voltage drop and consequent spike when the motor fires and the charging system kicks in can and does fry the diodes in the Dyna box. Usually the signs of this are a loss of spark on one side as the box is effectively two separate circuits.

The Silent Hektic I would avoid like the plague. It runs a wasted spark and if the engine doesn't catch it can spit back flame through the carbs and, especially if you are running pod filters, set fire to stuff resulting in the bike burning to the ground like so











You're welcome to draw your own conclusions.

Pete

[Old Jock]

This might help

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=93561.msg1477785#msg1477785

I'm running a Sachse on my LM 1000 and it works well

Damm it all Pete beat me to it

John

[blackcat]

As above, coils for the Dyna are required and they have to be mounted correctly but that isn't difficult. I had problems with my first Dyna and they replaced it without question and after that I have had no problems. I would guess it has been in use for at least 15 years and I have not touched the thing in all of that time. I even rebuilt the engine, installed the distributor with the untouched Dyna, lined up the marks and it started right up.

[leolad]

I had a Dyna 3 fail for the reason mentioned above. It will not leave you stranded, just progressive missing at idle. New one works fine with fully charged battery.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Most of the Dyna failures I've seen are one of the pick-ups going bad and effectively turning your 949 cc Guzzi into a 475 cc. 

Perhaps a C5 Ignition? http://www.c5ignitions.com/motorcycle-ignitions.html

[Fnq1000]

Hi
I have had a Dyna ignition since 1994 and all but the last 12 months it has run with stock coils. One died last year. Now it has the Dyna coils. Definitely give it a thumbs up.

However also you might consider an Ignitech http://www.ignitech.cz/en/

Excellent price, good after sales advice and you can 'fiddle' with it if you so desire.

I have a sache ignition on a Laverda all good and I don't doubt the Guzzi applications are too https://elektronik-sachse.de/shopsystem-3/en/?cat=c3_Moto-Guzzi.html&cPath=1_3

Wouldn't touch a Piranha or Silent-Heltik with my money.

Do change out from points, it is a great improvement if you are going to ride your bike. One less thing to be bothered with.

Cheers
Jason

[Don G]

 The only failure I have ever experienced with a Dyna ignition was a new unit failing to operate on the LH cylinder, sent the box in to Dyna and they replaced it with another. I have a couple of C5 ignition systems, they seem to work good, so far.  DonG

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Do change out from points, it is a great improvement if you are going to ride your bike. One less thing to be bothered with.

My Convert is running points still and will continue to do so. Point gap and timing are exactly the same at the end of the season as I set them at set in April - 9k miles later. Starts immediately, no pinging, 42 mpg average. Not much incentive to spend a few hundred $$ on an e.i.

[BigDave in PA]

My Convert is running points still and will continue to do so. Point gap and timing are exactly the same at the end of the season as I set them at set in April - 9k miles later. Starts immediately, no pinging, 42 mpg average. Not much incentive to spend a few hundred $$ on an e.i.

+1

[blackcat]

The pro's and cons of electronic vs. points is funny. 

[wymple]

My Cal II has had Dyna since the early 90's and used the stock coils for over 2 decades. I changed them last year for the heck of it.

[pressureangle]

My '85 LM IV has a dyna 3 with dyna coils. It never ran really right, always in charging deficit, as they're known to be with stock alternators. In Florida, law requires a headlight at all times- the combo of headlight and Dyna was more than the alternator output. Installing the Moto Electrics Saprisa system made it an entirely new machine. So the lesson is, if you install the Dyna and find your battery always low, prepare to go back to points or upgrade the charging system.
I searched, but never could find any data for current draw on the Dyna; perhaps it depends on too many variables. In any case, the Saprisa is a no-brain upgrade to any of the bosch systems, tho it's expensive.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

My '85 LM IV has a dyna 3 with dyna coils. It never ran really right, always in charging deficit, as they're known to be with stock alternators. In Florida, law requires a headlight at all times- the combo of headlight and Dyna was more than the alternator output. Installing the Moto Electrics Saprisa system made it an entirely new machine. So the lesson is, if you install the Dyna and find your battery always low, prepare to go back to points or upgrade the charging system.
I searched, but never could find any data for current draw on the Dyna; perhaps it depends on too many variables. In any case, the Saprisa is a no-brain upgrade to any of the bosch systems, tho it's expensive.

Saprisa or Ducati Energia?

[pressureangle]

Saprisa or Ducati Energia?

Paperwork says 'EnDuraLast'. So I don't know. Can't recall and didn't take any pictures of it. :/

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Paperwork says 'EnDuraLast'. So I don't know. Can't recall and didn't take any pictures of it. :/

That would be the Ducati Energia based system.

[wymple]

The pro's and cons of electronic vs. points is funny.

Not sure why you say that. Certainly the electronic is functionally superior, but in the middle of the night and in the middle of nowhere I can fiddle with points and get home. I've had problems with the electronic ignition on 4 bikes over the years, 2 Suzukis (one stock & one aftermarket), an XS650 and a Kawasaki twin. That's called trailering, and it's not pleasant. Points have their own "charm", and they work decent with little cost involved. Some of these systems run hundreds of dollars and a complete tuneup with points might run 30-40 bucks. My Guzzi runs fine with the Dyna on it, but the points system in it's entirety sits in the saddle bag.

[wirespokes]

pressureangle - There must have been something wrong with your charging system. My 87 LM4 hasn't had any problems like that in the 11K I've owned it since Nov 2016. Several of my BMWs also have Dynas and they had no charging issues either - same Bosch charging system.

I do agree it's a good idea carrying the points just in case. Those electronics can fail suddenly with no warning. It's happened to me a couple of times.

[Rick4003]

Hey Ulrik

Did you also upgrade the coils to the Dynatech 5 ohms? I did "read" this was a must otherwise the standard coils ran to hot...

Thanks for you reply :)

I don't have the Dyna coils on mine. The ones mounted are similar to the original coils but a smaller diameter. I believe they are 5 ohms, but I better check it when I get home.

I would check out C5 too if I had to buy a new kit. but they are a bit spendy.
-Ulrik

[guzzista]

It is hard to beat the Dyna for the availability , price and overall reliability factor. Other options more  Up to date? Kinda funny, as the bikes the ignitions go on are dinosaurs anyway.  If you don't like electronic ignition ,points work fine if not a bit fiddly to set up.  As for the others ignitions available, its your money. Are they better?...only if you want to believe so.  I currently have  3 Dynas on  3 Guzzis and all work well. The one on my SP had gone belly up on one cylinder most likely due to the low battery voltage issue  and quite possibly it had been that way for over 25 years). After correcting the problem by installing  points  and condensers, I replaced the Dyna with a new unit.  As per the Sachse igntion ,The one I ordered for my Benelli  Tornado was lacking the reference pointer for one cylinder and the bike ran like a.... single. No apology from the manufacturer and it cost money , time and aggravation to return and get my money back.

[pete roper]

pressureangle - There must have been something wrong with your charging system. My 87 LM4 hasn't had any problems like that in the 11K I've owned it since Nov 2016. Several of my BMWs also have Dynas and they had no charging issues either - same Bosch charging system.

I do agree it's a good idea carrying the points just in case. Those electronics can fail suddenly with no warning. It's happened to me a couple of times.

I'd also say that this may of been the case.

One of the issues with the Bosch alt is that people don't realise that although similar to the one used on BMW's of the same era it isn't the same.

The rotors of the system used on Guzzis are fractionally bigger and if you substitute one off a BMW the air gap betwixt rotor and stator is too large leading to low charging. Is that the issue? No idea! Just sayin'

Pete

[kidneb]

Paperwork says 'EnDuraLast'. So I don't know. Can't recall and didn't take any pictures of it. :/

Video here :   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBxaYIlS6SY

[Don G]

Yup Ducati Energia system

[pressureangle]

Who can say whether the Bosch setup was stock or not, but it passed all the tests I could find to give it except holding up voltage below 3500 rpm with the headlight on- and God forbid trying to run it with the high beam for more than a half hour. The old parts are long gone, can't look back now. The new system kicks ass, and I can run the 100w high beam without worry of charging.

<shrug> test your battery voltage with high beam and chart the voltage at idle and rpm up through regulator maximum. If it looks good, it is good.