Rider Fatigue

Many people think that fatigue involves going to sleep, but for motorcyclists the real problem is a lapse in concentration.
Rider fatigue indicators include:
• Running a bit wide on a corner.
• A couple of rough gear changes.
• Not seeing a sign.
• Day dreaming.
• Dry mouth.
• Stiff joints (neck, knees and wrists).
If you have any signs of fatigue stop immediately and rest.
source: NSW government Motorcycle Riders Handbook
Read more in the riders handbook.pdf

Spark plugs and suppression Q and A

We often get asked about spark plugs, caps, HT leads and spark suppression. This question from Andrew in the UK is a good one.

Q: I have fitted a Tri Spark (Classic Twin) to my T140E but suspect that my standard plug caps and leads may no longer be suitable (both the caps and leads are expanding with heat and the caps keep jumping off the plugs)
Please can you confirm which type of plug and lead I should fit?

A: The plug cap must be a good fit or it will continue to fall off. The ones pictured above from the sets we sell are tight fitting and click positively onto the spark plug. The HT wire is simply cut to length and screwed into the socket for easy connection to the cap.

Q: Are resistor plugs (NGK BPR7ES) OK to use instead of a resistor cap? Yes

Q: My plug wires are copper core.  Is this OK or should they be replaced with carbon core?

A: We don't recommend carbon core leads unless both molded end fittings can be retained. Carbon leads are great for cars but no so good for bikes with high vibration and heat. Cutting carbon leads and fitting universal caps is generally not a good practice. Automotive leads are often odd colours and have unsightly printing down the length.

Q: Can I use Iridium plugs with the Tri-Spark ignition?

A: Some people will claim an improvement changing to iridium. There's no harm in it however for the cost you might be better off to buy 2 sets of the standard type to keep on hand for spares.

Q: Do I need spark suppression with the Tri-Spark ignition?  

A: Spark noise is like the electrical equivalent of a Tsunami or Tornado. The electrical noise interferes with all sorts of electronic items including the ignition and charging systems so it's best to have either resistor type plugs or caps (not both) fitted to your engine to reduce the noise and keep things running smoothly. Keeps your GPS happy too! 

Frank Zappia R3



This very fast 930 Rocket 3 Belonging to Frank Zappia was recently spotted at the Broadford Bike Bonanza. He's been fine tuning the details of this very competitive racer for years now - most recently with all new electrical parts from us. Frank knows his bikes and loves to recommend  and install our ignitions for his mates in the Sydney NSW area.

Plastic cover shows off the Tri-Spark

Magni Rocket 3

This one of a kind racer made by Magni and triple Tecs puts out over 90 HP claimed from the highly tuned Rocket 3 power plant. Handcrafted to suit this engine it displays an attention to detail rarely seen in such builds - we love the signature Magni custom exhaust and hand hammered tank. Just Beautiful!
Click to read more

2012 Manx GP entry

Update from Steve Robins:
Mark Parrett the rider and I spent the weekend at the Beezumph track days and rally in Anglesey a few weeks back, fine tuning the gearbox and other small annoyances. Mark was very pleased with the Rocket 3 now and feels the bike is a much better all-round package than it was 2011, with more attention to detail.

As usual the Tri-Spark fired the bike at the first turn of the rear wheel which is a big challenge for an ignition system with the huge porting on the R3 cylinder head and 33mm carbs, of course with such large carbs the pilot jet is almost ineffective so the ignition has to fire the bike with a huge amount of fuel from the 270 main jets and a very large volume of air passing through. Quick starting capability is of the greatest importance at the Manx GP because of the 240 Km distance covered a refuel at the half way stage is necessary, where the engine must be stopped and restarted after the refuel. Poor starting in pit lane can cost the race during this exercise.

There is a lot more competition this year in the Formula Classic race this year with six Triples entered, a few Honda 4s and at least two Norton Commandos, but even with this competition we are confident and looking forward to what we hope will be a successful two weeks at the Manx and bring home the win in the Formula Classic race again on the Tri-Spark powered BSA Rocket 3.

Best regards

Steve Robins (aka) Snibor

picture courtesy of  DJG Photography +44 7791647414

Customer Ride

Ted Stanley's unrestored 1974 850 Commando.

Ted says "I installed the Tri-Spark system about 8000 miles ago and all those have been trouble free miles.

Fuel consumption has been about 48-52 mpg during this time and I didn't even use a timing light on installation - Just used your handy built in timing LED .Bike starts first kick and has a ton of power. Couldn't be more pleased.

The backdrop for picture is the local harbor where I live on Whidbey Island, a smaller island in Puget Sound about an hour north of Seattle, Washington.

Thanks again for a great product which has proved itself over and over."

Cheers.

Ted Stanley, Vice president Northwest Norton Owners Association.

Desert Sled

The June 2012 issue of Classic Bike, which sells around the world, has a feature on a Triumph twin that runs our complete Tri-Spark system.

It's written by Australian motorcycle journalist Hamish Cooper. He bought a wreck of a 1966 Triumph Bonneville chopper from Murray's Britbikes, which stocks our electronic systems. Over 18 months he rebuilt this junker into a "desert sled" using period parts. But there were two areas he didn't cut corners on: the ignition and carburetion. Here's a extract from the feature:

 To ensure clean running I got the Monobloc carbs resleeved and bought an entire ignition system (coils, rectifier, electronic ignition) from the Australian Tri-Spark company.....

..... After a few hours of running in around a farm property I took the Triumph to a Vinduro event and it performed faultlessly. It started easily and chugged from low revs, even with twin carbs. This proves that the decision to fit fully rebuilt carbs and a complete new ignition system was the right one.

Modern fuels often don’t agree with old British engines so you need every bit of help you can find.

Motorcycles Classics: Tri-Spark Installation on the Norton Commando

A must read for Norton owners - Motorcycle Classics contributor Keith Fellenstein of Geezer's Garage in Lawrence Kansas has put together an incredible How to article for the Norton Commando installation. This is one of the best we've seen, complete with clear and accurate photos by Keith and copy written by editor in chief Richard Backus.

click here to read the article

Keith is also the happy owner of a Tri-Spark powered '74 Trident which he claims starts first kick every time with the proper tickling (don't we all!)

Thanks for permission to share this with my readers