Classic Twin - Secrets Revealed!

Tri-Spark Classic Twin Secrets Revealed…..for your eyes only

We get asked all the time what makes our Tri-Spark Classic Twin ignition (for British Twins and singles) so different from the rest and I thought it was time to share that story with our customers and friends.

The problem we solved – when the engine is turning slowly and erratically during kickstarting and idling – the rotation of the crank can be difficult to predict – sparking at the wrong time can result in painful kickback, hard starting and lumpy running.

The solution – we use 2 position sensors – one dedicated for slow speed and one for normal running. By comparing the readings from these 2 sensors we get a much more detailed picture of what the engine is doing at low speed. Competitors can’t make this claim!

The result: 

• A steadier idle
• Easier starting without kickback – see testimonial from Brian Nicholls below
• Smooth running throughout the rev range
• Reduced power consumption and less heating of the coils 

More unique features

• LED indication of static timing – extreme accuracy. 
• Easy self-test - complete testing of the ignition system and coils without having to jump on the kick starter!
• No black box – simple wiring, easy installation and originality maintained.

It all adds up - making your riding more enjoyable - we would love to hear your comments!

Brian's Bonneville - Problem Solved!

A Testimonial from Brian Nicholls:

 I was recently having extreme difficulties with the installation of a new B***r ignition system on my Triumph Bonneville. In fact I have both MK's iii and iv.

Once installed the bike was extremely difficult to start, kicked back violently on numerous attempts to start. When it did fire up the static and dynamic timing was proven correct. Both systems acted the same way on this bike.

 I became so annoyed  I started researching systems and Tri- Spark came up time and time again as the best system, so, I purchased said system, fitted it as described and it was an absolute revelation.

Started easily, ran great, ANTI KICKBACK SYSTEM worked perfectly, auto tick over system worked extremely well.

 The Tri-Spark system was worth every penny and so easy to fit', absolute bees knees.

 The best ignition system on the market for value.     

 Thank You ! Best Regards Brian Nicholls

Wiring Woes

Typical peek under the seat of a Triumph twin

Breakdowns - nobody want to be stranded at the side of the road - how do avoid these troubles?

In my experience an electrical problem is more likely to end your ride than just about anything else. Some of these problems are unforeseen but a lot of times they can be avoided.

Here are 5 tips to help keep you going on your next ride.

1. If the wiring loom has been patched a number of times consider replacing it. After 40 years the wires and connectors are just too old and crusty to do the job reliably anymore.
2. Make secure wire joins. Avoid repairing wires midway with connectors.
3. Leave enough slack for the wires to move around a bit without putting strain on the connections.
4. Use good quality connectors and crimpers. Avoid the cheap sets of connectors at the auto parts stores. If you do have to use these preinsulated connectors remember to crimp the back end where the wire exits to support the wire.
5. If you don't have the correct tools and experience to do the job...find an expert to give you a hand and get the job done right. Here in Adelaide there are a number of bike electricians I would happily recommend.

Hope that helps,

Steve Kelly

Tri-Spark

Which Ignition Coils to use?

We are back from our travels now and caught-up with our orders and work backlog...  pheew...

While we were away we received a number of inquiries about which coils to use with the various Tri-Spark ignition systems so here is a summary.

Engine	Ignition Kit	Tri-Spark Coils to suit	Bikes
Unit  Twin	TRI-0005 A or B	6-volt, IGC-1006 (2 required)	Commando, BSA, A65, Triumph, T100, T120, T140, TR7RV, RE Interceptor many others
Unit  Twin	TRI-0005 A or B	12-volt dual output coil, IGC-2012 (1 required)	Commando, BSA, A65, Triumph, T100, T120, T140, TR7RV, RE Interceptor many others
BSA Single	TRI-0005  B	12-volt, IGC-1012 (1 required)	BSA and Triumph Singles all engines
Triple	TRI-0001 (with black box)	12-volt, IGC-1012 (3 required) RECOMMENDED	T150, T160, Trident, Rocket 3, Hurricane
Triple	TRI-0001 (with black box)	6-volt, IGC-1006 (3 required) with ballast resistor	T150, T160, Trident, Rocket 3, Hurricane
Triple	TRI-0002 (no black box)	12-volt, IGC-1012 (3 required) RECOMMENDED	T150, T160, Trident, Rocket 3, Hurricane
Triple	TRI-0002 (no black box)	6-volt, IGC-1006 (3 required) with ballast resistor	T150, T160, Trident, Rocket 3, Hurricane

Points ignition only
All models with 12 volt electrics on points ignition use IGC-1012 except where a ballast resistor is fitted (for example late Norton and Triumph T160). If there is a ballast resistor use IGC-1006.

  

Both of our ignition systems for the triple cylinder bikes (TRI-0002 and TRI-0001) are sequential firing and not a wasted spark system; that is why they are far superior to anything else on the market. Importantly these Tri-Spark kits have different coil requirements than the competitor kits which are wasted spark.   4-volt coils (IGC-1004) are used only for triples bikes that have Boyer and Lucas Rita systems fitted.

Tri-Spark Ignition coils may be ordered on our website products page 

Further information 

http://trispark.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/more-about-coils.html

http://trispark.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/ignition-coil-q.html

New Kit for Moto Guzzi FB-0030

Now available is the Tri-Spark FireBox Pro ignition for Moto Guzzi in response to requests from riders who wanted a reliable and high performance system for their machines.

This system suits engines with the ignition points located in a distributor style housing behind the right side cylinder such as the California, Le Mans, V7, Eldorado, Ambassador and others (1960s to 1980s).

The Tri-Spark Pro for Moto Guzzi is based on our Honda Four FireBox Pro which has been in development for 6 years and on the market for two years with many happy customers around the globe. The Tri-Spark FireBox system has a simple engine pickup which is adaptable for a variety of engines and a PC programmable control box making it perfect for the Guzzi.


The FireBox Pro is our highest spec system with a high speed processor which is tuneable using the optional PC cable and software but don't let that put you off - we send the kits out programmed and ready for action!

What can you expect from the FireBox Pro Guzzi system? Stronger sparks, Easy starts, ultra stable ignition timing giving your machine a lift throughout the rev range. Not relying on the mechanical auto advance unit for the timing sets us apart from the competition.

We offer this kit for use with a variety of ignition coils like our IGC-1012 coils for single plugged heads or the IGC-2012 for dual. We can also tune the box for use with a range of other coils for high performance and racing applications.

Easy starting and high performance using the proven FireBox Pro system - when you want the best for your machine!  Order code FB-0030
Click here to order

Southern Triples Rally Roundup

5th Southern Triples Rally 2017 Hahndorf (9-12 March 2017)

This year the ‘Southern Triples Rally’ for BSA Rocket Three and Triumph Trident riders was moved to South Australia at the request of several triple owners in SA. The previous four southern triples rallies were held in southern NSW to compliment the well-established and very popular northern NSW triples rallies organised by Col McAndrew in Ballina and now Evan’s Head.

So, it was that Gerry Rowley, Steve Cramp, Geoff Kemp and the Tri-Spark team got together to organise this Rally in the picturesque tourist town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide hills to promote the use and enjoyment of these machines.

Many of the thirty or so entrants travelled from as far as New South Wales, Canberra, Queensland and Perth to get there (it is nearly 1200Km from Canberra). The venue was the Hahndorf Resort just south of the village with its fantastic hills vistas and excellent amenities.

To kick things off we had a BBQ dinner in the camp kitchen, organised by Joanne Kelly. This was a very pleasant evening with balmy conditions and the casual surroundings were perfect for getting acquainted with fellow triplers.

The presentation dinner on Saturday evening was at the restaurant in the Resort where we enjoyed a great meal and some thirst quenching after a great day of riding. The award presentations followed the meal with some noteworthy outcomes. Ian and David Wright (Brothers) won awards for their beautifully restored early T150 and T160. Paul Edwards won the best special for his Legend. Steve Mobbs won the Best BSA Rocket 3. The heroic Tim Tapsell won the ‘furthest traveled award’, well deserved for riding his T160 to and from Sydney! The award for best Hurricane went to Steve Cramp while the award for best Drum Brake Trident went to Ian Matthews, both of South Australia. 

Many commented on the caliber of the bikes which are an absolute credit to their owner’s efforts to keep them up to this very high standard. Plans are already being discussed for a next triples rally event in Gunning NSW for 2018 and perhaps back to South Australia after that.

New 6 Volt Magneto Replacement Kit

All new for 2017 is the Tri-Spark Magneto replacement kit for 6 volt operation and the option of electronic advance and retard or fixed timing.

A further option to supplement the usual parallel twin version is the V twin or offset crank setup by popular request!

The kits suit a number of applications where the engine was originally fitted with a 3 bolt flange mounted magneto such as the pre-unit Triumphs, BSA A10s, Vincent twins and singles and Velocette to name a few. These kits utilise our Classic Twin TRI-0005 ignition installed in a small alloy distributor style housing made from solid AL and highly polished. 

Due to many requests we have created new options including 6 volt operation, no advance and retard and offset crank options for v twins like the Vincent and rephased offset crank engines which are often 90 degree offset.

A typical kit for a Pre-unit Triumph on 12 volts (pictured above) includes the alloy housing, Tri-Spark Classic Twin electronic ignition, a dual lead ignition coil IGC-2012, HT leads, spark plug caps and fitting instructions. Part number MRK-0001

Options available: 6 volt operation, no advance and retard, offset crank or V-twin and single cylinder. 

Why No advance retard? Some engines were originally equipped with a mechanical auto advance drive gear for the magneto and if you wish to retain the operation of this gear you will need to order the fixed timing option. A better alternative (more stable timing) would be to source a solid drive gear and let the electronic ignition control the timing.

Possible applications include Pre-unit Triumph, BSA 10 and A7, Vincent twins and singles, Norton Atlas, Velocette and Matchless.

Please request the above options when ordering. Click here to order

This bike by one of our customers in Sydney prompted the 6 volt and no advance options to suit his engine - reports are it works better than ever !! He uses the original charging system with a small 6 volt lithium battery and amazingly the 6 volt version draws only 3 watts from the battery!

Installation Tip - small hardware

Installing an electronic ignition involves working with some small hardware like the screws that hold the pickup plate in the engine. The first thing to check is that the screws are not bottoming out. An extra washer or two may be required in some cases. 

The question is how tight do these screws need to be? If you're worried about them coming undone you can use some thread sealer AFTER you have fully checked the timing and the job is complete. Loctite make a weak sealer for small hardware (Loctite 222) that is great for this sort of work. Avoid damaging threads or breaking hardware by tightening them 'just enough'!!! Another tip - Don't use a high strength thread sealer designed for larger hardware.

T160 Primary Drive Options

For many years now Triumph T160 Trident owners have been wondering what to do if they need to replace their primary drive chain in the event it wears out or breaks as they are no longer available as a spare part.

We have some exciting news from one of our fellow triples enthusiasts here in Australia on how to use a triplex chain to replace the no longer available Duplex chain on your T160. Of all the options available for the T160 this one seems to make good sense when you consider that the triplex chain was well proven on the T150 Trident!!

 Ian says:

Back in 1975 when Triumph released the Electric Start T160 Trident it was widely assumed that the change to a 7/16” Duplex Primary Chain in place of the well proven 3/8” Triplex chain used on T150 Tridents was all about making room for the LH gear change mechanism that had been fitted between the larger Primary Drive Sprocket and the inside surface of the Primary Cover.

Fast forward to the present and T160 owners find themselves with a problem because nobody makes 7/16” Duplex chain anymore.

A number of ‘less than perfect’ solutions to this situation have emerged but they have all had their problems…. Belt drives that really do not fit…. Belts that break frequently…. Twin simplex chains that cannot be adjusted to get even chain tension, and the need to machine chunks of metal from the inner cover to fit these adaptations are just a few of the issues encountered by owners looking for a solution.

However, a recent breakthrough has changed everything.

A new product has emerged that smashes the long-held theory that the duplex chain was used to make room for the LH gear change. Ian and David Wright from www.classic-triumph.com have developed a conversion kit that easily converts a T160 primary drive to accept a 3/8” Triplex chain as fitted to the T150 models and it works perfectly. No machining to any cases is required with this simple ‘swap and go’ solution that leaves you wondering why Triumph ever changed to a Duplex Chain in the first place!

For more information go to http://classic-triumph.com/t160-primary-drive-conversion or http://www.clivescarfesystems.co.uk/

  

New! FireBox Pro for Triumph, Norton and BSA twins FB-0020

You've asked for it and now here it is! Programmable from your laptop PC, the FireBox Pro is a versatile ignition giving you the ultimate in performance from your Norton, Triumph or BSA engine. FB-0020


The advance curve can be set with 11 points by simply dragging the dots on the curve or by entering the values in the boxes. The rev limit is programmable along with the coil dwell time making it compatible with a wide variety of large and small ignition coils.

No wasted sparks unless you want them! This is a 2 channel box capable of firing both cylinders independently with enough flexibility to suit V-Twins, parallel twins or engines with modified crank angles.

What's different about it? The programmable settings for the advance curve, rev limit and engine parameters such as cam or crank triggering, electric or kick start, 2 or 4 stroke and number of cylinders allow you to tailor the operation to your specific requirements. We have supplied FireBox Pro kits for offset cranks, single cylinder speedway engines and supercharged Nortons to name a few.




The pickup unit fits easily under the stock covers while the control box hides under the seat or fuel tank or behind one of the side covers.





We can match this system up with some high powered ignition coils to get the best out of your high compression or supercharged engine. If you need a wasted spark installation ( for compatibility ) we can do that too.

The programming kit (software and cable) is sold separately. We can also supply the box preset to your requirements. Now you can have the performance you've been looking for from your classic racer or road bike!

Check it out on our purchase page - Tri-Spark purchase

New! Triple TRI-0002 - SD with Miniature Coils

New for this month is a special version of our popular triple ignition that is compatible with miniature coils.

The coils are small enough to fit under the tank in some installations. We first trialed this version on Gerry's Rob North featured in a previous story with great results. The bike revs out beautifully now and has covered several thousand miles - Gerry loves to ride this one!

What's different about it? We made it compatible with Gerry's existing miniature coils (Boyer ignition) supplied with the bike but extended the dwell time for higher spark energy.

Now available as a complete kit with Lucas miniature coils and our HT leads - look for the TRI-0002-SD

Please note that the TRI-0002 and TRI-0002-SD are not interchangeable

Check it out on our purchase page - Tri-Spark Purchase

Coming Soon BMW and Guzzi FireBox Pro

One of our customers in Brisbane with his beautiful and very original R100RS is currently using a new version of the FireBox Pro for his BMW. He says it starts up faster and runs better with improved torque over his previous electronic ignition which he said lacked performance.

What's different? We set this up with a powerful dual output coil retaining the wasted spark for compatibility with his stock electronic tachometer. These bikes have what's called the 'bean can' ignition that the factory used for 2 years with contact breaker points before changing to electronic.

We set this one up with a custom advance curve with more advance at lower revs to improve the torque and pickup from low speeds.

Book yours today! Contact Tri-Spark

Also new is the FireBox Pro for the Moto Guzzi first installed in this mildly customised machine built by another one of our Brisbane customers.

The installation into the distributor eliminates the auto advance and replaces it with smooth electronic timing control. This is a sequential firing ignition using 2 powerful coils giving ample spark for easy starts and more power! Sounds Great!

We will have more of these kits ready soon! Book yours today! Contact Tri-Spark

Southern Triples Rally 2017

Tri-Spark are sponsoring a rally exclusively for riders of pre 1976 British triple motorcycles based in Adelaide South Australia 

Southern Triples Rally #5 - Friday 10th to Sunday 12th March 2017

Your Organisers -  Gerry Rowley - Geoff Kemp - Stephen and Joanne  Kelly - Steve Cramp

Based in the historic German town of Hahndorf
Hahndorf Resort Tourist Park (Big 4)
Mt Barker Road, Hahndorf SA

Rides through the picturesque Adelaide Hills along winding country roads through historic towns and villages

Show & Shine, Trophies, presentation dinner and social activities

Book your accommodation early! Hahndorf Resort, Cabins, Cottages, Caravan and Camping sites. http://hahndorfresort.com.au/ Tel 1300 763 836

Old Mill Motel http://www.hahndorfoldmill.com/accommodation/
Tel 08 8388 7888

Register your interest - contact Gerry Rowley 0477 250 749
or email AdelaideTriples@gmail.com    website http://tmra.org.au/southerntriples/

BSA Rocket Three with a difference

One of our customers here in South Australia tells the story of his Rob North in a recent magazine article with all the details you would like to know about this extraordinary bike.

Gerry's bike presented some unique challenges that led us to make a custom ignition for this machine which he writes about toward the end of this article.

Click here to read the Old Bike Australasia article

Old Bike magazine does a great job of bringing all the classic Australian bike action to print for all of us racers, riders and restorers around the country. Thanks to Old Bike for kindly allowing us to use the piece.

www.oldbikemag.com.au

FireBox Pro Update

Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW and Ariel are just some of the new homes we have found for the FireBox Pro since launching it earlier this year. Whilst the FB-0010 is tailored for the Honda 4 (plug in system without cutting any wires) it seems some of our customers are very skilled at adapting the pickup plate and trigger rotor to a variety of engines. With the easy programming of the box, singles, twins and fours including two stroke applications are all possible with the FireBox. Programming kit is sold separately. 

Speaking with Dean M. (One of our Australian customers) recently, he said that the system was easy for his mechanic to install on his Honda 750 and it fired up nicely for them. 

Triple Ignition - How to install it like a Pro

Have you thought about installing one of our British triple cylinder systems and wanted to see how it's done? All of your questions are answered here! The Classic Bike Guide in their August 2015 edition have covered every aspect of the installation in this detailed article prepared by one of our customers Morgan Rue from Luxembourg. Don't miss this one!

Click here to read the CBG article

Thank you Morgan Rue for creating it and thank you Classic Bike Guide for kindly allowing us to use the piece.

www.classicbikeguide.com

New Ignition! Classic Triple TRI-0002

The Classic Triple has all the ignition performance you need for your Trident or Rocket 3 - WITHOUT THE BLACK BOX. You asked for a simplified installation with superior running and here it is! Advances in technology have enabled us to build a high performance sequential firing system in this compact design with only five wire connections.

This high precision system with built in self test button is tailored exclusively for the Triumph Trident, BSA Rocket Three, T160 and Hurricane machines. Easy starting and a smooth idle are retained from our original triple system (TRI-0001) which by the way will be available well into the future. Compatible with 12 volt coils (6 volt coils if a ballast resistor is fitted).
Click to read instruction manual

New Part - Coil Bracket

By Popular demand - brackets for our dual lead coils. The part was inspired by one of our USA customers Lorin Smith - see below for his version of the bracket. Thank you Lorin for showing us the way!

Note: Coil and hardware not included.

Introducing the FireBox Pro

We are pleased to announce our newest ignition product - the FireBox Pro - a high performance ignition to suit a wide range of classic motorcycles featuring a programmable advance curve, rev limit and other settings. The first versions will be available for the CB750 Honda K series with others to follow soon for Japanese, Italian and British Classics.
Click here to read the full story

All British Rally 2014 - Newstead Victoria

 This year the weather was kind allowing us a great opportunity to visit with our customers and then get busy with some installations. With willing onlookers ready to lend a hand we installed 3 twin systems at our site - all in record time. The rally is a great way for us to see first hand how the ignition works on different bikes and the amazing thing I found was just how quick and easy it is to install - even under less than the ideal workshop conditions. This was our sixth year at the ABR and it just seems to get better and better!