Hitchcocks Forum

Is it a good move to replace points with electronic ignition on my 1999 Bullet 500. I'm looking at a Boyer Mk4.

Yes

(For balance) No

( bit more balance)WHY?

Why not? (Even more balance!)
I put Pazon kit on my Connie project and have to say it's brilliant. Great sparks, no worries about Mag dying, no manual advance.....
Stephen

Stephen different ball game, I put Pazon on my Inter but there we are talking magneto against electronic ignition not points/coil ignition on the Bullet, easy to get parts, easy to fix and maintain and if something is wrong easy to diagnose. Twice I have had the Pazon let me down and it is a straight up tow job

There is no right answer - it's a matter of opinion. If you choose points, you are choosing a lifetime of maintenance, poorer timing stability, poor long-term stability (they require regular readjustment), and (usually) a less-than-perfect advance curve. You also have a system which can (often) be repaired by the roadside if it fails. If you choose electronic, you are choosing perfect timing stability, perfect long-term stability, zero maintenance and a *potentially* more ideal advance curve. It is also a system which you cannot repair by the roadside. For me it's a no-brainer: I'd choose electronic every time. HOWEVER, you have one unknown to wrestle with: the reliability of the unit. Electronic ignition systems can be made exceptionally, almost perfectly, reliable. The bike manufacturers have proved that: when was the last time you heard of the electronic ignition unit fail on a modern bike or car? It is extremely rare. The question is, do Boyer have that same level of reliability? I don't know and I suggest you do some online research to find out how often (if ever) they fail. Bearing in mind how long they've been making them, I would expect any reliability issues have been resolved a long, long time ago. If you are satisfied by their reliability, then I would *strongly* advocate going electronic. There is NO advantage to points ignition apart from roadside repair, and if the reliability of the Boyer is good enough, you'll never need to worry about roadside repair anyway.

In an effort to upset any balance that may have been achieved so far - my opinion is that unless you intend to tune for speed then there’s no need to change from points. The points are fine in the Bullet engine, where timing is not critical in the sense that it is critical in a high revving multi-cylinder engine. Points are cheap to replace; easy to repair; simple to maintain; and much more involving, on a bike who’s whole purpose in life is to involve the owner/rider.

I think Presto makes a good point. If you actually like tinkering, then points provide you with that. I also agree that many of the criticisms of points ignition may well not be important if you don't care about getting the last iota of performance out of the bike. In truth, on an Enfield you probably wouldn't notice any difference in performance by fitting the Boyer. What you would notice is the absence of any maintenance required. Personally I would go electronic every time, because I'm not interested in the messing about that goes with points ignition and want a "fit and forget" solution. If you like a higher level of involvement, then I agree with Presto: points are part of the overall experience.

On a low revving, slow old donkey like our iron barrel bullets it is quite pointless (no pun intended) to fit a boyer system. Points are simple, easy to fit or set up and perfectly reliable. Unless you really feel the need to tinker you probably won't have to touch them for years - I certainly have n't touched the points in my Triumph for at least 3 years. Unless you've found a way to rev an Enfield to 12,000 like a modern multi-cylinder japper I'd say save your money for go-faster goodies, such as the exhaust, which will make a difference, instead.