Hitchcocks Forum

Just back from a quick ride before the storms arrive, only issue petrol being the petrol tank front mounting nut went walkies! Fortunately had a replacement in parts bin...explained the rattle coming home .

Has anyone fitted the hosts improved TCI unit to their Electra? Would like to know if this is a worthwhile mod so if anyone has any feedback it would be most appreciated. Many thanks as ever.

Corrected into something more akin to English!!!!

Just back from a quick ride before the storms arrive, the only issue being the petrol tank front mounting nut went walkies! Fortunately had a replacement in parts bin...explained the rattle coming home . Anyway, my question is has anyone fitted the hosts improved TCI unit to their Electra? Would like to know if this is a worthwhile mod so if anyone has any feedback it would be most appreciated. Many thanks as ever.

First off thank god i don't own an electra x, having said that your mission seems to be negating the obvious flaws in the design to a level where you can at least enjoy the fun side of motor cycling without constantly spending down time in the workshop..

On that vein a known quirk is the tendency for the motor to kick back due to ignition too advanced, not all electras but a fair minority..

This will sooner or sooner still disassemble the sprag for you..

The reconfigured TCI delays the ignition i believe to fire the motor when it is well and truly turning over, least likely to fire backwards.. So i guess the answer is if your experiencing kick back on a regular basis then the new one may be to your benefit..

Be aware though that the new one has a tendency to fire a spark when turning the ignition on or off and may turn the motor backwards when not expecting it..

Think it may have been Frank found this out..

Tzen, yes Gwilly is right, I did fit one and mine fired a spark each time the ignition was turned on. 9 times out of 10 it didn't matter but occasionally the engine fired and I figured if it had come to rest near compression it was likely that the engine turned backwards. That said there was a rattle from mine and opening it up a lump of solder fell out. Who knows, that may have been securing the very component that was supposed to prevent it. It ran OK but seemed a bit peaky, just where I didn't want it to be, but perhaps it would suit another's riding style and bike set up. It is also significantly larger than the old so won't fit under the seat on a standard set up. You will have to make up an extension cable to route it elsewhere, mounting brackets and connectors are provided to place it in front of the battery. Give one a try, so long as you leave the existing loom and connector block in place you can always plug the original back in if it's not to your taste.

Yes, it's turning into a voyage of discovery! At this time I haven't suffered from kick back, either from kick or electric starting but was aware of the potential problems it can cause. Think I will try the TCI but will keep an eye on the rogue sparking! I understand it disables the side stand cut out, so any errant firing could be fun! I am trying to fix the known issues for less than £300, which is the budget I gave myself on top of the purchase price. As for Frank`s problems, I wonder if the solder was shorting something and causing the uncommanded firing? I must say I prefer a spirited ride so the peakier unit may be good for me. I will feed back how it goes....