So having visited the Scottish on Friday night and then rolled out on a short tour up that way I was faced with a ride home to the Essex Badlands from Ayr on BH Monday. Blue and I were fair tanking along in pursuit of a couple of other bikies at high speed when the engine went ‘off song’. Rolling the throttle off and on seemed to clear it but I had a repeat a couple of times and then ended up limping the last few miles into the Scotch Corner services on one cylinder. Though in fact the second then chimed back in just before I rolled to a stop there.
I’d already tried switching over to reserve on the taps, though wasn’t expecting it at 175 miles into a 220 range. My prognosis was that I’d cooked a coil. With no spare I figured that new plugs might ease the strain, along with running lower speeds to keep the work rate and heat down. So from there I headed down the A1 at around 60 per, and grimly counted off the miles … with no recurrence of the fault. After around a 100 miles or more I picked things up a little and ended up cruising 70-75 just fine.
Gammy plug? They both looked a good colour, one had maybe a little build up on the porcelain by the electrodes. Replace the coils as a matter of course? I don’t believe it is/was a carb fault, and the bike is running an old Newtronics ign system – can they start to break down like that?
In my experience coils either work or don’t.
HT leads can be different.
I always carry spare plugs and any misfire or problem starting and I change them.
So far it has worked every time in 34 years of Moto Guzziing.
This has happened to me, coincidentally going home from Scotland. Was a very hot day, so was just overheating and losing power on the A1. Every time I opened the throttles for more just went “blerhh” and slowed down. Needed a 40 minutes stop at a Little chef to recover. Which I didn’t really want, I wanted to get on. In hindsight possible main jets were a bit on the small side Or possibly restricted, I seem to remember 1 size up new ones went in soon after, didn’t get a recurrence as far as I can recall. Was the 850 with VHB30’s.
We managed just over 1300 miles over the weekend (Thur night thru Monday that is) to be fair, and it did happen when we were trying to keep up with the big boys.
I’m of a mind to swap out coils, leads and caps as a matter of course. I’m also thinking that with that Newtronics box probly being in the region of a 30 year old solid state system that has been through a few heat cycles by now it might be time to upgrade to points and condensers at the same time.
My old Piranha system (Now Newtronics) died slowly a few years ago. I noticed the side panel it was stuck to was getting warm.
It would start up on one and take an age for the second side to kick in, once it was on two, it ran great. Eventually it would only run on one, Changed it for a new unit and it’s been fine.
'Bout 10 years ago my Newtronics died suddenly during an “enthusiastic” ride on a m/way type dual carriageway. One moment it was working, the next I was coasting to the hard shoulder to wait for recovery. I guessed it had a minor fault (solder joint p’haps) that couldn’t cope with sustained high speed and died without warning. Got it fixed by the firm who had taken over the remnants of Newtronics business but sadly can’t remember who they were, only that their service was thorough, quick and reasonably priced.
From memory they became O+S Electronics but I don’t know if they are still going.
Club member back then.