Hoping that with the crowsfoot, I’ll be able to do it with the tank on, makes it easier to go for a blast, adjust, blast…
I ordered a lever DTI for 7 quid as well. It’ll be interesting to see if it replicates my electrical TDC finder, assuming the little lever is long enough to reach the piston…
Actually you can - or I did - there’s a little screw that holds a plastic cable clip, for the two wires exiting the distributor cap - I discovered that if the right cylinder ridge on the rotor is dead inline with the pickup coil core (which is also attached to the magnet), the left cylinder ridge points at this screw. That’s pretty good to get started, then I would just tweak the distributor body forward or back until it felt right on a test ride. Don’t think I ever tried the strobe method in the instructions, partly because there’s so much slack in the drive it wobbles about all over the place (I tried it with points once) - but also I was afraid the neighbours would start chucking bottles and bricks …
The Rita full retard to advance range is a bit short unfortunately, so if it’s set to be correct at full advance, it would be a it too advanced at idle. Again I just used to tweak it by rotating the distributor body … (see above 
)
Thanks Mike.
The crows feet should arrive tomorrow, I’m going to mark the dizzy so I know where I’m starting, then retard it somewhere between 4 & 8 degrees. I probably won’t get a ride tomorrow, as the forecast is “monsoon” but I might get the adjustment made and strobed.
I’m inclined to the following method: at fast idle, adjust timing to highest idle speed, then retard a couple of degeees. Then adjust idle speed.
Strobing it will at least give me a known spot from which further fiddling can proceed.
More soon
Simon
Mike
I found what I presume to be your post on another forum on this subject, thanks for that
http://www.guzziriders.org/static-rita-timing-all-850-1000_topic2128.html
shows static timing with cam directly in line with pole, as you describe.
On the GSers forum, one of the guys asked about the advance curve. I found this
https://www.doovsprojects.com/projects/commando-ignitions
shows an AB11 Rita plotted, looks like advance is 35 degress & still increasing north of 7k
and reading through this, explains why.
https://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=32505
(and provides a schematic should you wish to repair your RITA)
cheers
Simon
Ah yes I’ve seen that circuit before, sorry to say there’s a mistake in it IIRC.
I’ve got a circuit diagram that I made, and photos, here:
http://livinginthepast-audioweb.co.uk/index.php?p=elecign-rb.php
Some years apart, I built two amplifiers from scratch, also latterly simulated the circuit in LTspice (which is where those particular circuit diagrams come from, I drew them in LTspice).
There are a couple of errors in that britbike topic description – Lucas did not make Rita, it was made by Mistral Engineering based in northeast London somewhere - Leytonstone? I should remember I actually made a visit there with a mate, who was buying one, we went one Saturday morning to see how they’re made and tested, and have a natter with the guys who designed and made it. Lucas just sold the kits. Altho latterly you could of course buy direct from Mistral, and even other stockists, Motomecca etc.
Second mistake – no components in the amplifier control timing – the circuit is way too simple for that – timing advance is wholly done by the magnetic reluctor. The part of the circuit he’s talking about is actually a rev limiter - there, I didn’t know it had one either! 
TBH I never knew what this part of the circuit did, in the early years when I first started looking at it, until latterly the LTspice simulator showed it working and what it does – as revs increase, it shuts down the bias of the second transistor (increasing negative DC) until at some point it just stops working. Can’t remember exactly but I estimated the cut-off point was something like around 10,000 rpm or something like that. Depends how many ignition pulses per engine revolution obviously. But I was quite surprised that this feature even existed.
HTH
Thanks Mike, that’s very helpful, and it’s good to have the info drawn together in a single place.
I doubt there’s a demand any more so despite having the capability, I don’t plan on going into production!
If enough people email me to say Nooooo!, then I’ll price up a new kit 
I fancy an ally cover, so I might do a run of them. Looks very nice!
Meanwhile, in the real world, I followed your advice and it’s running. Not sure I have resolved the transition issue however, which may, of course, be the carbs, which is where I started…
If your old Rita is suffering from a bit of old age, new elctronics etc are all available from Rex Speed shop.
https://www.rexs-speedshop.com/product-category/classic-bikes/lucas-rita-2/
Thanks Don,
I was suspicious that there might have been an issue, and I bought the last one they had in stock. Bit of a panic purchase!
It’s in the box of “one day” spares
Mike,
I followed your advice (thanks also for the link to your site, very interesting!) re static timing, but wasn’t totally happy with it, it appears that it ended up with the idling advance roughly where static should be. It started fine but was definitely flat in the transition. I advanced it a bit more, the idle revs picked up a bit, and the flat spot seems to have gone, and it still starts. It might not be perfect, but it’s certainly very close now. It was showing 9 teeth (33.75deg) advance at 4k.
Unfortunately, at that point the rain returned with a vengeance so I’ll have to go for a wee blast tomorrow to confirm.
The May Kent meet is in Lenham on Tuesday, so I’ll be able to get a 50 mile round trip. Would be nice to have May weather rather than November.
Much appreciate the comments & suggestions.
Best
Simon
I did say, having got it approximately where it needs to be to start off, I used to “tweak it” until it felt right
You did, and I did
After much faffing about, I can confirm that the D and S marks on my LM1 flywheel are NOT at TDC on the respective cylinders. They are approximately one tooth out, and there are lines about one tooth above them. Effectively they are labels for the lines. This is pretty much what it says in Guzziology, and pretty much exactly not what it says in the Haynes manual.
I’m therefore inclined to favour Mike’s post, rather than Don’s on page 1 above.
I used a DTI with a “finger” to reach inside the spark plug hole and touch the piston. I then rotated the engine til I found TDC on each cylinder. The photos are available on the other channel at http://www.guzziriders.org/lm2-cylinder-advice_topic13436_post136900.html#136900
Hope this is helpful for some other poor b….r trying to make sense of the conflicting info that seems to abound.
Cheers
Simon
Having sorted out the timing, I still needed to find out what the annoying noise was. It sounded a lot like pinking, but wasn’t. The local bike shop and I agreed that it sounded top end-ish, not heavy enough for bottom end.
Well, we were both wrong. Left big end is shot. Looks like I was mega lucky and found it before there was damage to the crank journal.
There was also some pitting on the inlet tappets, though the exhausts seem not too bad.
What to do? Replace shells & put it back together, or go for the full strip & rebuild?
I’m presuming you can measure the big end journals in situ. I think they are case hardenend and so should probably be OK, so you can get away with a re-shell on that. On tappets I couldn’t say.
I agree with Butch, measure the big end journal and if there is not too much wear replace the shells.
What is pitted on the tappets?
Is it the rocker arm surface that runs on the valve stem? If so replace the rocker arms or get the pitting welded up, ground smooth and heat treated.
Is it the top of the valve stem? If so replace the valves.
Is it the bush in the rocker arm pivot? If so replace the bushes or replace the rocker arms complete with bushes.
Or if the top end rattle is not too bad leave it as it is. “They all sound like that Sir!”
Thanks guys,
Tappets are the bucket things aka cam followers. I don’t know what the pad on the end of the rocker is called, where you measure when you do the tappet adjustment. Rocker pads I suppose.
Those pads are worn where the valve stem touches them, exactly as described in Guzziology. I may try to get them ground or may just oilstone them. I imagine it’ll take days if I do it by hand.
The faces of the inlet cam followers are significantly pitted. The exhausts much less so. No idea why.
More anon
Atb
Simon
Sorry Simon but you did say tappets.
The rocker arms are easily removed for grinding or replacing. If ground I assume they will need re-hardening.
Cam followers are the bucket things between the cam and the pushrods, I assume you mean the rocker arm ends. The clearance between the rocker arm and the valve stem is different between the inlet and exhaust valves. The inlet clearances may have been set too tight and so worn more.
Best of luck Chris
Chris,
We’re clearly in “violent agreement” , sorry about any confusion.
I did say tappets, and I meant it, tappets are cam followers. the inlet tappets on both sides are very pitted on the face that contacts the cam.
. These are the left side, the exhaust is in much better nick.
The pads on the rockers have some wear, I’ve not looked at how to refurbish them, it may be easy, the wear is visible, not huge, but undoubtedly messes up the tappet adjustment. It’s described in Guzziology, along with some suggested solutions, none of which appeal.
The big ends are more of an issue
I’m fairly sure that it is not an oil starvation issue, no heat marking, no smearing, so I’m going with condensation, corrosion, chemical attack.
The engine’s coming out tomorrow, and I’ll strip it completely.
Cheers
Simon
Ok sorry, unfortunately your photos have not come out.
Cam followers - replace them or grind and heat treat them, your call.
Rocker arms - ditto
Big ends - new shells unless the journal is damaged. If it is then regrind the crank. I had to do this on my 850T