BTW
I use Microsoft “translator app” (free) to translate web pages. It won’t do pdf documents but it helps me with my rusty German and Italian.
I suppose the same argument applies to the coils as to the Bosch electronics - at 40 years old, do you do repairs or just fit new. But none of this stuff is cheap!
On a more positive note, having spent a bit of time adjusting the pickups to make sure that the left and right cylinders are both seeing as close to the same ignition timing as I could get it, I took the bike out for a run this morning. I thought it was a bit less cold but I was wrong - it was bl***y freezing! I still enjoyed the ride though and I think the flat spot is somewhat improved - either that or I’m getting used to it.
There is almost no similarity between the T140 Bonnie and the V50 Guzzi, but both are a lot of fun to ride and despite the cold I did about 75 miles this morning with a broad grin on my face. I included an 80mph run down the A5 dual carriageway (the wind chill was awful!) and I thought the bike felt stable and un-stressed, despite 6000rpm on the clock. The V50 does have one major hidden advantage - whenever you have to stop, it is very easy to warm your hands on the rocker covers - and I made full use of this feature. I’ve now done about 110 miles since I last re-torqued the cylinder heads, so I’ll put the torque wrench on them again tomorrow and if they don’t move again, I’ll call that done. Still no oil leaks thank goodness, so I’m happy with that.
If you can find a place to stow it/them I have read you can fit most 12V coils with the correct resistance. This includes big conventional car-type coils that are relatively inexpensive. I just bought a Bosch 12V coil for my Loop frame for twenty quid. Depends on the level of originality you’re interested in I suppose. The NATO V50 had two conventional coils - don’t know where they were fitted but would be interested to know. Think it also had Motoplatt ignition?
My Bosch coils are working fine, you can’t say the Bosch system doesn’t produce a good spark. However they are tatty with at least one crack in the plastic and the leads and plug caps are very tired. Now that you mention it though, I have a box of Lucas coils, all in working order, I wonder if those would fit in OK. I can easily check the resistance.