MRC Forum- brought to you by www.morini-riders-club.com

Morning all!

Does anyone have experience of replacing the original ignition system on the 500 with an aftermarket system? If so, can you advise on the ease of fitment & whether you feel the replacement performed noticeably better than the original system? The transducers do seem the stuff of legend when it comes to reliability issues & I'm keen to make the bike as usable, and ride-able as possible.

Cheers

Gary

Hi Gary,

Well there's a can of worms opened!!

In my opinion there is fundamentally nothing wrong with the original ignition system, other than the ravages of time.

If your wiring and ignition switch is in good order (I'm not suggesting a complete rewire unless the loom is a mess anyway, but good earths etc as a mininun) then you will be giving the ignition system a fighting chance.

Pickups can break down and give trouble but these can be repaired by a few people in the club. Transducers likewise.

Telltale sign of a failing (or about to) pickup is cracks in the resin- once this happens electrical mischief is soon to follow!

If you're absolutely set on changing the system then the NLM system is a good option as it is basically a mildly improved copy of the original system, and it is to some extent interchangeable with the original parts. However I have also known NLM ignition systems to be a pain to start as they really need a bit faster kickstart speed.

There are other systems available and I think some good ones from the continent, but fundamentally the original system in good condition didn't really need much improving. I'm sure others will be along soon to advise on those systems though.

Tom

It's well worth going through the article on the motomoriniclub.nl site which covers the ignition system. Plenty of advice on replacement parts as well as alternatives.

Hi Tom

Well...that's shone a little more light on the matter, thank you! The bike had sparks to both cylinders, but wouldn't continue to run as the bike warmed & the choke was knocked off. It could well be fuel related & the carbs are already coming apart, as part of the wider restoration.

I had seen the German systems advertised though & wondered if they are a decent system? I'm adopting a "top to bottom" approach to sorting the bike & as such, also intend a full rewire along the way. Hopefully I'll "sweep up" the source of the poor running along the way...well...that's the plan!

Cheers

Gary

Hi Ming

Many thanks for your link, I'll have a good look at it.

Best regards

Gary

The NLM module and coils used with an OEM red pickup is a good compromise. It seems to be their pickup that needs a faster kick. I