I can't get any response from Pete, in dire need of help.

This is how the horror stories about PMA setups begins. It starts with the desire to have a kick start only engine with a PMA and either a capacitor or a tiny battery. There is no discussion about the math needed to match the disparate parts into a working electrical charging system. Instead, the discussion revolves around the cute factor for the tiny battery and how cheap it is. Same for the choice to use a capacitor. Small size and low cost are the only considerations. No need to match the charge / discharge math with the PMA and regulator operation vs the electrical load. Various unrelated parts are thrown together from across the garage and lo and behold, the engine actually starts! After riding around for a while, some issues start to show up. Hard starting. Missing at high RPM's etc. until finally the engine won't start anymore, so then we see the thread "PAMCO Ignition, won't start...HELP!" Meanwhile, the real problem is a fried tiny battery or a cooked capacitor or an overheated regulator or a cheap PMA that self disintegrated.
I'm seriously thinking about getting into another business, like high tech bird feeders.Birds are small and cute and don't cost anything!
 
Question 3.
With regard to the rotor. We are talking about the shaft that came with models prior to 1980? A Pamco shaft/rotor is required for proper operation, the original that came from Yamaha will not work, correct?
He is talking about JUST the aluminum disk that fits on the end of the advance rod.

If I may comment, conjecture, Pete may currently be a bit testy. It appears one of the vendors went to China and had his ignition reverse engineered. So the majority of his busine$$ has just disappeared. He spent 10-15 years inventing and building this market and poof the market is stolen. To add insult to injury the vendors are not making clear that the product is no longer Pete's. He'll be getting warranty claims and requests for assistance, not to mention a hit to his reputation as countless owners get to field test the Chinese parts.
 
This is how the horror stories about PMA setups begins. It starts with the desire to have a kick start only engine with a PMA and either a capacitor or a tiny battery. There is no discussion about the math needed to match the disparate parts into a working electrical charging system. Instead, the discussion revolves around the cute factor for the tiny battery and how cheap it is. Same for the choice to use a capacitor. Small size and low cost are the only considerations. No need to match the charge / discharge math with the PMA and regulator operation vs the electrical load. Various unrelated parts are thrown together from across the garage and lo and behold, the engine actually starts! After riding around for a while, some issues start to show up. Hard starting. Missing at high RPM's etc. until finally the engine won't start anymore, so then we see the thread "PAMCO Ignition, won't start...HELP!" Meanwhile, the real problem is a fried tiny battery or a cooked capacitor or an overheated regulator or a cheap PMA that self disintegrated.
I'm seriously thinking about getting into another business, like high tech bird feeders.Birds are small and cute and don't cost anything!

So, in a nutshell, what you're saying is go with a full size battery.
 
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He is talking about JUST the aluminum disk that fits on the end of the advance rod.

If I may comment, conjecture, Pete may currently be a bit testy. It appears one of the vendors went to China and had his ignition reverse engineered. So the majority of his busine$$ has just disappeared. He spent 10-15 years inventing and building this market and poof the market is stolen. To add insult to injury the vendors are not making clear that the product is no longer Pete's. He'll be getting warranty claims and requests for assistance, not to mention a hit to his reputation as countless owners get to field test the Chinese parts.

Well, that explains a lot! He might want to put a big WARNING at the top of his website declaring such. That would have been a very important fact to know.

BTW, I appreciate the information about the rotor, I was thinking about the advance rod, but the proper term wasn't coming to mind.
 
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So, in a nutshell, what you're saying is go with a full size battery. lol

Something bigger than a cigarette package anyways. But with a PMA, matching the normal load to the Alternator output is the real bugaboo. Unfortunately the majority of the PMA customers are there because the stock charging system was "too hard to figure out". That makes doing basic load watts addition and comparison to alternator rated output unlikely.
 
If I may comment, conjecture, Pete may currently be a bit testy. It appears one of the vendors went to China and had his ignition reverse engineered. So the majority of his busine$$ has just disappeared. He spent 10-15 years inventing and building this market and poof the market is stolen. To add insult to injury the vendors are not making clear that the product is no longer Pete's. He'll be getting warranty claims and requests for assistance, not to mention a hit to his reputation as countless owners get to field test the Chinese parts.

gggGary,
Look at the bright side. I no longer have a distributor for the XS650 products so that enabled me to drop my retail price to $79.95 from $98.95 for the standard PAMCO and drop the E-Advancer price to $79.95 and the new E-Ignition to $149.95 or $124.95 if you reuse your 60 degree rotor.
Genuine PAMCO ignitions for the Yamaha XS650 are still available on www.yamahaxs650.com including the original PAMCO, the E-Advancer, E-Ignition and the 277 rephase ignition.

The rest of the PAMCO products are doing just fine as well, including ignitions for virtually all the Honda twins and four cylinder bikes from the 1970's and the Yamaha XS400 and Kawasaki KZ650, including: CB350, CB360, CB450, CB500T, CB750, CB500F, CB550F, CB350F, CB400F.
Interested? All available on line:

www.yamahaxs650.com

www.cb350ignition.com

www.cb360ignition.com

www.cb450ignition.com (Also CB500T)

www.cb750ignition.com (Also CB500F, CB550F, CB350F and CB400F)

WWW.XS400IGNITION.COM

WWW.KZ650IGNITION.COM
 
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Pete may i suggest you start a thread stating what has happened..............What is actually a Pamco product, where to buy a pamco product and state your situation regarding the warranty on the pamco product and the reasons why, (and why should you), a warranty does or will not be valid if the pamco is not a Pamcopete product.

The question has been going around in my head when looking at MikesXS in the states and to a lesser extent 650Direct.......How is anyone to know...get the true info on what has happened out there.

Your post will just get buried on here.....PM me and i will correct the info to reflect the situation in the Pamco thread i made up.....at the moment it advances MikesXs as an agent for your products. I didn't know.
 
Something bigger than a cigarette package anyways. But with a PMA, matching the normal load to the Alternator output is the real bugaboo. Unfortunately the majority of the PMA customers are there because the stock charging system was "too hard to figure out". That makes doing basic load watts addition and comparison to alternator rated output unlikely.

I'll have to see what I can figure out. Unfortunately I started this project "thinking" that I was simplifying things based on what I had read in the forums. I guess everything on the internet isn't true. I only have a brake light and a headlight, so not a lot going on, its the bare bones setup.
 
Not sure if you guys realize how much consolidation has taken place among the aftermarkets parts venders recently.
Note that Pete is the the only one (so far) offering an all in one advance and trigger, neater, less wiring simple install. And American made.
 
I'll understand if he doesn't, it's business, taking a public dump on (even former) vendors is seldom wise.

True enough......So all the threads recommending MikesXS as a Pamco supplier are still ?????

On mikesXS and 650Direct they state that their XSCharge, (pamco knockoffs), are a........ Quote] Proven, reliable, electronic trigger system [quote.......does a Chinese made knock off component comply with this statement???.........

How many people are going to complain about problems and blame PamcoPete or start to post negative feedback because he doesn't help those who buy a product that may be an inferior product..........

its not about slighting MikesXS...(who has stabbed who in the back),......its about making sure that potential buyers know where a Pamco is made, where they can buy a Pamco, and if they are buying the original product that has earned it's reputation.
 
He may also be still supplying components or hope to sell them on an upgraded system, shrug.
I do agree hit the bricks and get your product and the differences out there. Trust me being a little guy in a room full of giants is no fun. Lived through that why I'm retired. Like it or not MikesXS owns the the XS650 aftermarket in the US, TC bros in second place?
 
Understand the MikesXS gobble up of the small guy. just another conglomerate now..........I know what my first question will be if/when someone comes on here asking about pamco problems.........its up to Pete
 
FWIW..Thanks Pete for making your PAMCO for the KZ 650. I may put one on a KZ 750.
 
Interesting: I just did a Pamco XS650 search, the first 5 results were MikesXS XScharge decidedly NOT Pamco.
They are also still using Pete's installation instructions. Not cool!
Not sure if this is actionable or worth the fight to change, but it sucks.
 
In the world of parts cars or bikes and others sooner or ladder you get knocked off if your product sells. Same vendor if I read this right has also knocked off some piston kits or is just buying and jacking up price a overseas vendor who I have used for years. Is it wrong or just business . I had a guy come to me with pistons and it had the vendor I use info pack HAHA. So do I pay the price here in the states or buy direct overseas????
I feel for Pete he has worked hard on his product but info like this has to be let out so we are not fooled by knockoffs that may or may not work. I had a guy in FL. knockoff all my pictures of my bike builds and say he built them and advertise the builds on social media . Well a letter from my lawyer put a stop to that but I had calls for weeks asking about there builds that he took. I was closed and out of business of building. SO EVERYONE on here and I will do it myself tell everyone who wants a PAMCO go to Pete's site and don't buy from the vendor.
 
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