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Boyer Bransden Ignition installation on my XS2
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
First pic is advanced as it is Before Top Dead Centre as the crank is moving anti-clockwise.
Thx all!
First Idle!.
Aligning the dot with forward advance, it did not start right away. Timing light showed it was retarded down close to TDC.
Advanced it enough to start then adjust timing.
I had to advance the timing but still have some room beyond the current setting.
I don't really like how my blue box is mounted, its too visible. Its mounted across the front 2 frame pipes under the horn. I have not installed the isolation relay yet either.
Hope to take short neighborhood ride before I have to run around this afternoon doing tuff
First Idle!.
Aligning the dot with forward advance, it did not start right away. Timing light showed it was retarded down close to TDC.
Advanced it enough to start then adjust timing.
I had to advance the timing but still have some room beyond the current setting.
I don't really like how my blue box is mounted, its too visible. Its mounted across the front 2 frame pipes under the horn. I have not installed the isolation relay yet either.
Hope to take short neighborhood ride before I have to run around this afternoon doing tuff
I've done a few of these now. Without exception I have found that setting static timing as per the instructions gives very retarded timing. I now set it statically with the dot lined up and the timing plate as far anti clockwise as it goes. Then when it's adjusted properly with a timing light, the adjustment slot ends up pretty much in the middle of it's adjustment range.
I think BB do this purposely to avoid over advanced timing as a first off setting.
To add, there's a YouTube video that has been quoted to me several times by confused owners. And it's absolutely wrong. It's been up there over a decade and never corrected. The comments say it's wrong but not everyone reads the comments, it seems.
I think BB do this purposely to avoid over advanced timing as a first off setting.
To add, there's a YouTube video that has been quoted to me several times by confused owners. And it's absolutely wrong. It's been up there over a decade and never corrected. The comments say it's wrong but not everyone reads the comments, it seems.
That video where they point to the wrong timing mark is what got me confused to post the question yesterday and XS650.com to the rescue!
I actually did what you suggest above after the first time I set it and it was so retarded that I thought I did not want to keep it that way. I did set it again to the dot with it 25% retarded in the slot and ended up having to set it 25% advanced. If I need to touch it again, I'll be doing it exactly what you say above. Glad to know I'm not alone in seeing what you saw.
Took 2 mile ride in the residential neighborhood and all was great. Need to take longer ride if the rain holds out.
I marked the right side of the shaft and nut with white paint marker and the set screw for timing with a sharpie so I can verify its not moving on me.
10 mile test ride went good. Looked at plugs when it cooled down and looks good.
How has the reliability been on these things?
How much air do they need to get? Would mounting under the coil mount plate be ok or too much heat from engine when sitting idling?
How has the reliability been on these things?
How much air do they need to get? Would mounting under the coil mount plate be ok or too much heat from engine when sitting idling?
Reliable.
I believe the default position on a stock bike is with the box pushed up between the plates either side of the frame, into the void behind the steering tube. Mine is in there, I stuffed some pieces of foam in there to stop the box rattling around. It can't fall out because I mounted the ignition coil behind it.
Mine is same place and AFAIK cooling is not a problem. Reliability, I've had Boyer Bransden on a Commando, Z1B, 1970 Triumph 650, XS650 and 2002 Bullet 500 and have never had any problem with the ignition on any of those in many tens of thousands of miles. Set and forget.
Good to hear that about the reliability.
There was a bikes & breakfast this morning about 20 miles away so rode the XS650 up to it and it was a good shake down for the install.
I am going to protect the wires better next but leave the module where it is for now. It has a rubber isolation sheet between the module and the aluminum plate I quick fabricated for the mounting. I also still need to put in the isolation relay. I'll think about changing things up over the winter possibly cause I don't like how the module just visually "sticks out".
As far as the ride today, the engine ran smooth. Butter smooth, like scary smooth as if it ever does not run so smooth I'll be like "what is wrong"?
There was a bikes & breakfast this morning about 20 miles away so rode the XS650 up to it and it was a good shake down for the install.
I am going to protect the wires better next but leave the module where it is for now. It has a rubber isolation sheet between the module and the aluminum plate I quick fabricated for the mounting. I also still need to put in the isolation relay. I'll think about changing things up over the winter possibly cause I don't like how the module just visually "sticks out".
As far as the ride today, the engine ran smooth. Butter smooth, like scary smooth as if it ever does not run so smooth I'll be like "what is wrong"?
Good to hear the progress. I have to say, your choice and all that...... but I do prefer the box hidden away behind the steering stem tube.
If you all say I'll not have heat problems, that is likely where it will end up eventually.
Now I have foam pod air filters, I have considered moving the blue box to in front of the battery. But there seems to be tons of experience with the blue box tucked behind at the front of the bike. I'm probably going to leave it there.
This is where I have mounted the box on 3 XS2s. No problem with overheating the box.
Also no relays used on any of them, no problems.
Also no relays used on any of them, no problems.
I will join in this thread if I may. Bought a BB kit from fellow member Jimmy Knievel, it arrived on Friday so I've been doing a test fitting today to see where everything will fit. I must say for a kit thats supposedly ready to fit & ride there seems to be a lot of adaptations needed to make everything fit together LOL. Firstly made up a bracket to fit the coil from a piece of angle iron. (It will be painted black eventually once everything is sussed). I've gone for the usual blue box placement as it seems the most logical place between the tank lugs.
My main concern with it is routing the plug lead to the R/H side past the wiring loom. I had to move the flasher unit to the R/H coil mount, not the most elegant solution using two pieces of angle but it works and will do for now.
Next was cutting a slot in the all-thread rod to help with holding it still while tightening the nut on the other end.
Stand-off spacers next; found a couple of aluminium spacers slightly longer than the ones supplied and filed a step in one end to make it fit steadier. The ones I had have a larger inner diameter but I've added a small piece of tubing glued inside to keep the bolts centred when they are tightened down.
I had to reduce the size of the backing plate in several places before it would fit inside the points housing, I marked the edges with a felt tip pen where it needed reducing and a minute or so with the bench grinder and it was fitting nicely.
Thats it for today, next on my list is to sort out the wiring terminations, why oh why does it come with spade terminals when the Yamaha loom uses bullet connectors?? I'll be changing out the cheap spade terminals rather than altering the bike loom.
My main concern with it is routing the plug lead to the R/H side past the wiring loom. I had to move the flasher unit to the R/H coil mount, not the most elegant solution using two pieces of angle but it works and will do for now.
Next was cutting a slot in the all-thread rod to help with holding it still while tightening the nut on the other end.
Stand-off spacers next; found a couple of aluminium spacers slightly longer than the ones supplied and filed a step in one end to make it fit steadier. The ones I had have a larger inner diameter but I've added a small piece of tubing glued inside to keep the bolts centred when they are tightened down.
I had to reduce the size of the backing plate in several places before it would fit inside the points housing, I marked the edges with a felt tip pen where it needed reducing and a minute or so with the bench grinder and it was fitting nicely.
Thats it for today, next on my list is to sort out the wiring terminations, why oh why does it come with spade terminals when the Yamaha loom uses bullet connectors?? I'll be changing out the cheap spade terminals rather than altering the bike loom.
We've discussed BB kit a few times now and my unasked for conclusion is something like this - simple, reliable, but still feels a bit prototype?
Bransden was the bloke wot had the good idea of a mini-solid state ignition kit back in 1969. Boyer was the Triumph dealer he developed it for. All good stuff, and they must have made and sold millions since then, but things don't seem to have moved very far along in more than five decades. You would think the kits these days would be, uhm, tidier? Maybe fit without need for the owner to tinker abaht?
Bransden was the bloke wot had the good idea of a mini-solid state ignition kit back in 1969. Boyer was the Triumph dealer he developed it for. All good stuff, and they must have made and sold millions since then, but things don't seem to have moved very far along in more than five decades. You would think the kits these days would be, uhm, tidier? Maybe fit without need for the owner to tinker abaht?
Raymond I agree entirely. I resent buying a product "designed for a XS 650" then having to make and modify parts so it fits.
Having said that I think it is a good bottom end of the market ignition , and the parts back up is good. So swings and roundabouts.
Having said that I think it is a good bottom end of the market ignition , and the parts back up is good. So swings and roundabouts.
And the tech back-up is good. Used to be able to ring 'em and talk to a techie, these days got to use email but they still revert with an answer pretty quick.
I agree. A rare case of a company that still answers emails within a few hours of a question being asked.
In 2025, it's pretty inexcusable that the "kit" isn't really complete or even finished off properly.
I forgive a lot because at least it's still UK made at a fair price, it's reliable and it's almost impossible to run a manufacturing business in the UK these days.
At this point in the service life of the XS650, I feel a bit of hacking is required. Correct me if I'm wrong but depending on the year, the bracket might be different? One thing that got me was that the ring terminal that came with it was not usable and I had to crimp on and use a larger one. That however compared to even new products I've used for other hacks like adding in brake light flashers or turn signal cancelers, they come with flying leads that you have to engineer it yourself. the hard parts were already done in this kit though. I have a friend trying to put something into a Maico Bike and the kit is $600! so we are fortunate our kit is so inexpensive, yes, inexpensive.
I don't mind the modifications I had to make for my BB installation. As I've said before, I followed Bob's (Mailman) installation instruction thread to the letter and it works great. We are fortunate to be able to buy something like this still and not have to mess with points if we don't want to.
Now if my dirty fussy carburetors would only run so flawlessly...
Now if my dirty fussy carburetors would only run so flawlessly...
