LCGB Forums

Hi there,

I'm building a MBGM RT195 engine very slowly as and when funds allow and just wanted to get a consensus on the best ignition kit at the moment? So I can start saving towards it!

After watching the fitting video of the Casatronic I was impressed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0yGOyyzcfg - is there anything to watch out for with these kits?

I'll be using a GP 60/110mm crank but will be a mild tune, clubman exhaust etc..

I've heard more bad reports about the BGM stuff than any others but obviously people only generally post when bad stuff happens so not ruling anything out at this point!

Cheers,
Rog

I've had a couple of BGM units - both with several thousand miles on them.

Varitonic unit was fine until it packed up - pain in the arse to fault find as the components are all peculiar to it.

Electrex no issue to date.

I have no experience of the Casa kit but can also vouch for the BGM stator in it's latest configuration. The lighting output is higher than the early BGM offerings and significantly higher than the SIL setup. Some have had problems with pickup alignment due to height which should be resolvable. All stators benefit from dollops of araldite on all joints, screws and unsupported wires to reduce stresses.

I fitted a bgm stator recently. It comes with shims to adjust the pick up height. I managed to get it perfectly aligned.

Maybe a different stator would have been correct without adjustment but I doubt it as practically nothing is correct out of the box in the world of lambrettas.

CASA Kit for me!

BGM but go DC, it's much better

BGM for me.......probably not the best kit but parts are interchangeable with other easy available makes (flywheel/stator/cdi/etc)......

I've got the Dc version and can't fault it.

Had numerous failures with electronic kits of various makes - fitted a Casa kit & problem solved (to date)

I'm using the SIL DC ignition kit with lightened flywheel from Scooter Restorations without any issues

The BGM kit is very good. You may well have heard lots of failure reports due only to the larger number of people fitting them than any other kits. Avoid the Varitronic kit- I've used one and the bike four stoked horribly at low revs. A mate of mine tried one and it did exactly the same. I can vouch for the Electrex kit also- beautifully made from quality parts.

Whatever you go for, set the ignition at 26 BTDC (you'll probably need to file the stator slots to get it to go back that far) and fit a Kytronic programmed ignition box. I run mine on a setting (7) which retards the ignition to 17-18 BTDC between 0-2000 revs to aid easier starting and low revs running. Between 2000-4000 revs it advances the igniton to the preset 26 BTDC. Above 4000 it begins to retard the timing back again to 17 or 18 BTDC. If it didn't do this, the heat generated from todays poor quality fuel would cause pre-ignition and overheating issues. So, between 2-4000rpm, with a torquey kit (I have a Casa 185) and a decent carb and exhaust (PWK28mm & BGM big bore Clubman) mine absolutely flies through the gears as the ignition is being advanced just as the engine hits the powerband. It's brilliant! £78 from MB Develoments.

The Tutto kit from Scootopia looks superb quality, worth a look if you're spending that sort of money, ie £300.

Thanks for all the replies....so many different opinions!
I'm still leaning towards the Casatronic as I like the idea of having the ignition advance to keep the engine cool on long jaunts and that video just makes it look so damn sexy

It doesn't look like there's any really "bad" Electronic ignitions on the market these days which is nice to know.

Cheers,
Rog

Got a problem with my Series 2 (BGM electronic ignition). Was built over a year ago and had problems, so changed the BGM stator for another one. Now when I go out it, it often bogs down and stalls when pulling away at the lights, and sometimes changing down for a roundabout / turning. Checked everything, but thinking its electrical. Is it possible to just swap out the stator from a BGM to a SIL one with the flywheel and other stuff still being BGM?

The catatonic kit is good, I've fitted a few of them but only because my preferred ignition CDI'S were not available for a while due to a new version coming out.
The ignition curve on the catatonic is fixed and it sparks twice which are the only two things I don't like or need.

My choice is an Indian stator reworked for wassel regulator with the low tension coil and pickup swapped out for vespa components running the ignition through the Kheper CDI which offers 14 ignition curves as well as 3 more curves that are fully programmable to suite your engine and with the added bonus of being able to change which programmed curve is being used while ridding via an app over bluetooth.