Possible Substitute Igniter?

[User]

I think it's somewhere around $250-$300 for the one on eBay right now.

[koolaid_kid]

That is an insane price, don't pay it. As an example, I have one for a mechanical advance 650/850. I want $25 for it.
For an electronic advance unit, I would expect to pay around $50, which is what I paid for my GPz ignitor.

[cowboyup3371]

Hey, I just ran a search for you and think you can expand your look area. These are the bikes that used your igniter if you have any junk yards close by:

GS550E (1983)
GS550EF (1983)
GS550EF (1984)
GS550EF (1985)
GS550EF (1986)
GS550ES (1983)
GS550ES3 (1983)
GS550ES3 (1984)
GS550ES3 (1985)
GS550ES3 (1986)
GS550ESE (1983)
GS550ESE (1984)
GS550ESE (1985)
GS550ESE (1986)
GS550ESF (1983)
GS550ESF (1984)
GS550ESF (1985)
GS550ESF (1986)
GS550ESG (1983)
GS550ESG (1984)
GS550ESG (1985)
GS550ESG (1986)
GS550L (1983)
GS550L (1985)
GS550L (1986)

It seems that even that 81 550t would never have worked for you but at least now you can have a better selection of bikes.

[blowerbike]

like i posted...
83-86 550 L/E/ES.
thats the only one that will plug and work on your bike without any modifications.
FYI
these boxes are HUGE money new.
4-5 hundred/ maybe more.
i get 200 hundred for the 1150/750/700 boxes which is less than half of new.
i sell one box a year to locals that call me after they went to the dealership and had a heart attach.
50 bucks for an electronic advance box would be A STEAL.
the 550 boxes are near impossible to find and if you do there is a good chance that they are bad.
these bikes eat igniters!

[User]

these bikes eat igniters!

This gives me a great reason to find a suitable substitute if possible. I still haven't been able to get a wire diagram for the 550 honda, so I haven't ventured any further in that direction. I am going to find a Suzuki igniter within the closest range that I can manage, and buy it. I have hope that there has to be an alternative way to get sparkage to this old 550 again. It will be interesting to try anyways. I may even slip up and learn a thing or two along the way.



As always, suggestions and recommendations are always welcome.

-User

[koolaid_kid]

Wow. For that kind of money I'd convert to a Dyna 2000 and be done with it. Best of luck, User.
BTW, I believe that mechanical advance systems can be converted to electronic systems, can't he convert from an electronic advance system to a mechanical advance system?

[cowboyup3371]

Sorry about that Blowerbike...didn't read your earlier post well enough to see you said it already.

[User]

From what I gather, there isn't a Dyna Setup for this bike.
But I think I have read about people making one fit by switching a few things around, and cutting a hole in the signal generator cover....not sure if that was for this specific model though.

[koolaid_kid]

From what I gather, there isn't a Dyna Setup for this bike.
But I think I have read about people making one fit by switching a few things around, and cutting a hole in the signal generator cover....not sure if that was for this specific model though.

Personally, I would call Z1 and see if they have a solution. If they cannot help you, then you are destined to wade the morass of low availability = high prices. Or rebuild the circuit board via Matchless' writeup (adapted, of course).
The fact that blowerbike states your bike eats igniters also says "if you continue to use parts that will fail, your parts will continue to fail". So that is a warning sign that you really need a different solution, unless you want to continue to pay obscene prices for parts that are guaranteed to fail.

[blowerbike]

no dyna anything available....
no other options that i could find in the past 20 years except for an OEM part.
if one could be transplanted from anothe make or model that would be great and very useful to quite a few people.

FYI
the trigger plate/signal generator is very small on these models.
all other 4 cyl. GS's have the standard large plate set up.
if it wasn't for this reason a person could do a dyna S or retrofit a mechanical advance(earlier model) ignition system.

[User]

The fact that blowerbike states your bike eats igniters also says "if you continue to use parts that will fail, your parts will continue to fail". So that is a warning sign that you really need a different solution, unless you want to continue to pay obscene prices for parts that are guaranteed to fail.

Exactly what I want to avoid, and hope to cure with a little experimenting of my own. I'm sure it will be more of the help from the people here on this board, than myself. But that doesn't bother me, credit will be given where it's due when we get this figured out.

Also, if I don't find a way to get fire to this thing, I will have a GS550ES to part out...just sayin'

[LeeGS550E]

A dyna S can be made to fit.

I did it once, a few years ago:



You have to make your own backing plate, get a mechanical advance from an earlier model bike, and do some shimming and jockying. I never ran the motor long enough to fiddle with modifying the cover to fit over it. Worked fine when I did it though - probably put a few hundred miles on the setup with no ill effects.

[blowerbike]

A dyna S can be made to fit.

I did it once, a few years ago:



You have to make your own backing plate, get a mechanical advance from an earlier model bike, and do some shimming and jockying. I never ran the motor long enough to fiddle with modifying the cover to fit over it. Worked fine when I did it though - probably put a few hundred miles on the setup with no ill effects.

and there you have it...
not rocket science but still a good size task for the average weekend mechanic with average hand tools.
good job

[LeeGS550E]

Thanks blower. I can probably dig up most of the parts.

[Graham]

Maybe you could fit point up?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZUKI-GS550-GS-550-IGNITION-POINTS-TIMING-PLATE-/220704140369?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3362fdec51