customer bike --2000 beta rev 3 -- good spark -good compression -clean carb -- ignition timing seems WAY off --like 90 degrees after tdc when i check with a timing light -- any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Edited February 11, 20197 yr by shadetreemech
add that flywheel key is fine -- not sheared

Woodruff key sheared maybe

that was my initial thought -- however the key is fine ... it acts as though the magnets have shifted inside the flywheel but i don't think that is possible..in all the years i have been doing this i have never seen that happen without the flywheel being destroyed.. thanks for the thought though

17 minutes ago, Bilko said:

Woodruff key sheared maybe

Good spark and 90 degrees of timing it has to be a sheared woodruff key??‍?

i would agree -- but i have removed the flywheel and the key is fine -- and shows no sign of ever being sheared -- therefore i am at a loss

Right so more investigation needed. Pick up issue, wiring cocked up, what else will put. +90 degrees on the timimg unless someones moved the base.

well the base has been moved but there is no way for it to be moved that far ... it could be the pickup issue but since there are 2 i am not sure --i have been a motorcycle mechanic for many years and haven't seen this situation before .. and the wiring seems fine -- no cuts or broken wires .. and all tests good according to the specs i can find --

and i would sat the timing is -90 -- firing seems to be about 90 after tdc ... exhaust port is open

They are famous for stator issues ??

Either a floating ground, scrambled wiring or stator as it's the trigger coil that goes when the stator gives up the ghost.

i understand that these motorcycles have many stator issues -- i guess my question is .. could a bad stator still generate good spark and just cause the timing to be so far off ?? as i have said when testing with a timing light it seems that the spark occurs at about 90 degrees after TDC

Yes, 

thanks very much for the insight -- i have not run into this before --admit i have worked on very few beta trials bikes .. next question : i see a few places in the UK that offer rewind services for this stator  does anyone know of a place in the US that does this sort of work ??

At this stage I would take everything to do with the ignition off of the engine and frame, assuming your customer is ok with this. Obtain all of the specs and readings expected, eliminate all that could be defective before getting the stator rewound. This will ensure you are not wasting money needlessly. When I was in the trade we’d all lurk by the reception door and cherry pick the good jobs, in the case of this one we’d be hiding away or looking extremely busy?‍♂️?

if only i could run away or look extremely busy LOL... specs for this bike seem to be either totally hard to find or non existant...    with the few specs i can find everything checks out .. to the best of my knowledge there is no reliable test for the cdi box .. the puzzling thing to me is that the ignition generates GREAT spark , it is just at the totally wrong time .. i have only ever seen this situation if the flywheel key was sheared and this is not the case here ... there are many posts on this site about faulty stators but everyone says the pickup coils are the problem .. and if that were the case i don't think i would have spark ... so i am at a complete loss to explain