Omega ignitions failing.........

[mattcfish]

Do you think heat is a possible cause for the failures of the Omega??

I am putting one in my 77RS and was going to put the processor up under the gas tank and not in behind the front cover.

This unit is not an Omega but looks like it. The processor part is bigger. It came from Ulis Motorraladen in Germany.


Is this the one you have Matt?

I have the older, wrap around, red version on the bike (mounted to a Ducati style Enduralast PM Alternator...another story)
. The unit they sent me in March was the newer tan version with the advance adjuster built into the pick-up board not separate. The rotor looks like yours though. I ordered the whole unit because it was about $80.00 cheaper and I wanted spare parts. All I needed at the time was the dual spark amplifier box. Enduralast now has there own version of crank mounted ignitions that is designed to fit the PM alternator. Sort of wishing I had gone that route. http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/EnDura ... dl-ign.htm

[Ross]

Two failures with bikes that use a switch to go back and forth. Could there be a problem with this method of use?

Lets hope I don't break the stats here.

[StephenB]

I can see how y'all are disappointed and so am I. However ... hundreds of OMEGAs were sold since December 2005 (many to forum members here and most of them by myself) and I only know of a handful or two that didn't survive the first 5 years. Being a Quality Engineer for electronic and electromechanical components in real life, I consider this rate to be quite good for an electronic circuit that is exposed to the environment of a motorcycle engine, heat, vibration, shock and all. Infant mortality issues were dealt with and once it was working ...

Comparing the cost of the OMEGA to EIs with similar functionality at the time, OMEGAs were very cost competitive but it seems, over time, the manufacturer couldn't break even and eventually sold the rights. We as customers were left behind.

[twist]

When I bought my omega unit from Stephen in 2006, I installed "blue" coils, new plug wires, new voltage regulator (solid state), and installed a dedicated ground from the diode board,(thunder child), to the battery and included the coils in that ground circuit. I carry the points and all ignition parts with me but took them off the bike after 2 years of trouble free service from the omega unit. So far, some 40,000 miles, 5 years and all kinds of road conditions and the omega still is a champ! The bike starts first time every time, no choke, no joke! (I couldn't resist) Still, I plan to keep the points ignition with me "just in case".

[Garnet]

I plan to keep the points ignition with me "just in case".

That is the best policy no mater what brand or style of ignition you have. There is just no way of telling when electronics will fail. At least these recent Omega failers have been partial only, not leaving someone on the side of a busy interstate.

[mattcfish]

According to an email I just got from Omega-Oldtimer they still sell them at this site http://WWW.OMEGA-OLDTIMER.DE
The new manufacturer is "Buchheister". I will try to get more detailed information about ordering, prices, part numbers etc. This company is very very German. They only give very short answers to complicated questions. Patience is required.

[mattcfish]

I plan to keep the points ignition with me "just in case".

That is the best policy no mater what brand or style of ignition you have. There is just no way of telling when electronics will fail. At least these recent Omega failers have been partial only, not leaving someone on the side of a busy interstate.

Yeah, I'm sure I've told the story of how a Boyer left me stranded in a blind tunnel with rush hour traffic zooming in behind me. No shoulders.....I pushed the bike through (slightly up hill) at a brisk pace.

[twist]

amazing haw fast you can push a bike when properly motivated!!

[twist]

According to an email I just got from Omega-Oldtimer they still sell them at this site http://WWW.OMEGA-OLDTIMER.DE
The new manufacturer is "Buchheister". I will try to get more detailed information about ordering, prices, part numbers etc. This company is very very German. They only give very short answers to complicated questions. Patience is required.

in their project page, last bike shown in customer projects there is a black bike, bobber style monolever with a hydraulic clutch. I want to know more about that clutch! Not that I want one but would like to know about how it was fitted to a flathead twin with cable actuated clutch.

[Major Softie]

in their project page, last bike shown in customer projects there is a black bike, bobber style monolever with a hydraulic clutch. I want to know more about that clutch! Not that I want one but would like to know about how it was fitted to a flathead twin with cable actuated clutch.

Yeah, it looks like the middle bottom picture is supposed to be showing us a detail of the clutch actuator, but it's too small a picture and it doesn't show nearly enough to know what is going on.