I have a '84 R80ST that has been heavily modified to be more like a monolever version of a post-'88 GS. I'm taking this bike on a long trip to South America and have been looking for a way to make my ignition system a bit more reliable as the hall sensor can and ICU are known weak points. A trusted source recommended that I convert over to the 1979/1980 points can setup with a 3 ohm coil. He ran it on his bike for 15 years without problems and said that quite a few RTW travellers have done the same mod with success. Also, the points and condensor used in this can are the same used on VW bugs, so that makes finding spares easy - especially in south america. Anybody here have any experience with this modification?

To be honest I don’t see the point in doing it.
Normally this components lasts forever (mine have given me no problem for 212kkm). Both the hall-sensor (the sensor itself) and the ICU are used on millions of cars and you seldom hear them fail.

If you want peace in mind renew the heat-paste on the ICU and open the bean-box to clean and lube the internals.

Another option is to install a SH-system and keep the original system in place as a backup, you just need to move a few wires to switch systems.

Check you coils and plug-wires…

I have 258,000 miles on my BMW R100R and it has the stock bean-box and ICU. They never ahve been replaced I just did what AliBaba said, and not every year just 2 - 3 years.

I do see your point after having to call road-assistance three (3) times this january due to a broken ITU (see my thread).

A ICU is so small that you should have one spare with you. As for the ITU it is a bit larger and the cable/wire is quite "fragile"... perhaps the tip to install a second hall-sensor inside the ITU isn't such a bad idea...

Last for ever?...
I thought so... that's why I called road assistance two extra times... Friend of mine installed Accell high-voltage coils and burt two hall-sensors before switching back to the original coils...
So... they do tend to brake too...

However - it is not possible to prepare for all problems that may arise on the trip; prepare by establishing contacts that are able to with short notice supply you with what ever part you may need. Put in service stops on your route - and stick to them.

A guy called me back in 1991-92. He wanted to buy my generator to my Suzuki GS850GN. He wanted to have it as spare as he was about to drive to India, from Sweden via the middle east. I refused to sell the generator and told him to install a car alternator. He came over and checked my bike:
http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/artik/bilgen.html
http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/artik/mont_bilgen.html
His installation is still running - some 40 000 or more km later -
As for BMW - I tossed the beemer alternator back in 1992, i.e. over 200 000km ago. See, point being - car parts are available just about everywhere -

What can brake on your trip?
A R80 shaft (yes - the shaft; not the U-joint or splines!) broke in Jönköping (350km south of Sthlm) on a German bike going to the Ice-Hotel last(?) winter... how likely is that?!...
My 32/10 finaldrive sort of broke (needs a dentist...) last summer...
Friend of mine had a HT-lead brake...
Startermotors tends to brake if they are Valeo they say (mine work fine)...
Batteries die out of the blue...
Pottholes crack rims...
I lost an exhaust valve at 5200rpm or so on the freeway...
The gearbox bearings may go bad... just ask Oak, Snowbum, Dr. Curv, etc... I suffered that once... it happens really quickly and progressed even faster - it goes so fast that when you hear the sound you need to turn off the ignition and call the road assistance at once...
The frame may give...
etc

Prepare for reasonable possible brake-downs as plugs, HT-leads, a coil and the ICU. Small parts. Fuses, bulbs, punctures.

Since you will be driving a lot on dirt roads - original paper air filter is better than K&N... but... when clogged?... You can hardly bring a few with you since they are rather bulky...
Is there foam-filters available that could be used?

Listen to advice from those who have tried - think "KISS" -
You may get some ideas from:
OMEGA Electronic Ignition BMW repair modification restoration
I've just "chatted", a week or two ago, with Stephen about his solutions, especially HID conversion and LED-lights.

__________________
Drive Safely,
Albert

An update: I made the conversion and everything works great. I've noted that the bike will now idle MUCH lower than it could before (not a good thing). Before warmed up the idle can drop to 350 rpm if I'm not giving it gas! It never did that before. Hmmmm

...and the points can uses VW beetle points. Perfect for south america.

- Shaft - I'll just hope that the shaft doesn't break. It's definitely not a common failure on monolevers
- I'm bringing an extra set of HT leads to share between the 4 of us
-My starter motor is the older bosch. My bike is an '84. I'm not too worried about it.
-12V batteries aren't that hard to find.
-No preparing for cracked rims
-Also no preparing for broken valves. Just hoping.
-My gearbox is a bit clunky and I might have it rebuilt before I leave
-I'll be using a uni foam filter. We'll have one spare in our group of 4.
-I also converted over to HID on Stephen's recommendation. Really amazing, but doesn't make oncoming traffic very happy.
-I already replaced my charging system with an enduralast system. It has worked great so far and the voltage regulater/rectifier is really the only failure point. 2 of us use this system, so we'll split one spare.

You have the situation fully under control -

350rpm as idel?... no way... have you checked your rev-gauge?
The lighted flywheel does not allow for this... you need either the old heavy flywheel, or its equivallent in a pulley driven car alternator...
350rpm idle would make any R25 owner green of envy -

600rpm is ok - I prefer that over 800-1100rpm as the factory setting is supposed to be. To be able to get a steady idel at below 800rpm (especially under 700rpm) you will need high-flow inlet valves, dual-plugging and retarded ignition timing, and infact a higher compression ration also facilitates the beemer low-rev idling (my experience only, and only two /7 engines).

350 is a bit low... do you have an oil-pressure gauge installed?
I have used car-gadgets untill a year or so ago when I changed to hydraulic:
Swedol items
http://handla.swedol.se/images/large/HK-3011.jpg

If the oilpressure drops below 2bars I'm getting uneasy... and all "cheap" engine oils, espcially fully synthetic, gives a reading of 1-1.5bars at about 1000rpm idle when the engine and oil is at operational temp (120-140'C on the engine oil). At 3000 rpm and up I have 6.5bars-7bars less the oil-temp drops below 90'C - then pressure rises to about 8kg. When the pressure fails to rise abouve 6.5bars - I condsider the oil as "worn out".
Starting pressure at minus 10-15'C is above 23bars... use 25bar hoses or they will burst (I have tested...). Currely I use 400bar hydraulic hoses since the price on them was quite nice.

__________________
Drive Safely,
Albert

I should have been more clear. I haven't set my idle speed to 350. When warmed up my bike idles at 1000-1100. I was just saying that when I start the engine cold and turn off the choke, the engine will run down to 350 rpm for just a few seconds if I don't give it gas. I'm pretty sure my tach is accurate. It's a moto-computer with numeric readout. Interesting idea on the oil pressure gauge. I've never seen one installed on an airhead. That's cool that it will let you know when your oil has lost viscosity.

WÜDO has a kit, I have it on both my airheads.

I thought Wudo went out of business. Are they still around? Link?

Wüdo's back allright.
Here is their letter:

----- Original Message -----
From: WUEDO am Flughafen
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:08 PM
Subject: WÜDO Neustart

WÜDO macht weiter
Willkommen bei WÜDO Motorrad, Ihrem Spezialisten für BMW Motorräder. Bei uns finden Sie alles rund um BMW Motorräder, seine Fahrer und Beifahrer. Hier stehen Sie und Ihre Wünsche im Mittelpunkt.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

es ist mir gelungen, mit der Hilfe von Investoren und mit Unterstützung von Mitarbeitern aus dem bewährten WÜDO-Team unser traditionsreiches Familienunternehmen unter dem Namen „WÜDO® Motorrad – Service und Zubehör für BMW Motorräder“ wieder aufleben zu lassen.

Ich werde mit dem WÜDO-Team den Werkstattbetrieb weiterführen und den Schwerpunkt auf den Service, die Teileversorgung für BMW-Motorräder aller Baujahre sowie die Restauration von BMW-Motorrädern ab 1949 legen. Als Meisterwerkstatt pflegen und warten wir selbstverständlich ebenfalls alle aktuellen BMW-Motorräder innerhalb der Garantiezeit. Ein weiteres Standbein ist der Handel mit guten gebrauchten BMW-Motorrädern und Zubehör für BMW-Motorräder.

Die Erfahrung für diesen Neustart konnte ich bei BMW in München, in den BMW-Niederlassungen Essen und Kassel, an der Fachschule des Kfz-Gewerbes in Northeim und in vielen Jahren im elterlichen Betrieb WÜDO am Flughafen sammeln.

Unterstützt werde ich von Mechanikern, die viele Jahre für WÜDO tätig waren, von meinem Lebensgefährten Kai Watermann und meinen Eltern.

Freuen würde ich mich, wenn Sie mir das gleiche Vertrauen als Kunde schenken, wie Sie es über 34 Jahre meinen Eltern entgegen gebracht haben.

Besuchen Sie uns ab dem 4. Mai 2009 in etwas veränderten Räumlichkeiten am selben Standort.

Falls Sie in diesem Frühjahr noch keine Arbeiten an Ihrer BMW vergeben haben, vereinbaren wir gerne umgehend einen Termin mit Ihnen (0151/22200976 oder wuedo@wuedo.de).

Aufgrund der Neuausrichtung konnte ich die AW-Verrechnungssätze deutlich senken. Die von WÜDO ausgegebenen Kunden- und Bonuskarten behalten ihre Gültigkeit.

Ich bedanke mich, besonders im Namen meiner Eltern, für Ihre langjährige Treue und würde mich freuen, Sie auch in Zukunft bei WÜDO zu begrüßen.

Um den Neustart geschmeidig zu gestalten, würde das WÜDO-Team gerne mit Ihnen am Samstag, dem 9. Mai 2009, auf unsere neue, gemeinsame Zukunft anstoßen.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Martina Wüstenhöfer

WÜDO® Motorrad
Gottlieb-Daimler-Str. 3
59439 Holzwickede


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__________________
Drive Safely,
Albert

installed beancan with points .. yanked a perfectly good BMW electronic system off.

sure there's maintenance, but now if ever I have problems with ignition failure. odds are 99% I'll find out what went wrong and be back up again. spare points and condenser take up little room.

__________________
R90S, R80G/S PD