CB400 cdi

Yes Dave, YHV at ambient 13 degrees and FWF at 15 degrees. Honda did not specify a temperature to do the tests at.

Copper has a positive temperature coefficient- so we would expect around a 4% increase on these numbers for every 10 degree rise- so these generators would move further into the acceptable zone at engine temps....

Hello guys. I'd just like to conform a few things. Firstly our CDi units are all made in our own workshops, you can come and meet the team an watch them actually being built. We do play with the timing curves, sometimes for performance sometimes because the original was terrible. It was during the months of painstaking work in the early days of the company to reformulate CDi units that we found how far we can push the timing about.

These old magneto based electronic ignitions do throw up some very odd faults. It is a fact that many people have only a basic understanding of how they do work and get upset if they buy a new CDi unit and it doesn't fix the problem, or worse gives a new set of faults. The fact is you have to have a lot of experience and knowledge to trouble shoot these systems. Not going through a logical test procedure is likely to lead to more problems rather than a fix. If you now have a new CDi and still have problems, its not likely to the new CDi! The 30 year or older electrical system on the bike is the most logical place to continue your search.

As to the very early comment on this thread that we don't help people, thats simply not true. I cannot sit on line all day just to answer questions that much is true. What we have done is got to the bottom of these system and published testing guides for some. We've actually helped our competitors in doing so. We hold all the information on file and will point you in the right direction if people ring or better e-mail with their test figures. Also we are training three youngsters how to do the electronics and wind parts and apply this knowledge to fix these systems. That hopefully will lead to these systems to be repairable long after I retire! One is also at college studying (funded by my company) so I think we do more than most to help!

This isn't a rant (lots of smiley faces) But if you ring me after buying a part from us, one which we know has an excellent track record, after not having done proper troubleshooting, you are likely to be told to check the rest of the system. Its not a get out, its that we want to help you get your bike running. In buying a new CDi you have ruled out the CDi so the problem is likely to be elsewhere. We do have a very accurate set of figures for these bikes - here Honda again were not helpful in giving a wide range of values. We will even talk to your local bike shop if they are getting bogged down in these ignition systems. I know of two CB400s and 3 SR500s that we have saved from being broken up as we looked at the ignition and fixed a problem that others could not!

One quick up-date Luke has worked out a repair scheme for the CB400 high speed pick-up, thats the one in the centre buried in black resin. Another part of the generator is now repairable, we are still working the low speed pick-up set.

Nice to see you back and commenting! I agree with most of your post- I'm concious- as I have said before- that no-one else seems to be supporting these curious ignition systems, so more power to you. I do however think you make a rod for your own back by supplying CDI's to fit to systems that may have a combination of faults- and also where those other faults could fry your new part. I personally don't think bikeshops are any more geared up to troubleshoot these ignitions than anyone else is my experience. Hence my suggestion that you take the whole lot and test it- then you and the customer should be confident all is fixed?

Looking forward to any figures you have for good readings for the 400 generator and how they compare with mine? And please don't be a stranger!

We were not asking that.....just a response - ten minutes of your time in six months would have been good.

But you have now responded and I am sure a lot of members are appreciative of this....thanks.