by Ferrous_Head » Mon May 13, 2019 5:12 pm
Sportsters are bigger than your 52 K. 750cc versus 993 cc's.They run much higher static compression ratios 8 to 1 Versus 6 to 1.
Yes, a magneto bike is a bit harder to start than battery fed systems. You should be able to kick the K over fast enough to not have a problem with a fixed advance.
The correct timing for an engine is largely a function of the engines efficiency of combustion. The flathead is not a particularly efficient combustion chamber. Neither is a sportster for that matter. That's why the 883's run 45 BTDC.
Is exact ignition timing important ? Well, yes. Too little or too much advance can hurt the engine as well as leading to power loss and orse gas consumption.
With fixed timing you can set the timing using a timing light and get it spot on. It will more or less stay there for a long time after that. With the manual advance systems timing can be a lot more hit and miss.
I would never, ever run a manual advance system like HD's on my race engines, They simply aren't a good idea. The centrifugal advance system is only marginally better and I won't use that either.
"I know only too well the evil that I propose, but my inclinations get the better of me."