Timing an Evo

Hello, I've been gone awhile and need some refresher help. I bought me a rigid with a 1999 Evo eng. and I've been wondering how long it might be before I need to replace the points and condenser and the proper way to set them. I'm running a 6-speed Baker trans., Mikuni HSR42 carb., Hotwires with splitfire plugs, and a BDL "Quietclutch". Engine is the 80ci. and I ride hard.

Timing

I've checked the nosecone and I do have points and condenser. Can't run electronic with the "Hotwires" they interfere with emf from the capicitors in the wires. Thanks for your reply. My bike is set up to use most parts from an auto supply for emergency road work.

Here is a primer on setting them up. Shovel and Evo uses the same lobes so no difference there. The marks on the wheels vary from year to year so using this method will get you close to perfect.

http://www.directparts.com/static/articles/shovelheadtiming.html

Now, while points are easy to work on, bear in mind that the advance unit needs servicing every 2.500 miles or so. You will need to pull out the plate, and the advance unit. Check the springs, posts and weights. Lube the pins on the weights with some good thick grease that won't fly off. Secure the springs and reinstall. Set the gap and the timing and repeat every 2,500 miles or so. Miss a worn advance weight post and the spring sacks allowing the weight to hit the cam cone and bind and you have a broken rotor bolt at the least.

Makes electronic ignitions a lot more palatable don't it?

Harley hasnt run points since....hmmm....1984 or thereabouts.

Evos with points

Several of my friends with Evos are running points, for a few reasons.
Points are cheap initially, and cheap and easy to repair, but the main reason people I talk to go to points is that it's hard to get an electronic ignition to give you the steady sholvelhead kind of potato-potato three-beat sound.
I've found that semi-transitor iginitions like the Dyna-S can get the same flavor, and obviously you'll get better power and reliabiity with a good modern module, but if power and reliabily were all we cared about, we probably wouldn't choose H-D in the first place.

Potato-potato-pot...bang. Only problem with low idle and a lope is low oil pressure and low flow and an EVO don't mix well. We have come across some mighty worn rocker bushings etc on EVO's that are idled too low.

If you want a low idle, make dang sure the oil pump is putting out some semblance of pressure and flow. Otherwise, that sweet sound makes for sour $$$ spent.

The original V-Fire ignition was introduced on Shovels in 78-79 but used mechanical advance still. In 83-84 V-Fire III replaced it with a sensor and module system that included advance curves. The reliability of the V-Fire I was questionable and expensive to replace so conversion to points was common.

However, V-Fire III and it's descendents are highly reliable yet people still replace them with points and weights. So, we go backwards in technology. We get inaccurate timing, inconsistent dwell mandatory maintenance...