Motorcycle Ignition System Parts

Just like most cars, motorcycles are driven by a gasoline engine that produces power and torque through the combustion of a fuel and air mixture in a combustion chamber. To make the mixture blow up when a piston is in the top dead center position or very close to it in order to prevent engine from getting damaged and for its efficient operation, it must be ignited at the right time. That is what an ignition system is responsible for. If there is any problem with your ignition system, the engine may operate inefficiently and even not be able to start. That's why keeping your ignition system in proper condition is crucial, and with MOTORCYCLEiD replacement and high-performance motorcycle ignition parts and accessories it is easier and less pricey.

Spark plugs are the most familiar parts of the ignition system. These are expendable items that need to be replaced once in some tens of thousands of miles. The days when motorcyclists had to carry spares with them every time they went for a ride on two-strokes are long gone; today’s spark plugs that fire four-stroke engines are utterly reliable, and some are designed to run for as long as 100,000 miles or even more. They are taken for granted these days, but anyways, they go bad sooner or later. When it’s about time to replace them, don’t look anywhere else as here we carry a great range of motorcycle spark plugs from brand names you know and trust, including Autolite, Pulstar, and Accel.

Not only the spark has to be powerful enough to ignite the fuel, but it must also do that at the correct time. On vintage bikes, ignition timing is controlled by mechanical contact points which stay closed during ignition coil charging by a 12V source. When the distributor cam actuates a lever that goes to one of the points, it opens. Then, the drop in power makes the coil release the stored energy creating a high voltage pulse, which triggers the spark plug. The points had to be set up using feeler gauges and a screwdriver. Over time, the points get rusted, pitted, or otherwise damaged. Like all mechanicals with moving parts, they wear out and eventually require replacement.

On modern bikes, the spark is controlled by electronics. The majority of motorcycles produced since 1980 have a CDI box, which is the “brain” of the ignition system. CDI stands for Capacitor-Discharge Ignition. Capacitors can store energy and release it instantly, and that’s exactly what happens when the power is interrupted. Then, living up to its name, the capacitor discharges, and the energy goes to the ignition coil which fires the spark plugs with dramatically increased voltage. In order to do that right, the “brain” receives input from the pickup coil telling it at exactly what RPM the motor runs, which is the basis for correct timing calculations. The box is among the last parts to test when your motorcycle misfires, backfires, or otherwise runs improperly. However, the CDI unit does fail after many miles of riding due to heat and vibration constantly acting on internal electronics. When this happens, we have a reliable replacement designed specifically for your make and model at a lower than OE price.

When a spark plug does not produce a spark, the ignition coil is typically the first part to blame. Ignition coils can be of different configurations. Modern sport and street bikes tend to use a cap type, which sits directly on the plug eliminating the need for wiring. On older motorcycles, the coil is connected to one or two spark plugs via wiring. Loose or corroded wires can also be the reason for poor performance or a no-start. No matter what’s causing your bike’s ignition to malfunction, we have quality replacements. If you require maximum performance from your machine for racing purposes, we have motorcycle ignition parts with improved characteristics, which increase spark energy, improve its transfer, or reprogram your ignition, all while offering higher durability.