Strobe

[Oggers]

Folks

Strobe required to time 400/4. Any particular recommendations? Plenty on Fleabay for under 20 quid....are they much of a muchness?.

[Bryanj]

Dont understand this fixation with strobes only used one once in 20 yrs in dealerships

[paul G]

In my experience get a decent on from a a known company.
Make sure it is one that is powered from the battery and has an inductive pick up.
P.S. keep the leads away from the exhaust headers

[paul G]

Dont understand this fixation with strobes only used one once in 20 yrs in dealerships

Brian,
             I used to do it with an old transistor radio set to AM turn the crank and wait for the click on the radio 

[Johnwebley]

If you go modern with electronic you don't get a click.

But a bulb on a lead also works well

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[bobv7]

Bulb holder with a couple of crocodile clips works fine. Still got the one I made years ago.

[Bryanj]

Thats exactly the way Honda say to do it in the manual

[Oggers]

Workshop manual says use a strobe - so I use a strobe. I don't on my Brit bikes, using the points position and a rod in the plug hole. That is fine for those numb old things, but the 400/4 can rev to 10 000 so a little more finesse required I feel.

[mattsz]

Thats exactly the way Honda say to do it in the manual

Workshop manual says use a strobe - so I use a strobe. I don't on my Brit bikes, using the points position and a rod in the plug hole. That is fine for those numb old things, but the 400/4 can rev to 10 000 so a little more finesse required I feel.

I have the ubiquitous Honda 350/400 shop manual (see cover image); As Oggers says, in it the timing instructions only describe using a strobe - no mention of the simple test light.

However, my owner's manual only describes the simple test llght (see attached page)...

[Rob62]

So to get back to the original question “recommendations for a good strobe” not “do i need to use one” lol..... I am also in the market for a strobe... i was considering a gunsons as they were always popular..... any suggestions??

[Bryanj]

To work on a bike they must be able to work on a seperate battery and few inductive picups work well, dont know why.
When at Mead and Tomkinson we had the Honda " box" that had meters for dwell, volts, capacitor plus a coil tester and a strobe all powered from a large car battery we charged weely. Only ever used the strobe once to prove a CB400N  was advancing too far(holed piston) always did static timing with bulb as in 750 manual.
Problem is as you move points plate to adjust timing gap alters as well and it is way too much faf with strobe.

[K2-K6]

https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/automotive/timing-tools/advance-timing-light/p/ZT1120553X?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=pla%2B%7C%2BAutomotive&utm_medium=shopping-pla&mkwid=dAYVX9ix-dt&pcrid=240096058921&prodid=ZT1120553X&pgrid=51826823924&ptaid=aud-640926587692:pla-395235818101&productparam=zt1120553x&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkZj0_ue66AIVwojVCh1OdgV7EAQYDSABEgJ3cfD_BwE

A friend of mine uses this one to good effect (I've got an old sun one so don't need new) it's also sold as Gunson for twice the price.

I've not had a problem using them powered by the vehicle battery,  possibly that has something to do with design circuit?  on some examples.

[Lobo]

I’d rate the strobe any day over alternatives as you can set the timing with the engine running. My strobe happily uses the on-board battery; sorry Oggers, it’s so old I’ve no idea what it is. (tho’ an in-line HT connection & not inductive)
Brian, how does the gap change given you simply rotate the back-plate about the spinning cam - are you simply referring to the ‘slop’ in the back plate mounting?

[K2-K6]

Brian, how does the gap change given you simply rotate the back-plate about the spinning cam - are you simply referring to the ‘slop’ in the back plate mounting?

If you rotate the crank until the cam only just touches the heel of the points to start lifting them, then try changing the points gap,  you'll see it can delay or advance the timing according to how far you moved the heel into or away from the cam.

If that makes sense 

[Bryanj]

Because the plate is never a perfect fit in the mounts and can move sideways a fraction, same for 2-3 plate on big plate