I opted for variable timing and DC output for LED conversion on my Stella.
First off, when it arrived, I have to give them credit for nice packaging. It arrived with everything well-packaged and good translation on the documentation. Definitely not the sketchy Google Translate from Italian to English that I've come to expect with parts like this.
Installation was the easiest of any aftermarket ignition I've installed. The slots on the stator were huge, which was a nice change of pace. It also meant I didn't have to extend them. The stator plate was also correctly marked with A an IT stamps.
I took a first guess at location, marked TDC, it fired up and I strobed it with a timing light, adjusted once, strobed it again, and I was good-to-go.
Mounting the CDI required a custom bracket, but that was a simple matter of cutting, bending, drilling, and tapping some aluminum stock. The connection from the CDI to the bracket is also its ground, so it needs to be solidly bolted. If you just loosely tie it on with a zip tie to test, your motor won't run right...not that I'd know...
I swapped this from a static Ducati CDI setup that I'd been running since my Flytech started behaving badly and while the carb needs some tweaking in the 1/4 throttle range, I'm pleased. I didn't get it out and really thrash it, but it's starting 1-2 kicks and running smooth and staying cool under load.
For the lighting, the DC conversion was relatively straightforward, as you can see from my amended wiring diagram.
The headlight is LED and significantly brighter. I could see the headlight on the pavement while riding with a heavy overcast yesterday, which never would have happened before. I might even get rid of the Mad Max light bar since I didn't feel the need for it in the pitch black sections of my neighborhood that I usually use it in at night.
It stays bright and doesn't flicker at idle, which is definitely nice. That's one of those things that became a pet peeve of mine over the years and which is now gone on this bike.
I have LED turn signals & flasher unit on order and they should be here this week, as the incandescent bulbs still cause a little bit of dimming when they flash.
This may be a matter of taste, but for me one nice thing is that the headlight now ties to the battery, so it comes on with the key rather than only when the motor is running.
In summary, I'm pleased with the results and the project took me maybe three hours from start to finish for both the ignition swap and the DC conversion. The initial ignition swap was about an hour, including fabricating the bracket for the CDI. most of the time was spent over on the left side of the bike replacing the old regulator/rectifier with the new regulator, crimping some custom connectors to bond the AC & DC circuits, and testing that everything was working as expected.
⚠️ Last edited by chandlerman on UTC; edited 2 times