Aliexpress TCI

[briandneville]

Has anyone bought and used one of these aftermarket TCIs?  There's a post on the ROV facebook page where someone (Carl Harrington, sorry no disrespect intended) states they've got one and it works great:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/379676003.html?fbclid=IwAR12jdCNsAmdqTTlvBRk3y7k87XMOKVaWIdna_Gq6jdyiunb3fpO4_-QoFc

Thanks!

[MikeScoot]

I am using one too. Seems to work well, but I haven't had the bike at highway speed yet.

[injuhneer]

I am using one too. Seems to work well, but I haven't had the bike at highway speed yet.

What are you waiting for? Winter to end? LOL

[MikeScoot]

lololol Well.... It's a bit of a long story, AND it involves a well misspent youth, a couple (um.. well, maybe more than a couple) of arrests and detentions, numerous outrageously OUTRAGEOUS chases (involving multiple persuit vehicles - and once even Polair Helicopter), etc. etc. etc.

You see, I started riding road bikes (seriously) when I was 12 - a bit after I started driving cars. I had a few bikes at my disposal 'cos I was good at fixing them and people would give them to me to fix for 'em.

I knew only two speeds - Flat-out and Bang, and spent the vast majority of my riding time in Flat-out mode (the rest nursing injuries, stitching up my clothing and repairing crash damage).

Heck, poor old Mum and I had to report weekly to the local police station where the local boss would grill me about whether I had been riding, and how dangerous and stupid it was to do so (as if I hadn't already worked that out). But it didn't stop me. lololol I was well and truly hooked!

Took a while to reduce the crash ratio, but that kinda got replaced by the chase ratio.

So between 12 and 30 years of age I rode too hard, worked at a few bike shops, ran a couple of my own (very humble and low-key) repair workshops and spent a lot of energy (too much) avoiding arrest.

Then one day - whilst lying flat on my back in hospital (with two RZ500s on order from Japan so I could try my hand at racing) - I realised that I had been blessed with a lot of good luck but had to change my ways before the pendulum swung the other way.

Prematurely checked myself out of hospital (there's a pretty funny anecdote to that episode), sold the RZ orders for a good profit and barely touched a bike for the next 25 years!

Did I mention the bit about never having had a licence? lololol

Now, at >60 years of age I realise that some things just need to be done legally if one wishes to not wastefully expend energy and resources outrunning the law!!!

Anyway, It's taken almost a year to organise but the planets have finally lined-up for me and I'll be doing a learner course in three weeks time! Yay! lololol lololol lololol lololol lololololol  The funny thing is that I had a bit of a hand in writing the NSW learner course all the way back in the 1980's!!! So I'll get to see just how well the course works! lolololololol

Well, that's why I haven't posted anything about riding at highway speed. I've seen the light and I'm trying hard to GO LEGAL! lololololololol

(added a wee bit later) I should add that I've ridden a hell of a lot of whizbang bikes, enthusiast and exotic "sports' bikes, Harleys, Guzzis, Dukes, Trumpies, Laverdas etc. etc. etc. but of all the bikes I've owned or ridden the Yam 650 twins, the Honda 400 fours (SuperSports) and the XZ550's have always been my favourites. Did you know it IS possible to get 5 people, two large pizzas (with anchovies and extra olives) AND an almost full  case of beer on an XZ?


(edited again to fix typos)

[fret not]

I would like to see a picture of that!  It sounds like an accident going somewhere to happen. 8)

[MikeScoot]

Na, it all went without misshap. In fact I never crashed that bike at all! Did a good amout of videoing from that bike, but the tapes, along with other things, were stolen. But I think I DO have a little footage here somewhere shot during a mate's buck's run to a place called Wee Jasper. I'll try to dig it out on the weekend.

[injuhneer]

I know this is an older thread but thought I'd bump it.

So, these TCIs...

I had the fortune to get a spare bike with my XZ. I could not make it run correctly after a car rebuild. Eventually after eliminating all other possible causes I swapped the TCI box from the spare. It started and ran smoothly. Hurray!

The XZ sat for a while but when I got back to riding it it just would not run correctly. *insert long montage of maintenance and troubleshooting*

The XZ then started acting like before. Unstable idle, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseam. One thing both instances had in common? Cranking to start on a battery with the charge a bit low. This happened the first time and the second. Now after the montage of maintenance it is running like it was with poor idle etc.

What is it with these (OEM) TCI units? A little low-voltage and it goes stupid. I am wondering what component dies that causes this.

I have never had this much trouble with an ignition on a Yamaha. All of them having had variants of this TCI and never this much trouble.

Why is this relevant?

Because I want to know that if I buy one of the replacement units that it will actually work for a while.

[jefferson]

I'm sure the heat off the rear exhaust doesn't do it any good and there isn't any good way to get airflow through there to help cool things. I wanted to do a hugger for the rear tire and then remove the lower section of the inner fender so air could flow through there and help cool the R/R and the TCI also.
Something that may help is to see how much voltage is on the ground with the bike running. Grounds are real important and as old as these bikes are the wiring could always use some help. You might try splicing into the ground at the tci and run a wire straight to the battery. It can't do anything but help.

[Walt_M.]

You might want to check PoD's resource post in Parts and Upgrades. he put a link to Leathers excellent guide and FAQ to the Vision ignition. It is informative and interesting.
As for low battery voltage causing funky ignition operation, I have not experienced it with 2 different OEM TCIs. The reason I have 2 TCIs is I bought a spare a long time ago and decided to test it. It worked ok so I just left it in. Coincidentally, I started the bike today after setting for a month. The battery voltage dropped below 10.6 while cranking so I put my trickle charger on for a couple of hours and it started right up. I didn't ride it but should have, I just ran out of time.
Read Leathers guide.

[injuhneer]

I'm sure the heat off the rear exhaust doesn't do it any good and there isn't any good way to get airflow through there to help cool things. I wanted to do a hugger for the rear tire and then remove the lower section of the inner fender so air could flow through there and help cool the R/R and the TCI also.
Something that may help is to see how much voltage is on the ground with the bike running. Grounds are real important and as old as these bikes are the wiring could always use some help. You might try splicing into the ground at the tci and run a wire straight to the battery. It can't do anything but help.

I have done the R/R upgrade and mounted the unit so it cools better. I also started making a heat shield to act as a barrier between the rear exhaust pipes. I suppose now it will be lots of DMM and patience. The added ground is a good idea regardless. :-)

[injuhneer]

You might want to check PoD's resource post in Parts and Upgrades. he put a link to Leathers excellent guide and FAQ to the Vision ignition. It is informative and interesting.
As for low battery voltage causing funky ignition operation, I have not experienced it with 2 different OEM TCIs. The reason I have 2 TCIs is I bought a spare a long time ago and decided to test it. It worked ok so I just left it in. Coincidentally, I started the bike today after setting for a month. The battery voltage dropped below 10.6 while cranking so I put my trickle charger on for a couple of hours and it started right up. I didn't ride it but should have, I just ran out of time.
Read Leathers guide.

I had read this before. It was helpful then and might be again. :-)

One thing I did do correctly the first round was to open and clean. I used alcohol instead of WD40. After drying conformal coating was applied to both sides with a small brush. In any case I do have the old TCI that was acting the same way (backfiring through intake and exhaust while idling). All I did to correct the problem was swap the TCI box. Maybe it temporarily solved some contact/connection issues.

I suppose I'll give all the connectors a good de-ox while in there.