Old Biker - Out with the Pamco Ignition and back with the Points 

Great video!!! I LOVE my points system on my 1978E. After setting the points gap and timing statically, I use a cheap ($15) dwell meter to dial in the gaps, and adjust the timing with a strobe. With that done, and my carburators syncronized, the bike runs awesome and probably smoother than from the factory. Also, I love tinkering with the machine, and the points service gives my OCD something to satisfy it!! Thank you for taking the effort to share this.

Fkn brilliant video! You are the first guy I have found to see the picture. Good man. Everywhere i look online every cnt is pretty much saying saying 'My XS is a classic - but with my Pamco, I'll never need a screwdriver or feeler gauge or understand anything.

When I was young and foolish I fitted a Boyer system to my Trident T160. It ran badly and was very difficult to start. In Boyers defense I kept the 6V coils instead of putting 4V ones in. I too reverted back to points - it started MUCH easier. I have now owned the bike 40 years and have fitted a Tri-Spark ignition and I am pleased to say the bike has never ran better especially the idle which is rock solid. Looking at the Pamco it is located in a very hot environment which is bound to shorten the life of the electronic components - points are reliable, fixable at the roadside, understandable and available. If my Tri-Spark goes wrong I will have to push it !

I had a 78 Yamaha XS650 special. But, I did convert my 83 FXWG to points. Interesting video.

It's been 11 years since I put a Boyer Brandsen Micro Power on my XS. Great improvement, and still working flawless.

Good job mate

Yea that music sounds much better more fitting. on some bikes you have to open turn the cam till its fully advanced then set the points gap, then check with the strobe.

Back in the day I filed a lot of points over the years with a match book emery board (striker). Do they even make book matches any more?

I spec'd my coils after having a similar problem on the R cylinder and my coil secondaries are double spec so maybe coil breakdown for me.

Junk the standard coils & fit a dual output one & convert it to single points.Did mine years ago & no problems.

new intro is great. I think it was good timing to change it (see what I did there lol ) I have to be honest ...I have never rated the Pamco ignition system very highly . For the past 5 years or so I have seen literally dozens of owners having problems setting it up or frying their Pamcos. The forum and net are full of failures. it ain't cheap either.! I don't see any Boyer ignition failures though but I suppose there have been but having them manufacture in the UK and good telephone support has to be a better option for us Brits.. You made that job look easy ...I wonder how much Tourettes there was off camera ...... I've been meaning to ask what month and year your XS650 is ? Mine was manufactured November 1978 but DVLA have just refused my MOT TAX exemption request saying I have to wait until April 2019 ?? they seem to change the goal posts every time I look on their site

did you try to tune the electronic ignition? before swapping back to the points?

Is that the xs650 special or the midnight special

Should have left the dual output coil on there threads online to show how to wire it did it mine alot better then original