58 XL Sportster points gap? (Magneto)

[dlxl66elxl]

Magneto Ignition

Basically none. The only advantage would be loss of the battery/generator/regulator for a race bike. For the street it is merely the battery. But then you could gain finicky starting and the infamous "Sportster knee" for a bit of street cred!

I believe that the magneto was incorporated into the 58XLCH (off road only) as it weighed less than the battery and generator. Some folks claim that HD offered a battery powered lighting kit, but that so far is purely speculation. As to the 58XLC, in my half century of chasing these bikes I have never seen or heard of a actual XLC being manufactured. The 58 XLCH's seem to surface often (all relative) but a large number of the ones I have seen are fake re stamps. Buyer beware. As to the finicky knee, I am of the opinion that a correctly set up magneto is no more troublesome than a battery ignition. I did see a magneto bike equipped with a Morris magneto rare earth rotor and all you had to do was literally stare at the kick lever and it started. A worthwhile investment.

[Rubone]

The "finicky starting and Sportster knee comments" are from a lifetime of seeing poorly set-up magnetos on a variety of applications. Working in custom shops and dealerships as a young man observing that most owners did not have a clue about the correct adjustment or cleanliness needed for a magneto to function, along with worn kicker gears, the possibilities for hard starting and pain inflicting were very real.
And I have magnetos on several different bikes of my own in case you are wondering.

[Chris Haynes]

Thanks Robbie! I'm working on this one for a friend & my kicker leg has just about had it, nothing like my 1-maybe 2 kick VL!

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