A high-performance ignition to suit your 1970s BMW with twin plug heads.

The Compass system replaces your points ignition and delivers precise timing, easy starting, improved throttle response and an accurate advance curve.  The advance curve for your dual plug heads will be 24 degree advance range; suitable for the two spark plugs per cylinder head engine.

We call this system the Compass because the triggering rotor has two points like a compass! It's this unique shape of the Compass rotor and the accurate CNC machining process that gives the required timing stability and accuracy you would expect from electronic ignition.

The control box is completely new and has some unique developments on the inside including high levels of voltage spike protection.

Events such as a battery becoming disconnected while the engine is running can lead to voltages spiking outside of the normal range and must be considered in case a fault does occur.

• Reverse polarity protected
• Spike protected to hundreds of volts
• Continuous overvoltage protected
• Pickup inputs protected

Reverse polarity is blocked out by a diode on the power input and the pickup inputs can tolerate full battery voltage should a connection go astray. It's designed to take anything the bike can throw at it but in case something extraordinary does happen, the box is repairable thanks to an easily removable sealing compound. 

A Tri-Spark customer, Mark, has been enjoying the improvements for a few months now on his restored 1979 BMW R100R.  Mark said he replaced a 12-month-old Dyna III system with the Compass ignition as he was impressed that it did not use the old mechanical advance unit with all its related problems.  You can see the build quality and the thought that went into it, Mark says. The quality fittings and robust wiring loom that exactly fits the application.  Mark found it quick to install with easy-to-follow instructions and once installed the bike is easier to start, idles beautifully and the motor is much stronger across the rev range. 

An ignition system for people who love to ride their BMW!

The pickup unit that replaces the points plate is made by Tri-Spark in Adelaide, South Australia using extreme temperature safe components. Materials like the 300-degree Celsius magnet rating, 200 C winding wire, machined aluminium frame and backing plate along with silicone lead wire gives this part the generous ratings it needs for a happy life inside the hot engine environment. There are no active components inside the pickup unit and it's potted with a flexible sealant to cushion the internals during thermal cycling. 

We recommend two 6-Volt Dual Lead coils ELA02006 and caps for your twin plug heads BMW.

The tiny control box (also made in Adelaide) is easy to hide under the fuel tank and it's fully sealed against vibration and moisture. It uses a high-speed processor to generate the timing required for coil saturation and the advance curve without delays or jitter.

Improved reliability, maintenance free and better performance in an easy to install package - the Compass System for your BMW ticks all the boxes!

Note: This system suits 1970s era bikes manufactured BEFORE BMW started using the 'ignition in the can' or bean can style ignition units. If you have an "ignition can" on the front of your engine you will need to use our other Compass Ignition BMW kit for these later engines. Please contact us if you need further information about compatibility.