Rz 350 ignition advice needed vapor,stock,zeeltronics

[chuck norris]

I need to an ignition for my bike and I was in the mindset of used O.E.M is better than aftermarket.
I've tried/bought a half dozen used stators, Almost as many used flywheels,a wiring harness,a coil and a cdi box all were/are no good. 
My current state is I have a new harness,a zeeltronics 10T cdi and an ebay Banshee flywheel that someone told me would work. My new mindset is no one sells usable Rz parts and how much worse can an aftermarket ignition be? I would still like to have stock components and I might have my stator rewound but then I need a good flywheel etc. My other option is to get vapor, zeeltronics components for $900+. Can you guys give me a little guideance and share your experiences with aftermarket stuff or if anyone has sanely priced good usable parts.

[Striker1423]

Vape all the way.

[rodneya]

I have a Vape stator / flywheel and zeel box on my RZ based motor and it works perfect. I dont have powervalves, so the wire is just not connected. (The zeel without powervalve option was not available when purchased)
It has a 4mm crank, so I needed to get a dial gauge with a lot of throw to set the max advance when setting it up.
Dont forget to buy the usb cable or handheld programmer as well. I bought it from Fast from the Past and he was really helpful and even sent me some timing curves.

[1976RD400C]

When I bought my '84 it had the Zeel PCDI 10VT probably because the oem controller failed. I think that was a common problem. Lots of wires but all works well with the ignition curve and power valve. My original oem stator, rotor, spark coil, and pick up coil doing ok. 

[chuck norris]

Thank you guys for the help! This is a new hobby for me and it's not exactly going as planned.I wish I had more knowledge of resources and experience building bikes.

[85RZwade]

This is a great place for information and help; several of us have RZs, and there are some incredibly knowledgeable people here.
As Mark pointed out recently, all of these OEM electronics are 40 years old now, and their reliability is questionable. Unless you have the old parts on hand, you're probably better off with new aftermarket stuff, most of which offers better performance anyway.

[m in sc]

that rz i referenced in the other post.. he had a spare stator and THAT  was bad as well. so. always use spares with a grain of suspicion  0.02

[chuck norris]

that rz i referenced in the other post.. he had a spare stator and THAT  was bad as well. so. always use spares with a grain of suspicion  0.02

I just had this conversation with the guy I was going to buy the stator from. I was into vintage snowmobiles and the n.o.s. parts are all but useless because the plastic and rubber is 40+ years old. the first time you use a brake handle it snaps because its degraded and the used stuff is also junk for the same reason. I fear this is the thing thats going to kill vintage power sports.

[RDryan]

that rz i referenced in the other post.. he had a spare stator and THAT  was bad as well. so. always use spares with a grain of suspicion  0.02

I just had this conversation with the guy I was going to buy the stator from. I was into vintage snowmobiles and the n.o.s. parts are all but useless because the plastic and rubber is 40+ years old. the first time you use a brake handle it snaps because its degraded and the used stuff is also junk for the same reason. I fear this is the thing thats going to kill vintage power sports.

Yeah I can't really answer that but you make a good point. I just think there are so many factors involved as far as "vintage power sports" but in general motorcycles at least were I live being seasonal and hey nobody wants to ride on a rainy day...are passionate purchases. Start throwing some money at any bike old/new,or used and it's a slippery slope, diminishing point of returns as far as the bike holding value.

RZ's are collectable, I'm no expert but it seems like a few pristine examples have sold for a premium. I guess that would be somewhere closer to 20k +or- but I feel like even at 10k to 12k they seem pretty expensive so you gotta really want one. I've seen em cheaper in the past year or two but the ones under 10k seem to always need stuff.

I have the complete Vape ignition/charging set up for my RD and it's the real deal as far as breathing new life into an old bike. I know you gotta spend like you say a good 900$ maybe a bit more for the RZ, I will say it's a good product and if you like the bike and just wanna put that strong spark/charging dilemma behind you then it's the best way to go.

In this day of age dropping a grand, well it ain't cheap but it's nothing money considering the cost of all things two wheels. I get on a bicycle forum for years and folks spend that kinda money on components for old bike frames or just the frames. I know if I want to step up and take my RD to the next level I will have to get the zeel and a controller whatever computer BS to mess with it. I've taken my RD to a point financially that I try to just be happy with it as opposed to the lemon it was when I first got it and blow off the idea of modifying her. I actually love what people do with them in terms of modification but I also really like em stock in regards to cosmetics and functionality. But if you want the power,performance, reliability  and the weight loss then stock is a limiting factor. So I guess you're not alone.

You gotta a really cool bike though. 

[m in sc]

I never consider resale value.  tbh, as far as hobbies its a lot cheaper than others I've seen... and you get to enjoy it in the real world. my 0.02

[m in sc]

IMHO the vape setup is actually better than the oem setup.

the 1st thing i did on my TZR was replace the stock cdi with a zeeltronic. 

[chuck norris]

I was told by another hobbiest that you know when you restored a "whatever" correctly because you have way more into it than you can sell it for. My biggest concern about the vape is reliability. I can't stand the thought of wasting another dollar on stuff that doesn't work. Vape and zeeltronics it is.