Kytronik\'s strobe light runs on internal batteries so it can be used on the road.
Kytronik\’s strobe light runs on internal batteries so it can be used on the road.

 

Strobing all over the world (or a lay-by near you)

 

There is a fine line to balance when selecting tools to carry for a long scooter tour. The urge is to cover all eventualities but if you ride a Lambretta, this would mean the man from Snap-On following you across Europe with his large white Fort Knox-type van. I don’t know how practical that would be in reality? I’m always on the lookout for space and weight saving tools to transport on the scooter and to enable me to carry out most roadside type surgery – or at least to get me out of trouble! So when I saw an advert for a new battery powered strobe timing light by Kytronik, “that’s for me”, I thought to myself.

 

I came across Kytronik before with their ‘Smart Booster’ electronic Ignition advance box of trickery and have been running this excellent product successfully for a number of years now. When I saw them advertise an ignition strobe timing light I knew it would be a decent quality from this scooter-friendly company.

 

To energise most timing light strobes they come with crocodile clips to connect onto a 12v battery. For those that don’t run a battery on their scooter, it becomes a bit of a lottery setting-up the ignition timing if you have to change your faulty stator plate in a layby or freshly ploughed farmer’s field.

 

kytronic strobe
The Kytronik strobe takes D-type batteries
Simply clip the sensor over your ignition lead!
Simply clip the sensor over your ignition lead!

 

The advantage of this strobe light from Kytronik is it is battery powered and can be used at the side of the road or any unusual location come to think of it. It takes 2 x D type batteries to run the bright zenon bulb and clips onto your spark plug lead to obtain the ignition trigger for the timing light. There are decent instructions included and they tell us in their spiel it is compatible with all ignitions from 6V to 12V and electronic CDI to points. Whilst it cannot unfortunately give us the answer to the meaning of life (which is 42 of course), it pretty much ticks all the boxes in the ignition strobing rave party for portability.

 

So this is definitely being added to my scooter touring tool kit for this season and who knows, I may even find a way to make it strobe at 160 beats per minute for a bit of Techno action on a rally site somewhere…………’Ave it!

 

Higgsy SDSC

 

For more information see www.kytronik.com

 

 

Kytronik self-powered strobe in use

Editor\’s note: Some more complex strobe lights with adjustable advance settings do not work with scooter ignitions, particularly IDM-based (Vesptronic Varitronic etc) systems. Kytronik have assured us that theirs works fine with any scooter system including IDM. Note that the IDM system uses a \’wasted spark\’ so you get two static marks showing on the flywheel. Just make sure you select the correct one.

 

Want to know how to use a strobe? - watch this video...

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