Laverda Motogadget

Dellortoman said:
The Motogaget M-Unit only supplies power to the solenoid coil in the starter relay. The 75A rating of the starter relay refers to the starter motor energising contacts. The relay solenoid coil only pulls a few amps. The 30A switching capacity of the M-Unit is more than adequate. All it's doing is taking over the job of the scrawny little contacts in the starter button (probably rated at about 10A on a good day).

BTW, I just uploaded the wiring diagram for Grant's M-Unit equipped bike to the forum library.

180 triple - Wiring diagram with Motogadget M-Unit

Wiring design originally created by Cam Douglas in 2010 for Grant Duguid's 180 triple special "POP" using a Motogadget M-Unit. Note that handlebar switches are from some late model Suzuki so have more features than the original ND switches used...
www.laverdaforum.com www.laverdaforum.com
Click to expand...
Very neat Cam, easy to follow diagram, takes time doing these kind of drawings and re-wires. Dedication.....j
 
michipons said:
Hi All!!
I am starting what it might be my last Laverda restoration…🤔 or at least for my private collection.
Is a 1200CL.
I have to re-do the electrics completely as I did with all my previous bikes.
I will install the Redax ignition with alternator and regulator.
I also use a relé, to provide direct 12v from the batery to the ignition. That means that I redesign completely all cables.
I was thinking to take advantage and remove all conections from inside the headlight.
I have 2 options:

- use standard connections under the seat, like the SF3
- go step forward and use some electronic modules like Motogadget… any experience on that?? Does it work well? Do I safe complexity and cable connections?

Regards,
Miguel
Click to expand...
I'll be installing a full Motogadget setup on my SF2 restoration including Motoscope gauge, turnsignals, and LED lighting. It's clear the primary benefits are much better lighting and far less current losses, but only if the entire system including switches are done.
 
Dellortoman said:
Yes, but as you can see, it doesn't make the wiring any simpler than the original setup. If anything, I reckon it the M-Unit makes the wiring more complex.
Click to expand...
With a huge amount of respect to you , and without bad humor I have to disagree with that, what I took off my bikes to what I have on them now , especially using the mo.button https://motogadget.com/shop/en/m-button.html is much more simple to me . I’m not talking about the technology or anything like that , I’m talking about the simplicity of installation and the de bulking of the installation. The whole moto gadget install is kind of like a Dick Smith funway into electronics kit.thats Just my opinion.
 
Last edited:
Point taken Todd. The wiring diagram I posted was a little more complicated than it could have been because the client I did it for wanted features that the unit didn't provide, like the ability to switch off the headlights. He also had a headlight flash function wired to a "Pass" button in the handlebar switch, so there were a bunch of relays and their associated wiring external to the M-unit.

How did you get on programming the M-Unit? There's various configurations and options to select from. It was a few years ago when I did that wiring diagram (which was when I last studied the M-Unit instruction book), but from memory, I think you have to use multiple presses of a button (the horn button?) to work through the setup menu. The instruction book made it seem like navigating a bloody minefield by morse code.
 
Dellortoman said:
Point taken Todd. The wiring diagram I posted was a little more complicated than it could have been because the client I did it for wanted features that the unit didn't provide, like the ability to switch off the headlights. He also had a headlight flash function wired to a "Pass" button in the handlebar switch, so there were a bunch of relays and their associated wiring external to the M-unit.

How did you get on programming the M-Unit? There's various configurations and options to select from. It was a few years ago when I did that wiring diagram (which was when I last studied the M-Unit instruction book), but from memory, I think you have to use multiple presses of a button (the horn button?) to work through the setup menu. The instruction book made it seem like navigating a bloody minefield by morse code.
Click to expand...
Hi Cam, I should qualify that all the smart and clever guys like you, and many others, on here, and the people from Moto gadget and Revival cyles have made things simpler and easier for people like myself to undertake projects that I would not have in the past. I dont need to understand the technical side of things, I just need to learn where to put what wire. When a problem arises I dig a learn a little more. And having kept a keen eye on the thread here "weird" I have learnt a huge amount, so I keep learning and getting a bit smarter.

Programming the first M unit was a bit lack lustre, using the one button to program it and follow the lights around, took a little bit to get used to, so you are dead right about the morse code! and I made a few mistakes, but i got there in the end, on the Morini it took me a day to run all the wires for the wiring loom, and then a day to program the m unit. I went a bit further on the Morini, using the M lock, and a sensor and magnet on the wheel for the speedo ( chrono classic), the hardest part there was understanding how to configure the electrics to know which size wheel I was using, an d that involved a lot of pushing on the programming button and deciphering the flashes on the M unit to see that I got it right. I bought the M unit when it was quite new, so there weren't guys like Revival doing videos on you tube.

These guys have a good amount of resources on their website and channel for working with Moto gadget, from wiring diagrams to installation. The link below shows you what I mean, they give all the info you could need, they have basic wiring diagrams, and almost everything you may need. I didnt buy my moto gadget gear off them, but i dod buy the starter relay that they use on their builds. They make everything relatively easy, and have profited from making kits that work, which in turn increases their sales. So second time round on the Jota its been a breeze well I have been a bit quicker and was more familiar., with the mo.unit blue, I ditched the mlock as roughly the same thing is built in to the mo.unit blue , I have the chrono classic rev counter speedo, and all headlights and indicators are led.
revivalcycles.com

mo.Unit Blue/Basic Universal Wiring Diagram

This diagram is the general approach used by the Revival Workshop for m-Unit Blue and Basic installations and is offered here as a guideline to be adapted for your own purposes.
revivalcycles.com revivalcycles.com
revivalcycles.com

mo.Unit and mo.Button Troubleshooting Procedures

Motogadget does not provide us with any assistance in supporting their products. We have a line of communication with them but they do not give us updates or have a database of information for us to work with. The information provided is derived from our own direct experience working with their...
revivalcycles.com revivalcycles.com
 
sideshow said:
Programming the first M unit was a bit lack lustre, using the one button to program it and follow the lights around, took a little bit to get used to, so you are dead right about the morse code! and I made a few mistakes, but i got there in the end, on the Morini it took me a day to run all the wires for the wiring loom, and then a day to program the m unit. I went a bit further on the Morini, using the M lock, and a sensor and magnet on the wheel for the speedo ( chrono classic), the hardest part there was understanding how to configure the electrics to know which size wheel I was using, an d that involved a lot of pushing on the programming button and deciphering the flashes on the M unit to see that I got it right. I bought the M unit when it was quite new, so there weren't guys like Revival doing videos on you tube.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I would think that they could provide a facility to allow programming via a USB connection to a laptop without too much trouble. Like an Ignitech ignition. That might make them a bit more popular.

Cheers,

bazzee
 
bazzee said:
Hmm, I would think that they could provide a facility to allow programming via a USB connection to a laptop without too much trouble. Like an Ignitech ignition. That might make them a bit more popular.

Cheers,

bazzee
Click to expand...
That would have been a good idea, or a micro USB port, but that would take away the integrity water proofing. Now with the blue tooth connection you dont need that. the first m unit I put in was back in 2015 , so 7 years ago it was very basic and the button programming worked. They have come along way now,

I sound like a rolling advert for them,, I guess I am, but with good cause, any company that disrupts technology like this and lets people like me actually do the work on my own without a huge learning curve is great , its kind of like all the cnc, table top milling machines, and 3 d printers that let anyone use them, if you can use software like shapr3d or fusion360, which is very intuitive, it lets you do so many things that normally you would have to have a long learning curve to do, or to pay someone else to do. Motogadget has simplified everything
 
Last edited:
I loved the idea of this M-unit when I first saw it but must admit that I hated the programming part just from reading through the manual... I understand well why Grant wanted the switch buttons to turn lights off etc. and also understand why he did not like the push buttons (m switch), especially as they do not have any pictogram engraved or are even enlightened so you could differentiate which button is for what. Aftermarket-Items did have that though and I was really tempted to use it.

Now, with the bluetooth connection, everything sounds much easier to program and if I should ever finish the Motoplast bike, that is what I will buy for it...
 
I've generally held the opinion that the M-Unit is a solution looking for a problem. With the early unit, you could achieve pretty much the same result with a bank of fused relays. Perhaps a little bulkier, but a fraction of the price. As later units get smarter and do more things, they may become a useful appliance, but I still don't think they're there yet. Not enough for me to consider buying one anyway. Just my opinion.

If they can sort out more user-friendly programming, like Ignitech, then that would be a big step in the right direction. A USB or serial port doesn't necessarily have to compromise waterproofing. Anyway, how waterproof does it need to be. Motorcycles aren't submarines.
 
The programming is pretty straight forward with the BT-connection and the app on your phone. They can even show voltage in the app and many more things so you can even diagnose/trace electric faults, keep track of your to be performed services (they have a logg-book integrated, in which you can not only track your tours but also put in your service plan and it will remind you on when to change oil, check cam and primary drive chain etc. etc.) and many other things. For more details see: https://www.mo-ride.de/en/mo-ride-app/ and scroll down, please.

Is it a "must have"? No. Is it interesting technology? For me it is. I would not replace the working wiring on a bike though with it, but if your bikes wiring is old and causes issues or if you build a bike from the ground up (or do a special) - why not? Cost can not be the issue, we throw so much money at our bikes, 600€ more can not be the issue... 😇 ;)
 
Laverdalothar said:
The programming is pretty straight forward with the BT-connection and the app on your phone. They can even show voltage in the app and many more things so you can even diagnose/trace electric faults, keep track of your to be performed services (they have a logg-book integrated, in which you can not only track your tours but also put in your service plan and it will remind you on when to change oil, check cam and primary drive chain etc. etc.) and many other things. For more details see: https://www.mo-ride.de/en/mo-ride-app/ and scroll down, please.

Is it a "must have"? No. Is it interesting technology? For me it is. I would not replace the working wiring on a bike though with it, but if your bikes wiring is old and causes issues or if you build a bike from the ground up (or do a special) - why not? Cost can not be the issue, we throw so much money at our bikes, 600€ more can not be the issue... 😇 ;)
Click to expand...
I’m with you Lothar. And it’s a system I understand as I have installed it. On old system that exists I think I have a learning disability to wrap my head around. But if I install it then I understand it. Like I’m a visual guy when it comes to being explained things, drawings and photos or videos. Reading pages and pages to understand something I haven’t dealt with before often takes longer to sink in.
 
So, if I want to ride a Laverda, a machine which harks back to pre war mechanical solutions, I need:
at least one satellite
a mobile phone
relays for the mobile phone
relays for all the things on the bike where there's a switch or button
a computer for the ignition
a credit card to call the insurer on the mobile phone when the contraption breaks down
of course, all this on a machine that it's best not to venture too far from urban areas on since otherwise you may not have any signal for the mobile phone etc...?

Not to worry though, I've been told by tech savvy people that the invention of the magneto and the dynamo isn't far off. Motorcycles useable without batteries and with very few things that can go wrong.

Paul
 
Paul Marx said:
So, if I want to ride a Laverda, a machine which harks back to pre war mechanical solutions, I need:
at least one satellite
a mobile phone
relays for the mobile phone
relays for all the things on the bike where there's a switch or button
a computer for the ignition
a credit card to call the insurer on the mobile phone when the contraption breaks down
of course, all this on a machine that it's best not to venture too far from urban areas on since otherwise you may not have any signal for the mobile phone etc...?

Not to worry though, I've been told by tech savvy people that the invention of the magneto and the dynamo isn't far off. Motorcycles useable without batteries and with very few things that can go wrong.

Paul
Click to expand...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I see your point , but for me I like this shit. I’m not saying you should use it or that everyone should convert. But no one else here has actually given their experience of it , except perhaps Grant some time ago , when the gear was relatively new , and he wanted to do something with it that it didn’t do.


You may still need all that tech if you come off and crash somewhere. Sat nav for the ambulance , mobile phone for first responder , life and death may count on that all working for the emergency services, god forbid you need them . Or come off which I don’t wish at all , credit card for when anyones bike breaks down.

Fear not Paul , I still run points on my Triumph and Norton, so if the shit hits the fan I can always ride a bike. The Norton in particular doesn’t even need a battery. So I must be a prepper 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
sideshow said:
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I see your point , but for me I like this shit. I’m not saying you should use it or that everyone should convert. But no one else here has actually given their experience of it , except perhaps Grant some time ago , when the gear was relatively new , and he wanted to do something with it that it didn’t do.


You may still need all that tech if you come off and crash somewhere. Sat nav for the ambulance , mobile phone for first responder , life and death may count on that all working for the emergency services, god forbid you need them . Or come off which I don’t wish at all , credit card for when anyones bike breaks down.

Fear not Paul , I still run points on my Triumph and Norton, so if the shit hits the fan I can always ride a bike. The Norton in particular doesn’t even need a battery. So I must be a prepper 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Click to expand...
Pleased to hear that you have at least two useable motorcycles. (I also love tinkering, but it musn't defeat its object, which is to ride)

My wife persuaded me to get an airbag vest which has an inbuilt caller in case of inflation. It calls my mobile, if I don't answer, it calls the emergency services.

I just got my first speeding ticket since 1988 on my 3C. That bike is too fast.
A friend now passed away who had been riding Harleys for decades, before it became fashionable, used to admire people riding rigid chops. He used to say "at 80 km/h on that, you're scared".

Paul off to tinker
 
Paul, you know what? on this pre-worldwar 2 technology that we ride there is one thing that never let me down: the modern technology I put on it... The rest shaked itself into pieces, material did not stand to the load or other mechanical problems. I had recently both the Jota and the 1000 SFC engine completely rebuilt - all due to mechanical failures. Cracks in the head, head deformed slightly, a bearing giving up and so on and so on. Still, the electronic Ignitition I put on the bike 30 years ago (DMC) on the Jota, respectively 20 years ago on the 1000 SFC, started the bike faultlessly, allthough the insulation of the cables of the pickups from the Jota had given up, causing timing issues which caused the starter clutch to shake itself into pieces. Glory to the original parts...! :rolleyes:

Oh - and on the 1000 SFC, I have a constant battery drain if I let the bike stay for longer. Imagine I had a modern electric on it that cuts off everything seriously from the battery to safe it from getting drained... or warn me if the voltage gets to low to start the bike while I am sitting on the couche, giving me a chance to plug the charger in a day before I want to go on a ride... If I would have had that on the bike, I wouldn't be typing here but enjoying a ride right now with my son and my wifes brother btw. ... :-(

So - from my point of view, there is nothing wrong with making our suckers a bit more reliable, especially as a 30+ years old electric isn't really improving reliability... If you enjoy fetteling with old points ignition, love the high current oxidated contacts deliver and appreciate the conversation with the guys on road side while you try to fix the bike - great. I am beyond that point in my patience really and am even considering selling all these suckers to get me something that starts and runs like I want it. Live is just to short to make yourself a slave of your vehicles...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top