Two crankshaft sensors

[andyvh1959]

The 1600 has two crankshaft sensors, one for each cylinder. It has two spark plugs per cylinder, and the ignition timing mark is F for the front cylinder and R for the rear cylinder. The 1600 is a 50 degree V-twin with both con-rods on one crankshaft journal. The 1600 has a timed spark for each cylinder, and the crankshaft sensor are spaced apart in the crankcase about 10 degrees. Makes me wonder if this is a designed ignition timing to give the 1600 a certain "vibe" or feel. It does have a sound "kind of" like a Harley but not quite as distinctive as a Harley.

A Harley, far as I know has only one trigger for the ignition to fire both cylinders on a wasted spark setup on the 45 degree v-twin. The wasted spark and shared con-rod crankshaft journal is one reason the Harley has that distinctive off-beat sound that everyone likes.

The VN1700 too has only one crankshaft sensor, firing only one spark plug per cylinder. Even though the 1700 is a 52 degree V-twin it too must have a wasted spark beat to it since the crankshaft sensor fires both coils, so it sounds a bit more "Harley" like.

So why do I ponder all this? Curious for one. But also I am trying to use the crankshaft sensors in the VN1600 to trigger a tach in the VN1700 gauge set i am mounting in the frame mounted fairing on my VN1600. So I am trying to figure out if it makes any difference which crankshaft sensor I use. It shouldn't since the crank triggers pass each sensor on every rotation, just one a bit later than the other. Anyone think Kawasaki uses the two crank sensors and two plugs per cylinder kind of like a MSD ignition where the extra plug per cylinder sparks a bit after the first plug?