Below is some comments I received from Mark Lepore, CEO and founder of Mission Ignition Systems.
Want to know who Mission Ignition Systems are, look here:
About Mission Ignition Systems Ltd.
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Let anyone know... with any CDI system... including an M&W 1000mJ unit... I will put up $10000 vs their $10000 in ANY side by side test, on ANY engine, using ANY CDI.
CDI is old school technology. Most engines don't need more then 30KV, and a CDI outputs more then double that for no good reason. Any inductive setup will fire for at minimum 1.0mS, and a CDI fires for one tenth that 0.01mS. Literally the spark is lit for less then a degree of crankshaft rotation meaning misfires are MUCH more common. In order for reliable combustion you need the spark to stay lit for several degrees of crankshaft rotation.
This is already known across the industry because no CDI will pass any modern day emissions testing for that reason. This is why inductive is the ignition of choice in ALL modern day high performance engines. From street bikes, to the fastest modern day street orientated 1000+hp engines. The Bugatti, Ferarris, Lambos, Porches, Supercars... none use CDI. If they are that great, why are they not using CDI?
The real question is, why would anyone even consider a CDI on a modern day application. We use to sell CDI's, but tests after tests, CDI fall behind in every department, including engine output, drivability, and reliability.
Literally the only people who believes CDI is superior, are individuals who have never seen side by side tests in action, have no practical experience, or real world understanding of how ignition systems work to ignite the combustion mixture, or people who have never used an actual high output inductive ignition.
Anyone can have an opinion, and that's fine, but it is not practical, real world, or fact based observation. We have done countless tests with engines previously fitted with high end CDI's, and even our own CDI's. If people are looking only at "mJ", they need to stop, sit back, and let people with practical testing experience suggest the best ignition for their application. People who look at mJ and are grasping at straws and ideas which don't fit into combustion. It's like saying I have a 1000hp engine, but it's only 1000hp at 5000rpm, and the rest of the time it's 10hp. You are a lot better off with a 400hp engine across the curve in any reasonable imagination of the sense. You need the right energy, at the right time, for the right result.
Best Regards,
Mark