Fred, I know how you feel from the same mechanics view. I never owned a timing light. Did it by "ear" Dwell meters were cool, but still like "feeler gauges." People used bring their bikes and cars to me all the time to adjust the carbs and set points and timing. I don't know how many times they had just got it back from a tune up from a dealer, and tell me it just doesn't run like it did. Being a hot rodder with oversize cams and big carbs, you learn to forget the lights and factory settings. You just close your eyes and let that motor talk to you. It will tell you when to stop turning and it is "happy". I miss that with these new fangled bikes and cars. I have a GMC sonoma that used to get 22mpg. It dropped to 16 and I have had it to 2 dealers. Between the 2, they have replaced sensors, exhaust, and everything in between.They still can't figure it out. 67,000 miles on a 2000, and it gets less gas mileage than my "66 ,289 Mustang motor with racing cam, Holley 4 barrel, and it's bored out 40 thousandths.I'm not the only one. I ran into a guy, when I just back from Kentucky picking up a bike. I got 22mpg. He said he sold his Sonoma because it got 16mpg no matter how he drove it. I told him I loved mine. Guess what my mileage dropped to about 3 months later. You guessed it. 16mpg. I hate sealed up little black boxes that just sit there and stare at you. First thing you want to do is grab a hammer. It has to be replaced anyway, no tearing this apart and fixing it. Mechanics are a dying breed. They have been replaced by techies and remove and replace morons. Hutch