Quote Originally Posted by forchetto View Post
Magnetos on that bike and many others run in oil. Sometimes on Honda Cub derived engines they run dry, but it's quite normal to run them in oil. Can't understand why...
I've wondered about that myself. It may be possible that the alternator (electrical generator) assembly also needs cooling to maintain regularity of output and efficiency of operation.

Automobile alternators are usually belt driven and air cooled, located outside the engine. Since this is not possible in a motorcycle engine due to reasons of simple design and streamlined manufacturing, oil cooling may be the best way to go.

CC