imported post
There are a lot of opinions on the subject.
With standard points ignition it takes more fiddling to keep things in tune because of wear and pitting. But if it ever breaks down, you'll probably be able to make it home by fiddling withthe pointsand their electrical connections. Many, including me, still have the old-fashoned breaker points for this reason. Another reason might be economic (another one of my reasons).
Some people swear by breakerless electronic ignition. No points to wear out, the spark duration (dwell) stays within spec, and once the timing is set you shouldn't have to set the spark timing again.
In the early days when this was a new concept, some electronic systems did break down and leave riders stranded. However, keeping in mind that every car and motorcycle sold these days has electronic ignition leads me to believe that the systems are now much more reliable.
Dynatek (and maybe some others) make electronic ignition systems for the GL1000. With the new one's, the entire system fits inside the points cover. They can be found anywhere from $140 to over $200.
Maybe someday I'll spring for an electronic system, but until then I'll just have to tinker with the old breaker points.