Add a Tachometer - Page 10

Water Warrior 2 · 02-24-2011, 10:47 PM

Hacc81, just to make it easy for an old guy, where did you get the tach and how much was it, cost, shipping and all the other stuff involved ?

hacc81 · 02-25-2011, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Hacc81, just to make it easy for an old guy, where did you get the tach and how much was it, cost, shipping and all the other stuff involved ?

Hi Water Warrior, I bought it from this guy in LA: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... _500wt_922 (I know that the photo is different, but he assured me that it was a Drag Specialties, and it was)...
And the shipping depends on how fast you want it at your house... I paid like US$25 for 2 days shipping... But I think if you have the patience you could arrange cheaper shipping. He provided great customer service and replied to all my questions fairly quick.

tcrave · 06-09-2011, 05:42 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-M ... ccessories

does anyone know if that one will work? If so, I think I am going to get it. I don't want to buy it if it won't work, though. Says its for Harleys...but looks like it is the same thing as people are posting on here.

blaine · 06-09-2011, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcrave

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-Mini-Electronic-Tachometer-Gauge-Harley-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem20b90407b5QQitemZ14054 3002549QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

does anyone know if that one will work? If so, I think I am going to get it. I don't want to buy it if it won't work, though. Says its for Harleys...but looks like it is the same thing as people are posting on here.

Yes,it will work. :2tup:

tcrave · 06-10-2011, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaine

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcrave

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-Mini-Electronic-Tachometer-Gauge-Harley-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem20b90407b5QQitemZ14054 3002549QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

does anyone know if that one will work? If so, I think I am going to get it. I don't want to buy it if it won't work, though. Says its for Harleys...but looks like it is the same thing as people are posting on here.

Yes,it will work. :2tup:

Thanks! Just ordered it!

Will post pics once I get it installed.

tcrave · 06-24-2011, 09:24 PM

Hey, so I have a question. I was trying to install the tach...I just put the wires to the connections and didn't solder, just incase. I turned the bike on and the needle spikes to 8, then comes back down. I tried starting it (before realizing I had the gas tank off, lol) and the needle went all over the place.

Is this normal or is it effed?

Quimrider · 06-24-2011, 09:30 PM

some tachs have a built in diagnostic or calibration or something like that and will go full scale when power is applied. Sounds like you got one of the tachometers that does this. Get her some gas and start it up to see if it works. You should be ok without soldering for testing purposes, but you will want to solder it for a permanent installation.

tcrave · 06-25-2011, 02:10 AM

oh ok, i got the one that one i linked to. I didn't want to put everything back together permanently until i knew it worked, but I suppose I'll just have to take the chance. I tried hooking it up to both the coil and the horn and got the same results.

You know, the one i got came with a little piece that connects to the handlebar like the Drag tach. I was originally planning to install it like the OP, but now that I have it on like that, I don't like it and think I will be using the handlebar thing instead. Its at such and odd angle when using the OP's method.

tcrave · 06-25-2011, 02:02 PM

Oh, and it turns out you really don't need to take the tank off to install the tach. The first time I tried installing it, I took the tank off, but then after I got it all back together, I realized I had soldered the green wire to the orange wire instead of the white one, so it didn't work. I really didn't feel like taking the tank back off, so I tried with it on. I was able to get the green and orange unsoldered and then resolder the green wire to the white one without taking the tank off. I was initially going to solder the red and blue wires to the coil, but decided to go ahead with everyone else's suggestion of wiring them to the horn, which doesn't require taking the tank off either.

Actually, I didn't even need solder for the red and blue wires. I just striped back the wire housing to expose about 1/2" of wire, then shoved the red wire up the female connectors hole, then shoved the blue wire up the other female connector's hole and shoved the plug back on. Seemed to work just fine. I'll take it for a ride here in a little bit and see how it goes.

And to anyone else attempting this, just to warn you, don't tighten the ground wire too much. The black wire is kinda weak and will break if you tighten it up too much. This frustrated the hell out of me the first couple times I tightened it up and it broke.

One more thing, if you don't have a volt tester or are too lazy to go get it, I found that just unplugging the horn and sticking the wires in each of the female connectors and turning the bike on is a great way to figure out which is + and which is - . Well, if the tach lights up and the needle jumps to 8 and then goes back down when you switch the bike on, its the right one, if not, its the wrong one. And its a faster way to do so too! lol

I'm glad I finally got it installed, but damn that needle bounces a lot. I'm used to my car though that idles pretty smooth most of the time. Kinda funny, my car has 209,000 miles and still idles smoother than my bike that has 6,000 miles. This also makes me think I need to run some more seafoam through the carb.

tcrave · 06-25-2011, 07:31 PM

Come to think of it, when you said to wire it to the horn, did you mean both red and blue wires or just one or the other? I assumed both wires.

02-24-2011, 10:47 PM	#91
Water Warrior 2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Squamish B.C Canada Posts: 11,409	Re: Add a Tachometer Hacc81, just to make it easy for an old guy, where did you get the tach and how much was it, cost, shipping and all the other stuff involved ? Login or Register to Remove Ads
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06-09-2011, 05:42 PM	#93
tcrave Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Posts: 90	Re: Add a Tachometer http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-M ... ccessories does anyone know if that one will work? If so, I think I am going to get it. I don't want to buy it if it won't work, though. Says its for Harleys...but looks like it is the same thing as people are posting on here. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

06-24-2011, 09:24 PM	#96
tcrave Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Posts: 90	Re: Add a Tachometer Hey, so I have a question. I was trying to install the tach...I just put the wires to the connections and didn't solder, just incase. I turned the bike on and the needle spikes to 8, then comes back down. I tried starting it (before realizing I had the gas tank off, lol) and the needle went all over the place. Is this normal or is it effed?
	0

06-24-2011, 09:30 PM	#97
Quimrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toledo, OH Posts: 198	Re: Add a Tachometer some tachs have a built in diagnostic or calibration or something like that and will go full scale when power is applied. Sounds like you got one of the tachometers that does this. Get her some gas and start it up to see if it works. You should be ok without soldering for testing purposes, but you will want to solder it for a permanent installation.
	0

06-25-2011, 02:10 AM	#98
tcrave Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Posts: 90	Re: Add a Tachometer oh ok, i got the one that one i linked to. I didn't want to put everything back together permanently until i knew it worked, but I suppose I'll just have to take the chance. I tried hooking it up to both the coil and the horn and got the same results. You know, the one i got came with a little piece that connects to the handlebar like the Drag tach. I was originally planning to install it like the OP, but now that I have it on like that, I don't like it and think I will be using the handlebar thing instead. Its at such and odd angle when using the OP's method.
	0

06-25-2011, 02:02 PM	#99
tcrave Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Posts: 90	Re: Add a Tachometer Oh, and it turns out you really don't need to take the tank off to install the tach. The first time I tried installing it, I took the tank off, but then after I got it all back together, I realized I had soldered the green wire to the orange wire instead of the white one, so it didn't work. I really didn't feel like taking the tank back off, so I tried with it on. I was able to get the green and orange unsoldered and then resolder the green wire to the white one without taking the tank off. I was initially going to solder the red and blue wires to the coil, but decided to go ahead with everyone else's suggestion of wiring them to the horn, which doesn't require taking the tank off either. Actually, I didn't even need solder for the red and blue wires. I just striped back the wire housing to expose about 1/2" of wire, then shoved the red wire up the female connectors hole, then shoved the blue wire up the other female connector's hole and shoved the plug back on. Seemed to work just fine. I'll take it for a ride here in a little bit and see how it goes. And to anyone else attempting this, just to warn you, don't tighten the ground wire too much. The black wire is kinda weak and will break if you tighten it up too much. This frustrated the hell out of me the first couple times I tightened it up and it broke. One more thing, if you don't have a volt tester or are too lazy to go get it, I found that just unplugging the horn and sticking the wires in each of the female connectors and turning the bike on is a great way to figure out which is + and which is - . Well, if the tach lights up and the needle jumps to 8 and then goes back down when you switch the bike on, its the right one, if not, its the wrong one. And its a faster way to do so too! lol I'm glad I finally got it installed, but damn that needle bounces a lot. I'm used to my car though that idles pretty smooth most of the time. Kinda funny, my car has 209,000 miles and still idles smoother than my bike that has 6,000 miles. This also makes me think I need to run some more seafoam through the carb.
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06-25-2011, 07:31 PM	#100
tcrave Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Posts: 90	Re: Add a Tachometer Come to think of it, when you said to wire it to the horn, did you mean both red and blue wires or just one or the other? I assumed both wires.
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