aftermarket or replacement tach

[moto pierre]

I have given up on my 2000 V-11 sport tach. Nothing has made it work although Palo Alto Speedo checked it and said it was OK. Has anyone found an aftermarket or replacement tach that will work and fit the 80mm hole in the instrument panel. It doesn't have to match, but it has to work. Any ideas....?

[Guest ratchethack]

Pierre, if Helmut and the boys at PA Speedo said it's OK, it's OK! I've taken the "full course" on this, so to speak. You either have a bad signal wire or a bad ground. This being the case, no tach you put in there will work. I'd start by ensuring a solid ground, per numerous posts on this, much of which has been well documented in previous topics on this by Carl Allison.

 

NOTE: If you're dead set on a replacement tach, I'll buy your cosmetically pristine Veglia from you with a copy of the PA Speedo work order that says it checks out "OK" and keep it as a spare -- for a reasonable price, of course. Please advise.

[dlaing]

From Moto Spezial, they make a few options with ECU, Speedo, and Tachometer all rolled into one or two units....very slick

Click link to see Paul M.'s

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...ost&id=6651

Also, people with Guzzi cruisers often add tachometers, but I forget what they use

I am sure someone else can post some fine alternatives to the Veglia.

But Ratchet may be correct and your wiring may be at fault.

A faulty ground should be easy to troubleshoot, but a faulty sending signal is trickier to determine.

If you pay the shipping, maybe Ratchet will exchange Tachometers with you

[Guest ratchethack]

If you pay the shipping, maybe Ratchet will exchange Tachometers with you

Um, let's see here. . . .

 

Pierre's got a tach that PA Speedo says is good but Pierre doesn't necessarily trust it OR PA Speedo, probably not having enough experience with PA Speedo to have developed trust. That part's completely understandable.

 

I trust PA Speedo from extensive dealings with them, and I've got a tach (it came NEW from PA Speedo) that works fine. That part's fairly understandable too.

 

So with the Universal Exchange Principle according to "A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" in full force here, how would trading one "allegedly good" used tach for another be of any possible benefit to either of us, and why would Pierre have any interest in paying the shipping for such an exchange?

 

That's the part that escapes me.

 

Enquiring minds just gotta know. . . .

[dlaing]

Um, let's see here. . . .

 

Pierre's got a tach that PA Speedo says is good but Pierre doesn't necessarily trust it OR PA Speedo, probably not having enough experience with PA Speedo to have developed trust. That part's completely understandable.

 

I trust PA Speedo from extensive dealings with them, and I've got a tach (it came NEW from PA Speedo) that works fine. That part's fairly understandable too.

 

So with the Universal Rate of Exchange Principle according to the "A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" in full force here, how would trading one good used tach for another be of any possible benefit to either of us, and why would Pierre have any interest in paying the shipping for such an exchange?

 

That's the part that escapes me.

 

Enquiring minds just gotta know. . . .

It would be of benefit for you, because you get to do a good deed.

It would be of benefit to Pierre, because if PA Speedo is correct, he gets to confirm that the problem is not the tach, and if they are wrong, he benefits from getting your working tach

Simply a WIN WIN WIN situation!

And a lot cheaper than the Moto Spezial speedTachoECU.

Of course there is the small chance you might end up with a bad tachometer.

[Guest ratchethack]

It would be of benefit for you, because you get to do a good deed.

It would be of benefit to Pierre, because if PA Speedo is correct, he gets to confirm that the problem is not the tach, and if they are wrong, he benefits from getting your working tach

Simply a WIN WIN WIN situation!

And a lot cheaper than the Moto Spezial speedTachoECU.

Of course there is the small chance you might end up with a bad tachometer.

Hey Pierre.

 

I don't know about you, but while doing good deeds gratis is certainly commendable, noble, and something to always strive for as a matter of practice by all of high character whenever called for , by my experience it's tough to justify this on the basis of a single exchange with people you don't even know, let alone where only one party to an exchange benefits in a material sense in exchange for some sense of having contributed to charity. AFAIK, when such an exchange is agreeable to both parties, that's generally wot it's called. When only the recipient of tangible value agrees to the transaction, it's generally called theft .

 

There's generally a cost associated with taking on risk. Willingly take on risk gratis ? Sounds like charity to me.

 

Seems to me that wot Dave's proposed involves assumption of considerable risk goin' in both directions, to the extent that it'd be more of a LOSE-LOSE than a WIN-WIN proposition.

 

I'm not buyin' any part o' this.

 

Even if I WOULD, would YOU?!?!?

 

Now a sale of your tach for a mutually agreed upon price -- THAT'S potentially a true WIN-WIN, where we might strike a bargain!

 

If interested, pls. advise.

[moto pierre]

Well I'm certainly not up to Carl Allison's speed. I use his wiring diagram all the time, and I do trust PA Speedo completely, but...

 

I have added a new ground wire from the ground post on the tach and one mounting stud to a timing cover case screw, and also experimented with a temporary ground from the tach case itself. I also checked the signal wire for continuity and, after cleaning the connector under the tank (why is it there anyhow?) the wire is good from the ECU to the connector at the tach. With the enigne running I get voltage from the signal wire (I forget the reading on my digital meter, but am checking it again next time I start the motor) The other wire (tach power??) also has voltage when the ignition is on. At the advice of Ace Mallot, a Missouri Guzzi guru, I tapped the signal wire with a temporary hot lead, and the needle jumped, showing that the tach mechanism itself is probaly working, and the grounds are good. I don't think this momentary pulse would have killed the tach, but it wasn't working anyway. Finally, just the other day, a mechanic at Ace's shop (Jackson Cycles in St Joseph MO) suggested that I might have a bad relay. He said he had tach problems on a 2000 which he cured with a relay swap. But all the other electrics work, except the headlight flasher (not the dimmer switch). So I will try to get an extra relay or two and attempt yet another diagnosis.

 

I've web searched till my eyes were sore and found nothing that looked like the 80mm "Vaguelia" on my 2000, although there was a Ducati tach on E bay that I almost bought on spec. Most aftermarket units are too big, and virtually all only read to 8K (which would be OK, but not great) . I was also informed by the same wrench at Ace's that Guzzi's are "single fire" and most aftermarket tachs are "double fire" whatever that means. Some aftermarket units claim to be switchable to either mode, but I don't understand the difference.

 

So, I think you can see my frustration is based on at least some viable data. Any more ideas???

 

 

Je suis tres malheureux. Moto Pierre

[pasotibbs]

These look like good alternatives (if you like digital)

 

http://www.electrosport.com/electrosport_m...eedometers.html

[dlaing]

Any more ideas???

Je suis tres malheureux. Moto Pierre

Go "read" the hooters thread

But seriously, this needs resolving.

Since you don't have a Tach to swap out, we should focus on the wiring.

I seems like you have ground and power, so I would look to the signal wire.

According to Carl Allison's diagram, between the ECU and the tachometer, the signal wire goes through two one way connectors, numbered 7 and 58. It should also go through the number 3 pin of the 26way connector that attaches to the ECU.

I would seek these connections out, clean them, and add a very small amount of silver conductive paste. On the one way connectors add a small amount, but be very sparing on the 26way connector.

Also clean and add conductive paste to all the connectors under the gas tank, while you are there.

True a relay could cause this problem, but it seems unlikely if your headlight is working.

[Shawn Stepper]

Here's a cheap computer with several functions, including tach and temperature. Tach works by wrapping a wire around the spark plug lead.

 

Trail Tech Vapor

 

 

$120. I have one on my moped.

[dlaing]

How visible is that TrailTech Vapor in Sun and at night?

I like the simple installation

[Shawn Stepper]

How visible is that TrailTech Vapor in Sun and at night?

I like the simple installation

 

If you hook it up to your electrical system, then the back light will be on all the time. Nice bluish color that looks pretty cool at night. I haven't had any problems with seeing it in the daytime. Yeah, installation is a piece of cake. And I love the fact that you can hook it up to any electrical source - AC, DC, 12 volt, 6 volt whatever! My moped barely generates 6 volts at full throttle, much less at idle. The Vapor has no problem with it. The back light just goes on and off as the voltage changes!

 

Here's a photo of it mounted, so you can get a sense for how big it is:

 

[dlaing]

Thanks, I kind of imagined it smaller, but the size of it should help the readability.

I like the retro look of my bike, but everything I add to it makes it look more modern, so I am on the edge of giving up on retro, and if the tach or speedo ever go out these more accurate electronic devices could be a good option.