Mikey
got muscles in his head that ain't never been used
Just outside ambient temp
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Voltmeter installation
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
Oops my bad just air temp.
ok. Thought was engine temp.
That might have been me, Bob, on my '82:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/just-ride.54772/page-45#post-643793
I connected it directly to the battery, with a vintage mini-toggle switch to disconnect it.
With this direct connection, I have found that the readout is much more stable and responsive.
I also minimized the use of the very small gauge wire that is provided with the voltmeter.
.
..
Yeah! That’s where I saw it! Did you just stick it on to the triple tree crown nut?
How easy are these to read on a ride in the daylight ???
I haven’t had mine out yet, but I’ve heard that they’re a little hard to see in the sunlight.
LED displays are difficult to see / read in sunlight. LCD’s are easier to see but for this application more difficult to find and more expensive.
I almost ordered that voltmeter. But I got the round one that’s also all over Amazon. I thought maybe, just maybe, it would fit in that bung hole in the back of the headlight housing. When I got it, I had to laugh. Fit perfect, 30 second install lol. Easy to read in daylight, and seeing good voltage provides comfort. I’ll see how it holds up, I’ve already been soaked in the rain with it.
I prefer voltage after the kill switch which feeds ignition. Just feels like a better opportunity downstream to discover any problems (ign switch, fuse box, kill switch). It’s consistently 0.3v less than battery. I’d like to know what the coil is getting.
I prefer voltage after the kill switch which feeds ignition. Just feels like a better opportunity downstream to discover any problems (ign switch, fuse box, kill switch). It’s consistently 0.3v less than battery. I’d like to know what the coil is getting.
Just bought 3 of these......why by one when 3 is better
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6v-12v-24v...itor-meter-J/200627678428?hash=item2eb6576cdc
old review
https://www.autospeed.com/cms/a_113051/article
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6v-12v-24v...itor-meter-J/200627678428?hash=item2eb6576cdc
old review
https://www.autospeed.com/cms/a_113051/article
Bob, I made an aluminum bracket out of thick bar stock, drilled a hole in the center then countersank it only far enough to provide a shoulder on which to use the stock screw to secure the bracket. Then I used the double-sided tape to secure the meter.
I find that the white numbers show up just fine, even in sunlight.
I tried connecting it to the brown wire in the bucket first, giving me a comparison with this battery-direct connection. The latter is far superior IMHO.
Last edited:
Yes, on the Special models with their multi-fuse box, there really is no good switched power connection point other than the brown wire coming right out of the key switch. Any other spot you choose would be running through 2 fuses (20 amp main and one of the 10's) and lots of connections or splits. The meter will read several tenths of a volt low.
Since I had the ignition switch plate on my '83 out already, modding it for my headlight on-off switch install, I added a pigtail to the brown wire for my voltmeter .....
Since I had the ignition switch plate on my '83 out already, modding it for my headlight on-off switch install, I added a pigtail to the brown wire for my voltmeter .....
Oh Man! I let you guys down! I couldn't see the blue or red in daylight. I had to go with the white and still these old eyes have to squint!
They suck! But I also had a tinted visor.
Yeah not unusual to shade the gauge with a glove to check volts in direct sunlight but it's not a gauge I'm looking at "all the time" either. More of a hmm what was that burble 
? Check 
, cool 
, volts are good
, kinda gauge.
? Check , cool , volts are good, kinda gauge.
Exactly, that's the point.
Take a quick glance when you're driving under a tree.
If you're spending a lot of time looking at your voltmeter,......well,.........you're not spending enuf time looking at the road.
Oh, yeah. Mine works great and most of the time I forget to glance it while riding. But I haven't been on my bikes for over a month! They have cobb webs in the tail pipes!Yeah not unusual to shade the gauge with a glove to check volts in direct sunlight but it's not a gauge I'm looking at "all the time" either. More of a hmm what was that burble
I found the red LED type to be atrocious in daylight, so much I had to use an old rubber lens hood to improve the contrast a bit. Even at that, it wasn't good. When I fitted one to the XJ, I buried it down in the fairing shadow, down by the front of the tank. Its drawback is it's now well out of quick-glance eyeline, but I only look at it when the mood takes me.
It seems I’ve missed a lot of activity on my own thread! Where have I been? 
Anyways with regards to being able to read them. Last week I had my bike out for a 100 mile ride in the bright Arizona sun. My helmet has a tinted inner visor, and on top of that I run a dark smoke tinted main shield. And I could clearly read my voltmeter at all times. Go figure
By the way, I have also ordered two new ones with a white readout, this time directly from China. What the heck, it cost less than lunch at McDonalds.
Anyways with regards to being able to read them. Last week I had my bike out for a 100 mile ride in the bright Arizona sun. My helmet has a tinted inner visor, and on top of that I run a dark smoke tinted main shield. And I could clearly read my voltmeter at all times. Go figure
By the way, I have also ordered two new ones with a white readout, this time directly from China. What the heck, it cost less than lunch at McDonalds.
Whites much better and cheep as beans, I sit there and watch the "point" something switch back and forth while I'm at steady speed ( and almost run off the road) Well, either that, or I'm screwing with the camera. Yeah, I come back, give the ole lady a TV stand with a TV dinner and a shot of whiskey, turn the big fan on her full blast, plug the little Akaso Brave 4 camera into the HDTV and it's like her being there ( but without the nagging and the anchor on the back of the seat) 
Well, either that, or I'm screwing with the camera. Yeah, I come back, give the ole lady a TV stand with a TV dinner and a shot of whiskey, turn the big fan on her full blast, plug the little Akaso Brave 4 camera into the HDTV and it's like her being there ( but without the nagging and the anchor on the back of the seat) 
