Hey everyone, I just bought an 81 xs650 and I would like to put a speedo/tach on it. It came with very minimal electronics so I am replacing the lights, adding turn signals, adding control switches, and I would like to add a speedo/tach. Is there any way to convert to a digital speedo instead of a cable driven one? Also where does the cable connect to the engine? I am new on this forum and this is my first project bike/build so I will probably have a few other questions as time goes on. Thanks in advance, Will
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Will’s xs650 build
- Thread starter willm33
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- 1981 speedometer tachometer xs650
Welcome aboard!
There's lots of aftermarket speedo/tach's out there. Just google it and you'll have tons of choices. As with everything else, price determines quality.
We love pics here. Put some up of what you're working with and I'll point out the engine tach drive.
There's lots of aftermarket speedo/tach's out there. Just google it and you'll have tons of choices. As with everything else, price determines quality.
We love pics here. Put some up of what you're working with and I'll point out the engine tach drive.
Yepper. You can get a GPS speedo, or you can get one that comes with the kit for mounting a sensor on the fork and wheel.
Tach cable connects to the right front of the engine. You can get an electronic tach that get's its signal from the ignition system. All doable.
If you're gonna be asking a bunch of questions, rename this thread "Will's '81 Build Thread" (or similar). That way you have an online journal of what's been done and ready access to all questions aske4d and answered. Trust me, it'll come in handy in the future.
https://www.acewell-meter.com/ this is what my 1980 project came with and I hear that they are pretty good. I got all the lights to work on mine but winter came and I put the project on hold so I can't tell how well it works. These guys know their S#!t and are pretty cool which is great because I probably know less about bikes than you do. Try the search function before asking too many questions and read the Tech section. Oh and, from newb to newb, don't chop if you don't have to. That's my two cents. Welcome to the show
I gather that GPS speedometers are popular. When I looked I was a little put off because as well as mounting the speedo, you have to find someplace to mount the GPS antenna which is in another box. It needs a clear view of the sky to see satellites. I didn't use one because it's not always easy on a bike to hide stuff like that so it can see the sky.
On another build I used a combination speedo/tacho device from Trailtech, it uses a magnetic trigger on the wheel for the speedometer. Uses either an inductive spark plug lead pick up or a signal from the ignition for the tachometer. Was a nice unit and didn't break the bank. However it is a digital display, not old school gauges.
On another build I used a combination speedo/tacho device from Trailtech, it uses a magnetic trigger on the wheel for the speedometer. Uses either an inductive spark plug lead pick up or a signal from the ignition for the tachometer. Was a nice unit and didn't break the bank. However it is a digital display, not old school gauges.
This is what I used. There's lots of stuff on this page, should find exactly what you need if you're OK with a digital display. These aren't as big as they look on a web page. I used the idiot light surround, it just clips onto the main unit, but it's optional. Link -
https://www.trailtech.net/en-us/shop/accessories/digital-gauges/vapor-tachometer/
Hey do you remember if you bought one of the kits for the vapor? My bike has a 2004 gsxr1000 fork on it so I’m not sure the best mount to get for the gauge. Also what speed and tach sensors does yours have? I ordered a Boyer Brandsen ignition for my bike and I’m not sure if it will have a wire for the tach. I saw that they have multiple different kits for the vapor to be installed on different bikes so I was wondering what sensors would work best. Do you have any pictures of it on your bike?
Yeah, the Trail Tech is what I'll be doing on my builds
I'm afraid I don't have any pictures, the bike was sold a while ago. I wouldn't bother with a kit. I bought the components I wanted. I used a magnet (5/16" screw with a magnet embedded in the screw head) on the front wheel with a sensor on the fork leg to drive the speedometer. I used an inductive pick up on a HT lead to drive the tachometer. I suggest you download the various information and instruction sheets to familiarise yourself before ordering anything. I used the idiot light cluster but you don't need to. I made a mount myself to fit the Vapor unit to the top yoke.
On Taffy my XS650 custom flat tracker I swapped out a Vapor set up and installed a MotoGadget tach/speedo unit (Just for looks). As IBALT says above only difference is my speedo magnetic sensor is a bolt on the rear disc. Tacho pick-up is off the HT lead to the spark plug. Works perfectly.
Did you buy the sensors off of trail tech as well? Digital gauges are a new thing to me, what exactly is an HT lead? I’ve read that tach readings can be wrong if the sensor or wire doesn’t have the correct resistance going to the gauge. Do you know if the Boyer Brandsen ignition has a wire for a tach lead? Also if anyone else would know if I need to match a certain level of resistance for this kit or the trail tech vapor that would be awesome thanks!
No such thing as silly questions, only silly answers.Just looked it up, I didn’t know that was the technical term for a plug wireI’ll do some research before asking a silly question next time
I bought everything from Trailtech.
The Boyer Bransden kit does not have a wire for a tacho.
I mailed Trailtech with questions about driving the tacho, they answered very promptly and clearly. Their inductive HT lead pick up is by far the easiest choice. To get the correct RPM displayed, there's settings in the Vapor unit.
I recommend you download the manuals and information sheets for the parts you are thinking of using. I recall the documentation was very good. HTH.
Hey yall, everything is going well with the bike. New ignition is in and working on a custom harness for all of the new electronics. Getting close to running it so I wanted to see what air filters would be recommended. I like the look of the K&N style but I’m not looking to spend that much. I also heard that this style can cause turbulence in the carb and make it hard to tune. It previously had two of the foam Uni filters but those are a little too long for the new battery box I am having made. The carbs are Mikuni Kogyo 54mm. Thanks, Will
I had K&N genuine filters on Taffy; changed to UNI-POD on the recommendation of @5twins and my bike ran better; you could cut down the UNI's?
