I am almost ready to pick up my new (to me) 1998 VT1100 and I would love to install a tachometer on it. There are some nice looking tachs out there and I am sure I could find one that matches, close enough, the speedo on the '98. Question is: How difficult is it to install a tach? I can cetainly clamp one onto the bars, but what concerns me is where would I connect the other end? The tranny or the engine? I am not sure if this is beyond me - a backyard mechanic with more desire than brains and experience. Any help would be appreciated.
Tach installation for VT1100 - easy or hard?
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There is a video of that in YouTube. It seems pretty easy judging on the video. Just make sure you have a diagram of your wiring since you will need that to get power for your tach.
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All depends on what product you get.
Some are inductive and you just wrap a few coils of wire around a spark plug wire. Some connect directly to the coil.
I went with a Tiny Tach. Not flashy at all but functional.
Some are inductive and you just wrap a few coils of wire around a spark plug wire. Some connect directly to the coil.
I went with a Tiny Tach. Not flashy at all but functional.
Ok. Wow, I didn't think it would be that easy, however me and electrons do not mix well. My biggest challenge will be figuring out which wire is for what. Wiring diagrams scare me and confuse me, however, with more help from guys like you on this forum, I am certain I will find success. Thanks to all of you so far. BTW, just made my membership lifetime as I can see from this great forum of super Shadow owners that I will be accessing this site many times in the coming future.
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Can you advise what you got and where you got it? I really miss having a Tach and if it isn't incredibly difficult, I would like to install one.
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Design Technology, Inc., Home of the Tiny-Tach - New Standard TT2A Gasoline Engine Tiny-Tach
$47 accomodates the wasted spark of our bikes to give an accurate read. Aside from finding a place to bolt it to or tape it to, you wrap the end of one wire around a spark plug wire 2 to 4 times, and you find a bolt to clamp the other wire down with for a ground.
Nothing to maintain and is potted (sealed) for weather.
Only downside is that the battery is non-replaceable. When it's out, you get to replace the whole thing. Batteries last about 5 year. Some report more.
As soon as you start the bike, it reports RPM's. Turn off the bike and it defaults to an hourmeter.
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Ha. You'd never go purple! :wink:
Espiritus - my deal with the 98 Shadow fell through but I am taking delivery of a 97 Shadow ACE tomorrow, and wouldn't you know it - it has a Barons aftermarket tach attached. That is one way to have one installed - buy a bike around it! Hope you find your answer to the installation questions like I had.
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Purple is NOT Brave OR ambitious
Please tell me you aren't painting your scoot purple? I though it was black and blue or bruised or something like that. . .
You know, you could name it "bruised ego. . ."
Or is it going to be, ahem, more of an EGGPLANT color?
You're right! I would never, ever go PURPLE. . .I don't even have a purple crayon in my crayola box. . .
Please tell me you aren't painting your scoot purple? I though it was black and blue or bruised or something like that. . .
You know, you could name it "bruised ego. . ."
Or is it going to be, ahem, more of an EGGPLANT color?
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When I found my bike it was a choice between a 02 with 10K less on it and the 01 that I got, This one has some extras on it but the 02 was um YUP Purple..... I went with the higher millage one LOL I wouldn't mind having a tach but I hear when I need to shift and almost never look down at the speedo never mind a tach so I decided to just spend the extra money I was going to use on the tach for other accessories.
Dauntae
Dauntae
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Yeah, I don't need a tach to know when to shift. Been doing this too long for that, but I do like one. I could look at the tach and the speed and know what gear I was in on the XS11 and xs750. It was just something I liked to do. Easier to set the idle and several other things with a working tach, but mainly, I just liked it!
When I had (briefly) the 03 purple vstar, one of the things I didn't like was the tank speedo as I had to take my eyes off the road to see it with a full helmet on. The Sabre's above the handlebar speedo is much better for me as I tend to go too fast, too often. . .don't tell the local po-po. . .
When I had (briefly) the 03 purple vstar, one of the things I didn't like was the tank speedo as I had to take my eyes off the road to see it with a full helmet on. The Sabre's above the handlebar speedo is much better for me as I tend to go too fast, too often. . .don't tell the local po-po. . .
I just bought a tach and it says to attach to the negative side of the coil, now since my shadow spirit 1100 has 2 coils which one do I attach it to or does it matter. Any help you can give or information on where you hooked your wires to would be great.
Just finished the installation, and for anyone wanting to do the same when it comes to splicing into the coil wire, you can use either coil, the negative wire is the colored wire not the black wire, once you splice in there and get all the other wires hooked up you should be good to go.
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I followed this tutorial when I installed my mini tach I bought on Ebay.
Tachometer
Tachometer
Hello. i have a similar issue with my 2001 shadow spirit 750cc chain drive.
i have two coils, the two inputs on one side seem to be at a positive potential. the other side goes to the spark plug.
how can i install my tach. (drag specialties) ????
any assistance out there??
i have two coils, the two inputs on one side seem to be at a positive potential. the other side goes to the spark plug.
how can i install my tach. (drag specialties) ????
any assistance out there??
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257 Posts
Is one better than the other? And do you happen to know if both have night time lighting? I'm looking for one with 50 rpm differentials, or even digital display.
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