Tachometer question

[jd01]

I bought a Drag Specialties tachometer and I have a question before I go any further with the installation. I checked the search feature, but couldn't find anything on this problem. Got tach mounted to the handlebars, took tank off for wiring and accessing coil and here's what I did. Tach black wire to chassis ground, tach green wire double stacked with negative coil black wire to negative side of coil, tach blue wire and tach red wire spliced together and intend to connect this to switched wire under seat going to taillight. Well, I thought I would check to see if the tach light would work before connecting this last connection, and touched this spliced blue and red wire to the positive post on the battery. The light did come on, but the tach needle went flying all the way around past the 8000 mark and stayed there. ???
Will this correct itself when engine fires up, or is something else going on? All other connections seem ok and tight.
Thanks for any help on this.

[jandreu]

Here's the wiring for my tach. Sounds like the same wiring as yours. The red and blue wire should go to the coil, see drawing. I don't know about your needle sticking.
Hope this helps.

[macmac]

Seems like you have it, but I don't understand the needle not coming back.

I just installed a tach, with the exact same wire colors, but I selected the front marker lights to power the tach and the light, with the key.

The needle cycles to 8,000 rpm like the speedo does but comes back to 0 RPM.

[jd01]

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll go ahead and make the final connection to the switched wire and maybe when I fire the engine up, the needle will come back in the other direction. If it don't, I'm not sure what it could be.

[macmac]

This is a duel fire tach right?

[jd01]

Finally got everything connected permanently and when I turned the key on, tach light came on, needle went around past 8000 rpm and then back to zero. All seems to be ok now. Not sure what happened the first time, unless I took away the hot wire too fast when I was checking the light and the needle just stayed there. Anyway, seems to be good now. Thanks for your feedback.

[macmac]

Now that it works don't crash lookin at the fool thing!

I did that once for real long ago. I was so pleased that a tach was in what had been a hole I crashed admiring the fool thing. The tack surived but the ft fender didn't, and I had a minor problem with something between my thighs In the day when that happened, you swore, and threw the fender in the bushes.

[jd01]

Good advise, Mac. I'll try to remember that. Sure don't want to be crashin' and throwin' things in the bushes!

[macmac]

Used to be I was young and dumb, and err bullet proof

Now I'm just old and still dumb ::)

[AlabamaNomadRider]

JD glad you got it wired and seems that you did everything right. Congratulations on a well done job.

[mikestorm]

Originally Posted by James "Bubba" Andreu

Here's the wiring for my tach. Sounds like the same wiring as yours. The red and blue wire should go to the coil, see drawing. I don't know about your needle sticking.
Hope this helps.

I used these instructions to wire my Drag Specialties tach on Sunday. Worked like a charm and everything fired up perfectly.

Thank you for posting these!

[pastorgumby]

I recently had a fun time installing my Baron's tach- :(" title="" border="0"/> and it works dandy now. ;) I remind myself only to take a quick glance to see if i'm in the right gear... or pay the price as mac did. Too many bells & whistles, for that reason aren't good on a bike. I crashed when i had a suzuki burgman scooter- and was mesmerized by the impressive dash display.

[nightflight1]

Maybe a portable TV instead of a tach, at least ya got an excuse for watching too long and cracking up. LOL

[macmac]

Yeah well, when ridin' it pays to look where ya wanna go, and since we, and a Nomad can't fit inside any tachs I would know of, it is better to watch the hell out where yer goin'!