Electronic Gauges

Has anyone fitted aftermarket gauges to a Commando? I remember Dreer using Autometer gauges on his previous bikes. It'd be nice to have a tripmeter, but I'd like to retain the original mounting cups. The Hemmings tach isn't bad, but I haven't seen a speedo to match. I once saw a Smith's speedo on EBay with tripmeter and the NOrvil logo on the face but didn't have spare cash at the time.....

Thoughts?

-C

I just scored an Autometer bike speedometer on E-bay (sweet!) and I'm on the lookout for matching tach. I will let you know when it gets here if it can be fit into the standard instrument cup. I'll have to fab up a speed sensor for it. Any input from somebody who has already done this will be appreciated.

the chopper that I just finneshed up has the autometer pro cycle tach and speedo. I had to fab up a speed sensor mount and it does work after severel speed sensor's burnt up. I have to call autometer tech tomorrow with a few more questions but all in all it can be done but I also changed to neg. ground to make it simpler to get electronic stuff. the bike can be seen at the site below.

www.automaticexchange.net

bill

So, can you post a close-up of the sensor installation and write a short post to let use know where to find the sensor and what the issues are (how did the sensors get burned up?) and also, does the instrument ground to the case, or can you just wire it up "backwards"? Thanks.

I have to call autometer tomorow and after that I will have more answers for you. if you send me an email @ windyae@earthlink.net I will find a picture for you and will tell you more on the speed sensor.

bill

ok. i talked to autometer yesterday and they confirmed that you MUST HAVE NEG. GROUND but i changed the chopper over allready. the speed sensor that i used is a HD part #74420-94C the trouble i had was EVERYBODY said it was 12 volt and after the third one and a second call to autometer i was told to use a 65 ohm 1/2 watt resestor. well i wound up with a 1K ohm 1/2 watt to drop the voltage AT the sensor to 5 volt. apparntly nobody knows how harley has theirs wired. i am thinking that HD has a droping resestor in the speedo head. as for a mount for the sonsor i made a piece that centers off the rear axel and go's to the front of the sprocket, the sensor faces the sprocket from the front of the bike and the peak of the sprocket teeth. i still have a small bug to work out as he told me that it does not want to read under 20mph it might be to large an air gap or i might have to move the sensor to the side of the teeth. i will know more next week on that problem.

the tach is nice except that it bounces very badly at idle and autometer told me that is the price you pay for a very responsive tach. looks like it could use some kind of dampnin to stop that but it is quick to move.
if anydody wants to talk email me and i will give you a # to call.

bill

Thanks! I may be contacting you to pester you eventually.

no problem. if you get to bad il'l just get out the raid :lol: .

bill

Hey, Chris. My e-bay speedometer came and it definitely won't fit in the original cup. I'll have to come up with some type of bracket for it, but I'm fishing for a matching tach at the moment.

Thanks for the update Dwardo. What's the deal? They too big, too little, too new, too non British?

thx,
cb

The speedo comes in its own nice chrome pod, so it is meant to be mounted in some kind of ring, I guess. The body is 3 7/16, which according to my quick measurement of the clocks on my bike (I can't find the cups I have laying around) is too big. There is a step in the body so that the speedo face is even larger, I think 3 3/4. I think they used to make a smaller series that probably would fit into the cup but I don't know if they still do. IMO, the stock speedo is way better looking and not as clumsy. But, if I can pull this off, the advantages of being able to program it for any tire size, accuracy, no cable, no fragile Smiths drive, and (I presume) good internal lighting make it an easy choice.