4-stroke scooter tachometer

[lancecharming]

I`d like to install a tachometer on my 4-stroke scooter, but I`d like to do an analog gauge so it looks like my speedo,etc. Does anybody sell an analog tachometer for scooters? Would the aftermarket tachs they sell for Honda motorcycles work as long as the tach was made for a 1-cylinder Honda?

[slowscootin07]

If all else fails, then you can go digital

www.tinytach.com/tinytach/index.php
that is the most common one used.

Northern Tools also has one for not as much mullah

[griff10]

Actually for other than tuning purposes the tach doesn't tell you alot on a scooter, it's alot like a tach on a car with automatic transmission, you arn't changing gears so there is little need.

I've got one on mine and other than watching it for warm up I never look at it. And you can warm it up by sound just as well.

Bill H.

[magnaman]

The hour meter is useful. Don't TT's have that feature?

[funderp47]

Yes, tiny tachs show hours after the engine stops running. Some have resettable hours, some models don't.

A tach would be very beneficial for performance enthusiasts.

[stewntexas]

I have never had any luck in finding an analog tach for my Helix. I took a good look at 'Tiny Tach',and did not like what it had to offer.
I wanted an old fashioned needle indicator. I can better tell what is going on from a needle taking a 'sweep' than from the small digital readout. Then you have the built in lag from 'Tiny'.

I have decided to just live without one.

[scooterollie]

I have used the Tiny Tach on two different scoots and found it to be OK but it does have a lag time. The tachs offered by this co. have a shorter lag time : www.enmco.com/home.shtml I have used a couple of theirs.

[earlwb]

The tach is nice for setting engine idle speed, and it serves as a nice hint that the CVT belt is getting worn out too (cruising RPM's increase over time for the same speed as previous).
But you can set idle speed OK without one, by increasing idle speed until the rear wheel starts to turn and then back it off a little bit.

[Icehawk]

I wonder if you could source the analog tach the CPI GTR uses?

I can't help it, I always want a tach on my vehicles.

[slowscootin07]

This link may help you but one thing you'll have to take into consideration is that scooter engine push the 10,000 rpm envelope and you'll have a hard time finding a 0-10k that operates off of a one cylinder. There are actual magnetic sensor ones that will work if you can get the rpm range. You can also buy one for a 4 cylinder engine that connects to the coil output of your scoot. Why a 4 cylinder??? Because a scoot engine actually fires 2 times per revolution. Since the gauge thinks it a 4 banger, the rpm readings will be at ½ the actual rpm's. That is most useful since most small engine tachs only go to 4000K, hence 8000k on the scoot will register 4000k on the tach.

I ran into this problem when putting a marine tach on my 2 cylinder, 2 cycle outboard. Since each cylinder/coil fires once per revolution I couldn't put only one signal wire to the tach or I'd get ½ the real rpm's. If I connect the signal wire to both coils, then it won't start. (to stop these motors, the ignition switch shorts both coil wires together) So now what??? Well I spliced in 2 diodes into the coil to ignition switch wires with a seperate feed and voila, now I have a true rpm reading and the engine starts and stops normally with the ignition switch. I know what you're thinking in that my math doesn't add up, but it works for my application and the tach in question I believe is from a 4 cylinder/4 cycle motor.

You can also search for trashed scooters and yank the tach, or check out new ones for motorcycles. I wouldn't use an automotive one as they're not weather resistant.

Here's the linkwww.precisionspeed.com/smeng.htm

[lancecharming]

I hate the digital stuff- I`m used to tachs with needles in airplanes and cars. I`d really like to know what my engine is doing,use it for future performance mod tuning,and as Earl said, spot upcoming trouble with the CVT belt,etc.
JCWhitney`s motorcycle catalog has a few analog tachs for different Honda models, I`m guessing a motorcycle tach will work and be weatherproof - just wondering which one would be most accurate on a 4-stroke scooter with one cylinder. Wouldn`t any tach made for a Honda 4-stroke engine with one cylinder work on a scoot?