[dubstep]

Hi there!



I got a few good answers regarding my wife's TW here! SHe used this bike to pass her test on around Xmas time,, it's running great and is easy and fun to ride..



( altho I dont rate the TW203/4 tires on it in the wet! Oh my word I had my footdown a few times the first time I rode it in the rain on tarmac! - heart in mouth - as I felt whole bike sliding sliwly towards the jag in the next lane! - how ever going slower round corners seemed to help after that!!!!!! )



anyways my wife would like a rev counter as she not quite confident about where and when to change gears for max "ommph" ( sorry for the advanced technical terms!)



also a known issue I think the "speedo light" keeps going - and frankly I am dubious that its accurate? ( no need to count teeth on sprockets it runs from the front wheel)



I was forced to put a Koso rev.tachometer / odometer on my hornet after a smash - I'm quite happy with that - but seems a but pricey - and also will the TW support the power requirements?



And then the other thing perhaps related is that I want to upgrade the lights and indicators,,, so would like to draw on the wealth here for recommnedations,,,



any suggestions to throw more light out front and rear? - seems a bit feeble right now! my mechanic friend thinks that the battery and alternator cant support?





thanks in advance for your help guys!

 

[Gerry]

Given that you want a tach, and made comments about not trusting your speedometer, I would suggest you look into a unit offered by Trail tech.

A couple of us have them and are happy. A quality unit, fair price and easy install (my opinion). Gerry trailtech.net/

 

[qwerty]

giz, you actually understood what he wrote? Amazing!

 

[dubstep]

wow mr gizmo ! you have an amazing dashboard/ cockpit!!! u certainly got the right name!

are u powering all that from the TW?



i see u have a vector on there too - would I be correct in thinking its a "generic standard front forks?) did u wire it yourself? was it easy to achieve? assume a wire from the coil feeds the tacho? its a bit better priced than the Koso's - but they have an analog tacho,,. how u find the LED bars?



http://www.trailtechproducts.co.uk/acatalog/Vapor.html







sorry qwerty got excited and it all came out at once!

( basically taking a break at work when I was stressed to thnk about something fun that I love!!! didnt read back afterwards!)





Can I just change the bulbs to get brighter lights? I want to make sure she's seen coming - we have to go down a winding single track to get home - it'd be nice if she could really let people see she is coming!





thanks!

 

[xdac]

I had that problem too back in the day when i rode a sport quad...after a few hours seat time she should be able to get the hang of not watching the rev limiter and doing it by feel and sound.

 

[lizrdbrth]

I had that problem too back in the day when i rode a sport quad...after a few hours seat time she should be able to get the hang of not watching the rev limiter and doing it by feel and sound.

What he said. Watching a tach is just another distraction for new rider.



Purple had the same problem initially, plus the added challenge of being hearing impaired. After a couple of weeks' riding she wasn't asking for a tach anymore.

 

[dubstep]

I do see what you mean but she passed her test at xmas - so after 4 months ........? she rides at least 3 times a week - friday for instance she ran a few errands,. about n hour riding there.. and over easter almost every day..



not sure if its a needs or wants scenario,. I do take your point tho - better to keep eyes on road than stare at tacho...





so I take it the TW can support it - its just the lights brighness does rather depend on howmany RPM you are doing...

 

[lizrdbrth]

The speedos are inately optimistic, typically reading fast, and more so with the shorter street rubber. Don't worry about it, it'll keep her safe. lol.



Your lighting upgrade will depend upon what year her bike is. Early bikes won't support much extra wattage. Sounds like hers possibly has an electrical issue. If so you might want to get it corrected first. You might find it perfectly adequate. L.E.D. lighting is one possibility for brighter turn, tail and brake l;ights.



I feel your pain and sense your worry, having just gone through it myself. I've taught dozens of people to ride, but when it's the love of your life riding ahead of you your butt puckers in helplessness at every turn, stop sign and lane change.



If she's riding that often and on her own I'd just let her be. Give it time. Mine got her license in November and we're leaving on a 2,400 mile ride in a couple of weeks. I stopped hovering, and she figgered it all out.

 

[Gerry]

I found the Trail Tech unit easy to install. Since I already had a Tiny tach (below Trail tech) that I use for 'tune-ups'I did not purchase the Trail Tech with tach. Everything is powered by the bikes elect. sys. I also purchased a much brighter headlite bulb that pulses as well as a brake light that flashes, all from Ridesafe. Warning light array is homemade from Radio Shack stuff and bits of rubber hose. Gerry

 

[qwerty]

Instead of a tach, go here and find out here the redline is for each gear, then use bits of thin pinstripe tape on the speedo lense to indicate spped range for each gear.



Retrofit the 2001+ electrical system to your TW, unless it is a 2001+, use the stock 2001+ H4 halogen headlight with a Sylvania Silverstar Ultra bulb. Porbably one of the best functioning highway-legal combinations available in the motorcycle world. Then switch all the speedo, indicator, tail, turn, and marker lights to LEDs to free up electricity to run a set of these. Not exactly highway legal, but awesome highway lights none the less.

 

[Peterb]

Gerry is that your TV remote on your left mirror?

 

[Fred]

Funny Peter, I thought it was for launching photon torpedoes.