Trailtech Install, Part 22

Cruised around the internet forums for clues on how RFVC impaired riders mount the thermometer to their engines. One idea is to place the sensor right where the oil line feeds into the cylinder head. I replaced the Alu washer proximal to the rockerbox cover. I don't think the pressures are great enough through that banjo bolt to cause much blood loss, so hopefully it will be okay. I've got the bolt backed out right now just to illustrate how it goes together here:



Tacho wire was simple enough, just wrap the busy end five times around the spark plug lead, and ground into the nearest convenient earth circuit, which for me was easiest done via that posilock tap up 'ere



One cannot underestimate the utility of having a cache of used inner tubes. 700x35c worked best to insulate my power switch terminals



And here it's all coming together

Installing the Trailtech computer

Pretty cool device, in theory. Polarity agnostic, so you don't have to worry too much about supply/ground issues. Their tech support said you do not even need to have a fuse on the supply side. I wish I understood why but when I touched the power leads to my battery, it all lit up just fine. Not that you absolutely need to have it hooked up to the bike's power circuit given the CR2032 battery that the unit will work with as well (albeit not as much illumination). Simple magnetic sender for front wheel, and all I have to do is wrap another wire around the spark plug lead to get revs...I fabbed up a little alu plate for mounting, included my ignition switch to be tidy:



The trailtech even comes with a thermometer and while I'd be eager to use it, the sensor takes the place of the crush washer for the spark plug. Any Honda RFVC thug will tell you how little elbow room there is in that zone...ah, the naughty parallels I could rattle off but wont...

Instrumentation? Who needs Instrumentation???!!!

Tachometer enemas afoot. Tried a VDO but it was a NO-GO. Stupid sensor pickup was made for a car (or a harley), but not a bike.

Buckled and went for a digital Trailtech; its ubiquity and ease of use should make this work okay. But, but, but, that means removing the existing sheet alu "dash" Banke cut for an analog instrument, and with it the ignition switch. So I had to figure out a way to handle the ignition-kill circuits, leading me bypass the use of a key and just use a simple on/off switch approach. I saw this application of a ubiquitous hardware store toggle switch on the wrenchmonkees website and decided that it was kind of my speed:



Mine's quite uglier, but within reach, handling lights-on, and KILL. The key ignition was kind of a joke anyway. one could have easily cross wired the bike and made off with it. The only real test of security is whether a person could actually kickstart the temperamental engine:





For now? No instruments, and who needs em? I'm not raising hell on the highways. I'm putzing around in the hills and if someone asks, i'll just say it's about as fast as i want.

Ran out of gas today, tho. Felt the engine hiccuping at the top of grizzly peak, so luckily, just a long coast down the hill for a few lumps of petrol. I guess an odo would be helpful...

Here's a wiring diagram from a previous post on how the kill/ignition circuits look.