Just Installed A Tachometer On My R3T

[Mike]

I will go back out tomorrow and try things again. I obviously have a setting incorrect, just need to sort it a bit. I did have #1 printed out to read from, just that my reading appeared different from yours. Thanks

 

[Bedifferent]

I will go back out tomorrow and try things again. I obviously have a setting incorrect, just need to sort it a bit. I did have #1 printed out to read from, just that my reading appeared different from yours. Thanks

Might I suggest @Mike that you have your engine running when you try and set your tachometer piston setting if you have a problem setting it as @Joesmoe says. It sounds like you already have the HI/Lo setting already properly set as you are seeing a reading...something you wont see if it not set correctly. Now all you need to do as per the instructions is.... you have to hold the "select" button and the "adjust" button for 3 seconds to get into the settings mode. That will bring you into the "piston setting" mode without the need to momentarily hit the select button to get into that mode. You can then hit the "adjust" button to toggle between the piston settings to see your current rpm displayed if the engine is running 800-1000 RPM. The first setting 0.5 (1 piston for every 2 RPM is the one you want.) I think with the engine running you should be able to see your correct RPM when you get to the correct setting, but as Joesmoe says..if you leave the engine off, you should see the needle read 500 RPM when you are at the correct setting. When you're done with settings, push and 'hold" the "SELECT" button to put the tachometer back into the operating mode. All should be good after that and I'm sorry everything in the factory instructions are so cryptic. Enjoy having a tach on your R3T

 

[Mike]

SUCCESS!! Absolutely correct, go back, re read the instructions and try again. The oddest part to me is the lack of explaining that the needle indicates what setting, then listing that setting. Once I re read #1 and saw it mentioned there, it all clicked and it works. Saying HI is 1(000) and LOW is 0 via the needle would help. So, I have a functioning Tach and all is good.

Thanks everyone

 

[Joesmoe]

We are TEAM ROCKET !!!

 

[Bedifferent]

SUCCESS!! Absolutely correct, go back, re read the instructions and try again. The oddest part to me is the lack of explaining that the needle indicates what setting, then listing that setting. Once I re read #1 and saw it mentioned there, it all clicked and it works. Saying HI is 1(000) and LOW is 0 via the needle would help. So, I have a functioning Tach and all is good.

Thanks everyone

Yippee Skippy....The good thing is you knew it had to work, it was a matter of getting it set correctly. What @Joesmoe said.

 

[Bernard Vinet]

Installed one last summer works very well. They do have a smaller one but it really doesn't look right for the size of the bike. Go for for the 3 in. Far better.

 

[Starmanut]

Got me a 2010 Rocket III Touring three days ago. I so wish it had the same speedo and tachometer (and HP) as the Rocket Classics.
Looks like I can get me a tachometer after all!! Going to get one ordered ASAP! Thanks to this thread and forum!

Later, hopefully, I can take it in and have the ECU re-tuned to match the Classics and original Rocket III's.

 

[Idaho Red Rocket 3]

If you want to bring up the power of your Touring you can download TuneECU and buy a Lonelec cable and download a new tune yourself. A dealer most likely will not download the original/classic tune for you. PM me your email and I'll send you the "hot rod" tunes for your Touring.

 

[Starmanut]

I know some of you R3T owners have talked about putting a tachometer on your bike. I've been looking and decided on the Koso BA035103 in chrome...It also comes in black. I spent most of the afternoon working on it, but I'm fussy. I used a Kuryakyn P-Clamp to get it mounted where I wanted it. I tied it into my center coil as it was the easiest to get to. A couple of adjustments and it seems to works fine from the get go. I'm posting this video. As you can see I didn't get it done till after dark. I'll post a few more shots tomorrow in the daylight after I get all the wires neatly dressed and everything buttoned up.

Well, I guess I can't post a video of it in action...I guess a picture or two will have to do for now.

[Add by @Joesmoe - with permission]

The tachometer has four wires, three in one group and one separate. The three 22ga wires are power-switched; power-unswitched, and ground. There is a long single wire, and this is for the pulse. I tied the switched wire into the position light that was in the headlight shell before the LED conversion. I ran a new wire for unswitched back to the auxiliary distribution panel under the seat between the rear fender and battery. The tachometer default count setting is one cylinder, and this is what works on the Rocket. Physically, the tachometer has two small buttons on the bottom, and if one looks closely with good eyes or a magnifying glass, one can see labels "SELECT" (left) and "ADJUST" (right). Having hooked up the sense wire (long blue) using the supplied pigtail (they call it "RPM Wire (Type B)") to the middle coil as described above, must be changed to "Lo". So there are three settings available on the tachometer, in this order: 1) Number of pistons; 2) Hi-Lo sense; 3) backlight brightness setting.
To enter the set mode, with power on the tachometer, push both buttons and hold for three seconds, and you will see the hand of the tachometer move to 500. This is the default setting of one spark for each two revolutions of the engine, and what works on the Rocket Touring. So leave that as is, and press the "SELECT" button once to change to the sense setting. Press the "ADJUST" button once. This should change from the default "Hi" to "Lo". You're done with settings, so push and hold the "SELECT" button to put the tachometer back into the operating mode.

If for some reason, the tachometer is still not reading, repeat the steps above.

Here's a daylight picture with the tachometer functioning. Time for a ride to check the accuracy from an RPM chart I made some time ago. FYI...4 wires total needed to hook it up. A simple hookup, two wires from battery power.... a 12volt positive and the negative wire from the battery, one wire to power it on, which I took from a splice I soldered and pulled from the taillight wire under the right cover (yellow wire feeding the taillight wire connector) "easy access"...and last but not least...the signal wire which I hooked to the middle coil. I used the provided pigtail and connected this wire to the outermost terminal connection on the coil, which apparently, is the "low side" connection of the coil. You could also use the inside terminal connection which I assume would be the "high side" connection for the coil. Another word... I used some Radio Shack 4 wire connectors for doing my hookups and I NEVER just crimp my terminals. Every terminal is soldered, taped or in most cases, I use heat shrink tubing. For reliability, I would not use the scotch lock connectors for splicing into wires and making connections. Just my opinion.

Thanks tons for this post! I got my Koso BA035103 today. Noticed that the power wires are only about a foot long. Do the instructions assume that you are hooking up at the ignition switch wires? Sounds like you hooked directly to the battery terminals and tail light feed, thereby having to use separate wires to extend to the tach wires, correct?
Has anyone connect to the key switch assembly?
Thanks!!

 

[Joesmoe]

Did you actually read the posts ? All the details for what we did are in there. Then if you still have questions, please ask.