Installing an Acewell speedo/computer on an airhead --

[Padmei]

Originally Posted by fadingfastsd

Hey guys, I'm Evan, I was the R&D Mgr & Engineer at Electrosport Industries up til last April. (Was laid off when the company went under...then screwed by the new owner, don't get me started...)

Anyways, I'm really familiar with the Acewells. Electrosport was the US distributor for them. I'll be using a couple on my R90 build (see my sig for link). If anybody needs help or has questions about them just let me know.

As for the 2800 series (round housing like bpeckm used),
You CAN use the Gen light (its actually a hazard light indicator). You'd have to take the housing apart.
The outer ring on the 2800's does come off, use small screwdrivers to pry the ring off. You can then pop out the unit from the housing.
You can isolate the ground for the gen warning light, and use it for the gen function. you'd have to solder to the LED itself and run a seperate wire.

If you have other questions, let me know!

Evan

Good on ya mate I'msure your expertise will help out a few people here.

[DesmoDog]

Originally Posted by Padmei

Good on ya mate I'msure your expertise will help out a few people here.

+1

I'm trying to figure out if I can mod an Acewell to drop into an old Ducati headlight shell. I've forgotten the numbers now but the hole is slightly smaller than the Acewell body from the specs I saw. Modding the headlight isn't an option but I've got no qualms about cutting up the Acewell... if I could figure out which one to buy and where to buy it.

[fadingfastsd]

I pulled a 2800 series out of it's housing, and mounted it into the the stock speedo cluster (replacing the tach) in an 86 FZ750. The Acewell circuit board itself is quite a bit thinner than the round metal housing.
I forgot to take pics when I had it all apart for the FZ a couple months ago.

[edray]

Hello,
wondering if anyone has figured out which acewell speedo cable will work on our airheads??
dime city(great guys) initially sent me an S8 when i bought my 2853, not close..sent them images of what i needed for my 78 R100S..they then sent me an S5, looks closer, but wider diameter,couldn't fit in plastic insert and not right,plus no way to get rubber seal boot over the tapered cable end..
Any thoughts?
The acewell homesite page never responded to my first inquiries three weeks ago.
I can always go w/ the supplied wheel sensor set up, but the other option seemed like easier, less obtrusive ..as the dime city guys mentioned

[anonny]

Originally Posted by fadingfastsd

Hey guys, I'm Evan, I was the R&D Mgr & Engineer at Electrosport Industries up til last April. (Was laid off when the company went under...then screwed by the new owner, don't get me started...)

Anyways, I'm really familiar with the Acewells. Electrosport was the US distributor for them. I'll be using a couple on my R90 build (see my sig for link). If anybody needs help or has questions about them just let me know.

As for the 2800 series (round housing like bpeckm used),
You CAN use the Gen light (its actually a hazard light indicator). You'd have to take the housing apart.
The outer ring on the 2800's does come off, use small screwdrivers to pry the ring off. You can then pop out the unit from the housing.
You can isolate the ground for the gen warning light, and use it for the gen function. you'd have to solder to the LED itself and run a seperate wire.

If you have other questions, let me know!

Evan

Hi Evan, any idea how to get hold of these guys for warranty issues? Mines been pooched from the get go.

[DimitriG]

Originally Posted by edray

Hello,
wondering if anyone has figured out which acewell speedo cable will work on our airheads??
dime city(great guys) initially sent me an S8 when i bought my 2853, not close..sent them images of what i needed for my 78 R100S..they then sent me an S5, looks closer, but wider diameter,couldn't fit in plastic insert and not right,plus no way to get rubber seal boot over the tapered cable end..
Any thoughts?
The acewell homesite page never responded to my first inquiries three weeks ago.
I can always go w/ the supplied wheel sensor set up, but the other option seemed like easier, less obtrusive ..as the dime city guys mentioned

hi, I'll post a some pictures later tonight, do you mean the transmission cable from acewell? Yes, it works great. later, later

[bpeckm]

Is it later enough yet....?

[fadingfastsd]

Originally Posted by anonny

Hi Evan, any idea how to get hold of these guys for warranty issues? Mines been pooched from the get go.

Sorry but that's probably not going to happen :(
Electrosport went out of business in April, and was purchased by Pro-Com engineering (makers of CDI boxes/regulators). Electrosport is back in business just making stators, they no longer carry Acewell parts.

Baja Designs (www.bajadesigns.com), has the Acewell distributing contract.
You could try and contact them and see if they will help you with warranty claims. I'm not sure if they're obligated since you got it from Electrosport.

[DimitriG]

ok, pretty disappointing photos, sorry.
but i really didn't have any issues other than finding the correct wires to use, remember, im using the koso speedo, you Acewell boys will have no such issues.

plugged in the tyre circumference in the speedo and jacked up the back wheel, into 3rd with some gas and then started to try different wiring combination's, at the same time hoping not to burn anything out, but it worked second try. i am getting and accurate speed in all gears.

[AndyR65]

I used bpeckm's instructions as a basic template to install a Motogadgets Tiny on my 83 R65.
I haven't had a chance to get it out on the road yet (waiting for fenders and tank, at the painter's).

I'm unsure if the separate LED charging light will work properly.

Do I need to add some sort of resister since it's LED, or should I switch it out for a standard filament bulb?

I want to make sure that the alternator field get's a proper signal to go to work.

The Motogadgets is similar to the Acewell, in that you need to run a extra external light.

Tried to post some pics, but no dice, maybe cause I'm a newbie.

[bpeckm]

Hot dam, newbie... welcome, I think...

To answer your question about the resistor with the LED, yes you will need to use one, since LED's by themselves don't provide the electrical path necessary for that system to work.

Easy to do, though, you can actually buy the resistor here for the princely sum of $3.50. Or, if you are electrically minded, I am sure that you could buy the proper resistor from your local RadioShack for even less...

but Motorrad Elektrik does a lotta good stuff for our airhead world, so I would do bidness with them....



PS I now have an Acewell to put on OleRed, when the time comes this wintah....

[AndyR65]

bpeckm, thanks for the reply.
I'll pick one up from Motorrad Elektrik. I bought a set of spark plug wires and ignition coils from them last year, great people to deal with.

[ducsingle]

Good thread.

I'm outfitting my recently acquired R100R as a workhorse daily rider/commuter and will probably replace the (incredibly ugly) stock instruments with a Vapor. That will open up room for a GPS mounted in the same area.

This Auto Meter motorbike unit is sort of a modern rendition of the /5 instruments with an analog speedo/tach, odometer, and four indicator lights - - - plus a trip meter that is sorely lacking on the /5 setup.

http://procycle.autometer.com/Catalo...l.aspx?gid=205

Not incredibly cheap at an MSRP of $412, but I'm really tempted to install one in a /5 headlight shell on my /2 conversion sidecar rig.

[bpeckm]

Originally Posted by AndyR65

bpeckm, thanks for the reply.
I'll pick one up from Motorrad Elektrik. I bought a set of spark plug wires and ignition coils from them last year, great people to deal with.

and we need pics... that looks like a gorgeous unit, and I would love to see what it looks like on the bike

[AndyR65]

Yeah, I'm stoked with the Motogadgets Tiny.

Tried again tonight to upload a couple of photos, but no dice.

I should be getting my tank and fenders back from the painter's this next week, so I'll give it another try then.

Thanks again bpeckm, for the great info in this thread, really helped me out with my install.

Cool to see the tranny speedo sensor is possible, think I'll try to go that route in the future and ditch the magnet sensor I mounted on the front wheel.