Acewell Speedometer Installation

[RustyTank]

I just recently purchased this Acewell speedometer, http://www.acewell-meter.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACE-MD52-ENV1-20171123.pdf , to replace my stock gauges.
I feel like I'm slightly over my head in regards to the installation, but I recently replaced my stock reg/rec with a modern one. My point being that was the first time I'd attempted any wiring work and I was successful, so the optimist in me thinks I can do this too. HA! I know others have installed gauges like these on their old bikes, wondering if anyone has anyone has any advice, information or words of caution. I did do a search and came up with about eight posts, mostly reviews of these gauges. I was hoping someone could tell me about their experience during the install.

I did get a converter cable for the speedo, so I won’t be using the magnets.
Here's a pic of the wiring diagram it came with.
https://imgur.com/D43kd7t

 

[salty_monk]

Looks easier than the KOSO one!



I wouldn't use the coil around a plug lead for the tach if you want it to be accurate. I would think you could link that into the trigger wire directly somehow.

 

[RustyTank]

Looks easier than the KOSO one!



I wouldn't use the coil around a plug lead for the tach if you want it to be accurate. I would think you could link that into the trigger wire directly somehow.

That’s great info about the tach Daniel. I’d read on another thread that using the coil, like you said, wasn’t very accurate, I wondered if there was an alternative. Thanks man.

 

[RustyTank]

Looks easier than the KOSO one!
I wouldn't use the coil around a plug lead for the tach if you want it to be accurate. I would think you could link that into the trigger wire directly somehow.

Daniel, I wanted to share some things that I found while screwin around with the wires and follow up with some questions.

This is one of the clips that the stock gauges attached to, it's near the front of the bike, just above the horn under the tank. I've connected the wires from the new Acewell gauge to these connections and found these points do these things. For all intents and purposes, this clip is lights and power. I suppose I just cut the specific wires here and connect them to the corresponding wires on the new gauge? I was thinking of using blade fuses, soldering them in, heat shrink, etc. Should I cut the plastic clip completely off? I don't see why not, but what do I do with the wires I don't use? Just cap them and tuck them away?

This clip and wire are further back, at the rear of the tank, above the air box. I believe this blue wire up top is my fuel. This wires connected to this plastic clip lead down into the engine. The stock gauges were connected to the this clip but I can't seem to get the new gauge to respond to any of the connections. What would these wires have been reading?

These two connectors are located at the front of the bike, bunched with all the wires that go into the headlight bucket. The Stock gauges were connected to them. One is ground and one is positive, but there's something funny about the positive. If I connect the Acewell gauge to this positive it'll only turn on the backlight, not the entire gauge. If I connect the Acewell up to the other positive, the one that also connects turn signals (first pic) it turns the gauge completely on. Weird.

Also, I'm havin a hard time figuring where to connect the neutral wire. I can connect the Acewell neutral wire to any ground connection and the N light will illuminate on the gauge but I'm not sure which connection will give me an accurate read of actual neutral, and turn off the N light on the gauge once I engage the clutch and put the bike in gear. Any ideas?

In regards to your previous comment about hooking into somewhere to get a better tach reading. Where is this trigger wire you speak of?

And last but not least, and slightly unrelated, I found these exposed connections under the tank, just behind the ignition coil. Any idea what they're for?

 

[RustyTank]

Oh, I think I posted this already but here's the wiring diagram the gauge came with.

 

[salty_monk]

I think the Blue is oil pressure.

I think the two with the weird positive may be the fuel sender.

the brown is usually a fused accessory wire. One will be neutral. Two will be gear indicators. Two will be flasher indicator lamps.

Download the wiring diagram and check the colours.

You could cut cut off the plug and join directly, put in new connectors or source the other side to that connector.
personally I’d want some kind of connector. The waterproof ones from Napa are good. There is a site for vintage connections where you’ll prob find the other side.

You can cap any connections you don’t use. I would terminate them into a connector.