New speedo for R45

[Samppa2]

Hi!

I have a dream... I would like to change original speedo-tacho panel of my R45 to small all-in-one meter, i.e. speedometer, with warning lights and perhaps also turn signal indicators in it.

I tried to find proper speedometer from Ebay. There was plenty of all-in-one meters from China. Does anyone have experiences of those devises? Will they work in Beemer? According to advertisements they should fit R45, but can you count on that..?

The prices were very reasonable, but am I wasting my money and time (delivering takes weeks) by ordering China devices...?

Samppa

[montmil]

Hey there, Samppa2. Welcome to the herd.

Two suggestions for an instrument that will meet your specifications and both are known to work on our Airheads:

TrailTech Vapor   I have this digital instrument on my 1981 R65 and my 1978 R100S. Small, accurate and pretty much bulletproof. Much information plus a clock and ambient temp gauge. Highly recommended and a fair price.

http://www.trailtech.net/digital-gauges/vapor

My 1983 R65 rocks an Acewell digital gauge that looks more "old school" as it is similar in operation but different design than the TrailTech Vapor units. Also available with the Acewell is an electronic bit that plugs into the location of the former speedo cable. Very tidy install but a bit pricey compared to the TrailTech units.

http://www.dimecitycycles.com/black-acewell-2853-digital-speedometer-and-tachometer.html

[georgesgiralt]

If you search this very same site, you'll find that some inmates have tried the two options above and you'll get pictures also !

[Samppa2]

Thanks for the tips!

Good to know, that at least those Trail Tech instruments could work! Thanks for the links as well!  

I was hoping to get an analog speedo. Any tips for that kind of devices..?

[Samppa2]

Still me...

The reason for me wanting analog, classic shaped speedo is to get right old-school look for the bike.

Google picture search shows number of scrambler style built R45's and R65's with small speedos, which look like analog ones. I would like to have one of those...  

[marcmax]

Here is a look at an Acewell that I installed on my R65. Easy install with the electronic sender for the speedo. It has been rock solid. I checked it against my gps and the displayed speed was off by about 1.5% with the settings from the install guide. Using the setup on the Acewell and adjusting the wheel diameter setting I was able to get them to match exactly. Easy adjustment.

It is small yet easy to read and can display a wealth of information. I think it has a nice shape and fits nicely.