Tach for doing maintenance

[XV1100SE]

I picked up a digital multi-meter from Canadian Tire ($150) that came with an inductive pickup thinking for that price I'd have no problem doing an rpm reading for tune-ups. What I found was that the reading at idle would jump all over the place in the range of 300rpm to 1500rpm. Repositioning the pick-up didn't fix it and I couldn't get a steady reading.

 

Need a recommendation on a tach/multi-meter that will give a steady reading and is usable for setting the idle on the RSV.

 

I've seen the Harbor Freight on online ($30 - http://www.harborfreight.com/lcd-automotive-multimeter-with-tachometer-kit-95670.html ) but is it any good / usable?

 

What is recommended or used by members ?

 

I like the look of the Baron's 1" tach that mounts on the resevoir but don't want to spend that much money and don't really need a permanent unit. Just want a simple removable (multi-meter or dedicated to just rpm) tach for the times I synch my carbs.

[35ruger]

I have this one,

http://www.tooltopia.com/electronic-specialties-328.aspx

 

Like you not totally satisfied as the rpm`s also jump around.

Here`s a few other choices.

Anyone know if one of these are more dependable?

 

http://www.tooltopia.com/search.aspx?find=tach

[Venturous Randy]

The one I bought works really well and seems to be very repeatable. But, on mine the bike came with it as it is attached from the factory as I have a 1st gen before all the improvements were made when 2nd gens were produced......yeah.

RandyA

[BradT]

Not sure if this will work but it should measure your rpm. Timing is not really adjustable on these so that part of the tool does not help you but, maybe the tach works.

 

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoTools/TimingLights/PRDOVR~0252029P/Digital+Timing+Light.jsp?locale=en

 

Brad

[Bummer]

I got the meter from Harbor Freight. I had a lot of problems with it until I swapped out the inductive pickup with the one from my Fluke meter (which doesn't have a tach function). With the Fluke pickup it worked pretty well, but I seldom use it since I have the Baron's reservoir mounted tach and just set idle rpms by that.

 

By the way, I like the Baron's tach since I really like having a tach on the bike, but the housing chrome is only so-so. After about six years it's starting to show some tiny zits, and it gets waxed. Eventually I expect to use a Ponch style faceplate and reposition the tach itself to where the tape deck will used-to-be when I finally get around to doing it.

[brewser23]

I picked up a "tiny tach" , couple of wraps of the lead wire around the # 1 plug and your good to go. Only downside is that there is a half second or so lag between when you blip the throttle and the readng actually shows on the tach