What is your price range? I bought a Baron Bullet Tach... Although, maybe not what you might call reasonable... It's really a beautiful tach... The Chrome on it is incredible and it fits on a 1" bar, which the Vulcan 500 has...
Here is a link for a Baron... just a thought... Good Luck

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/d....cfm?model_ID=0&Category_ID=65&manufacturer_ID=167&product_ID=6786&related=also

 

Thanks for the heads up. I just cant bring myself to spend that much money on it. It looks identical to the cheap import tach I got for my other bike that cost $50 except that it's in a shiny handlebar mount. which would make a $130 shiny handlebar mount. I may go for something like that if i can't find anything else. I wanted to keep it under 100 dollars.

 

Quimrider,
Happened upon this tach... just another option for you...
http://www.jcwhitney.com/CHROMED-TACHOMETER/GP_2008924_N_111+10211+600014730_10111.jcw

 

Thanks for the heads up. I was all excited there for a minute. Unfortunately that one is a Mechanical Tach. We need an electronic tach. I'm watching a few on ebay right now.

 

I picked this up off ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotor/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200328556735

Depending on what mounting hardware comes with it I may get this tach mount:
http://www.shadowstuff.com/links/products_tach_mount.htm

 

Quimrider,
Glad you were able to find a nice Tach... EBay can turn up some great finds once in a while... I got lucky too the other day and got a set of "U.S. Chaps & Saddle bags" brand bags... made in the USA... When they get here I'll see if I need supports or not... Check em out...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=380115683912
Good Luck on the install, hope all goes smoothly...
Ride Safe....

 

Update the MNB 12K tack flaked out between 5-6K rpm. I couldn't figure it out so I got this one: I wouldn't recommend anyone getting a higher than 8K tach. It was harder to read and besides I rarely exceed 8k RPM anyway. Not to mention you can't over rev as it's limited to 11k RPM.

 

Do you have that tach installed and working now? Any issues wiring it in? Did you have to make one of those Single Fire Adapter cables or anything, or did it work as is? And how did you mount it.

I've got one in my shopping cart now, trying to decide if I should pull the trigger.

 

The new tach works great. The EN500's ignition is a dual fire system so there's no need for a tach adapter. It's bigger, and the numbers are farther apart making it easier to read at a glance than the first one I tried. I use it as my "speedometer" easier to glance at than taking my eyes off the road to look down at the tank. 3 simple wire connections. Signal wire to a negative coil terminal, convenient ground screw under the dash, and tapped the speedo light for the +12V. (The tach has separate +12v for the tach and the tach light, I tied them together) I installed this tach on my 250 as well. See the write up with pictures on that here. It installs the same way.

 

Thanks for the info, definitely pushed me over the edge. New tach is on order, now I just have to figure out how to mount it - I've got a '92 and have the speedo and idiot lights on the handlebars already.

 

I recently picked up a 94. I haven't gotten to the point of figuring out where I'll put a tach either. I had toyed putting it where the idiot light cluster is located and then making a custom idiot light cluster to be mounted elsewhere.

 

I bought the same tach off e-bay and put it on my 09 this summer, no problems in almost 8,000 miles. Best $75 I've spent on the bike so far. As you pointed out, it's a lot easier to see than my speedometer and keeps me from looking down to find how fast I'm going. I'd prefer the older style speedo and tach on the handlebars, (where God intended them to be!) instead of on the tank.

 

I'm going to install a tach on my 09. What was the color of the wire on the negative side of the coil. TIA!

 

I installed my tach last weekend. At least for now, I have it attached to the front right turn signal with a p-clamp. Not elegant, but it works. It installed surprisingly easily and quickly. Thanks for the link to where you bought your tach Quimrider, that's the best price I've found for a tach for this bike.

Not sure if it'll stay here like this, but for the moment here's how I've got it attached. Works good, looks nice, & now I can set my idle properly (I actually had it really close just by ear - who knew).

 

any reason why this one would not work?

kuyrakyn microtach

about $125

prod description:
• Small size – 1.37 inch x 0.80 inch x 0.52 inch
• Available in black or chrome
• Large display for easy readability – day or night
• Simple 3-wire installation (ignition, ground, & signal)
• Low amp draw (< 0.2 Amps) – no need for new circuit
• Available for all Models of V-Twins (single-fire, dual-fire ignitions, & digital)
• Sealed & encased against all elements
• Quality components & manufacturing
• Single-fire & dual-fire ignitions may require tachAdapter (sold separately)

 

any reason why this one would not work?

kuyrakyn microtach

about $125

prod description:
• Small size – 1.37 inch x 0.80 inch x 0.52 inch
• Available in black or chrome
• Large display for easy readability – day or night
• Simple 3-wire installation (ignition, ground, & signal)
• Low amp draw (< 0.2 Amps) – no need for new circuit
• Available for all Models of V-Twins (single-fire, dual-fire ignitions, & digital)
• Sealed & encased against all elements
• Quality components & manufacturing
• Single-fire & dual-fire ignitions may require tachAdapter (sold separately)

Looks to me like it should work with the tachAdapter. Quimrider states earlier in this thread that the EN500's ignition is a dual fire system.

Good luck, post some pics when you've got it mounted.

 

yup just make sure you get the one for the dual fire ignition which looks like what it comes as default. the three wires should be a ground, +12V and the third to the negative terminal of the ignition coil. Just make sure the +12V supply is switched on/off with the key.

 

barfubare, That looks like a decent mounting point. maybe not so elegant, but functional. I'm planning on putting mine where the indicator light pod is. I'll replace the pod with a custom "bar" with LED's That I'll put on the relatively flat spot of the clamp that holds the handle bars down. I probably won't have time to start it until the holidays. If you want to build something like this, but aren't sure how to wire things, I'll help. you'll have to be able to solder or find a friend that can.

 

The soldering part I'm good with, it's the fabricating something for the top handlebar clamp I'm stumped on. Let me know what you come up with and if it can be reproduced by those of limited machining capability. Keep us posted on your LED circuit too. I'm planning on playing with an LED array for the tail light for a winter project & have been reading up on that. Since they are current driven rather than voltage driven you have to put resistors in line to regulate the current so you don't burn out the LEDs. I'd be interested in seeing what you come up with for the indicator lights. Thanks.

 

I just went out to the garage and looked and although it's a little dark and I couldn't find a flashlight it looks to be green.(It may be mostly green with a stripe). Definitely NOT the red wire! On my 09 it's the top wire on the coil, the red is on the bottom. Hope this is helpful! I'll try to remember to look at it in the daylight tomorrow, to make 100% certain about the color but it is definitely not the red wire and there's only two wires going onto the coil.

 

Thanks burkbuilds! I have my tach all hooked up and working.