Tach on a 250 Monza?

[halfpast]

Hi everyone,

New to the forum. I tried searching for the topic but didn't come up with anything - has anyone successfully installed a tach on a 250 Monza?

[JimF]

It's not difficult to install an original mechanical tach, just expensive.

You need four components:

The tach
A tach drive
A cable
A bracket to mount the tach.

There is a tach on ebay right now, item # 391136027879, and another # 181802898299. I am not endorsing buying either one nor am I endorsing either seller, I just mention it so you get a feel for pricing and what the correct tach looks like. You will see some without the redline, but the Ducati's all had the red line just above 8000 RPM.

The drive is a matter of changing the cover on the top of the bevel gear tower for one with a mechanical drive that is fed off the bevel gears. See ebay item 281489548326.

You can fabricate a bracket at that point or I can point you to reproduction brackets. The original bracket would have clamped at the base to the headlight mounting stanchion on the driver's right side and to the top of the right fork cap. However, the geometry of the whole thing may be dependent on using the short headlight stanchions made for clip-ons. I am not sure of the geometry still works if you are using handlebars and tall headlight stanchions.

I have seem race bikes fitted Scitsu electronic tachs:
http://www.scitsu.co.uk/docs/main.htm

I don't think they are inexpensive either.

Another thing to consider with an electronic tach is what kind of power it will need; 6-volt or 12-volt. And one step further is whether it needs AC voltage or DC voltage. Some of our old Ducatis were completely AC 6-volt bikes, and if the Scitsu or other electronic tachs require DC voltage you could inadvertently destroy the electronics in the tach.



Jim

[halfpast]

Great info, thanks Jim.

[JimF]

I've been asked in a PM about sources of tach brackets.

While we are free from commercial advertising we do have a few members with commercial enterprises and these members kindly give freely of their knowledge on this forum to help other members and with respect for our non-commercial forum they never mention their businesses.

If any of these member/vendors sell used or reproduction tach brackets, tachs, cables or drives please feel welcome to post a link or information in this thread.

[Eldert]

there are at least 3 type of tach brackets ( not even counting the pods )

the Mach 1 type , the Diana type and the ABS Silver shotgun tach bracket .

the mach1 type Joe Carter at Eurotrash Jambalaya in San Jose sell them for 134 dollar

i think a italian vendor sells them to on Ebay

Eldert

[halfpast]

It looks like the hardest part to aquire is going to be the tach drive that bolts onto the engine head - does anyone know if there are reproductions of this part, or if tach drives from bevel twins will also fit the singles?

[Jordan]

There is another option, that I saw in photos of an early owner-racer Ducati single.
It was a drive gearbox, installed on the left side of the crankshaft. In this position it could be easier to mount a generic unit, like maybe from KTT Services, or this mob: http://www.speedograph-richfield.com/ht ... arbox.html

Jordan

[Scrambler]

I run a Scitsu on my café and it works fine. As far as power it has an internal Lithium ( I believe ) battery that you recharge with a separate plug. It is meant to be hooked to a 12 volt battery to charge. So it is not hard wired to the bikes electrics. The pickup is a single wire that gets tie wrapped up shrink tubed to the spark plug lead wire. I only have to charge it about every fourth ride or so. Granted it is not period correct, but it fits the style of my bike. Comes with a aluminum cradle mount that damps the vibrations. I got mine form Malcolme at Sids.

Mike Mc

[halfpast]

Thanks for the posts, everybody. leaning towards an original-style Mach 1 type Veglia. Still trying to figure out if tach drives from bevel twins will also fit the single-cylinder bikes, though...

[Jordan]

A twin's tacho drive gearbox won't fit a single. The cover is bigger and a different shape.
Scitsu looks nice.
If you want a hobby, what about putting the internals of an electronic tacho into a Veglia shell?