Modern Vespa

Need some opinions.
After doing the rebuild on the Stella, I want to install a CHT gauge.

There the Trailtech...

http://trailtech.net/tto.html

What else are you guys using? I would prefer a round digital that I could install on the top of the glovebox... but the TT would be a quick setup.

Thanks!

D.O

I use the Westach gauges. I prefer analog as I can put a limit line on it and quickly glance at it and know if I'm ok or not.

The Trailtech digital box is fantastic. Really quick response. Incredibly inexpensive.

the Trailtech could only be improved by adding a backlight. kinda sucks that I have to put one of those stickon LED discs onto my bikes to see at night.

Yah I'd like tac temp n light all in one!

get a SIP speedo/tach/CHT/clock/odometer/trip meter etc.

I have a 14mm spark plug TrailTech for sale, if anyone's interested. I started to install it, then gave up. PM me for further information.

I'm interested Jim.. I'll email you later.

I added a trailtech to my Stella and ran the wire under one of the floor rail rubbers then behind the glovebox to the box top. think I may have put a little V notch near the bottom of the end of the rail strip to give the wire some room. easy and pretty neat.

I've used the SIP, Trailtech and presently have Westach gauges.

I concur that the trailtech would be perfect if it just had a backlight. I had one glued below my glovebox for over a year. I never got 'round to getting a longer cord for it, so I could mount it somewhere more visible. I ultimately got rid of it because I ride at night a lot and couldn't see it.

The SIP is a lot of work to install, but I like it a lot. It's lit, though rather small to read (old eyes). The downside is the dongles, which I found cheaply built and expensive to replace. SIP was out of stock of the dongles for almost a year. I finally found a domestic source, but it was like $30 for just the little end dongle. It was real rip off. That was why I was running the TTO for a year. I couldn't get the damn dongle for the SIP!

I presently run a Westach CHT/EGT gauge with a backlight. It's one Patrick (Oopsclunkthud) recommended a while back. I have it mounted up on the handlebars, and backlit for easy visibility. The installation nuisance was on par with the SIP speedo. The downside is that the Westach dongles come on 4' long cables. The end of that 4 foot cable is right in the middle of my frame, so I had to patch on an extension cable to reach the headset. Basically, if I break the dongle, I'll wind up fishing wires through my frame to deal with it.

When I break the westach dongle, which I'm sure will happen, I'm going to pull a patch cable from the handlebars to under the tank, and attach the 4 foot dongle there. I'll just leave the excess coiled up under the tank. That way, the NEXT replacement won't involve pulling the headset and fishing wires through the very narrow channel up the forks. The westach dongle cable is also pricey, at about $31.

So, if you're on a budget, do the TTO, otherwise, I'd suggest either the SIP or Westach.

Hojo

With the Trail Tech, I found the supplied cable too short to do much good. I still gotta extend it for more permanent install. Other than they are cheap & effective.

You can do a real easy temporary 'install' when rejetting or making other changes by running the wire out the front bottom of the cowl, putting a loop in the cable & hanging from your helmet hook. Can't read it while riding obviously, but these DO record high temp(resettable). And I probably couldn't easily read THIS one while riding anyway. Patrick's marked analog is best for that.

Trail Tech sell the ready made 48' extension cord. I bought one when I got my P200s TTO.

Dr. ona,
Sorry but it's already gone. I probably shouldn't have brought it up in your post in the first place.

Jim, what was the problem with instalation?

Ok... thanks for the replies everyone.
Jim, thanks for the offer for selling it to me.
I'll be going TT since it's cheap and easy ( no mom jokes ).
Looks like I'll need the extension as well ( no dick jokes ).

Thank you again..

On amazon TT viper $95 has all bells n whistles .No directions..I don't see how I'd hook up speedo on lx50 even though I don't need that,tops at 48 mph.gps.It gets warm so think I need temp for sure and tac for this would be for shits n giggles.I like the fact it has out side temp too haha

I made a little bracket for my tto, it clamps between the fuel tank and seat hinge, so the gauge sits at the front of the seat.

the cable is long enough to thread up through there and I just have to look between my legs to see how hot it's getting.

sig material right there!

Vader,
I was hesitant to have to reshape it to get it to fit into the spark plug well on a 150 head, and even if I did I couldn't see any way the wire joint wasn't going to get in the way of a plug wrench without eventually getting stressed or broken, there didn't seem to be enough clearance with the cooling fins, I had second thoughts about introducing possible leaks at the plug, I envisioned it falling out of place while changing a plug through the hole in the cooling shroud, etc.

I decided to instead use the 10mm ring version under one of the stud washers. (Actually I used a slightly bigger flat washer to hold it flush with the head.)

I've read that others have successfully gotten the other one under the plug and as a result have truer, more reliable readings, but I weighed it all out and did what I did. Maybe it's just the TT version that I found challenging.

Thanks Jim.. copy that! I was thinking it was some kind of extra funky wiring or something I didn't see on the Trailtech site that turned you off! I understand what you're saying.. I use the sensor on the plug.. I've managed to fit them and I put a small hole in the shroud to fit the sensor wire through (keeps the aluminum post of the sensor at a more "socket friendly" angle, but a couple times I have noticed that my plug was kind of coming lose after a while of riding.. which I don't dig... so I'm always thinking of a better way... It's a drag that the sensor doesn't really hold and behave like the plugs crush washer...
Thanks for the reply!
Cheers

I use the trail tech.
Got the 48" extension lead to run it through the frame and mounted it on top of the glove box.
No backlight is a nuisance in the dark, but a £1 led light sorts that.
I started with mine on the plug but after issues with washers, air leak and damage to spark plug thread I ended up moving it to a stud.

If I had the budget though I'd be very tempted by the SIP digital speedo.

The TT was a bit of an experiment for me, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money, although by the time I bought the cable extension it was starting to add up. I've wondered if the Westech or some other more expensive make fits the plug a little better.

Westach for me too...and and thin strips of colored tape

I wanted a more olde tyme look. Aircraft Spruce airplane CHT. At the time (4-5 years ago) it was $35

How did you go about fitting the LED Cazshie? Got a picture?


The TT is great but what is annoying is the cost to replace the ring part, it's more than half the price of the gauge and ring together. I haven't had much success in repairing the wire.

I just bought this one from Poundland

http://www.poundland.co.uk/product-range/a-z/clip-on-reading-lamp/

If you slacken off the top of the tool box it will clamp in, and the flexible part can be bent to position over the CHT.