Mwahaha...VICTORY is mine! Take that, Ronald Reagan

Just a test fit, pay no attention to the overall condition of the cluster. It's getting completely refurbished, and yes, I'm taking pics. But THIS IS GOING TO WORK!!! NOS to boot, and for a whole $20!



MWAHAHAHAHAHAYamahahahaHA!

 

And what be that off of?

 

Your guess is as good as mine. Later than '84 Yamaha, that's all I know for sure. Guy had it on eBay listed as being for a 750 Seca, in a box with pn 5G2-83570-A0 on it. That's wrong for sure, that pn IS for the '81-'83 Seca 750, which would have been an 85mph unit. I recognized it visually as being a prospect and snapped it up.

The housing is the same size and cable attachment point at the same angle as the one in my Seca 550s; there was this large Rube Goldberg trip odo reset mechanism coming off the RIGHT FRONT of it, I had to amputate part of that but I have figured out how to make it work without the part I cut off. Took some "reconfiguration" of the main housing due to a slight style difference on the back of the body but it fits right in.

I am documenting everything but am only about halfway thru the cluster refurb, will post the whole shebang when I'm done. I was just REAL excited that this is going to work and had to share.

 

I like how the speedo has metric speeds inside. It was during the period when we actually thought english speaking people would convert to metric.

How come the tach does not have metric RPMs inside like the speedo? *chuckle*

 

I think it's more of a "world market" thing. The speedo in my '08 VW looks the same. I mainly like how it goes past 85!

 

Mystery solved, I found the identical unit on eBay. 1983 XJ900R. Now all I have to do is keep my eyes open for a matching tach; don't imagine I'm gonna find one of THOSE for $20 anytime soon.

 

ummmm 3 different colored needles ?

 

Ummm... sorta. For now. I will eventually locate a matching tach (electronic) but wait until you see the finished cluster, the difference in needles isn't all that noticeable. I plan to eventually paint them all to match, but I want to talk to a speedo shop and get some phosphorescent paint like original. Meanwhile I at least know how fast I'm going in rush hour.

 

i assume you mean the removal of the 55mph national speed limit? the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act wouldnt have been Reagan but Nixon or Ford (depending on when in 74...

STILL that is a sweet looking speedo. ive got a nice one from a 79 xs but i need gaskets...

good score!

 

Reagan imposed it IIRC.

 

Testors makes a fluorescent paint set that may do the trick.

 

You are correct sir! I've been blaming the wrong dead President. The 55mph speed limit was Nixon in '73-'74; the stupid 55mph SPEEDO happened on Carter's watch, in '79:

On September 1, 1979, in a rulemaking that also regulated speedometer and odometer accuracy, the NHTSA required speedometers to have special emphasis on the number 55 and a maximum speed of 85 mph. (from Wikipedia.)

What really sucks is they repealed the idea in October of '81 but it looks like Yamaha bought a whole LOT of speedos they had to use up. My'83 550 came with an 85mph unit, but the 150mph one I just used came from an '83 XJ900.

 

The glow in the dark paint at this site is by far the brightest I could find for other things, probably great for speedo needles.

http://glowinc.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=2

 

Why, you plan on revving your engine past 12000 rpm?

 

Fitz, Please letr us know how you restore those gauges. I have to get mine done/ Thanks

 

Oh PS I like the idea of a volt gauge too

 

I found speedo needle paint...

http://www.hipoparts.com/product_info.p ... cts_id=437

Ain't the interwebs just the greatest?

 

UPDATE Here's the completed (for now) cluster back on the bike. I do plan to paint all the needles to match, and I will continue to look for a tach that matches the speedo, but until then:




I documented the entire instrument cluster disassembly procedure (as well as the mod to make the speedo fit) and just have to re-size and mark up the photos and I'll get it posted. Thought you might want to see the (nearly) finished product.---Fitz

 

XJ 550's won't go faster than 85 mph............ will they? :wink:

 

Nice job, Fitz, but if you had bought a Kawasaki like mine, you would have got all those features thrown in. 8)

 

LMAO............as im sure fitz will as well....

Good work man.

 

If I had gotten ahold of anything like yours, as in NON US MARKET I wouldn't have to deal with this insanity to begin with. If you look at my post above, I did some research on the 85mph speedo idea, and it was a typical case of slamming the barn door AFTER the chickens got out. By the time NHTSA came up with the 85mph speedo regulation, the national 55mph concept was beginning to disintegrate state-by-state.

 

Wow! love the fact that it has a fuel guage too! yes sir u owe us pics of the project!

 

The fuel and volt gauges are part of the stock SECA 550 cluster. I just got that 85mph abomination out of there.

The photo documentation for the whole thing is about ready, and it does have some detail pertaining to the instruments as well. I'll try to get it finished and posted this weekend.