Ironhead On board voltmeter

[ericfreeman]

I've been using those small voltmeters for years on both of my Ironheads. Much more compact than a conventional round gauge. Love them!

[Len PA]

$11. on EBAY several years ago. Grounded through headlight visor. Hard to read in sunlight. I found it too distracting while riding and removed it.
Note is to remind me to oil up before riding in the spring. I drain the engine oil to prevent wet sumping. I also hide the keys.

[ZTatZAU]

Originally Posted by IronMick

I had to drill a small hole in one of the cylinder head fins, insert the sensor there. There should be a thread on here somewhere around Jan 2007 about those gauges. I got some teasing, something about being able only to ride in circles

Thanks for the info Mick! That cat can be skinned in a variety of ways. With much of my time and interests spent in aviation, I immediately thought of something like this...
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...lickkey=189208
Typically, if there's only one CHT gauge, it would be installed on the hottest cylinder of a multi-cylinder air-cooled engine. I suspect that would typically be the rear cylinder on an Ironhead. I also suspect the chosen location of a probe in a drilled cylinder fin could dramatically affect the temperatures seen on the gauge.

With that said everything is indeed relative; and once you've established a baseline for normal ops, the gauge would none-the-less be useful in showing anything out of the ordinary.

I liked the part about driving in circles,; but that left turning tendency could be offset sufficiently with the correct beverage in the leather cupholder over on the right.

Originally Posted by bustert

volt meter is a plus but does not tell the whole story. a combo volt/amp meter will let you look deep into the system. you can have volts and barely any amps. digital fairs better but if you get a glitchy analog, add a filter capacitor to shunt the ac component to ground.

Good point Bustert! Good info! Well taken!

Originally Posted by Ferrous Head

OK, I'll bite.

What's wrong with riding in circles. Been doing that for decades.

Me too Gene! I mean, what ride isn't? Except, perhaps, for your last one!

Originally Posted by ericfreeman

I've been using those small voltmeters for years on both of my Ironheads. Much more compact than a conventional round gauge. Love them!

Thanks Eric! I'm curious though! Are you talking about the little flat digital numerical read-out gauges or the LED indicators like I installed from Kuryakyn?

Originally Posted by Len PA

[Len's Voltmeter Image]...

$11. on EBAY several years ago. Grounded through headlight visor. Hard to read in sunlight. I found it too distracting while riding and removed it.
Note is to remind me to oil up before riding in the spring. I drain the engine oil to prevent wet sumping. I also hide the keys.

Thanks for your reply too Len! I remember seeing your voltmeter picture and your comments about "removing the distraction" later, in an old XLF thread when I was researching the idea of adding a voltmeter to my 73 XLH.

It was actually your picture that gave me the idea of a little tang, to mount the LED gauge where I did under the trip-meter knob. So, I'm glad to have another chance to thank you for that!

ZT