1200 Tach into 1100

In my quest to gather the parts and pieces I need for the 1100 heart transplant surgery I have planned for this winter, I am stumbling on a tach. I have the tach on the 84 1200 I just picked up, but that is an Interstate model. I also have a few 1100 Standard tachs that I know are not going to work with the 1200 motor since the fuel pump/tach drive is no longer there.

What I am wondering... will the guts of the 84 1200I tach fit into an 1100 Standard tach housing? Face pieces are different, so that would need to be changed for starters. Just curious if this has been tried before.

I've not tried it or read of anyone else trying it. There are however plenty of after market electronic tachs and on other models of bikes. Finding an 84 standard tach is best but they are scarce.

hmm if it was me id go with 1100 tach as i would be using 1100 heads on the 1200 motor ....id also go with 1100 wiring harness too ....keeping everything 1100 except short block motor of the 1200 ....

Cool, a topic not about quitting smoking or field clearing.

I've been eyeing a late model 1200 tach to do the same thing though it looks completely different in mounting as a cable driven tach. Looks like it could be made to work.

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=163398#p163398:367stbiz said:

slabghost » Mon Nov 23, 2015 12:15 pm[/url]":367stbiz]
I've not tried it or read of anyone else trying it. There are however plenty of after market electronic tachs and on other models of bikes. Finding an 84 standard tach is best but they are scarce.

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Too expensive at this point in time. Seems I emptied the wallet recently to get a bike and get the other ready to go South for the winter for my brother's retirement and also to inspect Joe's handy work.

joedrum":367stbiz said:

hmm if it was me id go with 1100 tach as i would be using 1100 heads on the 1200 motor ....id also go with 1100 wiring harness too ....keeping everything 1100 except short block motor of the 1200 ....

Click to expand...

If I get to the point that I have the 1100 heads on the 1200 motor, that is my plan, but I'm just not sure I'm ready for all that yet. After reading through your threads on the subject, it may wait until I have a known good 1200 motor in the 1200. As I stated though, I have a couple extra 1100 Standard tachs, so sacrificing one for the cause won't hurt. :builder:

dan filipi":367stbiz said:

Cool, a topic not about quitting smoking or field clearing.

I've been eyeing a late model 1200 tach to do the same thing though it looks completely different in mounting as a cable driven tach. Looks like it could be made to work.

Click to expand...

Next week is open week of rifle forest rat season, so I may take some things along with me to deer camp to keep my mind occupied at night. I need to get the 1200I tach out first though... :doh:

One of the guys was talking about this same topic with me, a while back, claimed that he took the innards out of a 1200 dresser tach, & it fit into the 1100 tach case, so he could have an electric driven tach on his transplanted 1200 into an 1100 frame. Not sure about the face, think he left it on, & did the speedo as well, to have a higher reading than 85, the biggest issue was opening, & closing the cases. One of the Wing sites talks about opening, & closing the case, for some reason. :headscratch:

It looks like it should fit from outward appearances:

1200 Tach

1100 Tach

The differences I see is that the faceplate on the 1200 is flat on the bottom where the 1100 is round and has the light.

Could just drill the face plate for the light. Fun part will be opening and closing the housing. Looks very possible.

I am finding that the FUN part is getting the needle off...

Tack puller! It's like a tiny claw hammer. Two small flatblade screw drivers on opposite sides of the center can pry it loose if worked equally.

That was my next step V, but I was able to get it with just some constant pressure.

So the 1200 guts do fit onto the 1100 face plate, you just need to re-drill the mounting holes on the faceplate to line up with the 1200 tach guts.


There is even enough room for the OD light on the 1200 motor to function in place of the the 1100 rear suspension light. Not quite sure how that red light will look on those long rides when I am in fifth for a long period of time... that might get a little annoying.


When I had the guts and face plate together, that was when I became worried about the electronic gizmos hanging off the side and was worried there wouldn't be enough clearance. Well, there is.


No onto the next problem. How do I fasten the faceplate and guts inside the 1100 tach housing? The 1100 housing used two screws. There isn't anything like that on the back of this tach. This one should be interesting to figure out.


There will be some way of doing it when I cover up that hole for the tach cable, I just have to figure it out.

A couple dabs of glue around the back of the face plate maybe? I'm sure you'll find a way.

If the holes in the plastic have no further purpose, :headscratch: fashion, & fasten a small bracket so you can bolt through the 2 small holes in the case. :salute:

[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=163426#p163426:1ugj2aa9 said:

Denver » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:01 pm[/url]":1ugj2aa9]
If the holes in the plastic have no further purpose, :headscratch: fashion, & fasten a small bracket so you can bolt through the 2 small holes in the case. :salute:

Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking...

Maybe just a chunk of sponge rubber to fill the space and cushion it?

That's a thought, but those two screws keep everything from moving around inside.

Since I am waiting on parts, it was time to pick up where I left off on the tach. What I found was that two new holes were needed in the 1100 faceplate so I could mount it to the 1200 guts and that left me with this, and that is where I left off...


So, to fit it all inside the 1100 tach housing, I needed to do something starting with the drive end where the cable attaches. I cut it off completely:


Next I had to remove the drive wheel, and in order to do that, I had to remove the backing plate that is part of the bracket:


Once that was out of the way, the drive wheel just pulled out:


Next thing to tackle was shrinking the bracket. I had 1 7/16" extra so I marked off a line and cur a bend line in one leg and bent it over.


For the other side, I just needed to fill in the gap.


A couple of tack welds along the cut/bend lines and the joint, then drill a pair of holes to mount the tack to my "new" bracket, and this is what I had:


Now the moment of truth... does it line up and will it fit? :beg:



You tell me if it fits? :Egyptian: I just need to paint and reattach the bezel ring and I am done. And that is how you convert an 1100 tach to work with a 1200 motor.

Great work, :yes: nice solution to an impossible to find part. :good:

yep that was nice work :good:

Can you replace the red indicator plastic with a piece of dark green? A bright red light in the tach face sends the wrong message.

Other than that, a super job!!