Installing a Tachometer on a Moto Guzzi Jackal
For starters, I believe the V11 Jackal Tachometer kit will give you the same set up and components as the V11 Bassa or V11 EV, and probably the V11 Sport and Centauro.
I do not know about the Quota, but I bet it is the same. So you can always use one of these bikes for comparison.
I decided I should have had the dealer put this on since it is “electronics”. I suggest you do have your dealer put yours on. Assuming you won’t, I will give you some of my hindsight on putting mine on.
Initially I was intimidated because I had a box of parts packed in Italian newspaper.
No instructions were included, no diagrams, nothing.
The first thing to do is to move the headlight out of the way. I was reluctant to re-move mine, and it delayed the job tremendously and lead to some mistakes.
I eventually let mine dangle by the wire and am comfortable having done so.
I don’t think there is any need to worry about the wire, but use your judgment.
Take the side pin or what ever it is called out of the speedometer.
Remove the 2 allen screws from the back of the speedometer. I kept all the parts I removed in a coffee can or my pocket.
Slide the speedo canister down the speedo cable, use a GOOD pair of pliers to loosen/unscrew the speedo cable from the speedo.
Note the 2 wires on the back of the speedo, remove the speedo. I lubricated metal housing of the speedo w/ saliva then twisted it out of the rubber grommet that holds it in the mounting plate.
Remove the 3 allens on the front of the mounting plate hold the horizontal black plastic light pod on. Then remove the 2 allens that hold the mounting plate on the chassis.
There are 2 screws on the back of the speedo which will allow you to twist the fitting where the cable screws on. Loosen them just enough to allow you to twist that fitting as little w/ some resistance. I am not sure what difference it makes, but but I did not want to loosen them too much. I needed to twist that fitting later when re-installing.
There are 2 “light housings” that contain 3 indicator lights each.
Write down the wire colours and match them w/ which indicator it is, e.g., Red/Black and White/Yellow is the gas indicator. You will need to know all 6 of these later.
Remove the indicator lights from the housing. Give them a 90 degree twist, pull, and cuss at them. Beware: when you do free the light from the housing, the bulb my go flying. Be ready.
At this point, all the “old stuff” should be off.
This is where having the Jackal Parts Manual helps. It is only 20 US$ ordered through your Guzzi Dealer.
Run the indicator lights through the hole in the rear cover for the cluster. The edges were very sharp. If you have a Dremel or a file, you may want to dull these down first.
Put the lights in the new black plastic T-shaped Light Housing. I lubed the little rubber light receptacles lightly w/ saliva to get them in w/ a little twist. In the form of a “T” looking at it from the front,
- Left of the T is the Chocolate & Black
- Middle top of the T is Green/Black & Pink
- Top right of the T is Red/Black & Purple
- Bottom of the T is Red/Black & White/Yellow
- Above that I think is Red/Black & Blue
- Above that I think is Red/Black & Blue/Black
I MAY have the Red/Black & Blue and Red/Black & Blue/Black pairs reversed, but that is how mine is wired. These 2 are Oil and Battery.
No matter what, I suggest you do not remove the thick insulation around the bundled up gob of wires. If you do, you may nick a wired & short a fuse like me. Jackal fuses are covered in the Owners Manual, and are cheap at any car parts store, $1.99 for about 5 of them. The wires are tight though, or were for me.
I installed my light cluster next. You may want to do the speedo or tach next. Depends on your hand size I guess. The rear chrome cover, then the black plastic T housing then the plastic indicator plate, then the clear plastic cover, then the foam rubber gasket, then the front chrome cover.
I did the tach next since it had more wires. I got the rubber grommet in the hole on the right as you look at the front of the face plate. Then lubed the tach housing, rotated & wiggled it into the grommet.
The tach wires are as follows:
- Yellow – light (the hole in the back that the bulb pushes into)
- Black – ground, goes to the terminal marked (-)
- Red/Black – 12v, goes to the terminal marked (+)
- Yellow/Black – goes to the terminal between the ground and +12 volt terminals. This is the tach signal from the ECU.
- There is another black that has covered end, which is a ring connector.
- This goes on one of the studs on the back of the tach. Without this, your tach light will not work.
From here it is pretty much done. A few things to look out for:
- The studs sticking out of the back of the tach and speedo are not mounted perpendicular (at a 90 degree angle) to the back of the instruments. I used an Allen wrench once I put the canisters on to try to help line up the screw hole inside w/ the hole so I could get my screw in there.
- Once you get the cans on, and the screws in, DO NOT tighten them down. Just get them on.
- When both speedo & tach are on, then go around to the front and make sure both of them are positioned w/ 12:00 straight up. If not, DO NOT twist the cans, twist the FRONT face plate. This will keep from putting too much pressure on the studs on the back (because you have not tightened the screws in the back). One of mine broke.
- When you get your speedo cable and can on, I would tighten those 2 screws on the back of the speedo as best you can to the torque they were before. Does this effect the speedometer calibration? I wish I knew.
If I left anything out or if you have questions or feedback, please let me know…
Steve Saady
SSaady@Comcast.net
Richmond, VA
2000 V-11 Black Jack
1981 Black Yamaha XV750 Virago