How-To: Install a Hardline Hour Meter
The motorcycle featured in this video is a 2001 Kawasaki KX250. I have a ton of blog posts and videos on this bike, just enter “KX250” in the search box up top.
Installing a hour meter is easy and inexpensive. It will help you keep track of the hours you put on your bike and give you a better idea on how long parts last. If you are anything like me, where you own several vehicles & toys, keeping track of it all can be a real PITA. My mind is not as sharp as it used to be 10 years ago, where I was able to remember everything. Nowadays, remembering such things is not worth it. Just write it down!
I chose to buy a Hardline brand. Sure there are cheaper ones on ebay, however they are made overseas and the quality is pretty lousy. I installed one of these and it was DOA right out of the box.
Use Google Docs
I use Google Docs for everything, including setting up a maintenance spreadsheet for all my belongings. Its all web based and can be accessed anywhere there is internet access, including my smartphone. Have a look at my FREE template that I use for anything I need to track maintenance on.
Install Tips
The most common problem I see with hour meter installs is that it won’t log hours. It’s usually due to not properly wrapping the wire around ignition wire correctly. Make sure you have about 4 windings and make it relatively tight. On 4 strokes with a coil pack, the wire has to be wrapped around the coil pack, not the wire leads leading to coil pack.
Comments
I’m curious how you keep track of hours? Do you guess and write it down on paper? Or do you have a hour meter and use a spreadsheet?
I like the idea of an hour meter. Now, if we could just get an abuse-meter too. Some hours are hard on a bike and some are easy. I wonder if there’s a data-logger that you might talk about on a future post. Something that would track average RPM on any given ride seems like that would be enough to know how hard it was being ridden. Just a thought. Great work!
I don’t see why newer bikes with FI can’t have this feature. They already have all the brains and sensors needed for an “abuse meter”.
You can tell a lot from a bike by how organized the sellers garage/documentation/etc is.
“You can tell a lot from a bike by how organized the sellers garage/documentation/etc is.”
-uh oh.
I take it your garage has seen better days? LOL.