Katana Owners Club U.K.

The tacho is needle is nice and steady until 5k then starts moving upwards very slowly whilst waving about a little the engine is accelerating fine. Weird fault as it's electronic isn't it. Anybody else had/has this problem?

That’s not a problem I have heard of before, I’ll add it to all the other interesting ways that the Kat Tacho goes waffy.

I did speak to someone who advertises in the Classic Comics about doing Speedo/Tacho repairs. He just laughed and wished me luck

Mostly it was around the tacho as it was an odd way of doing it, and the components are ageing.

I am surprised that no one has come up with either a modern work around or even a full replacement in the same binnacle.

Replacing the tacho would pretty much entail rebuilding the whole ensemble.

Common issue on POP UP Katana's aswell.. Basically 40 year old electronics , before the modern circuit board type ..and relies on capicitors/resistors that are wearing out ... There was a post on our old site but It's gone now , though I will look through old sticks as it may be there . But if anyone can come up with suggestions now please do.

My 400 does the same. I saw a repair post years ago which unfortunately I didn't save, but it was a resistor that was the issue ( I think it was low Ohm 5W roughly).
Someone (I think it was Callyboy) sent me the remains of a popup tacho ages ago, so I could take a look and take some measurements. My plan was to look make a new frequency to voltage converter but I didn't get very far!

Excuse my ignorance as a non native english speaker: are we talking revs or speedo needle in tne first post?

Tacho is speedo in german.

Rev counter .. Drehzahlmesser.

I thought it was a rev counter if mechanical and a tachometer if electronic.

Bluesman wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 23, 2025 10:08 am

I thought it was a rev counter if mechanical and a tachometer if electronic.

That may be so ..but most people know the needle that shows speed is a speedo and one that moves with the engine rev's is a rev counter ....

Fair point