Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Maestro, SEI-V
Post Reply
JonnyP
Posts: 64
Joined: 24 Feb 2021 17:03
Location: Cheshire, UK

Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by JonnyP »

Does anyone have any experience in replacing their speedo and tachometer with a new type replica GPS speedo and matching tacho? There are many advertised online, and some look 'period' correct (at a glance at least) for the Morini. Ideally, these would fit into the standard Morini mounts with rubber surrounds to maintain the original look. An example clock would be something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Spee ... B074DW22NR. It's just a thought I've had, before spending the many hundreds having my own Veglias refurbed. Thanks for any feedback.
harrymuffin
Posts: 292
Joined: 07 Apr 2014 16:06
Location: west midlands

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by harrymuffin »

Having fitted new Vaglias to my 350/507 I then had Smiths chronometrics clocks made up, as that was what the Italian works teams fitted to their grand prix bikes, they are so much the part of the intended look of the bike and accurate.
3potjohn
Posts: 1243
Joined: 02 Jun 2007 13:58
Location: Devon

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by 3potjohn »

I have seen these instruments at bike shows ( remember them) . Guess if all my instruments were wrecked I would look at something like this. A lot of functionality depending on available connection. Anyhow heres a link......
https://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/
On my old beemers you can have the instruments apart fairly easily and repair failed odometers ( common) and tweak the speed accuracy but these do not have bezels of course. Never attempted a Veglia, but then again they have kept working.
John
hendre
Posts: 600
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 06:51
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by hendre »

there is a German company who makes new clocks with period correct looks.... I wish that I could remember the name

edit: https://mmb-instrumente.de/index.php?lang=en
good quality and easy to install on classic bikes
harrymuffin
Posts: 292
Joined: 07 Apr 2014 16:06
Location: west midlands

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by harrymuffin »

You can get Indian replicas, but you need to match the clocks to the wheel size and reduction ratio and same with the tacho. This chap repaired and made up new instruments from original Smiths parts. He just wanted to know what the max speed and revs were, the wheel diameter and ratios and I collected from him a couple of weeks later, whilst delivering a Morini to a bloke who lived down that way, within the M25 west of London, I got the details from either the comics or a motorcyclist magazine. The Vaglias were new from NLM but just do not look right if the bike is modelled on 50/60's machines, sorry but they look plasticky and cheap even if the rim is metal.
huub
Posts: 194
Joined: 24 Jul 2006 15:11

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by huub »

i have the GPS speedo on two of my guzzi's works perfectly,
the only differences compared to the veglia's : it takes a couple of seconds to find a satellite so you wil be riding along with a indicated 0 km/h fr the first 100 meter, and the red backlight.
My guzzi's are my daily transport, changing cables got a bit boring

for my morini i rebuilt the veglia's with new glass and bevel , having said that , i am missing the ring gear on the wheel hub, so the morini tacho is purely cosmetic.
simonnorthroad
Posts: 388
Joined: 16 May 2017 10:57
Location: Bath, UK

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by simonnorthroad »

I have a spare Grimeca ring gear Huub
AntietamClassicCycle
Posts: 187
Joined: 15 Oct 2012 15:03
Location: Rohrersville, MD, US
Location: Rohrersville, MD, USA
Contact:

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by AntietamClassicCycle »

If Huub isn't interested, then I am. Need one for my Strada.
julianharty
Posts: 478
Joined: 15 May 2016 16:34
Location: High Wycombe
Location: High Wycombe Area (Bucks)

Re: Replacing Veglia Clocks With Modern Replicas

Post by julianharty »

Here are some alternative suggestions:

1) If having working and functional speedos and revcounters is what you're after then I've previously fitted the instrument cluster from a Honda Super Dream 250. I used them on one of my 350 sports in the mid 1980's (it's the same bike I fitted a Yamaha LC monoshock to, see photo). I've since bought another complete instrument cluster including the ignition switch and key from the same model for around £30 - £40 (not much anyway) for when I want to do something similar. They're good enough in terms of accuracy and easy enough to obtain (there are well over 100 results listed on eBay.co.uk currently).

2) I expect many of you would prefer something more 'classic' and/or Italian. Again I've bought a new speedo sold for old Moto Guzzi's for around £50 - £60. And I've also (as harrymuffin mentioned) bought an Indian speedo on eBay.co.uk for around £15

3) And if you decide you'd be up for the fully electronic units then I've used a Vapor combined speedo and revcounter on a Kanguro. The main challenges of these are mounting it, the speedo sensor, and then coping with the predictably erratic RPM calculations as it doesn't read consistently through the rev-range. The Vapor does have a setting which changes the multiplier it uses at a given number of pulses which helps mitigate this behavior, and there's at least one friendly supplier in the UK up near Birmingham (I've not got his details to hand).
Trimmed photo of VBC745X monoshock
Trimmed photo of VBC745X monoshock
mini-vbc745x-monoshock.jpg (489.05 KiB) Viewed 5047 times
Post Reply