swaping speedometer between 78-xs750 and 81-xs11

[JCHarth]

Hello I found a cheap 1978 xs750 and I thought i would fit the 1981 xs11 but the connectors look different. I am thinking that may be i can plug some wires together and get it to work. At least partially. What is the least connections I would need to get it to run? can the bike run without the whole speedometer box? Can I match the cables by color? I am planing to look at the electric wiring diagram soon. Thanks.

http://www.fastmamajama.com/images/2013-03-09_21-56-05_149.jpg

http://www.fastmamajama.com/images/2013-03-09_21-55-50_505.jpg

[jetmechmarty]

Joe,

Try it at the other end. Remove the speedometer from the housing. Take the entire wiring harness including the bulbs and sockets off of your original speedometer. Are there enough sockets/bulbs to fill all of the holes in the '78 unit? That's how I swapped my '80 to a '79. Keeping the '81 harness should work for you, too.

[JCHarth]

looks like mine is differenet. I was able to move the speedometer but the rpms and the center console are different. The rpms have also a cable input like the one that comes from the wheel.

[jetmechmarty]

I thought we were talking about just swapping the speedometer. The XS750 has a cable driven tachometer and the XS11 does not. The pilot boxes are similar, but probably not the same. The only part that is going to swap will be the speedometer.