DIY Single Instrument Cup

Previously, I mounted the gas and water temperature gauges on my K100RT directly on the dash by drilling two 52mm holes in the dash and inserting the instruments. When I upgraded the windscreen on my bike to that from a K1100LT (electric windscreen), mounting the gauges in the dash was no longer an option. The space I had used prior was now reserved for speakers. I had to find an alternative.

What I came up with was to construct instrument pods that could house the gauges and allow them to be mounted externally. The idea came from a photo I saw online of a K1100LT, fully outfitted with gauges and GPS. I scoured around for suitable instrument pods and cups but could not find any that fit my application (or which could be adapted). So, I decided to manufacture my own pods.

On a trip to Home Depot, I made some measurement s of various pipes and fittings. I determined that a 1-½” ABS drain pipe coupler and end cap would be perfect for the cup. The outside diameter of a coupler is about 58mm. I needed 52mm to accommodate the gauges in a sip-in fit, leaving me a 3mm wall thickness aproximately. I used a 2” hole saw setup on a drill press to ream out the coupler to 51mm approximately.

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I then proceeded to sand the inside of the coupler until the gauge just slipped in easily. For my rotary sander, I wrapped 80 grit sandpaper around a smaller diameter hole saw, put it in the drill press and married the workpiece to the sander carefully so as to keep the material removal even all the way around. I test fitted the gauge often to make sure that I didn’t sand too far.

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Once the coupler was sanded, I used ABS glue to glue together the end cap and the coupler. I fit the parts carefully to ensure an even seam and weighed the parts down with weights to make sure that the bond was strong.

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When dry, I drilled two 10mm holes to receive the lock nuts that secure the gauges in the cups. I also drilled a 9.5mm hole in the center of the cup to receive a 3/8” threaded lamp rod. These rods are usually used on table lamps to secure the lamp receptacle to the base yet allow for the wire to be threaded through. I would need the threaded rod to secure the cup to the dash and to allow the gauge wires to pass through to the back of the cup for connecting.

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I completed the cups by filling the seam using Bondo Spot Putty, sanding, priming and painting Black.

I wanted to mount the gauges low on the dash so that they would not interfere with the instrument pod on the steering head. I wanted the gauges mounted at a 60 degree angle as well so they woul be easy to see from the driver’s position. To maintain the 60 degree angle, I manufactured bevel spacers from a ½” ABS “L” coupler that I bought at the Home Depot. This coupler was a precise slip fit over the 3/8” threaded rod and was easy to fabricate using woodworking tools. I drilled a 10mm hole in the dash just below and to the outside of the speaker grill. I had to remove the pins from the AMP connector so that I could fish the wires through the threaded rod. I inserted the rod through the hole in the dash and tightened up the nuts, securing the gauge to the dash at the correct angle. I reinserted the pins in the AMP connector and put the bike back together.

Below is a picture of the completed installation.

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