I like doing my own maintenance on my vehicles but, I never could fiqure out how to accurately check the rpm's on 2stroke engines without needing to buy an expensive jig-a-ma-jig. Does anybody know something simple besides doing it by ear.

if you have a local go-kart shop they have digitron tachs that work great.different price ranges to choose from . very good about 275. low end about 150.

Thanks rwc but I was hopeing there was a cheaper way of doing it, for that kind of money I'd rather buy accessories & such.

Are you talking for just setting the idle or for WFO operation, checking clutching and what not.

Look in the polaris parts catalouge 2001 book there is a tach in there from polaris Not much coin also. Check it out .

Just for general checking of RPM for tune-ups and such, check out pawn shops & used tool places for a handheld engine analyzer. Since cars are going computer-controled, they are getting cheap. I saw one for $35 that showed RPM, dwell, and such. It worked by clamping to the spark plug wire. Just remember to divide by 2 for a 2 cycle.

Go to your local small engine repair shop/parts store that carries Briggs&Stratton or Kohler and ask for a tiny tach for a single cylinder engine.
They usually run about $40.00

All engines and tach's are not created equal. You "must" use the proper tach that has the ability to pickup the correct number of sensing pulses per revolution from the engine, each engine is different as are the tach's. Not every tach will work on every motor. There is not other way know to check rpm. Sound is certainly not the way.

WOW! Thanks for the info, you guys are great. It never dawned on me to check-out all those places. I didn't even know Polaris had a thing-a-ma-jig thingny. Now i know where to start looking.
RobCulp' yeah that's basically what I want to do and, also would like to check my other 2-stroke toys & tools I have.