Backlit clocks?

[Oscar_Muffin]

So, I was on my way home last night and due to my poor timing it got very cold and very dark while I was still some distance away. However, during this, I noticed one thing that I had failed to notice before. My clocks don't seem to have any backlighting. So I'm riding along these narrow unlit roads in the middle of nowhere with no idea how fast I'm going.

I've changed the tachometer cable before and don't remember seeing any wiring under there for any bulbs. Do they come equipped and have mine just blown out at some point or are they a "luxury" feature? If not the latter, what size bulbs do they take? Because getting under there on my bike is a major PITA due to a screen and a couple other things.

[Oscar_Muffin]

Okay so they are backlit, at least the tachometer, can't get the speedometer out because of the trip meter knob and I can't lower the plastic backing because one of the small screws is stripped.

Anyone know if the knob comes off somehow?

[Bluesmudge]

There is a very small screw inside of the trip knob. I think its Philip head. You will need a small screwdriver like you would use for electronics or eyeglasses.
Do a search here on the forum, you can replace the bulbs with LEDs that have lower current draw and are less likely to ever burn out. Plus you can change the color (I went with red).

One of the molded plastic holders for the bolts on my clocks is also stripped. Let me know if you figure out a way to open them up. Once I open them up I want to glue that nut in place.

[Oscar_Muffin]

Aye, I did look inside of the knob but didn't see anything, it just looked like a flat piece of metal in there.

On further inspection, the reason the bulbs were never replaced after they burned out was because the tiny screw inside of there had a stripped head..... So I drilled the head off and managed to get the knob off. I just have to find a way to get the rest of screw out of the hole and order a replacement, until then the trip meter knob is on my keyring. I replaced the bulbs with regular filament bulbs because I already had a couple of packs of them lying around and I need my bike.

I'm not totally sure how the plastic piece that the clocks sit in is actually held on. Mine seems to be held on with one small JIS (Not phillips) screw at either side and a bolt in the middle.  Although it looks like there's some tabs that connect to the metal plate that supports the whole assembly (One with neutral light ect...)

EDIT - You said one of the plastic holders on yours was stripped, Do you mean the metal rods that poke through the back of the "Bucket" that the clocks sit it? I'm talking about one of the small screw that actually holds that "Bucket" to the metal bracket that the speedometers are in.

[ShowBizWolf]

Maybe I'm missing something (admittedly I am pretty tired right now lol) but whenever I changed my gauge bulbs, I didn't have to remove the trip knob to remove the black housing.

Are there pictures in this thread? I'm looking at the forum here at work where pics don't show up so maybe that's why I'm having trouble understanding.

From what I remember it's just 2 little black rubber sockets that have to be gently pulled out, after you remove the black plastic housing. There are two wires going to each one.

The little screws were missing completely when I bought my bike, I looked on an OEM parts site to replace them. One of the rods that come through the housing was stripped for me so I had to do something there. But I didn't have to remove the trip knob.

Also, here's the bulb information
http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.LEDIndicators

[Oscar_Muffin]

Oh, I didn't remove the back housing, that looked like a real pain in the ass. There are two cap nuts on the back of each of the clocks. Remove both of those nuts and the clock will just pull straight out of the front towards the seat. If you turn the bars correctly you can leave the cable attached to it and pull it out enough to be able to access the backlight bulb holder. I'd post a picture but I've put my screen back on and it's a pain to get on and off.

[Oscar_Muffin]

That's how I did mine, just remove the two bolts at the back and it slides out the front and you get access to the backlight bulb.

[ShowBizWolf]

Wow I never even considered pulling them out from the front like that! Awesome I promise though, removing the cover isn't difficult. Now that I'm less tired, I'm remembering that I had to remove the cover because a screw from one of the gauges fell out and was rattling around in there. I also removed it once before to completely replace it (when I bought my bike, that housing was smashed).

Maybe I will pull them out from the front when I finally get my new bulbs (I'm swapping colors). Doing it that way, is that why you had to remove the trip knob? Makes more sense to me now if that's the case.

Also I did want to mention that if you choose to get LED bulbs, I recommend to people to get the ones like in the wiki link... the ones that project the light radially as well as forward. I tried bulbs that didn't do that one time... and the one in the speedo didn't "reach down" far enough to light up the trip counter.

[Oscar_Muffin]

Yea, that's why I had to remove the trip knob. If you look it's sandwidged in a gap between the silver front plate and the plastic back cover so the speedometer wouldn't pull out with it still attached. I'm going to put an allen head bolt in it when I get around to removing the rest of the screw I drilled the head off of.