GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

Here is a new thread just for developing a 6-speed gear indicator for the GS.
 
A discussion was started on starwalt's (http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13774&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=100)  thread by werase643 but I think this topic should have a thread of its own.

If interest develops, it will become quite involved, but fun.

I purchased a GSXR 3-wire neutral switch, mounted it on my GS in place of the original and IT WORKS!  
The switch on the 04 GS (Part no. 37720-01D00 I believe) may also work and may not need a spacer.

I did have to make a 1/8" (3mm) spacer because the GSXR switch is too deep for the GS.

I believe the part no. is 37730-35F10 and it's from the GSXR750 years 2000-2003.  
I believe it was also used on the other versions of GSXR.

It is a three wire system.  The pink wire carries a unique resistance depending on the current gear selection,
the blue wire is the traditional switched ground to light the neutral lamp.
A third wire is for a ground contact which we don't have on the GS.

If any one is interested, chime in.  The more the merrier.

We will have to develop a small panel for a digital display and a small circuit board for the logic to convert
six resistance values (on the pink wire) to LED drive signals.

While we're at it, how about monitoring the system voltage with a LED or two to indicate too low/too high.

Soooooo:
Who can design a logic ckt with the lowest parts count?
Who can make ckt boards?
Who can build a small weather proof panel to mount a digital display and a couple LEDs?

I have already breadboarded a logic ckt  for two gear positions and it seems to work well.  
It uses comparator IC's, some transistors, resistors and a bunch of diodes to derive the signals
for a seven segment digital display. I'll post a parts count soon.

The resistance values (two readings each) and associated gear positions are:

1  825 - 830 ohms
2  570 - 573
3  14.97K - 15.1K
4  6.79K - 6.88K
5  2.74K - 2.76K
6  1.5K - 1.5K


Lets have some input!:mrgreen:

:cheers:

geeeeee
my 5speed indicator used 5 12V bulbs
and the gear indicator assy grounds a diff bulb in each gear
easy peasy japaneesy

and i might even add a 6th bulb....but no indication...would be 6th

i will ask ppl i know if they want to do it.

JeffD would be our best bet at this.. he might know how to build it.

By the way there are 7LED  figure 8 box led's sold for a few bucks so that isnt a problem. The logic of shifting analog shoudltn be too hard. I will see if i can remember my early electronic days.

Maybe I'm making this too hard, but my first thought is to use a low-power microcontroller with an analog to digital converter.

This is an example (http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Microchip/Web%20Data/PIC12C67X.pdf) (specifically PIC12C671). I thought of a PIC microcontroller becuase I am using one at work right now and I know I can get ahold of a PIC programmer for free. In quantities of 25 or more, they are $1.93. Less than 25, $3. Thats just for the microcontroller+a/d, though. There would have to be other parts, too.

There is also a design contest (http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist/pcbcontest.htm) for PIC microcontrollers. The winner gets free PCB made by the sponsoring company.

Granted, this is probably overkill but we could add stuff to it, too. The battery condition is one idea. Another thing that comes to mind is an O2 sensor, but I'm not even sure that's really useful to make or even possible using the PIC I mentioned above. Maybe I'm just trying to find a use for this 1-wire O2 sensor I have  :lol:

I'm definately interested in helping with this. It sounds like fun, but I'm a nerd like that  :)

K I'll bite.

I tossed around the Idea of having a counter for each time the shift lever was used.  However this way would get "confused" if there was a mis-shift.

Then I though about some Hall effect switches but this would require chopping up the case.

Hmm....

I think using the resistance to calculate the gear would take quite a few parts, then the TTL for the display, this thing could end up rather large.    Here is what I see required to build a 6 gear display.

1 comparitor per "gear"  so thats 6
logic for a neutral condition.
power regulator
output LED's  or alot of logic for a 7 segment display

I dislike the 7 seg display Idea because it requires alot more logic/parts, and I dont see the benifit of being able to read "5" rather than see a blue LED on or Green... whatever.  Basically do the benifits outway the cost.  I dont think so.

I can do logic math to get the least amount of parts to implement a function, I just need the inputs, and outputs.  K-maps anyone?

Ok I'll stop babbling now.  Good Idea but there has to be a better way to implement this than using a bunch of comparitors.


:cheers:

Quote from: werase643geeeeee
my 5speed indicator used 5 12V bulbs
and the gear indicator assy grounds a diff bulb in each gear
easy peasy japaneesy

and i might even add a 6th bulb....but no indication...would be 6th

Actually the six wires could probably be easily added to the GSXR switch.  That would allow for the simplest electrical solution.  Six contacts, six wires, six LEDs, but not very elegant.  :roll:

Might end up doing this after all. :dunno:

Keep the ideas coming. :cheers:

someone build it, and ill buy it. lol.

GS450 has one stock, Bulb for each gear, 7 position contact switch and bulbs sit under the gages with numbers to be illumenated, perhaps this its time to rip open the speedo, or tach and mount 6 LED's to the inside, have them running clockwise for next highest gear.

yah...would be nice to integrate it into the existing gauges

I've never used an A-to-D converter but I think that one would work here if someone knew how to use one.  I've always been fairly good with digital circuits and rather crabby on analog.  Anyway...here's some thoughts.

The resistances are fairly discrete in that should one place either a steady current source (output voltage would vary) or a steady voltage source (ouput current would vary) then an appropriate A/D converter should be able to quantize the values into digital bits.  However, due to the range of impedances, there would probably have to be some sort of op-amp, or other amplifier, circuit to get the output from the gear selector massaged into the proper range for the A/D converter (most will take inputs of 2-4 volts, 1-5 volts, 2-3 volts...it depends on the package).  Lets say for the sake of argument that we used a pipelined 8-bit A/D converter.  On the output we'd have 8 exclusive bits with each representing a quantized value within the defined input range.  From there those 8 bits can be fed into an "8-BIT Line --> 4-BIT BCD" encoder which will encode the 8 exclusive bits into a 4 bit binary coded decimal word.  Then a BCD-To-7 Segment Display Latch/Decoder/Driver chip can be used to convert from the BCD to the 7 output lines necessary for your standard 7 segment display.  A "latched" display driver would be used because otherwise the display would possibly blink on the off-clock cycles unless we designed our own flip-flop logic (which is built into the "latched" driver).  Add in the necessary caps and resists to support the chips and that should round out the display portion.

Like I said...I have no idea how to get the signal manipulated to get it into the A/D converter, but once it's there these 3 chips (and perhaps a couple of TTL buffer chips to keep our signals strong as they propagate the chips) should be all that's needed.  Personally...I'm doing my capstone project for my BS in EE this fall...if no one has it figured out by then I'll make designing this my senior project and let you know how it turns out.  I'd do it now...but I've got the MCAT coming...and it's pretty scary.  Good Luck!

Quote from: John BatesThe resistance values (two readings each) and associated gear positions are:

1  825 - 830 ohms
2  570 - 573
3  14.97K - 15.1K
4  6.79K - 6.88K
5  2.74K - 2.76K
6  1.5K - 1.5K


Lets have some input!:mrgreen:

:cheers:

Can you please confirm the resistance values vs. gear?  This is an afternoon project if the resistance values change proportional (or inversely proportional) to gear selection but these R numbers move around.

To clarify, if you graphed the gear vs. R values of that switch quoted above, it would move around like my company's stock price.  The simplest circuit to do this would require a ramp, either direction, of gear vs. R.  

If your gear vs. R is correct, then the Suzuki designers used something else, more complicated.

Quote from: V8Pinto

Quote from: John BatesThe resistance values (two readings each) and associated gear positions are:

1  825 - 830 ohms
2  570 - 573
3  14.97K - 15.1K
4  6.79K - 6.88K
5  2.74K - 2.76K
6  1.5K - 1.5K

Can you please confirm the resistance values vs. gear?  

I agree with you, the sequence is out of order, but it is correct.  I just went through the gears and measured again to verify it.  

I think the GS shift drum rotates opposite from the GSXR.  If you notice, a shift sequence of 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3 give a reasonable order of increasing values.  In either case neutral is between 1 and 2.

Although the switch can be mounted two ways there is only one way it can be mounted that matches the neutral gear position with the neutral contact.

All I can say is buy your stock in 2nd gear and sell in 3rd. :thumb:

Maybe the 04 GS switch would match up better? :dunno:

Yep, looks like a 6-step log pot rotating in reverse from gear 2.  Any way you can crack the cover and change the resistance?  If not, I'm sure there is still a simple analog solution -- just don't know what it is yet.  Hmm...

-Gavin

I see some interesting ideas summarized here.  Not in any special order.

No. 1: Probably the simplest:  six wires, six bulbs, rebuild the gear switch to get discrete ground from each gear position or steal from the GS450.
Keep existing neutral lamp.  Design a display panel for the bulbs. (werase643 and Blueknyt)

No. 1A: Same as No. 1 but use a seven segment LED display instead of the six bulbs.  Would require seven diode array ICs and
seven resistors mounted in a logic module. (The_good_guy)

No. 2: Use a PIC microcontroller for the logic functions.  Since the PIC is a digital device, we will need some conversion from analog to digital.  
There are probably many ways to do this.  Ideas anyone?  Does a digital  display makes sense here? ( goat)

No. 3:  For A/D conversion use comparators. Two quad comparator ICs will give us eight.  
Six for the gears and the remaining two can be used to trigger a couple LEDs to indicate too low/too high voltage of the electrical system.
For the gears the comparators can drive discreet LEDs or a digital display like No. 1A.  Keep the current neutral lamp ckt. (JeffD slightly modified)

No. 4: This sounds a lot like No. 3 but with binary coded decimal conversion to drive the LEDs. (FFDougK)

Thanks to all the contributors.

What am I missing here?  Anyone have any comments, additions, clarifications, doubts, suggestions, new ideas?
Are any of these impossible considering the environment?

I am working on No. 3.  Mainly because I'm more comfortable with the components and it's fun.  
I have the first two gears working on my workbench, driving LEDs.
Not counting power components, the ckt uses 9 resistors, 2 comparators, 2 LEDs and one transistor.

Expanded out to six gears it looks like: 29 resistors, 2 quad comparators, 6 LEDs and 5 transistors.

If I use a digital display I'll need seven diode arrays and seven resistors in place of the LEDs.

:cheers:

you guys are hardcore....keep us updated...would like to see the final result..

Great find John! I've been in Cleveland (Aggh! SNOW!) all week and am just getting back.

I vote with Goat on this. The PIC is the simplest to adapt, has all the glue logic internal, and is very cheap. The programmer circuit and software is free. There are dozens of books on the device and multiple websites that probably have a similar application with RTD's.

The display can be 7 segment to start with and change at any time. Once the basic code is setup, the display subroutine can be modified for the device. Even LCD's are used with PICs.

I am working on Conan's regulator and won't be able to devote much brain/bench time to this for a couple of weeks (work and school and family also). Any resources I have are available though.

John... If you need help I'm pretty mean with the soldering iron...


Yes another Devry drop out!

Quote from: fettcolsJohn... If you need help I'm pretty mean with the soldering iron...

Good deal.   Thanks :thumb:

ok, i've been thinking about this most of today. That's a bad thing because I have homework I should be doing  :roll:  oh well.

Anyhow, any of those methods would work. I'm not so sure how expandable/upgradable that microprocessor would be. The easiest method of implementing it would use all of the I/O for the 7-segment display. There could be 2 inputs if we used 6 LEDs but the output would be limited to 2 LEDs or something that is on/off and doesn't require much power.

The easiest way around that would be to use a bigger microprocessor, but that would add cost and space.

No matter how the electronics are implemented, an indicator is needed. A cheap, weatherproof, small indicator that can be easily mounted on the GS. I looked around for anything that was weatherproof and wasn't having much luck. If someone else has better luck, that may be our best option.

What about using a small auto/marine gauge of some sort? If we could get ahold of empty gauge housings that were small enough, it could be mounted between the speedo and the tach. Unfortunately, this would involve drilling in the installation process, but it would solve the whole water issue if it's done correctly.

I'm not sure how practical any of this is, but maybe it will give someone else an idea.

This is a rough idea of placement. (please forgive the roughness. I did it in paint  :) )
(http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~trflink/pics/fun/gague/instrument_cluster_bezel.JPG)

These are pics of the gauge ideas:
(http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~trflink/pics/fun/gague/gague_7seg.JPG)

(http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~trflink/pics/fun/gague/gague_led.JPG)

:lol: ok, I put the last post up hoping someone might have better ideas and I just got another.

What about making a gauge out of plexiglass and a boss (like a thick washer) machined out of aluminum (or plastic, doesn't have to be Al)? If two pieces of plexiglass were glued to the boss like a sandwich, we would have a cheap, waterproof gauge.

It would have to be about .5"-.75" thick, as long as it's thick enough to hold the 7-segment display or LEDs or whatever is used.

This "gauge" could then be taped/glued onto the instrument panel like in the picture above and the wires could be run to a separate box with the rest of the circuitry in it.

I hope this makes sense. I'm really bad at drawings/CAD, but I can try if no one gets it. Theres a reason I'm not a Mechanical Engineer  :lol:

I like the digital display.  Let's put a red LED on either side to indicate out of range system voltage.  Too low on left side. Too high on right side.  :thumb:

I love procrastination.

Why use 2 more LEDs when you can use this? It happens to be one of the cheaper, thinner 7-segment display, too.

(http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~trflink/pics/fun/gague/luminex_7seg.jpg)

To use the microprocessor I was thinking of, a setup like this would be needed (idea and pic yoinked from this site (http://www.myke.com/lcd.htm)):
(http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~trflink/pics/fun/gague/lcd3.gif)

The major difference is that he used an LCD display instead of a 7-segment display. The idea of using a shift register to minimize output use still holds. You go from 4 I/O ports to 2 for the display which would free up enough I/O to sense the battery level without a larger microcontroller. I have two concerns about this, though. First is resolution of the A/D converter. Since it's only 8 bits, will it be precise enough to do the battery thing? My second concern is what the display looks like when values change. It should be fast enough so that you wouldn't notice the bits shifting through, but who knows.

I'm just running with the PIC idea cause I started with it. I figure that the more ideas we start with, the better.

ok, really, think you're working the wrong braincells here, the GS450 already has the sensor, no digital anything, now the shift drum does run backwards so its a matter of reversing the wiring . its a 7 pole rotary switch, that run up to bulbs in the gauges where there are 6 sep holes for 6 sep bulbs for gears 1-6 and the separate green one for neutral.

now, it doesnt change resistances, its the same 12v for bulb, the drum switch if im not mistaken, is the grounding end. so dropping a resistor for one Keyed hotlead to feed all 6 LED's the  (neutral has its own, no need to change that) would keep it simple enough. If however you want a Numbered display, then you can do the homework for however you want to make it, but just using single LED's be it bar form, or 6 arranged around the perimeter of the tach or speedo. think i have a couple on my 450 engines. i will see if i can get out there on my days off to pull one.

Quote from: goatWhy use 2 more LEDs when you can use this? It happens to be one of the cheaper, thinner 7-segment display, too.

OK, I like that.  Use the left and right decimal points for low and high voltage warning lights.  Good call.  :thumb:  I wonder if they will be bright enough to see in daylight. :dunno:

Are you thinking of the Panasonic LN518?

Quote from: Blueknytok, really, think you're working the wrong braincells here, the GS450 already has the sensor, no digital anything, now the shift drum does run backwards so its a matter of reversing the wiring . its a 7 pole rotary switch, that run up to bulbs in the gauges where there are 6 sep holes for 6 sep bulbs for gears 1-6 and the separate green one for neutral.

now, it doesnt change resistances, its the same 12v for bulb, the drum switch if im not mistaken, is the grounding end. so dropping a resistor for one Keyed hotlead to feed all 6 LED's the  (neutral has its own, no need to change that) would keep it simple enough. If however you want a Numbered display, then you can do the homework for however you want to make it, but just using single LED's be it bar form, or 6 arranged around the perimeter of the tach or speedo. think i have a couple on my 450 engines. i will see if i can get out there on my days off to pull one.

If you can try one on for size that would be great. :thumb:  This is no doubt the easiest way to do it.  For bulbs or LEDs.  For those who want a digital display, the addition of some diode logic arrays and a 7 segment display should be easy.

Quote from: Blueknytok, really, think your working the wrong braincells here,   the GS450 already has the sensor, no digital anything, now the shift drum does run backwards so its a matter of reversing the wireing.

I read your first post, but the implication didn't register. That would be a lot easier than what I was thinking

Quote from: John BatesI wonder if they will be bright enough to see in daylight. dunno

Are you thinking of the Panasonic LN518?

Thats actually a picture of a Lumex model. Here is some more info on them. They do have more than one brightness.

My GS400 had a digital one. It was just a single LCD clock display 8 and would show 1 2 3 4 5 6 upon shifting.

Here is a gear position indicator light made for the TL. It is compatible with the GSXR as well. There are pics of them running.
http://www.tlplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34632&perpage=20

Page 2 has the GPI Schematic (http://www.lojacleopatra.com/GPI_V1_1.JPG)

Quote from: dgyverHere is a gear position indicator light made for the TL. It is compatible with the GSXR as well. There are pics of them running.
http://www.tlplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34632&perpage=20

Page 2 has the GPI Schematic

Exactly what I have breadboarded on my work bench.  Same concept, slightly different implementation.  

Looks like Pedrodani has access to ckt board manufacturing with surface mount tech.  Big advantage.

I'm going to continue with my ckt.  I want digital display. :cheers:

Does the GSXR switch also interchange with the earlier GS's?  (I'm up to something....don't want to jinx it yet).

I have an 89'.

Thx.

Quote from: Blueknytok, really, think you're working the wrong braincells here, the GS450 already has the sensor, no digital anything, now the shift drum does run backwards so its a matter of reversing the wiring . its a 7 pole rotary switch, that run up to bulbs in the gauges where there are 6 sep holes for 6 sep bulbs for gears 1-6 and the separate green one for neutral.

now, it doesnt change resistances, its the same 12v for bulb, the drum switch if im not mistaken, is the grounding end. so dropping a resistor for one Keyed hotlead to feed all 6 LED's the  (neutral has its own, no need to change that) would keep it simple enough. If however you want a Numbered display, then you can do the homework for however you want to make it, but just using single LED's be it bar form, or 6 arranged around the perimeter of the tach or speedo. think i have a couple on my 450 engines. i will see if i can get out there on my days off to pull one.

I agree..  My op-amp theory teacher always said "keep it simple stupid".  Does the 450 switch work in the GS-E engine?

so..is someone gonna build me one or what?  :lol:

i like the what the TLR have. Very nice.

Quote from: V8PintoDoes the GSXR switch also interchange with the earlier GS's?  (I'm up to something....don't want to jinx it yet).

I have an 89'.

Thx.

Yes , according to the microfich, it should fit all years of GS with the addition of the 1/8 in. (3 mm.) spacer.

Quote from: V8Pinto.......... Does the 450 switch work in the GS-E engine?

I don't know yet. I'll be getting one any day now.  It's supposed to be from an 82 GN125 which should be the same as the one on the 83 GS450.  Again, according to the microfich. :dunno:

the GS450 uses the same lower end as the 500. the shifter faces forward instead of the rear as is on th 500, the shift drum is reversed, but again, one would just wire in reverse order as it is a 7 position contact switch. 1N23456
the pin out would become something like this
6N54321  on the wires. wouldnt be hard to figure out. weather has been sucky as hell, and today was nice out but wife threw me into a honeydo list.  as soon as i can, i will grab it and use my little rinkydink 10$digicam to snap pix of it mounted, then of the contact side.

I just received a gear indicator switch that came from an 82 GN125.  According to the microfich it is part no. 37720-33200 which I understand is the same as 37720-45100.  Both of these part no's were apparently used in the early eightys GS450.

The switch is physically identical to the GS500 neutral switch.  No spacer needed like on the GSXR gear position switch.  Electrically it has the additional six gear position contacts, each with its own dedicated wire terminating into a six pin "molex" style connector.  The neutral contact has a separate wire terminating into a bullet connector.

It looks like it will mount and wire in as a direct replacement for the GS neutral sw. The additional six wires can then be used to furnish ground to six LEDs or a translation ckt for a digital display.

Looks like part one of the puzzle is solved.:cheers:

Now we need a display design.  Either discreet LEDs or a digital readout.
Has anyone worked with LCD displays?  I think they would view better than LEDs in sunlight but I understand they are more complicated to implement.  Something about their inability to use DC.

I would like to incorporate two idiot lights to indicate when the system voltage is out of limits.  I have a ckt that uses 2 LEDs, 4 res., 2 zenar diodes and 1 transistor. It runs off of the system voltage so no power regulator etc.
If anyone can do it in fewer parts count, lets hear about it. :thumb:

Quote from: werase643geeeeee
my 5speed indicator used 5 12V bulbs
and the gear indicator assy grounds a diff bulb in each gear
easy peasy japaneesy

and i might even add a 6th bulb....but no indication...would be 6th

10 days of work and back to square one....
KISS usually is better :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

Quote from: werase643........................
KISS usually is better :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

I agree, do you have a design worked up that you could share with us.  Something specific that you or someone else could prototype. :dunno:

Quote from: John BatesNow we need a display design.  Either discreet LEDs or a digital readout. Has anyone worked with LCD displays?  I think they would view better than LEDs in sunlight but I understand they are more complicated to implement.  Something about their inability to use DC.

LCDs work on DC (assuming we are both talking about the 2-line dot matrix LCD displays) are going to be a lot more work than LEDs. A lot more expensive, too. You would need some sort of display control That could be a microcontroller or some sort of display controller (If they exist for whatever model of LCD you are using).

A 7 segment display/LEDs can be done with some logic gates. Much simpler and less work IMHO.

I have worked with LCDs. 7 segment displays like the Lumex products at the top of  this link  (http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T051/1471.pdf) still require some controller as they are usually multiplexed.

Older multimeters that have used these, and the one below, usually have the mux controller integrated into the meter chip, i.e. ICL7106 A/D LCD interface, ICL7107 A/D LED interface (though these examples are ancient and probably not recommeded for new design).

Jameco carries a 4 digit, 7 seg display  here  (http://jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&pa=17110CC&productId=116082) that I have also worked with. It is $15.

A single digit or two digit LCD unit will have to be hacked out of something or ordered from one of the display makers.

7 seg LED displays are readily available and can be stacked at will. The daylight issue previously mentioned is a drawback. I have several kinds available to the cause if anyone wishes to tinker with it.

Quote from: John Bates

Quote from: werase643........................
KISS usually is better :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

I agree, do you have a design worked up that you could share with us.  Something specific that you or someone else could prototype. :dunno:

+12V into 6 bulbs
wire from bulbs to the shift indicator....which will ground the associated bulb for each gear as you shift from 1-6

it's pretty simple

Just to keep this thing from dying...and the fact that another thread made an overlap in my mind...

At some point in time, the Neutral switch, "Neutral Base Assy" ceased being called such and became a "Gear Base Assy" in the parts fiche. That happend with the 04 model (actually 03 for some markets).

Checking the 04 gixxer 600 parts, it also refers to a "Gear Base Assy) where the neutral switch is mounted.

That clue in addition to the fact that the 04+ feeds information from the "Gear Base Assy" to the new design ignitor ("black box"), leads me to think the GS 04+ has a resistive output like the Gixxer.

Goat - Microchip has a PIC with 8 channel A/D and 12 I/O pins...16F676 . Will your programmer at work handle it?  With 8 channels we could get your O2 sensor, RTD input, hell even a rain gauge into this project! One chip solution for input, nearly any display type on the output.

It looks like a single digit LCD display is not going to work out.  First of all I don't think they are available.  Even if they were available they appear to be too complicated to implement considering our KISS strategy.

The most straightforward design seems to be:

The GS450/GN125 gear indicator (part# 37720-33200 or 37720-45100). This is a drop-in replacement for the existing neutral switch It has seven wires. One for the neutral lamp and one for each of six gears 1 - 6. The single neutral wire can be spliced directly to the existing blue wire therefor utilizing the existing connector. A new cable assembly attached to a small display panel using six 12V bulbs or LEDs needs to be designed.  It would be nice to have a brightness adjustment for day/night use.

First off, I know jack about electronics, so you guys have lost me with your amps and ohms and whatnot.

These things are on the market for other bikes:(http://www.bohnarmor.com/riderstations/images/digiBoximage.jpg)
Might it be easier to design an adaptor to make one of these work on a GS?

Quote from: gobstopperFirst off, I know jack about electronics...
Might it be easier to design an adaptor to make one of these work on a GS?

Man that dancing pickle cracks me up every time!  :lol:

The short answer to your question is no. The problem with the abundance of electronics today is that most people don't appreciate or understand the engineering required to provide simple information.

Most "digital" displays depend conversion of physical  information into a representation we humans can understand. It is the stuff between the physical and input to our senses that is magic to most.

John B - I guess the "wire and lamp" method will get it done quicker.  Rather than worry about brightness adjustment, we could use an old automobile trick and shade the display. With stencils of 1 - 6 and N arranged linearly on a clear plastic sheet, spray the sheet black. Each character would then be centered over a black tube and a super white LED inserted below it. Connection circuitry has been discussed.

Then a smoke colored layer of plexi is placed over the numbered piece. That shades it from sunlight but allows the number to show through the clear number section.

With the "wire and lamp" method, it is only a matter of packaging for desired effect.

ok so when are you going to put a kit together for me?

Quote from: gobstopper
These things are on the market for other bikes:
Might it be easier to design an adaptor to make one of these work on a GS?

No. These things only work on bikes that have electronic tachos. :(

Brightness adjusting for LED's can be done simply,  1 transistor for each led, 3 resistors for each LED, and an LM317 with a pot.   Q.E.D.

If using the 12 bulbs it will require a bigger transistor but the same method as above (except lamps of course)..

I did something similar for my sr design for school, but instead of using a regulator to control the brightness, I used 2 wein bridge oscillators.   :cheers:

I have a video, email me if you want it.  (I'm not selling these, the ones I will be selling again will look Identical to the old ones, but with brighter LED's and a regulator. )
electrovw at hotmail.com

Quote from: John Bates

Quote from: gobstopper
These things are on the market for other bikes
Might it be easier to design an adaptor to make one of these work on a GS?

No. These things only work on bikes that have electronic tachos. :(

um,     install an electric tacho.... :roll:
why reinvent the wheel.....
if it is readily available....buy one

I found a site where someone already made one that works.  Check it out!  (http://www.bluegauges.com/gearindicatorplans.htm)

I just need to know when I'm in 6th.  
The others don't matter.
I have a tendency to try to shift up when I'm in 6th.
When I'm pushing it it's a pain to look down and figure out that
you are in the last gear.

Quote from: Blueknyt............... perhaps this its time to rip open the speedo, or tach and mount 6 LED's to the inside, have them running clockwise for next highest gear.

Does anyone know if there is room for 6 LEDs or a 7 segment display inside the spedo or tach? :dunno:

The most difficult part of this project is the packaging. :cheers:

Quote from: BluebellylintI found a site where someone already made one that works. Check it out!

Yes, this will work and you have to use the 3 wire gear position switch which requires a 1/8 inch spacer. :cheers:

Quote from: John BatesDoes anyone know if there is room for 6 LEDs or a 7 segment display inside the spedo or tach? The most difficult part of this project is the packaging. :cheers:

That's a clever idea John! The back of the tach face is clear. Why not remove black face in the desired pattern of the gear sequence? It is just paint. Perhaps a 10 segment LED bargraph? That would only require a rectangular area for the LED chip. There is plenty of room for a horizontal layout at the lower part of the tach face between the x1000rpm lettering and the tach face mount.

Of course the wiring would need to get into the tach. I wouldn't recommend the speedo due to much mechanics.  I will try to sketch something up this weekend and post to this thread.

I was thinking of a string of 6 LED's going with the curve of the bottom of the tach.

You can see how hollow the back of our tachometer is on  this page.  (http://www.gstwin.com/led_gague_lights.htm)

there should be lots of room...even around the outside edge of the gauges on the mounting plate would work....had my gauges apart awhile back...they can be a bugger to get the trim ring off.

Quote from: airbrush....had my gauges apart awhile back...they can be a bugger to get the trim ring off.

That is why I chose the "eliminate the back of the ring" method by filing away the 90 degree corner. I reattached the front part with black RTV on the edge. None of that "bent it out, pound it back" stuff for me.

Here's a shot of a tach face with some LEDs around it. I think the rectangular display sitting on the face is a good candidate. A custom PCB would not be difficult thing either. It would allow more spacing between LEDs and could be just a little larger.

I have LOTS of parts to play with. The only thing we really need to do is come up with a reliable method of reproducing the tach face. The back is clear plastic. It can be hole sawed or even batch turned from material the same thickness.

I was thinking in this area here...then no one has to mess around with taking their gauges apart. There should be lots of room in this area behind the faceplate. :thumb:
(http://www.ody.ca/~jross/shift_indicator.jpg)

Yes, another good candidate for location. It would also work well with the instrument bucket and locate the wiring inside it.

Mounting could be drill holes in existing bracket and mount with drop in or from the rear LEDs/Lights. I think a kit would include a new bracket pre-modded for such a thing. CF brackets have been suggested/requested before.

Did you paint your tach/speedo with that wild layout? Very nice!

yup...thats the concept drawing for it..its done ...i'll post some pics of it up soon.

i was thinking like differnt color back light then useing a really contrasting color placed literaly right under the numbers 1-6 so the numbers show up that odd color with each shift

okay...so who's makin up the circuit? where exactly is this supposed to hook into (the gear sensor? where's that?)...i could use just the circuit without the LED's...i'll probably do a custom install with them in my faceplate anyways...

Quote from: airbrushokay...so who's makin up the circuit? where exactly is this supposed to hook into (the gear sensor? where's that?)...i could use just the circuit without the LED's...i'll probably do a custom install with them in my faceplate anyways...

Not me! But I am trying to help. :)

This thread took off from a discussion involving the neutral indicator and John Bates getting a great deal on a GSXR gear position indicator on ebay. I guess he may eventually put together a write up.

The new 04+ GS has a similar gear position indicator, but not a gear display. The gear postition is now fed into the ignitor. The part description has changed and the ignitor is more along the lines of an ECU rather than just a condensor discharge type.

Quote from: airbrush............ where exactly is this supposed to hook into (the gear sensor? where's that?).....................

The neutral switch is removed and the gear position indicator switch is mounted in it's place under the front sprocket cover. To get the cover off you first must remove the shift lever.  It's easy but messy.

The GS450/GN125 gear indicator (part# 37720-33200 or 37720-45100) is a drop-in replacement for the existing neutral switch It has seven wires. One for the neutral lamp and one for each of six gears 1 - 6. The single neutral wire can be spliced directly to the existing blue wire therefor utilizing the existing connector. A new cable assembly attached to a small display panel using six 12V bulbs or LEDs needs to be designed. It would be nice to have a brightness adjustment for day/night use.

Here are some pics of my gear indicator.  I must say it works beautifully.  If anyone is interested in additional details just pm or email me.

   The LEDs and dimmer control are mounted between the spedo and rpm meter on a homemade bracket. The bracket is held in place at an existing screw location. The bracket and associated electrical parts can be unplugged from a nine pin connector for maintenance or future replacement with a digital indicator. The LEDs with clear lenses are actually amber when lit.

   I used a gear indicator switch that came from an 82 GN125. According to the microfiche it is part no. 37720-33200 which I understand is the same as 37720-45100. Both of these part no's were apparently used in the early eighties GS450. The switch is physically identical to the GS500 neutral switch. No spacer needed like on the GSXR gear position switch.

   Electrically it has six gear position contacts, each with its own dedicated wire. The six wires furnish ground to six LEDs. These six wires run to a six pin connector located under the seat, behind and to the left of the battery.  These six wires are then extended from the mating half of the six pin connector  (via a flexible plastic conduit) to a nine pin connector located at the bottom of the instrument housings. A homemade bracket fastens under the acorn nuts at the bottom of the instruments to mount the nine pin connector.
   The neutral contact has a separate wire terminating into a bullet connector which connects directly into the existing neutral (blue) wire.

   12V is supplied from the brown wire located inside the headlight housing. I wired it through the nine pin connector to a 470 ohm resistor and a 50K - 100K ohm (value, not critical) potentiometer (dimmer control) and from there to the anode (+) side of all the LEDs.

   The parts, except for the mounting brackets, are all readily available at your local electronics and auto parts stores.

edit: 50K - 100K read 10K.


(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500013.jpg)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500014.jpg)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500007.jpg)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500012.jpg)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500011.jpg)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500008.jpg)

NICE!!! :thumb:

That is awesome looking.  :o

How about making a few for us. I'll be your first customer.

Can someone make us a gear indicator?I would love one. I rode with a guy yesturday that has a 1980 or 85 gs400 that has a gear indicator that was stock. Was nice. Anyways, whoever makes one, i will buy.  :thumb:

Quote from: seamax..................
How about making a few for us. I'll be your first customer.

I wish I could. Just don't have the time.  It took forever to do this one. And I would like to convert it to digital readout someday. :dunno:

I can supply dimensions for the brackets and a ckt schematic along with part numbers if anyone is interested.


:cheers:

looks like someone might have a part time job on their hands now, id be intrested in one of those if the price was right, as would a host of others id presume.

damnit if i wasn't such a henpecker i woulda beat you.  is this something a shade tree electrician can do, or is it a bit more complicated

Quote from: jordanearl................is this something a shade tree electrician can do, or is it a bit more complicated

If you can make a decent solder connection (about 36 are required), apply some heatshrink tubing and handle a little metal cutting and drilling (two simple flat mounting brackets with a total of ten round holes and one square) you can do it. :thumb:

:cheers:

Quote from: John Bates

Quote from: jordanearl................is this something a shade tree electrician can do, or is it a bit more complicated

If you can make a decent solder connection (about 36 are required), apply some heatshrink tubing and handle a little metal cutting and drilling (two simple flat mounting brackets with a total of ten round holes and one square) you can do it. :thumb:

:cheers:

And how much will all this information cost me?  :)  j/k

John, I would love some instructions, schematics, diagrams, materials list, parts numbers, ect.

Please send it to seamax@mchsi.com

It probably will not look as nice as yours but hopefully it will function the same.  ;)

I want one if someone is going to make these for the GS owners. Put me on the list whoever is going to make these.

Quote from: seamax..................
And how much will all this information cost me?  :)  j/k

Well............... lets see, how about an arm and a leg. I could use one more of each. :mrgreen:

Quote from: seamax
John, I would love some instructions, schematics, diagrams, materials list, parts numbers, ect.

I'll work something up and email to you.

Anybody else?  :thumb:

:cheers:

i think the stock switches can be modified,  let me think on it abit.

A very nice solution John!  :thumb:

When I get done with Conan's  Audioboss adapter project (http://gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15236&highlight=audio+boss), I will put some time in on a digital option. If you still have the GSX indicator, I'll take it off your hands to play with. The 03+ GS gear position indicator may be similar in output though not physically (as you found it requiring a spacer).

i see we have the usual group of if it ain't to expensive i'd buy one.... :roll:


they make a universal shift indicator.... http://www.riderstation.com/DG8.php
but ya need a elec tach....

i talked to a friend.... he said he might come up with a 2 version package

1 instructions with all parts
and
2 ready to install with it's own sub harness and....1 wire hook up to bike

but ya know....people have day jobs....


the next idea would be....what are the masses willing to pay?????
this will determine if he wants to go with it

I would be willing to pay for one, aslong as it is well built for the price that he is offering. It all depends on quality.  ;)

I've been working on a digital readout that will work with a gear indicator switch from a 98 gsxr but it has been slowly moving as my electronics 12 class project had to be turned in yesterday. I have about 2 and a half weeks left of the class so I should be able to finish the proto and design a final. After I get everything layed out and all the bugs worked out I think I should be able to make about 5 of them during Incomplete week at the end of the school year. If anyone is interested throw a pm my way and I'll fill in the gaps, the only thing is you guys would have to find your own gear indicator switch preferably from a 98 gsxr.

Here is the schematic for the LED version. The gray wire in the headlight housing is switched 12V.

edit: wire color gray should read brown.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/GS500gearindckt.jpg)

Hrmm you mind if I follow that schem for a while John?

I just discovered the first problem with my diodes. Gears 2 thru 5 are the same color and at night I only see the one that's lit .  
As a result, I don't know which one it is.  :x  

1st and 6th are a different color so they're no problem.

Otherwise they work great. :thumb:

That gives me greater incentive to work on the digital readout version. :mrgreen:

:cheers:

I'll build one in a few weeks when I have some free time. Will post it when I am done.

Mike

I did a quick search and found this page to have the gear sensor listed above for about $45:

http://www.alpha-sports.com/spart.php?part_number=37720-45100

Linked from this page:

http://67.15.65.225/spst/1982%20GS300L/24.htm

This thread kinda has me interested, and looks like may be my first mod to my '02 GS that I'm getting in two weeks. I'm currently working on a automotive controller for my car to read out lots of info from various senders. Unfortunately with my job I put it on hold for now. A backlit LCD display would look sharp, but IMO it would be overkill unless you have more info you wanted to see, not to mention pricey for just a gear indicator.

Here's a quick vid of my original project for my car that measured G's (X and Y) and saved the highest values to memory (for a couple AutoCross runs I did).

http://www.flaming-martini.net/thelazydestroyer/pcm/vids/lcdstartup.wmv

Of course lateral G's are of no use for a bike since there's no good way to measure them (since the bike tilts), but you get the idea. Speed, tach, temp, among others could be used. Top row with "Gear....#" and numerical RPM's and bottom row with a horizontal bar graph for RPM's would look nice  :cheers:

Quote from: John BatesI just discovered the first problem with my diodes. Gears 2 thru 5 are the same color and at night I only see the one that's lit .  
As a result, I don't know which one it is.  :x  

1st and 6th are a different color so they're no problem.

Otherwise they work great. :thumb:

That gives me greater incentive to work on the digital readout version. :mrgreen:

:cheers:

if the LEDs were put under  1 2 3 4 5 6 in the tach housing the numbers would tell you.

You could always put some black plastic or something under the led holes and cut the numbers out so you don't get confused.  :P

So is this something people are still working on?  I have an 04 and was thinking the other day that a numerical gear indicator would be great.

So I got to poking around, and wondered first of all if I was looking at the right part, and secondly, if the gear indicator switch from the 82 will work on my 04?  Can someone tell me if Im headed in the right direction? I dont know much about bikes, since this is my first one, but Im all about making what Ive got better and unique. thanks!

(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x218/ssinema/100_0541.jpg)

replace your sprocket.

Ill need to replace the chain and rear sprocket as well, no?

Hard to tell from the picture what the condition of the chain is.. but if the chain and rear sprocket look anything like that front.. I'd replace em..

Here is what my rear sprocket looks like. I dont know if this helps.

(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x218/ssinema/rearchain.jpg)

Has anyone tried the Acumen DG8?

so do you have to buy a different nuteral switch for the 04 up bikes and if not how do you tie in to it. also i am building a lcd display like in the fact section

I want it to be clear that this is John Bates ideas and pictures.I will not duplicate his work.Anything I do will be different but have the same operation.John was gracious enough to put in the work and share it with us.I believe he deserves most if mot all of the credit for this invention.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/GS500gearindckt.jpg)




OK.This thread has sit to long without any progress or conclusion.Someone posted that they would like a parts and tool list.I came up with one.These parts can be found at any local or online electronics store.Follow along closely class.  :icon_mrgreen:

 


1          Switch/gear position AKA neutral switch Suzuki P/N 37720-45100 replaced 37720-33200   39.68  This is the heart of the system. http://partsfinder.ridenow.com/fiche_select.asp?mfg=Suzuki&partnumber=37720-33200

QTY.      Description

1            6 pin male connector
1            6 pin female connector
1            9 pin male connector
1            9 pin female connector
1            470 ohm resistor
1            50k-ohm linear potentiometer = this will become a dimmer switch for night riding
1            molded knob for 50k-ohm linear potentiometer=if it doesn't come with one
1            Pack of bullet connectors =pack comes with 5 male and 5 female= may or may not be needed=depends on bike and switch
1            Roll of 18AWG aka 18gauge wire = you can buy 1 color in a 40 foot roll or 6 different colors(1 for each light) in 8+ foot rolls=1 color is cheaper,just remember to label the wires
1            Pack of 5 and 1/2 inch wire ties = you need at least 15 and space then 6 to 8 inches apart=you could use auto wire loom to make things nice and give wires extra protection
6            12-16volt LED's with holders or 12-16volt lamp assemblies= they're made in different colors so you could do a different color for each gear
1            8inch by 8 inch by 1/8th inch thick piece of aluminum to mount everything in=this is optional if you aren't planning to mount the lights in the dash or gauges=cut to fit where you want the lights
             

This is a list of tools needed to perform the task at hand.

wire crimpers=this tool is a must and must be capable of crimping compact connectors=PLIERS WILL NOT WORK WHEN DOING THE 6 AND 9( PIN CONNECTORS)=unless you have super talent
wire cutters
electrical tape
soldering iron=you need at least a 40 watt iron to make sure the solder flows into the joint and not just sit on the surface.These are $5 to $10 at Radio Shack
solder= needle thin rosin core solder=can't remember the exact diameter
1/4 inch rachet=for removing sprocket cover
extension for rachet=3 inch is fine
8mm for rachet/extension
#2 phillips screw driver
You will also need tools to remove the fairings,headlight and/or gauges=my gauges and headlight fastners have been changed so I don't know what the factory sizes are
hack saw/file/sandpaper=if you're planning to make a mounting plate for the gear indicator
drill
bits to drill holes for potentiometer and lights=size is dependent on which lights and potentiometer you choose and this varies greatly
dielectric grease for connectors

DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL BEFORE DOING ANY ELECTRICAL WORK ON ANY VEHICLE.

From my understanding the wire inside the headlight,that will power the gear indicator,has a fuse to protect it.If you hard wire straight to the battery use a 3amp blade fuse.The glass tube fusses will not hold up to the vibration and will blow frequently.Remember every time you change gears,the shift drum rotates,grounding a different contact on the neutral/gear position switch,triggering a different light.


I will be building complete systems as soon as I get this first one sorted out.I'm waiting on my neutral/gear position switch from http://www.ridenow.com  I can get most of the parts in bulk from a friend.I don't know if it will be any cheaper.

It cost a LOT more in parts than I thought.This is how it breaks down,if I do it at my cost.This is using off the shelf,full cost parts.I still have to contact my friend about buying in bulk.ridenow.com had the switch priced the cheapest but their lowest shipping rate is almost $9.

$100 with neutral/gear position switch and dimmer= I am going to try to do a bulk buy on the gear switch and other parts
$50 without neutral/gear position switch but includes dimmer
$47 without neutral/gear position switch and without dimmer=dimmer switch is only $2.99
$15 for mount kind like the one in the pic below.
These prices are subject to change if I can get parts in bulk.In other words the price will go down.I hope.I should know Monday.If you would like one of these units please contact me at ben_2_go@yahoo.com Please include GSTwins or shift indicator in the subject and I will make it a priority to read.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500014.jpg)

you people are  :cookoo:

don't you know the bike well enough to tell the gear from the ratio of speed to RPM?
i.e. "i'm doing 50mph at 5000rpm, i must be in 3rd" or something like that :dunno_white:  my guesses are generally correct after riding it for 7 months.

It's good to see someone take this and improve on it. 

Here's a suggestion, I found that if you just arbitrarily take six leds they won't match in light intensity.
So it's best to power them up and match them before building the assembly.

Also the brightness control is a must.  The intensity needed for daytime is way too much for nighttime.

:cheers:

John

Quote from: ben2go on March 16, 2008, 12:42:27 AM
$100 with neutral/gear position switch and dimmer= I am going to try to do a bulk buy on the gear switch and other parts.

I have always really liked this design! I just thought I'd mention that for $100 you could build a 7-segment display version: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39580.0 (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39580.0)

Whatever suits your tastes  :thumb: I could see how the LED display would be too clunky for some people.  :icon_mrgreen:

Quote from: John Bates on March 16, 2008, 08:44:31 PM
It's good to see someone take this and improve on it. 

Here's a suggestion, I found that if you just arbitrarily take six leds they won't match in light intensity.
So it's best to power them up and match them before building the assembly.

Also the brightness control is a must.  The intensity needed for daytime is way too much for nighttime.

:cheers:

John

Thanks for the additional info.

Quote from: beRto on March 16, 2008, 08:54:46 PM

Quote from: ben2go on March 16, 2008, 12:42:27 AM
$100 with neutral/gear position switch and dimmer= I am going to try to do a bulk buy on the gear switch and other parts.

I have always really liked this design! I just thought I'd mention that for $100 you could build a 7-segment display version: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39580.0 (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39580.0)

Whatever suits your tastes  :thumb: I could see how the LED display would be too clunky for some people.  :icon_mrgreen:

I'm to impatient to try to build the 7 segmented display.Plus I had some of the stuff for the 6 LED set up.Monday I hope to talk to my friend and get a bulk discount on parts.

I'm still waiting for ridenow.com to ship the switch to me.they must have had to order it from there supplier.  :dunno_white: I just got the tracking number.

I believe they went to the single position switch at the gear box in 96. I got one with all 7 wires and the switch off my GR.
Cool.
Srinath.

Got the switch still waiting on the connector that matches the switch.Thought it would have arrived 1st.

Just to be sure, if one were to purchase this gear indicator switch for the GS450, it would fit easily into the existing spot, and each wire coming off of it would be the ground wire for the gear it's in?

I'm personally only interested in seeing 2nd gear and neutral.  So I could just take the neutral wire and connect that to the existing neutral wire, then take the 2nd gear wire, and connect that to a single LED to be lit for when it's in 2nd?  Then just disregard all the other wires, correct?

I also have a 1996 GS500E.  I was seeing that something switched during or after 96 that may affect this.  Would it work on mine with this gs450 switch?

Quote from: quiktaco on May 09, 2008, 01:54:11 PM
Just to be sure, if one were to purchase this gear indicator switch for the GS450, it would fit easily into the existing spot, and each wire coming off of it would be the ground wire for the gear it's in?

I'm personally only interested in seeing 2nd gear and neutral.  So I could just take the neutral wire and connect that to the existing neutral wire, then take the 2nd gear wire, and connect that to a single LED to be lit for when it's in 2nd?  Then just disregard all the other wires, correct?

I also have a 1996 GS500E.  I was seeing that something switched during or after 96 that may affect this.  Would it work on mine with this gs450 switch?

I made a gear indicator for a 1995 using Suzuki switch part number: 37720-45100. I'm not sure what bike this came from, but you can compare this number against the microfiche for the GS450.

The instructions I posted on the Wiki show which wire corresponds to which gear: http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/7-segmentLEDGearIndicator (http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/7-segmentLEDGearIndicator)

If you're only indicating 2nd gear, you would probably want to insulate the wires that you don't use. This will help prevent a short circuit.

Good luck... let us know how it turns out.

Quote from: ben2go on March 16, 2008, 12:42:27 AM

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k304/miphotoz_2006/gearindicatorgs500014.jpg)

I know this is an old-ass thread, but does this actually exist? the individual LED's and mount are really nice looking to me, much better than the numeric one on the Wiki IMO. Anyway- this is really cool and if one of you engineer types is/can build them I wouls be interested in buying one.

+1 on buying one for the right price

Looking at the wiki, the single LED version seems crazy easy to build... The new switch grounds a different pin for every gear you're in, so you just connect an LED to each pin and a power source, throw in a resistor and you're done... The hard part would be making that nice looking mount for the LEDs and routing your new wiring so it looked decent and survived the harsh conditions that bike wiring exists in. I don't think it would be hard to do at all...

http://www.bikehps.com/acatalog/BikeHPS_OnlineStore_Gear_Indicators_24.html

I thought the appeal of the GS 500 is that it's a straightforward, no-nonsense motorcycle.  I count to 6 in my head without much trouble, and I went to public school!

Quote from: bill14224 on February 09, 2009, 09:48:42 PM
I thought the appeal of the GS 500 is that it's a straightforward, no-nonsense motorcycle.  I count to 6 in my head without much trouble, and I went to public school!

You don't even need to count. I just shift up until there are no more gears and then shift down until I'm in first. Pretty easy... It is a cool pice of bling though...

I find myself on the highway wondering why I can't go any faster, then I remember I have another gear....

Quote from: Farakin on February 10, 2009, 12:26:11 PM
I find myself on the highway wondering why I can't go any faster, then I remember I have another gear....

I'm totally the opposite way, I'm on the highway noticing how high the bike is reving, so I try to shift up, realizing that I'm already in 6th... Some days I wish I had an 8th gear...

an 8th gear... now that would be something to see! I wonder if thats physically possible?


Sorry to ressurect this post but would any of this apply to an '08 GS500F? I know that the engine has hardly changed (or at least it doesn't look much different to an '89 450 I had).

and just to make sure I got this right:

• Install a gear switch indicator where the front sprocket is, this has 6 wires; one for neutral and five for each gear.     Where/How do you earth the wires to each gear?


• Take each of the wires up to a LED with a diode after each.


• take power from the battery or grey wire in the speedometer


• mount it all up

Quote from: Lifeforce99 on February 23, 2010, 12:04:42 PM
an 8th gear... now that would be something to see! I wonder if thats physically possible?


Sorry to ressurect this post but would any of this apply to an '08 GS500F? I know that the engine has hardly changed (or at least it doesn't look much different to an '89 450 I had).

and just to make sure I got this right:

• Install a gear switch indicator where the front sprocket is, this has 6 wires; one for neutral and five for each gear.     Where/How do you earth the wires to each gear?

I assume you are referring to my design.  The wiring diagram is in reply #81 of this thread on page 5.

You don't have to do anything to get earth.
Earth comes from the gear indicator switch.  The source is internal to the transmission.

• Take each of the wires up to a LED with a diode after each.

There are no diodes, only LEDs.

• take power from the battery or grey wire in the speedometer

Or anywhere you can find it.  On my bike there was an unused fused brown wire in the headlight housing. Just make sure what you use is fused.

:cheers:
John

Ooooops!  Sorry for the screwed up format.  It's been a long time since I posted here.

• mount it all up

Quote from: The Buddha on March 25, 2008, 07:04:25 AM
I believe they went to the single position switch at the gear box in 96. I got one with all 7 wires and the switch off my GR.
Cool.
Srinath.

I'm confused.. will the gear switch with the 37720-45100 part number fit a 2008 bike or no?  :dunno_white:

Thanks John,

i meant to type resistor instead of diode (my brain stops working after a while)

I must have missed that diagram as i was reading up on the topic, I'll re-read it in a moment :)


Oh, in the UK (and possibly the US/international) there the mail order electronics company Rapid Electronics. they sell cheap LEDs and other bits and bobs, they dont stock many colours but their cheap at around 17p a shot  :thumb: