Hi All
I bought a digital gear indicator that uses magnets as sensors on the gear shifter and also wires to the neutral light. It only cost $20 from eBay so not that bothered if it doesn't work too well. I was wondering if anybody else had fitted one and how easy it was. It came with instructions but they are very basic and a bit hard to understand. Think it was made in China and some plain instructions can be lost in translation.
Hope to hear from somebody soon.
Cheers
Thats so damn weird because I bought one yesterday also. :cheers:
Like you, I said if it didnt work I wasnt going to be worried about it too much. I would feel better about losing 20 than 140 for those other ones. I did check out several Youtube videos though and they looked pretty simple.
The wiring looks pretty easy.
Its going to come with the display, two magnets and two sensors. Each sensor will have two wires
Red goes to a switched 12v source
black goes to ground
white goes to the neutral wire (my schematic on the 04+ is blurry so I cant see which wire it is but they both go to the CDI)
green goes one wire of sensor 1 (doesnt matter which wire)
yellow goes to one wire of sensor 2 (doesnt matter which wire)
blue goes to both the other wires from sensor 1 and 2
(http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/royyy123/027.jpg)
weed,..link? sounds like a plan
Quote from: cbrfxr67 on August 31, 2012, 07:26:07 AM
weed,..link? sounds like a plan
Im not sure which one the OP bought but I bought this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290761262882?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
LMK how this works out. I seem to always search for gear 7 on the highway. You think I would know by now how many gears I have,,, :cookoo:
Roger that. A lot of timed I count the shifts in my truck just to be constantly aware of everything. I pay attention to every noise, bump or anything else. So having something like this helps me be more in-tune with my bike
Quote from: jestercinti on August 31, 2012, 10:39:38 AM
LMK how this works out. I seem to always search for gear 7 on the highway. You think I would know by now how many gears I have,,, :cookoo:
Option A, priced right - so what? You upshift and there's nowhere to upshift to, you're in 6th, you're reminded. What, are you afraid that the motorcycle coolness enforcement babes are driving beside you and will see you going for 7th and decide not to pull you over for a good time in the back of their van...? Hate to break it to you but they are like jumbo shrimp with military intelligence...
Option B, not much more - dab a bit of tape on the tach where 6th is at your typical highway speed, whatever that is. Or several different speeds and use different colors of tape. Put matching tape on the corresponding speed if you are really forgetful.
IIRC, you've actually ridden a fair amount by now, so I find it surprising you're still interested in one of these. Most people get over the idea that you must always know exactly what gear you are in. You either have enough power, or not so you go down, or more than you need so you go up. When coming to a stop you bang until it doesn't bang anymore while still rolling. Simple.
Quote from: weedahoe on August 31, 2012, 11:05:33 AM
So having something like this helps me be more in-tune with my bike
If your butt, hands and ears don't put you "in tune with the bike" I can't see that a gear indicator is going to do the trick...
Had one in my gs450 that was stock. Just thought it was cool
Yep. Been riding for a while. Guess I just forget that I am in 6th on hwy sometimes.
Thanks for the info Weed. Very useful. Hopefully give it a go this weekend. Will let you know how I go.
Not sure why we have to justify why we have/want one DoD#i. :dunno_black:
Cheers
Quote from: jestercinti on August 31, 2012, 07:06:21 PM
Had one in my gs450 that was stock. Just thought it was cool
Yep. Been riding for a while. Guess I just forget that I am in 6th on hwy sometimes.
I recall seeing a thread or two here about adding a gear indicator. A search could provide you with plenty of info. Worse comes to worse, get a GS450 bottom end with the wiring already installed and bolt on your GS500 top end. Plug and play!
Quote from: rashy68 on September 02, 2012, 09:41:33 PM
Not sure why we have to justify why we have/want one DoD#i. :dunno_black:
You don't - do whatever the heck you want with your money and time. It's just one of those things that mostly seems to appeal to people new to riding who are looking for a crutch - and after 1000 miles or so, it's a crutch (IME) that is not at all needed. As such, I question spending the time and money adding a do-dad which might be as beneficially (and more enjoyably) spent going out and riding the bike, after which the do-dad becomes more optional - perhaps to the point that you don't see a "need" for it. If you still "want" it at that point, go for it.
I also tend to oppose the knee-jerk tendency to throw a lot of add-on "performance" parts to a GS without actually riding it. Replace the fork springs (especially from my era of GS500) and go ride the thing - so it's not a mindset particularly directed at gear indicators, nor all that widely held here, I guess. But then, I don't really need you to be clones of my thinking, either - I just think some folks might benefit from questioning whether "every do-dad is good." So I do that.
The GS450-style (and one of those older threads has both how to modify your GS500 neutral switch sender to be a gear indicator like the GS450, and perhaps also a mention that you can simply bolt the GS450-style sensor right on, without needing whole bottom end) will be more reliable, but is probably also more expensive unless you do the self-modifcation and count your time as free - That senses where the gear selector actually is, while this type of thing counts how many times it sees the lever move - which can be faked by a missed shift. Hopefully it's smart enough to reset itself when it sees neutral, so that might not be a big deal.
I just think it looks groovy! Though I admit I prob won't get one cause I have enough stuff to mess with already,...
This is the same tech that's on those bicycle speedos.
It doesn't actually measure the gear, it just counts upshifts and downshifts. Since the bike has to be in neutral to start, it can assume at startup that you're in neutral. Brilliant in it's simplicity.
I have been riding for 26 years and put a gear indicator on my VFR800. I don't need it but I do like it.
Every Japanese motorcycle I have ever ridden seems to have nearly identical final drive ratios: chances are if your road speed in km/h is double your rpm (3000rpm=60km/h) you are in your top gear.
Quote from: DoD#i on September 03, 2012, 07:44:49 AM
Quote from: rashy68 on September 02, 2012, 09:41:33 PM
Not sure why we have to justify why we have/want one DoD#i. :dunno_black:
You don't - do whatever the heck you want with your money and time. It's just one of those things that mostly seems to appeal to people new to riding who are looking for a crutch - and after 1000 miles or so, it's a crutch (IME) that is not at all needed. As such, I question spending the time and money adding a do-dad which might be as beneficially (and more enjoyably) spent going out and riding the bike, after which the do-dad becomes more optional - perhaps to the point that you don't see a "need" for it. If you still "want" it at that point, go for it.
I also tend to oppose the knee-jerk tendency to throw a lot of add-on "performance" parts to a GS without actually riding it. Replace the fork springs (especially from my era of GS500) and go ride the thing - so it's not a mindset particularly directed at gear indicators, nor all that widely held here, I guess. But then, I don't really need you to be clones of my thinking, either - I just think some folks might benefit from questioning whether "every do-dad is good." So I do that.
I also tend to oppose the knee-jerk tendency to discourage someone from doing a mod to their bike. If no one on here ever did anything and just rode, this forum would have countless posts about nothing ;)
Some peeps here bought GPS units from Aldi and installed them on their bikes. While the GPS units worked a treat, it fried various parts in the electrical system - hooked up correctly. When I heard this it made me wary of any Electrical things for motorbikes coming out of China.
I too find that sometimes I am double checking I am in 6th gear. However, this is usually on my 919 and is based solely on engine sound. I might double check 6th maybe 2 times out of ten. Now of someone could cure my habitual obsessive compulsive pressing of the indicator cancel button (even when I am on the highway)...
Michael
Now of someone could cure my habitual obsessive compulsive pressing of the indicator cancel button (even when I am on the highway)...
Michael
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Here's an Idea Michael
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SUZUKI-GS500-F-03-06-Motorbike-Indicator-Warning-Buzzer-Alarm-/280946711256?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item4169ba9ad8
mister, I think you're in Aus, if so Jaycar sell those piezos for $14.95, still considering whether I need to add one to the GS500. wondering if the annoyance factor will be higher than the I should just remember factor. maybe fit it to develop the habit, then remove later once habit is developed. :dunno_black:
You can go buy that gear at any Radio Shack or and other electronics store
Hey Rashy68, has yours come in yet? Looks like mine is stuck in my customs :(
HA HA HA! My indicator came in today. I will try to get it on over the weekend