I was browsing ebay a few days ago and saw a HealTech led gear indicator for all years of the gs500F.

Here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-GS500-F-ALL-YEARS-GIPRO-X-TYPE-GEAR-INDICATOR-?cmd=ViewItem&hash=item3a66f6ea73&item=250835561075&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

Has anyone installed this?

I have no idea how we have survived this long without a gear indicator, I mean I am completely lost and befuddled without one.

One problem is we do not have an electronic speed sensor. Our speedo is a mechanical cable.
Let us know how it works.

I hear you ojstinson. I'm not advocating the need for one. It's just another little toy to individualize our big toy.

Bikes function great without tachometers too, but having one is still nice.

My 79' GS750 had a gear indicator and I missed it dearly until I got another indicator decades later with my GSX650F

Older bikes did have it. You can replace your neutral switch with an older one which has indicators for all gear positions. I got in a 550 gauge set and will see if I can put it on a GS500. It has lights for each gear and plugs directly into that alternate neutral switch.

For newer bikes, we have to remember the neutral switch also indicates 1st and 2nd for the little black box. I'm not sure what that even does, but lights might cause a problem. I don't think LEDs would cause any feedback for that signal since it is an on-off signal, not analog.

Older bikes it is not a problem.

I bought a gear indicator a guy on this board was selling last year. After riding for a while, I never got around to putting it on and never felt the need for it anymore. Its somewhere in a box in the bike cave.

I don't think you need any sort of speed sensor. The way I understand it, you basically put it in neutral, then run it through the gears, and it learns what's what.

As I understand it, it learns which gear is which by comparing the tacho and speedo signals, the relationship between them is different for each gear. If you don't have an electronic speedo signal (and we don't) then it won't work.

The important thing is it will still look like you've got some cool gadget there when your bike is parked at the cafe, so maybe we could put in a bulk order and get a discount..........anybody interested?

It says right in the instructions that it hooks up to the speed sensor wire. So if you install a digital speedo/tach, the gear indicator would work.

So, second to having a mechanical speedo, one has to install a digital tach first to then have the gear indicator installed?
What a nonsense.  


What about this one?

Sadly I really like this item and have ask for more information about how it works and how it is installed. If it works on my 2009 GS I will buy it. Way too often I am riding down the road and think I have another gear only to find I am in  6th gear. EFI I can live without but a gear indictor would be nice

I received an answer to my question and the following was their reply:

this kit uses the GPX-WAS harness which is a brake caliper mounted wheel speed sensor. Everything you need is included. If you need anything else let me know.


Seems easy and I think it will work. I believe I am going to try one.

On my 79' GS750 the gear indicator was at the top of the gauge cluster, it read horizontally 1-2-3-4-5. It was very handy in that location because then you used your relative ground speed to the gear you where in, all you had to do was glance down, the numbers where large and on top. If you have never had a gear indicator it's pretty easy to say unneeded...I used mine more than the tach. 



Still handy but not quite as useful is the GSX650F indicator, it is down in the middle of the cluster.

"I hear you ojstinson. I'm not advocating the need for one. It's just another little toy to individualize our big toy".


Dres, I was just being a smart ass, it is fun to have little non essential gadgets on our bikes, and I too would have one if I weren't to lazy to mess with the installation.

No offense taken my friend. It's all good. I'll wait around till one of the more mechanically skilled guys try it and say it's a go.

The company is sending me a copy of the instructions. If it looks good, I'll Beta test it for everyone.

Quote from: Dresnewtoy on October 21, 2011, 03:19:22 PM
I hear you ojstinson. I'm not advocating the need for one. It's just another little toy to individualize our big toy.

Bikes function great without tachometers too, but having one is still nice.

The only reason the GS500F doesn't have one is because it's a budget bike. You can tell Suzuki put very little thought into a lot of the creature comforts basically any other bike has. It's the same story for old Ninja 250R/500R/EX models. They're neglected by their manufacturer.

Being that the GS500 engine is based on the GS450, and the fact that the GS450 has a gear indicator, has anybody thought of getting the sensor from one of those?

Yes, I have a sensor. I believe it was also used on other bikes.
Remember that on newer bikes, 1st and 2nd go to that little black box. Not sure what it does, my guess is it alters the timing in 1st and 2nd. Not sure what effect it would have if also connected to lights. If LEDs, probably nothing. Since the switch makes a connection to frame ground, even lights probably would have no effect. So give it a try. I will when I have time.

Update:

Part number 37720-45100    "BODY GEAR SHIFT"
About $50. Suggest looking for a used one.

Quote from: adidasguy on October 22, 2011, 06:43:32 PM
Part number 37720-45100    "BODY GEAR SHIFT"
About $50. Suggest looking for a used one.

If anyone's interested, I still have a (gently) used one that I will sell for $20 + shipping. See item #5 at:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=57379.0