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Gear Indicator
- Thread starter overpl
- Start date
I havent never heard of anyoone triing it on this old of a bike.Im sure with some help from CAD it can besigned and built.Problems is you construct a digital piece of electronics into 30 something year old electrical system.I have worked in the elctronics field and know how all the elctrical compnents work.Maybe you can could get a circuit board from Radio Shack or somewhere and with some luminated numbers or different color led`s a person can build one.
Another posibility would be go to a boneyard or find something on ebay and get a guage of a newer bike then intergrade it onto the rest of dashboard.
Another posibility would be go to a boneyard or find something on ebay and get a guage of a newer bike then intergrade it onto the rest of dashboard.
well, I know the main idea 'how would it work' 
but just wondered maybe sb tried to install by him self some ready to go sets or maybe did his own.
Here is quite intresting thread about DIY gear indicator - http://www.rzrd500.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2586
I don't know much about electronics so this is quite black magic for me but maybe someone will find it helpful and never try again to shift from 6th to 7th ;D
but just wondered maybe sb tried to install by him self some ready to go sets or maybe did his own.Here is quite intresting thread about DIY gear indicator - http://www.rzrd500.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2586
I don't know much about electronics so this is quite black magic for me but maybe someone will find it helpful
and never try again to shift from 6th to 7th ;D
haha I have that all the time 
Ha ha dam good find that would be an awesomething to have on our bikes.It would take sometime but I bet I could build one.My soldering skills arent the greatest these days though.
As for the 6-7th gear try shifting into 5th twice ha ha.
As for the 6-7th gear try shifting into 5th twice ha ha.
Charles
XS400 Addict
Am I the only one who can look at the speedo, then the tach and figure out what gear I'm in??
I can usualy tell by the click of my toe as long as it goes into gear.
Nope. That's what I do. Though sometimes I end up in the wrong gear when downshifting for a corner when I don't lift my foot off the shifter enough. I get third rather than second, which isn't a problem most times. It is a cool gadget though!
I dont have a tacho 
I can usually tell ok by the noise of the revs but on the highway with the wind n all it's hard to determine if you're in 5th or 6th..
I can usually tell ok by the noise of the revs but on the highway with the wind n all it's hard to determine if you're in 5th or 6th..
Thats kinda ironic Dave you mention that because I did exactly that earlier today.I turned off a main rd into a long driveway and I thought I hit 2cnd.I didnt but hit 3rd instead.The bike made that notorious sound that tells you your in to high of a gear.
Upgrade to a 17tooth front sprocket, then you will feel a definiate difference between the 2 gears. and there is a 6% difference in RPM and MPH. so at 55 MPH, you will be a 5000 rpm in 6th gear. and if you hit 75mph, your RPM will be about 68k rpm.
So I've made it finally - I ordered it from one guy at polish thundercat forum..
Gear indicator comes with 9 cables - one does nothing one is "+" and 6 gears + neutral (0). All I needed to do was modify neutral switch and connect the cables from gear indicator into actual "sensor" of gear.
Didn't took actually photo of DIY - neutral switch - but this is pretty easy. All you need to do is:
1. Take your neutral switch out and insert a plasticine or sth like that and take a mold at every gear to define where stops neutral switch on every gear.
2. drill the holes
3. hammer the nailes (for 6 or 5 gears - but without neutral since you have it already with stock neutral switch)
4. get some kind of two component adhesive (glue?) which will act like metal after harden and put it on your neutral switch to align the level of whole surface with original neutral switch pin
5. polish it to have your nails visible and have your surface smooth
6. add some glue from the other side of the nails to seal neutral switch
7. shorten the nails if they are too long
8. Solder your cables from gear indicator with your nailes
9. Get ya sh... 2gether;]
10. plug "+" to headlight or ignition and enjoy it;]
Basically if you know anything about electronics you can make your very own gear indicator - except of what I described you need to buy 1digit LED and some basic electronics + wire - I've heard that making those thing should take less than 10 minutes if you have skills (+ time to make 'cover')
I'll try to take a photo of it in less sunny day - it is though poorly visible at sun I'm now thinking about making electromagnetic indicator to make it visible at every condition
So one photo is poor, another is neutral switch before from inside and another one is neutral switch after but outside - mounted and soldered.
Gear indicator comes with 9 cables - one does nothing
one is "+" and 6 gears + neutral (0). All I needed to do was modify neutral switch and connect the cables from gear indicator into actual "sensor" of gear.Didn't took actually photo of DIY - neutral switch - but this is pretty easy. All you need to do is:
1. Take your neutral switch out and insert a plasticine or sth like that and take a mold at every gear to define where stops neutral switch on every gear.
2. drill the holes
3. hammer the nailes (for 6 or 5 gears - but without neutral since you have it already with stock neutral switch)
4. get some kind of two component adhesive (glue?) which will act like metal after harden and put it on your neutral switch to align the level of whole surface with original neutral switch pin
5. polish it to have your nails visible and have your surface smooth
6. add some glue from the other side of the nails to seal neutral switch
7. shorten the nails if they are too long
8. Solder your cables from gear indicator with your nailes
9. Get ya sh... 2gether;]
10. plug "+" to headlight or ignition and enjoy it;]
Basically if you know anything about electronics you can make your very own gear indicator - except of what I described you need to buy 1digit LED and some basic electronics + wire - I've heard that making those thing should take less than 10 minutes if you have skills
(+ time to make 'cover') I'll try to take a photo of it in less sunny day - it is though poorly visible at sun
I'm now thinking about making electromagnetic indicator to make it visible at every condition So one photo is poor, another is neutral switch before from inside and another one is neutral switch after but outside - mounted and soldered.
Attachments
Excellent work! Let us know which display you end up using. I have this mod on my winter to-do list.
When the bike makes a loud "WHEEEEEE" sound, upshift. When it makes a not as loud "waaahh (burble, burble) waaahh" sound, downshift. If its between those two, you're in the right gear. If the green light is on and/or your not moving forward despite your level of "WHEEEEE", you're in neutral.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
