Gear Indicator

[SpanishJohn]

Just to add my input...

I have a GI on both my 'bird and my R1, why - well I just like to know what gear I'm in. If I need to slow right down, but not stop, for example, then I'll just go down to 2nd or 3rd, rather than first. To do this I need to know what gear I'm in to start with.

Mine is hardwired to the loom behind the dash. Took about 1 hour to install.

PS I have my installed on a 90deg bracket attached to the RHS handlebar.

Just my 2c.

Spanish

 

[Wolfie]

sorry to those that have them, but seriously can you not tell what gear you are in by the feel of the bike???

do you not change gear by the feel of the revs?? or do you look at the rev counter and then say i need to change up / down???

i am suggling to understand the need for one, the only time i look at the rev counter is too see if i am maxed out or not or too see how low i can get it in top gear.

 

[lazybee]

sorry to those that have them, but seriously can you not tell what gear you are in by the feel of the bike???

do you not change gear by the feel of the revs?? or do you look at the rev counter and then say i need to change up / down???

i am suggling to understand the need for one, the only time i look at the rev counter is too see if i am maxed out or not or too see how low i can get it in top gear.

Of course I change gear by feel. I hope we all do. I don't look at any of the gauges, when giving it some. It's just handy on the motorway or on my private road at about 110ish cruising. I only want the 5 and 6. It's just when dropping a cog and slipping past cars and getting back in lane I sometimes forget to change into top again, and as said stops me trying for seventh. Plus mine has sentimental value. It's the only thing I pulled off my ZX9 when when we both ended up smashed and bent in a field.R#?

 

[karlos2000]

to lighten the mood and give a grin

I've told this story before, but back in 1981 a (dead boring) mate called Ian (who's wife has recently left him for a woman, that's how boring & dickless he is) bought a brand new 'saki Z400. He was the first of our 'gang' to go bigger than 250.
He (the fool) let us all have a go on it, as you did back then. The reason he finally gave up the keys was to "prove" to us once and for all that it did 100mph.
He told us is did 105mph indicated, we all said that we didn't believe him. Naturally after a few weeks of this banter he finally cracked and said we could all take it out and prove it did the ton for ourselves.
So my mate Mike went out first and came back and said, "yep", so did my mate Tim and so on ........... I went last.
I thrashed it into "top" slid the clutch, laid flat on the tank but on two opposite runs on the same road (Bonny speed trial style) & flat out to the stops I could NOT get the needle over 100mph. The best was around 95. I got off the bike, engine ticking and pinging like a fuckhound, tossed Ian the keys and said "I couldn't get it over the ton ..... " .... my mate Tim simply turned round to me, smirked, and said "but you did get it into 6th yeah?" :bang:

Yep, I'd thrashed the sack off it, well into the red in 5th .......... shoulda had a f'kin gear indicator ......... :-0)

 

[fivetide]

Karlos - the issue there is whether you knew it had 6 gears or not otherwise you'd still have thought it in top and not tried for another.

However... with no indicator and no idea what gear you were in you'd have found 6th so the problem was being able to count yourself.

I have to admit, i regularly give the Bird a quick check to make sure it is in top once i've got on the motorway, i'm still learning the bike a little but as for general riding, no issues, its fairly easy to tell if you have power ready to go and quick check for top does no harm to you or the bike.

5t.

 

[Duck n Dive]

I notice that lazybee & hedgehog are both recent joiners ...

I can quite see why someone possibly new to the 'bird might find it easier to have a gear indicator.

As they've not posted in the mileage survey it may well be that they've simply not yet done enough miles yet for the "feel" to become second nature.


I remember my GT380 way back when, came with a digital gear indicator ..... have to say I did find it useful ... my other bike was a Norton Dommie ss500 at the time so all those gears on the Suki & on the wrong side did confuse me

:-0)

 

[ScottyUK]

I have a GI and I got it when I first got the 'bird in Feb. Coming from the high revving CBR600F when I jumped on the 'bird I kept finding I was leaving it in fifth and sometimes fourth on the motorway.

Since I have a digi display I just bought the loom and whilst fitting the HIDs simply plugged it in at the same time.

It's a useful feature and I think going forwards they'll be much more common as standard (such as the VFR1200).

I don't need it and I could live without it but it's just plain useful sometimes. As Jaws mentioned it can show a wrong gear but I've only ever had this when slipping the clutch and within 1/2 sec or so if changing gear.

I certainly don't get Hedgehogs point about "if you need to go fast you need to know what gear your in". The rev counter position will give you the info about what sort of acceleration to expect and not the speedo or GI.

p.s. There are GI's that never lie but they're more of a pain to install than the simply plug and play Acumen Digi's.

 

[Cant Find A User Name]

and to answer the next question, mine is mounted in the upright position with velcro on top of the dash - just enough room under the non bling blue screen

Likewise Andy - mine was fitted when I bought the Bird - along with the non bling blue screen. Can't be bothered to do anything about either - I'd rather be riding the thing ...........

 

[lazybee]

I notice that lazybee & hedgehog are both recent joiners ...

I can quite see why someone possibly new to the 'bird might find it easier to have a gear indicator.

As they've not posted in the mileage survey it may well be that they've simply not yet done enough miles yet for the "feel" to become second nature.


I remember my GT380 way back when, came with a digital gear indicator ..... have to say I did find it useful ... my other bike was a Norton Dommie ss500 at the time so all those gears on the Suki & on the wrong side did confuse me

:-0)

I would guess I've done more miles on my bike this summer than most on here have, and it ain't over yet. I went to the Cataluyna GP, been to the UK on it, plus loads of runs and in a week's time I am going down the Biaritz. I've had more bikes than you could shake the proverbial at. So to suggest I lack experience on a Bird is a bit rich. It's just another bike (a bloody good one) after all. As mentioned in a previous post I could of course do without it, but it is useful.

Lively thread so farbl4hbl4h

 

[Duck n Dive]

I would guess I've done more miles on my bike this summer than most on here have, and it ain't over yet. I went to the Cataluyna GP, been to the UK on it, plus loads of runs and in a week's time I am going down the Biaritz. I've had more bikes than you could shake the proverbial at. So to suggest I lack experience on a Bird is a bit rich. It's just another bike (a bloody good one) after all. As mentioned in a previous post I could of course do without it, but it is useful.

Lively thread so farbl4hbl4h

Sorry.... no intent to offend :k.... was just wondering out aloud really ......


I guess I fall into the "can't quite figure the need" category.

It always seems blindingly obvious going up or down the box which gear I'm in at any time based on feel/revs/speed.

I don't give it any concious thought as such .... I felt it might be likely to be someone new to the 'bird changing up early all the time that may go through the box using low revs and be uncertain of the actual gear being used.
:dunno:

If I'm doing slow acceleration moves through the box I'll often change up two gears at a time and use the torque.


As I said ... only time I found a digi indicator useful was my first bike with 6 gears ... and that one had it factory fitted.


It's like anything else really .... personal choice ...... I guess anyone still using a black & white TV doesn't see the point in getting a colour one (anyone else notice how the stoopid spill chucker on here is americanised and can't spell colour properly!!).


:-0)

 

[silverfox.xx]

Mouth foot springs to mind... h1d1ng2

 

[Duck n Dive]

Mouth foot springs to mind... h1d1ng2

Naw ... subtle sarcasm :-0)

 

[Duck n Dive]

A quick look at the mileage survey seems to be more likely to lean towards it's mostly about the miles covered on the 'bird

:dunno:


about the only high miles rider (who's voted) and has DGI is andybird ... who has made his viewpoint clear :-0)

It is a bit inconclusive as many have not voted so it could indeed be total borrox ;-0))



p0pc0rn41

 

[andyBeaker]

Surely the point is you do not need to actually know what gear you are in - as long as it's the right one.

Strangely on all my previous bikes bar Birds I will admit to looking for 7th gear on a regular basis. Not on both Birds though.

As I said, my 03 came with the gear indicator fitted; I personally don't think it's much use but equally i wouldn't be bothered about taking it off.

And for the record, it is really accurate, no probs.

Fortunately, I have just patented a low budget version....

Cut below out, stick on dash and tick gears off as you go through them


1
2
3
4
5
6
5
4
3
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
5
4
3
2 (lights changed before stopped on this one)
3
4
5
6
5
4
3
2
1
N
Sidestand down
Ignition off.

:-0)

 

[Tribal-Wolf]

Anything that give you one less thing to think about adds to safety so is good in my book. I know plenty people who have been in the wrong gear at the wrong time. To slag them off is a bit daft, loads of new bikes are fitted with them as standard so they are an evolution in motorcycling. I remember people saying why have power steering on cars, or nothing wrong with cross ply tyres etc. If you are approaching a situation fast you can forget which gear your in and end up looking silly so a glance at the gear indicator will let you quickly get in the right one. Also I think they help with confidence when people are new to motorcycling. But there will always be people who hate change (excuse the pun) or maybe that old black and white tv still looks as good today as it always did.

 

[Jaws]

Surely the point is you do not need to actually know what gear you are in - as long as it's the right one.

OMG !

That is quite possibly the most sensible and accurate thing you have ever uttered....

If there is going to be more stuff like this can I be your love object ? :-0)

 

[Quiney]

...... loads of new bikes are fitted with them as standard so they are an evolution in motorcycling.

as has already been mentioned, Suzuki had them on their triple range (GT380/550/750) in the seventies, built into the dash.

If they were really needed then why not have them on cars?

 

[Tribal-Wolf]

as has already been mentioned, Suzuki had them on their triple range (GT380/550/750) in the seventies, built into the dash.

If they were really needed then why not have them on cars?

Erm prehaps cuz you can look at the stick or feel where it is?

 

[Quiney]

Erm prehaps cuz you can look at the stick or feel where it is?

and you should be able to look at the speedo/rev counter and feel through you a*se which gear you're in (or to at least the nearest one)

Also, not if you've got flappy paddle thingy gear change!

 

[Quiney]

If you are approaching a situation fast you can forget which gear your in and end up looking silly so a glance at the gear indicator will let you quickly get in the right one.

I though the correct way to ride was to be in the right gear for the situation.

If I'm approaching a situation 'fast' then the last thing I personally want to be doing is looking down at a digi readout.