Gear Indicator

neilmc

Joined
Jan 25, 2021
Messages
3
Age
55
Location
Cumbria
Hi all,
Is this the correct plug required for a gear indicator?
Thanks
 

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Hi Neil:

That appears to be the diagnostic connector for the engine control module. The many different designs of aftermarket electronic gear indicators use various techniques to do their calculations, one of which might be sourcing a signal of some kind from this diagnostic connector.

I considered fitting a gear indicator on my ST 1300, until I read a post here in the forum by an older and wiser owner who made the following comments:
  • If the speedometer needle is higher (in 'clock position') than the tachometer needle, you are in 5th gear.
  • If the speedometer needle is at the same clock position as the tachometer needle, you are in 4th gear.
That information is usually sufficient for 99% of the time we wonder "are we in 4th or 5th?" We usually are not concerned about whether we are in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, because we only transit through those three gears, we usually don't operate for long in those gear positions.

Perhaps that information might save you the time and money involved in fitting a gear indicator.

Michael
 
There are some magnetic sensing ones on eBay that count based on which way the pedal went. I would not encourage plugging into the diagnostic port. Bad juju.
 
CYYJ said:
If the speedometer needle is higher (in 'clock position') than the tachometer needle, you are in 5th gear.
Click to expand...
This method works well for me. I was going to buy an aftermarket indicator,, but there are lots of other things I can spend that money on now. I rarely find myself cruising in 4th. Same thing goes for fixing the famous Honda speedo error. You can buy a Heal-tech adjuster,,, or, just put a speedo app on your smartphone,,, which does so much more. Once you find the app you like,,, it only costs 3 or 4 dollars. cheers,, CAt'
 
To answer your question, Yes it is. It's a plug and play installation, once you decide where to mount it. I took a small strip of stainless steel, drilled two holes to fit the right grip brake reservoir clamp, made a couple of spacers to fit over the curve of the clamp, and mounted the GPI on this metal 'finger'.

Once mounted, put the bike on the center stand, I blocked the front wheel, but have since learned if you use a ratchet strap between the center stand and the front wheel you are locking the center stand so that the bike cannot fall off. Then you start the bike, run it through the gears per the instructions to program it, and you are finished. I believe Heal-Tech is the mfr.
 
GryST said:
I have gipro gear indicator on my 1300.
The only problem is that if the clutch is pulled in, it won't show the gear. It's sometimes annoying when you at the stoplight and forget to shift down.
Otherwise it works an needed.
Click to expand...
I'm still toying with the idea of putting a GIpro on my 1300. I had one on my V65 Sabre (6-spds!) and loved it. I don't remember what it showed with the clutch pulled in. Somebody answered up but I don't remember what they said. :D But I still really like the idea of one on the ST. (Honda also put on on the 650 Nighthawk.)
 
ST-Traveler said:
Or you can just use your Garmin GPS for a speedometer.
Click to expand...
My old Garmin has a compass on it as well,,, however,,, the display digits are so small,, and they are very dim in daylight. My smartphone's speedo app has digits 2" high,,, and the screen is quite readable in bright light. But you are right. The Magellans speedo has speeding alarms as well,,,, but I hate those,,,, ;-) CAt'
 
CYYJ said:
................I considered fitting a gear indicator on my ST 1300, until I read a post here in the forum by an older and wiser owner who made the following comments:
  • If the speedometer needle is higher (in 'clock position') than the tachometer needle, you are in 5th gear.
  • If the speedometer needle is at the same clock position as the tachometer needle, you are in 4th gear.
That information is usually sufficient for 99% of the time we wonder "are we in 4th or 5th?" We usually are not concerned about whether we are in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, because we only transit through those three gears, we usually don't operate for long in those gear positions.


Michael
Click to expand...
Michael,

Pretty much everyone knows when they are cruising down the road what gear they are in but if you are hustling down twisty roads and going up and down gears rapidly it’s easy to not know the exact gear you just choose when rev matching two or three quick downshifts. In tight switchbacks my ST could almost always pull 2nd but once in a while I’d accidentally drop into 1st when I didn’t need to or want to. I never had a gear indicator so that’s just the way it was but I sure wished the ST had one because several of my other bikes did. My RT has a really tall first gear so in that situation without a GI it would be easy to drop into 1st without wanting to. The Goldwing has a really low 1st gear and I almost never use it so when slowing for traffic or traffic signals so 2nd becomes my default 1st and a mistaken drop into 1st is unneeded and unwanted. A gear indicator would really be useful for me but until I had one I had "no need for one". Like heated gear or good suspension, we don't miss what we don't have.
 
CYYJ said:
I considered fitting a gear indicator on my ST 1300, until I read a post here in the forum by an older and wiser owner who made the following comments:
  • If the speedometer needle is higher (in 'clock position') than the tachometer needle, you are in 5th gear.
  • If the speedometer needle is at the same clock position as the tachometer needle, you are in 4th gear
Click to expand...
Michael, I suspect the post you read was not by me, but certainly could have been. In fact I'd been plotting when to write it after learning to my dismay how the clocks on the 1300 behave. This is one of my real annoyances with recent Honda vehicles, including Acuras. I've been a solid Honda fanboy, both 2 and four wheel for a long time. In all my manual transmission rigs prior to the ST1300 I could count on the following as you ran through the rev range.
  • One gear down from top - needles are parallel
  • Top gear - speedometer needle leads tach
  • Two gears down from top - tach needle leads speedo
This design choice was good for my CB400F, V45 Interceptor, ST1100, 88 Integra, 91 Integra, 2001 Civic... until the ST1300 :( And my 08 Acura TL violates that too, but it has a slushbox, so it really doesn't matter.

This is the first vehicle where I'm still haven't internalized the engine sound, vibration and road speed and calibrated against the gear position. I'd like to think it's not due to age.

That said, I did order a gear position indicator for my 1300 last week and it's due to arrive from GUANGZHOU, CHINA today. I looked at the GIpro by Heal-Tech but for just a silly 8segment LED and some simple electronics, it's eye-watering expensive at $159.99 from sportbiketrackgear.com.

I found this on Amazon. GFYSHIP for Honda GL1800 Goldwing F6B 2013-2017, ST1300 Pan European 08-15, Motorcycle LCD 1-6Level Gear Indicator Digital Meter (Red)

It's one of the few sellers that support and acknowledge the change in the bike following the 2008 model refresh. Once it arrives I'll write up a report and post it here. It's only $44.50 with slow boat shipping. I paid an additional $9.99 to get here in time to install along with my BLUEGAUGES.COM LED backlight upgrade.

Oh, and it does plug into the ECU diagnostics port.

I buy local as much as possible and prefer to reward companies that develop and market a product that's new and innovative, but $160 to see what gear I'm in is excessive even without the copycats.
 
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