Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kane on June 13, 2021, 05:27:18 PM
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This is the dash currently on the bike:
(https://i.ibb.co/GsdqcYc/5-F9-C3925-6269-4-AF1-9153-9-F43-E0302-F8-A.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GsdqcYc)
This is in shade with ignition on and engine not running. The neutral, oil, and gen lights are illuminated, but in sunlight these light are so dim that it’s pretty hard to see if they are lit or out.
So, any thought on how to improve the visibility of the dash lights?
I’m wondering if the plastic becomes more opaque as it ages. Would a stronger bulb help, and can one run stronger bulbs without incident? Are there better version of the dash that the original can be swapped out for?
It would be great to hear how others have dealt with this.
Thanks
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LED lamps for the warning lights can improve the visibility a great deal.
I had a old RE 500 that you couldn't read the speedo at night, it was so poorly illuminated. I put all LEDs into it and voila! It was like a new machine. Could easily read the speedo at night and the warning lamps were all visible in daylight!
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The path to dash-enlightenment is well-travelled on this site.
What you need are led bulbs that are a direct fit and work 100% better than stock. I have done this mod to my Convert and I only wish I’d done it sooner. Search for the thread on this site. I recall the vendor’s name was Superbrightleds.com or something like that. Very little cost, quick shipping and a perfect fit…and no, I am not affiliated with the company in any way other than being a customer.
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Thank you, guys. Appreciate the specific advice and info.
Cheers!
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Had the original dash on my T3 until I high sided it about 6 years ago. Indicator lamps were not visible in daylight.
High side totalled the dash and I bought a direct replacement from MG Cycle.
No problem seeing the indicators through the "fresh" plastic.
https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=276&products_id=4483
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https://www.thisoldtractor.com/moto_guzzi_tonti_dash_indicator_light_improvement.html
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My favourite bulb from Superbrightleds.com is the 194 because it incorporated a rectifier and is non polarity dependent.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-and-subminiature-bulbs/194-led-bulb-1-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/197/
I usually do away with the socket and solder wires direct to the lamp, they should outlast the bike and you don't need sockets with their additional connections.
If the wires have become corroded over the years they will be impossible to solder, in that case you can retain part of the old wire lugs as a soldering aid.
The generator LED will not draw enough current to trigger the alternator but you can do that with an equivalent resistor in parallel. I think 20 Ohms should do it.
If you are running LEDs in the turn signals you may need to modify the idiot light in the dash to prevent cross-talk, that's dead easy with a pair of diodes.
Don't buy the resistors to put in parallel with the flashers, they are not necessary.
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Only issue with LED on a T3 has to do with exciter current required for the Bosch alternator. The incandescent bulb passes enough current to start the rotor magnetic cycle. An LED indicator might require adding a resistor into the circuit to feed the rotor at startup.
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My favourite bulb from Superbrightleds.com is the 194 because it incorporated a rectifier and is non polarity dependent.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-and-subminiature-bulbs/194-led-bulb-1-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/197/
I usually do away with the socket and solder wires direct to the lamp, they should outlast the bike and you don't need sockets with their additional connections.
If the wires have become corroded over the years they will be impossible to solder, in that case you can retain part of the old wire lugs as a soldering aid.
The generator LED will not draw enough current to trigger the alternator but you can do that with an equivalent resistor in parallel. I think 20 Ohms should do it.
If you are running LEDs in the turn signals you may need to modify the idiot light in the dash to prevent cross-talk, that's dead easy with a pair of diodes.
Don't buy the resistors to put in parallel with the flashers, they are not necessary.
Only issue with LED on a T3 has to do with exciter current required for the Bosch alternator. The incandescent bulb passes enough current to start the rotor magnetic cycle. An LED indicator might require adding a resistor into the circuit to feed the rotor at startup.
Greg Bender sells a ready-made "bootstrap harness" that allows the use of an LED in the "Battery" warning light without causing problems.
(https://i.ibb.co/QdMt6k8/bootstrap-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QdMt6k8)
I'm still using the sockets and have had zero issues.
I've also had no problems with LED signal indicator lights and LEDs in the signals themselves as well. Just switched to an LED flasher unit is all.
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I fitted a different version of this dash that has turn signal indicators. It's from a V50 of some sort. It is easy to tap the turn signal wires. The dash has a "brake" light that indicated low brake fluid; I rewired it to indicate the brake light was activated. I also added a relay to the
low beam indicator lamp indicating the headlight is on, which I found to be an unnecessary nuisance at night; it now illuminates to warn when I have forgotten to turn the headlight on.
+1 on the LED conversion.
Moto
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I fitted a different version of this dash that has turn signal indicators. It's from a V50 of some sort. It is easy to tap the turn signal wires. The dash has a "brake" light that indicated low brake fluid; I rewired it to indicate the brake light was activated. I also added a relay to the low beam indicator, which I found to be an unnecessary nuisance at night; it now illuminates to warn when I have forgotten to turn the headlight on.
+1 on the LED conversion.
Moto
This is a V50 III dash.
(https://i.ibb.co/jHZdrZS/OLYMPUS-DIGITAL-CAMERA.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jHZdrZS)
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As said LED bulbs may help, however if too bright then they can be distracting at night time especially the high beam headlight.
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This is a V50 III dash.
...
Now that you mention it, I recall having been uncertain about the origin of the dash, which I got as a NOS part from eBay. Someone later claimed that T3s had turn signals, so maybe this is a later T3 dash. You can see my repurposed brake and low beam headlight-on indicators in this photo:
(https://i.ibb.co/0Zqz4fk/IMG-20210614-191323543.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0Zqz4fk)
It's been a very fine upgrade from the original one.
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UPDATE: I found a product brochure for the 1979 V50 II that shows the dash I have. You may have to squint.
https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto%20guzzi/moto_guzzi_v50%20ii%2079.htm
(https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto%20guzzi/moto_guzzi_v50%20ii%2079.htm)
(https://i.ibb.co/8sTmNBM/Screenshot-20210614-193439.png) (https://ibb.co/8sTmNBM)
So maybe a search for a V50 II dash would turn one up.
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If the High Beam light is too bright add a resistor in series, try a 47K Ohm and you might have to go as high as 100K Ohm.
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I just noticed that mg cycle has the dash that I pictured earlier with the additional warning lights but the same basic style as the T3 (in addition to the original version as posted earlier):
https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=276&products_id=4480
(https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=276&products_id=4480)