2008 1200 Sport Gauge cluster quest.

[AH Fan]

So have been reading past posts on folks who have had the dash repaired and or replaced on their 2008 1200 Sports in the past.
Mine is fine for now but have a few questions for those that hopefully know.
- Is it possible to still purchase new units? From my searches it appears NO.
- If and when mine decides to pack it in is there anyone in North America that could restore and or repair it?
- If I end up having to source a used one is there any way to have the mileage sinked to what the actual mileage is on my machine? ( I know that GM dash systems can be electronically changed to actual mileage of failed units sent in for replacement)
- Also for the moisture issues on these factory units how do you separate the front plastic cover from the clocks if one decided to have a go at it?

Thx in advance.     

[Bisbonian]

I May still have the instructions on disassembly, I'll have to check tomorrow.

When I sent mine to Carmo I asked about changing the odometer to match the bike. I think it's possible but they were hesitant as there are probably legalities involved.

Last I heard, if your LCD goes bad, there is no replacement. I gave away my spare dash when I sold my 1200 Sport.

[AH Fan]

Very much appreciated.
Is there any mileage thresholds that has been documented or conditions that will give owners any idea that theirs may be susceptible to failure soon or prematurely?
Through my limited research some have failed very early in life others are still functioning well with high mileage?
Will be looking forward to hearing back from you.

Regards;

[Bulldog9]

They are still available new, but are going up in price. I bought one new last July from Harpers. Here is a current listing. https://www.harpermoto.com/speedometer-1200-sport-mph-883346.html If I remember was listed at $630 or so, now is over $1000.

Places like E-bay and Gutsi bits also have them on occasion and an outfit in CA http://www.carmoelectronics.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4102_5360&pg=categories has some capability to repair units and can copy all the data, key codes, etc over.

SOme have been able to use Breva or Norge dash units, but with some complications.

[Bisbonian]

I have no idea how to add an attachment, the dash disassembly instructions I have are a PDF.
If you want to PM me with your email address then I'll send them to you. Or I can post a link to the other Guzzi forum at the risk of sending some members here into paroxysms with much gnashing of teeth resulting.

While Carmo has a California mailing address, they then send your dash to their main company over in Europe. When I had mine done, way back in the day, shipping was cheap and turnaround time was short; I'm not sure if I'd count on the same experience today. The information I received when mine was fixed was that failures were due to insufficient waterproofing leading to circuit failures, once fixed I never had another problem.

[Perazzimx14]

When the dash fails does the bike still run, ride and work normally? If so a TrailTech dash could be used in tandem so you have a speedo, trip-meter, and odometer + a lot of other functions.

[Bisbonian]

When the dash fails does the bike still run, ride and work normally? If so a TrailTech dash could be used in tandem so you have a speedo, trip-meter, and odometer + a lot of other functions.

It depends upon the mode of failure. There is a lot of stuff that's controlled by the dash. I don't know that I've heard of bikes not running. My first dash just blanked out the LCD screen. Turns out it tended to drive me nuts not having that screen working as I end up using a lot of that information. My second two both resulted in turn signal failures as those are controlled through the dash as well.
For a while I had a metric dash mounted and used a bicycle speedometer mounted on the handlebar for those times when I was too lazy to do math.

[Bulldog9]

When the dash fails does the bike still run, ride and work normally? If so a TrailTech dash could be used in tandem so you have a speedo, trip-meter, and odometer + a lot of other functions.

For most of the typical failures like the LCD screen which seems to be the most common, and on others things like the indicator lights (neutral, turn signal, high beam) the bike should run. I bought my 1200S with a working Dash from a Breva, that had a good LCD, but not full function of the indicator lights. It also had the original dash that had all the indicators working but a dead LCD that couldn't be repaired. I figured the old girl with 70K well cared for miles deserved a new dash as part of the refresh.

It seems that most of the failures were due to water intrusion, I believe Carmo not only repairs dash units when possible, but also has some type of corrosion prevention.  According to them, the new dash I bought is a later version and less susceptible to water intrusion. On one of my trips this summer, I got stuck in a deluge for 3-4 hours with no ill effects. Hope it will continue to do well. I dont really wash my bikes, so water in the dash other than rain is not an issue. I plan to do most of my LD rides on this bike, so hope the new dash lasts. The original lasted about 60K miles and 8 years or so, hope this new unit lasts that long.

I wouldn't stress or worry about it. Be careful when you wash, and if you are worried about rain while parked, carry some plastic to cover the unit while parked. The 1200 Sport is a fabulous bike..... Mine has 74K miles and runs and rides like new. I've got the seat out to Sargent for a 1.5" build up to make the knee bend less abusive.

[Darren Williams]

It depends upon the mode of failure. There is a lot of stuff that's controlled by the dash. I don't know that I've heard of bikes not running. My first dash just blanked out the LCD screen. Turns out it tended to drive me nuts not having that screen working as I end up using a lot of that information. My second two both resulted in turn signal failures as those are controlled through the dash as well.
For a while I had a metric dash mounted and used a bicycle speedometer mounted on the handlebar for those times when I was too lazy to do math.

Mine did the same thing. First failure at 20K miles had the LCD go out and was replaced under warranty. The second started having turn signal issues (would turn on and would not stay cancelled) at 40K miles. I traded the bike in on a Stelvio.

[AH Fan]

Seriously all very good info to know.
Thx to all.
One more thing is it possible to interchange the KLMs unit with a MPH unit if absolutely necessary?
Is it just plug and play or is there more to it than that?

Ciao

[Bisbonian]

Seriously all very good info to know.
Thx to all.
One more thing is it possible to interchange the KLMs unit with a MPH unit if absolutely necessary?
Is it just plug and play or is there more to it than that?

Ciao

It is plug and play. You can change the units of the odometer in the display settings but other than that the only difference as far as I can tell is the gauge face is printed with the different units.
I ran a KPH dash for a couple of years, before it failed with a turn signal problem and all was fine. Most of the time I was able to do the math to figure out speeds but I ended up mounting a bicycle speedometer on the bars for those days when I was too lazy for that nonsense.

[AH Fan]

It is plug and play. You can change the units of the odometer in the display settings but other than that the only difference as far as I can tell is the gauge face is printed with the different units.
I ran a KPH dash for a couple of years, before it failed with a turn signal problem and all was fine. Most of the time I was able to do the math to figure out speeds but I ended up mounting a bicycle speedometer on the bars for those days when I was too lazy for that nonsense.

   

[Lovey]

G'day all,
I've done a bit of reading on the dash problems on these, particularly the Brevas, and the application of a coating on the dash PCB seems like a good preventative measure. Does anyone know of anyone in Australia that would be able to do this application?
Thanks,
Steve.

[averb]

G'day all,
I've done a bit of reading on the dash problems on these, particularly the Brevas, and the application of a coating on the dash PCB seems like a good preventative measure. Does anyone know of anyone in Australia that would be able to do this application?
Thanks,
Steve.

Do it yourself? https://www.jaycar.com.au/circuit-board-lacquer-spray-can/p/NA1002 or google "circuit board repair" for someone on the south coast who can help. I've only used PCB manufacturers myself.

[Lovey]

 I emailed Vectric, who are the Australian Carmo electronic services agents and in waiting to hear back from them.  Thanks for the link, if I can't get it done professionally, it looks like a job I could probably do myself.
Thanks again,
Steve.

[moto]

... if I can't get it done professionally, it looks like a job I could probably do myself....

I don't think anyone has posted pictures of doing the procedure for your dash. So if you wind up doing it yourself, it could be helpful to post some. (I did that when I waterproofed my Griso's dash.)

Moto

[Bulldog9]

Do it yourself? https://www.jaycar.com.au/circuit-board-lacquer-spray-can/p/NA1002 or google "circuit board repair" for someone on the south coast who can help. I've only used PCB manufacturers myself.

Braver man than I am... I spent some time looking at the dash units, and just not willing to try and separate it myself. I do have one non-functioning and one semi-functioning dash which I guess I could experiment on, but the new unit I bought looks like it is sealed and closed differently so I doubt I'll be opening my new one.

I have many mechanical skills, including electronics, but finesse with stuff like this is not one of them.

[moto]

It's probably not as hard as you think, Bulldog. In doing my Griso's, I found the hardest part involved a copper plated fiber connector between two circuit boards that had to be unsoldered to reach the underside of the main board. But I'm pretty sure the 1200 sport version does not have this problem.

So far as I know, nowhere on the net is there a posted series of photos for the coating procedure for that dash. There are some photos showing the disassembly, which does not look hard.

Moto

[Lovey]

If I did end up doing this myself, I'd certainly be happy to put some pics up.  I was googling some conformal coatings and I think a brush on would be more accurate than a spray on. 
I found this site and there seem to be 2 types of coating which are readily available (acrylic or silicone) which one would be more suitable for this job and how much would I need to do it?
https://core-electronics.com.au/search/?q=conformal+coating
Thanks for looking,
Steve

[moto]

I bought a 55 mL bottle of acrylic coating, with a brush inside the cap, as shown in the second picture on your linked page. I used very little of it. You will also want to get a cheap ultraviolet flashlight in order to check the coverage of your application. Thinner is better. Don't cover the air pressure sensor or any of the connector prongs or sockets, of course!

I recommend you read my long discussion of this, posted several years ago, here:

https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=84968.msg1340339#msg1340339

It is part of a four-part presentation, as you'll see.

John

[AH Fan]

So all very interesting solutions.
Was wondering however...... Are all the dash assemblies on the 2008 1200 Sport the same build ( I think someone had mentioned that the first generation units were more liable to vail compared to the later gen ones? )
Also are the failures directly proportional to exposure to direct water contact (ie. riding in the rain ect ) or other?
The reason I'm asking is it appears there are 2008 Sports out there with big mileage with the original factory dash happily running and working correctly??

Ciao

[moto]

So all very interesting solutions.
Was wondering however...... Are all the dash assemblies on the 2008 1200 Sport the same build ( I think someone had mentioned that the first generation units were more liable to vail compared to the later gen ones? )
Also are the failures directly proportional to exposure to direct water contact (ie. riding in the rain ect ) or other?
The reason I'm asking is it appears there are 2008 Sports out there with big mileage with the original factory dash happily running and working correctly??

Ciao

Later dashes made by Digitek's successor have mesh water barriers. You will see them on the back of the dash as a small square in a circular fitting, I believe. I don't know if any were fitted to 2008 models.

Such barriers cannot block gaseous water molecules, H20, since these are (surprisingly) smaller than the O2 and N2 molecules they are intended to pass. However, they can and no doubt do block fine mists. Condensation will still form when the dash is chilled below the dew point of its internal atmosphere.

A warning sign of a problem is the appearance of misting on the inside of the clear cover of the dash, especially when the dash is exposed to direct sunlight after having sat in cool conditions. This used to happen to mine. It implies water has just evaporated from internal dash components and condensed where it can be seen. After a single, temporary failure presumably due to internal moisture, I acted.

Water can get in more than one way. I don't think there is much evidence that failures are proportional to direct liquid water exposure. The dashes tend to do better in Australia than in foggy old England.

There are lots of problem-free original Digitek dashes on high-mileage 1200 Sports and other CARC bikes. Lots of old-wives-tale-type "solutions" out there too.

[AH Fan]

Thankyou Moto for that.
So buyer beware as it appears............ ..

Ciao

[Bulldog9]

Later dashes made by Digitek's successor have mesh water barriers. You will see them on the back of the dash as a small square in a circular fitting, I believe. I don't know if any were fitted to 2008 models.

Such barriers cannot block gaseous water molecules, H20, since these are (surprisingly) smaller than the O2 and N2 molecules they are intended to pass. However, they can and no doubt do block fine mists. Condensation will still form when the dash is chilled below the dew point of its internal atmosphere.

A warning sign of a problem is the appearance of misting on the inside of the clear cover of the dash, especially when the dash is exposed to direct sunlight after having sat in cool conditions. This used to happen to mine. It implies water has just evaporated from internal dash components and condensed where it can be seen. After a single, temporary failure presumably due to internal moisture, I acted.

Water can get in more than one way. I don't think there is much evidence that failures are proportional to direct liquid water exposure. The dashes tend to do better in Australia than in foggy old England.

There are lots of problem-free original Digitek dashes on high-mileage 1200 Sports and other CARC bikes. Lots of old-wives-tale-type "solutions" out there too.

Bob (OhioRider) can speak authoritatively as to the time and mileage of the original lcd panel failure, I'm thinking around 60,000 mi and 8 years.

I replaced it with a new unit last year and according to the people at carmo, it's one of the later units that was better sealed and had better protection, so I decided to leave it alone rather than having someone crack it open to treat it.

I'll be thrilled if I get 60,000 miles and 8 years out of it. I do plan to do a lot of long distance riding on it over the next decade and have already been caught into deluge rainstorms with no problems fogging or issues.

The right instrument cluster on my mgx21 however fogged on my first long ride, and the condensation left greasy oily streaks on the inside of the glass. Was very unhappy about that but as I no longer have the bike I don't care :-)

I'm sure there are plenty that are original have been doused in the rain and are still going strong without problems, and garage queens that fail every 3 years no rhyme or reason to it. It is a common problem but not an absolute.

[tris]

My old 2005 Breva had a misting dash and I read all of Motos sound work on the matter

In the end I went a different way after I discovered that one of the vents in the back was blocked either by flash from the moulding process or by design - I don't know. I do know though, that a second dash I got to cannibalise for the LCD had the same issue

However, once I unblocked the vent the misting problem went away

It might be worth checking for blocked vents (sucking on them individually works) and dealing with them as breaking into the dash is definitely doable, but not for the feint hearted

I might have just been lucky, but the conformal coating certainly wont hurt once you get in

[Lovey]

I heard back from Vectriq and he said that he'd be happy to help out, but cautioned me against dismantling a working dash.  When I get some spare time I'll have a look and see what's involved in dismantling the dash and make a decision then.

[ohiorider]

Bob (OhioRider) can speak authoritatively as to the time and mileage of the original lcd panel failure, I'm thinking around 60,000 mi and 8 years.

First failure July 2012 @29000 miles.  LCD went dark while riding.  Stopped and restarted and it came back on.
Second failure Mar 2016 @ 62000.  LCD went dark & stayed dark,  Carmo couldn't source LCD panels, returned unrepaired to me.

Bob

[80CX100]

     No one's mentioned it, so I'll throw this out there in case someone ends ups up stuck with a malfunctioning dash and no readily available solution.

     I've read that any repair tech skilled enough to disassemble and repair cell phones, tablets etc probably possesses the know how, tools and ability to repair the dashes, fwiw.

     Kelly

[tris]

First failure July 2012 @29000 miles.  LCD went dark while riding.  Stopped and restarted and it came back on.
Second failure Mar 2016 @ 62000.    LCD went dark & stayed dark, Carmo couldn't source LCD panels, returned unrepaired to me.

Bob

This is why I got the dash to cannibalise

[Lovey]

G'day all,
I was wondering if anyone could help out with some pointers for getting the dash assembly apart please?  I managed to get the dash off the bike, which ended up being fairly easy once I learnt the correct method  , but after a few failed attempts to remove the chrome plastic bezel, I put the dash back on the bike.  I could feel myself getting frustrated with it and the last thing I wanted to do was to smash a grands worth of plastic.
Thanks for looking,
Steve