2nd Gear Indicator Light?

[swordds]

This probably has been discussed many times but I sure could use a "second gear" indicator light. It would be almost as useful as a neutral light. I try to always keep track of the gear I'm in but still occasionally when approaching a sharp turn I have lost track and end up either trying to accelerate out of the turn in third gear or clunking down through neutral into first gear. I know lots of people say "Oh, you just have to be skillful like me."  Well the MotoGP riders are skillful and I bet they have gear indicators. I know I can get an add on that is a speed vs rpm = probable gear calculator device and that might be OK, but a real gear indicator to me would be even nicer to have than a center stand.

[rbm]

An "actual" gear indicator would require something mechanical inside the transmission to move a multi-position rotary switch attached to the transmission.  That's unlikely.

If a "calculated" gear indicator is not an option, then maybe this electronic device would work for you:

http://www.electronics-lab.com/project/motorcycle-universal-gear-indicator/

[Triple Jim]

If a "calculated" gear indicator is not an option, then maybe this electronic device would work for you:

http://www.electronics-lab.com/project/motorcycle-universal-gear-indicator/

Very nice project, and I'm going look around that site to see what else they have.  I do think the gear indicator could get out of sync too easily unless the sensors are set up to not send a signal until the shift lever is near the end of its travel.  With my Mille, it's possible to move the gear lever quite a bit, but still not have actually changed gears.

The gear indicators that use wheel and engine speed work very well.  I have that feature built in to a motorcycle computer on my H2, and it's pretty much flawless.  I had to actually drive in each gear and press a button so the computer could learn the RPM/MPH ratios.

[rocker59]

 It's about RPM and speed. The bike doesn't care what gear its in. Match speed to RPM and don't worry about which gear you happen to be in. I use all mine.

[Old Jock]

I have an indicator on the Ducati

I can count up to 5 but after that I struggle.

It works very well and is reasonably quick, I got it to stop me selecting 7th all the time.

[swordds]

OK - But:  here is when I want to select 2nd gear - I am approaching a 90 degree turn, I let off the throttle to start slowing for the turn, I pull in the clutch (so now rpm is no longer linked to speed so how does the "calculator" type know which gear it is in when you start down shifting if the clutch is pulled in?), I break to slow down more just before the turn if necessary and start downshifting as I am entering the turn (or just before) hoping to be in 2nd gear when I release the clutch and start to accelerate about half way through the 90 degree turn. Difficult to write out but it all happens very quickly and usually very smoothly UNLESS I get my gear count wrong and try to accelerate through the turn in third or (even worse) I down shift into first and then as I release the clutch to accelerate I actually decelerate. Oh, I know a competent rider never has this problem. A competent rider probably doesn't even need a neutral light indicator either. Am I doing something totally wrong? Should I slow down and down shift through each individual gear so that my clutch is out and I am already in second gear before beginning to turn?  Seems like a good way to get rear-ended.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The old Flying Brick I had for a while had a nice digital gear indicator, I wonder how that worked.

[Old Jock]

I cannot remember for the life of me which models Roy, but some of the Japanese bikes had switches or some such trickery in their boxes, so it was actually mechanically triggered and not done through coding and wizardry. I think it had to do with fuel mapping selection in lower gears

It does seem dubious that a gear indicator would work, in the situation you describe swordds, as you correctly point out clutch engaged, indicator confused

Short of modifying the gear case and selector drum I can't think of anything that would be reliable and that would be a mod too far for me

[Triple Jim]

You're correct that the type I was talking about that looks at RPM and MPH, will go goofy if your clutch is disengaged.  I understand completely about letting out the clutch and finding you're in the wrong gear.  I guess what I do is count in my head, so if I was in 4th, I count "3, 2" as I click the shifter down.  And if I'm thinking about something else at the time, I sometimes get it wrong, almost always finding I'm in too high a gear in that case.

The trouble is that I don't think I'd like to have to look down at my instruments to see what gear I'm in, just as I'm starting a turn.  This discussion will probably get me to pay more attention to my pre-turn shifting.   

[fotoguzzi]

you should be able to "feel" the shift thru neutral to first and know it before you let out the clutch. going into first feels different than the other gears since it passes neutral. also the N light will show momentarily as you do it but keep eyes on the road.

[Triple Jim]

...going into first feels different than the other gears since it passes neutral.

Not to mention that if you're going more than about 10 or 15, going into first will make quite a clanking noise.

[rocker59]

OK - But:  here is when I want to select 2nd gear - I am approaching a 90 degree turn, I let off the throttle to start slowing for the turn, I pull in the clutch (so now rpm is no longer linked to speed so how does the "calculator" type know which gear it is in when you start down shifting if the clutch is pulled in?), I break to slow down more just before the turn if necessary and start downshifting as I am entering the turn (or just before) hoping to be in 2nd gear when I release the clutch and start to accelerate about half way through the 90 degree turn. Difficult to write out but it all happens very quickly and usually very smoothly UNLESS I get my gear count wrong and try to accelerate through the turn in third or (even worse) I down shift into first and then as I release the clutch to accelerate I actually decelerate. Oh, I know a competent rider never has this problem. A competent rider probably doesn't even need a neutral light indicator either. Am I doing something totally wrong? Should I slow down and down shift through each individual gear so that my clutch is out and I am already in second gear before beginning to turn?  Seems like a good way to get rear-ended.

Blip the throttle and engage the clutch for each gear while downshifting...

It sounds like you're saying you pull in the clutch lever while approaching a turn, and drop more than one gear at a time, before letting the clutch out again...

If that's what you're doing, it makes it hard to match speed to RPM...

[ohiorider]

The old Flying Brick I had for a while had a nice digital gear indicator, I wonder how that worked.

Roy, I recall it being a rotary switch.  I did some searching and came across this owner's explanation of how the switch worked.

......The digital gear number display in the right side of the tachometer faceplate is known as the gear position indicator. (GPI)  It is driven by a rotating switch forward of the swing arm on the back of the transmission. It has a ground for input and three output wires:  yellow/blue, yellow/black and yellow/white.  The GPI circuit board inside of the instrument cluster determines/displays what gear you're in based upon which combination of the three yellow/other color wires are grounded.  (See graphic below.)  When all three of the yellow/other color wires are gounded then the GPI circuitry knows that the transmission is in neutral.  When in neutral, the GPI circuitry displays zero and sends 12V to illuminate the neutral light in the instrument cluster and also to the starter button in the right combination switch via a black/green wire...........

[rbm]

Ohiorider, you're right.  The BMW K-bikes' and R-bikes' transmissions are provisioned with a rotating shaft that connected to the shift drum and operates a rotary switch fitted to the back of the transmission.  The GPI outputs a binary number between 0 (neutral) and 6 to indicate the particular selected gear.  Suzuki V-stroms also have gear position indicators on the transmission but the switch on that bike selects a particular rung in a resistor ladder that corresponds to an output voltage.  The voltage varies in steps that correspond to the selected gear.

Most motorcycles only have a neutral switch that engages when the transmission is in neutral; otherwise you have to guess/remember the gear you are in or depend on an aftermarket gauge that calculates gears.