How to Make Your Own Digital Gear Indicator

[agedbikeman]

I know this topic has had a lot of writing in the past, but I've not come across step by step instructions of how to do it and without breaking the bank.
So here it is, it was cheap, not too difficult but took a long time.
First you will need a sensible size digital led display, this i bought on Ebay for less than $10

also some diodes 1N4002, pack of 5 will not cost more than $2
Plus a meter or so of 4 wire cable
next you will need to remove the lower right fairing, this I will not describe as it's written in this forum.
Now comes the confusion, you will need to locate Connector 59, all the pictures I've seen make it look like its visible by removing the right leg airvent panel, well it's not, they couldn't have put it in a more awkward place, here it is

It's only visible through the side marker light hole

After parting C59 connector this is the hole that's left

Feed the connector cable away from its holder down the right side of the fan housing, you'll need the strain the fairing plastic to get it out

Now take the plug with the pins, the cable that goes down the frame bar, not the one that goes up into the loom and cut only 4 of the wires about 2 inches from the plug, not the light green/ red, unless you want to use 0 when in neutral, I didn't see the point as you already have a neutral light.
Here is the switch diagram already installed in the bike



so just cut the 4 wires as illustrated in the above link.

Now bare the wires, place a peice of heat shrink sleeve over each wire big enough to accomodate a diode and join the wires up again using the 1N4002 diodes with the marked end of the diode towards the cable as shown in the photo, not towards the plug

Make sure you get the diode round the right way DON'T shrink the sleeves yet

Now solder another wire to each end of the marked diode.

You should now have 2 wires plus the marked end of the diode all soldered together and the unmarked end of the diode soldered to the plug side

Now slide the sleeves over the whole joints and shrink.

The other end of the added cablefrom the diode joints is attached to the LED display. You may want to consider doing this as the first step. I didn't, as I wanted to test the project before I cut the hole for the display.
You must use the diodes as the wires from the unlit numbers will try to feed 12volts to the ECU, the diodes are there to prevent this happening and "PLEASE make sure you get the diodes the right way round".
The Short spare looking wire on the display must go to a switched + so the display only works with the IGN. on

This is a schematic of what the diodes are doing

Here is the finished project, I test rode it today and everything works as it should.

I will happily answer any questions, if you have any doubts, ask someone who is electronically knowledgeable as wrong wiring could wreck your ECU.
This only displays 2,3,4 &5, there is strangley no connection for 1 in the gear switch, logically no light on, you must be in 1st gear

Good luck
Alex

[wezx]

Nice work...that’s the one thing I wish I had on my GW. I have a Dakota digital speedometer on my Bourget chopper and love the gear indication in the readout.

[agedbikeman]

Don't wish, get on with it, here's the Ebay link for the gear indicator
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Sp ... 2749.l2648

If you're not sure with electronics i'm sure you must have a friend who is, doesn't need to be a biker.

Ask me as much as you like, I'll always reply.
This website has been so much help to me, I always pleased to give something back.

[wezx]

Hey thanks! I’m pretty decent with electronics...looks like they don’t ship to the US, bummer. I’ll keep researching it...

[WingAdmin]

Here's one being sold on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Indicato ... ref=sr_1_5

Find This Item on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JF772HF?tag=goldwingdocs-20

[wezx]

Awesome! Thanks for the link and the help!

[wezx]

Found this one...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293502391791

[wezx]

Agedbikeman...Does it matter what brand of diode?

I found these on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/MULTICOMP-1N4002 ... 002&sr=8-3

Never bought diodes before...is there a better/cheaper source?

Find This Item on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LQRG8JS?tag=goldwingdocs-20

[WingAdmin]

That diode would work fine. A little pricey (about 5 times the price that I would expect to pay from an electronics supplier), but I would typically buy hundreds at a time.

[wezx]

OK, thanks...I’ll keep looking around and see if I can find a small quantity any cheaper...

[agedbikeman]

I just bought 50 for that price on ebay,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicon-Rect ... Mm-Gg5YTxw
this wis about $2 for 10

Try a local TV repair shop they'll have plenty, very common in domestic radio & TV
or find a scrap 110v radio, casette radio, computer power supply or tv and remove them
a 4001, 4002, 4003, 400 anything will do, it's not critical

[hyperfamilyman]

Thanks for posting this, it will give me something to do this summer between rides.

[agedbikeman]

Since starting this post I have made a slight modification, I cut the screw hole ears off the sides of the display and glued 4 pieces of plastic around the display at an angle so that the display is raised up at the back. see photos.

Open the hole in the ign lock bridge so the display fits in at an angle and mark the top and bottom with a marker or scribe

Glue some plastic around all four sides, top & bottom straight and at an angle at the sides

fit the diplay in place and drill throught the bridge and diplay support you just attached to it

Here is the finished job now with angled display, easier to see

[wezx]

Yeah, that’s a cool mod. I may do the same thing. Also thought about heating the tabs and bending them to accomplish the angled mounting...

[agedbikeman]

thought about heat, but the gizmo is full of diodes, resistors all crammed in, I think the glued bits are the best idea, used abs glue, did it before bedtime, next day it was solid.

Make the square hole first, and use the "ears" as a drilling guide before you cut them off,puts the screw holes in perfect place, nothing looks worse than mis aligned screws on a project

[wezx]

Yep, I agree...hate having things misaligned or asymmetrical.

[bigsteveswing]

Will this work the same on a '92 Interstate model, gear position switch all the same?

[Heikoho]

Hello Alex,
a very good description. I own a 1988 and I think I have read somewhere that this modification does not work with the 1988 because it does not show all gears. Can someone confirm this or - better - refute it?
Thank's

Heiko from Germany

Goldwing 1500 build 1988
in glint blue wave metallic (before phantomblack)

[WingAdmin]

Hello Alex,
a very good description. I own a 1988 and I think I have read somewhere that this modification does not work with the 1988 because it does not show all gears. Can someone confirm this or - better - refute it?
Thank's

Heiko from Germany

Goldwing 1500 build 1988
in glint blue wave metallic (before phantomblack)

Unfortunately, that's correct. 1988 and 1989 had no connection for first or second gear.

1988-1989 Gear Position Switch

[JPochron]

Could you possibly detail which wires on the LED display harness connect to the wiring harness on the bike? The pics aren't very clear to determine which wires go where.

Thanks

Joe

[agedbikeman]

Hello Joe,
If you look at the photos starting at the top of the page, photo 2 C59 is the wires on the bike, you have to remove the r/h tupperware around the heater vent system to see it. find plug in photo 3, really hard to see but luckily it's the most outer plug. Part the plug and socket, you may need long nose pliers to squeeze the tab, take plug and socket away fron the retainer it sits in, now you MUST at this point add the diodes, if you don't you blow the ECU to kingdom come.
Now on the display, which only works if you bought the same one as me, photo1 gives you the pin out.

ON the display
Red wire 1 you cannot use unless you're building the digital 1 detector, otherwise it's not used as there's no gear1 connection in the transmission switch.

Blue wire 2 goes to the black/yellow wire on the bike VIA THE DIODE!!!! photo 1
Green wire 3 goes to the white and red wire on the bike VIA THE DIODE!!!! photo 1
and so on. I think now you get the idea.
On the wires on the bike, you will have to peel back the black tape binding to see the colours, which will by now be very dirty, clean them with brake cleaner and the colours come clear.

During connecting the diodes(and be sure you connect them the right way round) I used a 5 core cable as used for trailer lights, just the right thickness.

When cutting and baring the wires on the bike, get youself a good quality wire stripper, as damging the wires is not an option, you can't cut a bit more off and try again , there 'aint enough wire.

Hope this helps, if not , feel free to ask again
Alex

[JPochron]

Alex

Thank you. I'll give it a try. I got mine off of Amazon which after I purchased it realized it was coming from China. I asked for a refund immediately but they refused claiming it was shipped which was a lie. It looks like the 1 you used in the pic but I'm sure that doesn't really mean anything.

Thanks

Joe

[agedbikeman]

If it looks like mine it probably is, there's not many different ones, wait till it comes and compare it with my photo, it's good quality. When it comes, let me know if there is anything else you need help with.

[JPochron]

Alex

I was going to have my mechanic do it but he hasn't responded, he's kinda odd but a damn good mechanic and very reasonable. Anyhow i'm doing it myself and before I make final connections I want to ensure I have the right plug and connecting the wires and diodes correctly. I've attached a pic of the plug I believe to be the 59 plug it has 5 wires on it. So the part of the plug which I disconnected and runs towards the rear of the bike is where I splice my wires? Cut the wires and solder the wires from the LED to the plug end. Solder a diode with the ring facing the LED on the wires for each gear? Then solder the LED wires and plug wires back to the harness. Connect the short black wire to a positive connection (I have a fuse block for accessories)? Since I have it all apart i'm just going to go ahead and use the 1st gear designation also since it isn't much effort. So I lay out the LED wires to the 59 wires below for each gear designation"

1st Gear Red Wire to Light Green/Red
2nd Gear Blue Wire to Black/Yellow
3rd Gear Green Wire to White/Red
4th Gear White Wire to Red/White
5th Gear Yellow Wire to Green/Orange

I hope that is correct. I was uncertain which plug at first because the was a plug right above the 59 but the 1 I disconnected resembled what you had shown. The other 2 wires on the LED are not used correct? I appreciate your patience and helping me to complete this.

Thanks

Joe

[JPochron]

another question when I cut the wires can I connect the wires from the LED to the wires on the harness side or do I need to connect them to the plug side then back to the harness side? I don't see how it would matter but want to check