Fitting a gear indicator on a 2005 GL1800

[North Western]

While putting my GL1800 back together after replacing the starter motor I fitted a Healtech gear indicator.
It was supplied with a display and a separate wiring loom suitable for the 2005 GL1800.

The instructions were not GL1800 specific, so I thought an informative post would help others in the future.

The wiring loom has a pair of white connectors that plug into the connector for the speed sensor.
The speed sensor connector is in the plug bundle on the right hand side.
It is the lower of the two plug bundles (quite close to the lock panel / heater vent) down by your knee.

You separate the speed sensors connectors and insert the wiring loom connectors.

There is a single green/black wire that has to connect to the tachometer wire coming out of the ECU / ECM.
This wire is too short to reach the ECU from where you connect to the speed sensor and will need to be extended.

I identified the wire from the ECU (yellow with a green stripe) which was located top right on the grey ECU connector.

I did not use the supplied crimp connector, instead I carefully stripped a short length of insulation and soldered a short length of wire onto it. The soldered connection was then well wrapped with insulation tape and the wiring loom re-wrapped.
I soldered a female spade connector to that wire and a male spade connector to the wiring loom extension.
I then slid a length of shrink wrap onto the wire, made a good tight connection with the spade connectors and sealed it with the shrink wrap.

I now have the ability to remove this modification if required without damaging the ECU wiring.

After that it was just a decision as to where to place the display.
I did try putting it behind the speaker grille, however the speaker covers of the newer bikes must have a different construction as on my 2005 model the display was too obscured to read easily.

I eventually stuck it between the speaker grille and the lower corner of the tachometer.

I may move it later.

Hope somebody finds this helpful.

Take care, and ride safe folks.

Regards
Don

[Andy Cote]

Great post.

Wingadmin - could we place this in the How-To section?

[WingAdmin]

Great post.

Wingadmin - could we place this in the How-To section?

Yup, did it before I even read your post.

[cbx4evr]

I followed this link from the Newsletter. Don’t have my Goldwing anymore but still enjoy reading some of the informative articles I find here.

The Healtech Gear indicator intrigued me and I was curious to see if they made something that would fit on my 2004 KLR 650. It wouldn’t be the first time that I reached for that invisible 6th gear. I was surprised to find that there is a unit that would work on my bike. It seems that they are able to match a unit to just about any bike. Not sure if I will actually go for it. Actually thinking of getting off of the KLR and onto something else yet to be determined but a Honda is at the top of the list.

Here’s a link to Healtech - https://www.healtech-electronics.com/

[SHAPPE]

Halo
I placed the display under the loudspeaker grid like in the attached picture. I made a little bracket supported by two loudspeakerscrew. The visibility through the grid is very good even in daylight.
Regards
Anders

[SHAPPE]

And I made the same setting on my previous 2005. What I did to increase visibility trough the speaker grille was to drill the holes with a 1,5 mm drill in front of the display. Turned out very nice.
Anders - again
Have nice evening

[johnacman]

There is a much simpler one made that plugs into the ECM. No splicing wires just plug into an existing plug connected to the ECM. I added one on my 06 GL1800back in 07.

[miroku800]

The red connector under the seat is only fitted to the 2006 on models , the plug and play won’t work on the 2005 and under

[Terry D]

I pretty much did exactly what Don described, installing my gear indicator on my 2005. I made one mistake easily corrected. While trying to strip the wire coming out of the ECM back a little, I was a little to aggressive and cut it. So, I soldered male and female connectors to the ends, I had just cut and am able to plug them together as if nothing happened. Then, I took a piece of wire about two inches long, same gage, and stripped it back. I soldered the wire from gear indicator to one end with a male connector and the other end with a female connector. Then, I just disconnected the ECM wire and connected my 2 inch made up wire in series with the ECM. It has been several years, now and I've had no problems. I placed the Red indicator on the Speedometer glass at where it covers the 120 mph digits. I figure, I won't be needing to be watching my speed if I get to that limit. Oh, I also used my Dremel to cut a small u-shaped area on the bottom edge instrument panel cover so as to not pinch the indicator wire when removing that cover for air filter maintenance, etc.

I like the position of the indicator because it is in line of sight. I also have a volt meter in the right knee panel. But to see it you have to look down. So off the back of the meter I ran wires up to the instrument cover and installed an LED idiot light that glows green for plus 12 volts, glows yellow for 10.5 to 12 volts and orange for less than 10.5. It is also at line of sight while riding.

[blupupher]

While I can almost forgive Honda for not having a gear indicator on the 1500 (but I mean really, you already have a LCD display on the bike, and the bike knows when it is in 4th and 5th, so would it have been so hard?), but I did not know the 1800 did not have one.
That is just plain stupid on their part.

I like the look of the behind the speaker grill for the indicator, I need to look on my 1500 to see if my volt meter would fit behind that.