Digital Gauges Guinea Pig.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

So, I bought a thing for my 82 750T.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKWQY9ZS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
I saw somebody write about installing one of these on an 1100E on one of the GS FB pages (first red flag?)
It's the first of it's kind that I've seen that used stock speedo/tach cable attachments.
Cheap, not super attractive, but the form factor is almost right. The spacing isn't quite right for my bike, but I have a spare gauge bracket for my bike that I think I can move these digital gauges on to with little fuss, or fabricobble something to make it fit.
I should have no issues with most of the wiring. But I want to do it so that it's easily reversible so I can go back to my stock gauges if I really hate these.
The gauge has an engine failure light. I'll either try to connect my oil pressure sensor, or side stand to this. Don't know yet.
Should arrive today. I'll play with it this weekend.
Why? Why not!

Can't wait to see what happens when I hit 9th Gear!

 

[dandypop]

I did one on my '83 850G that was all digital, and it took some doing to get the tach and speedo dialed in. I was wishing I had the cable option, but now that it's installed and working, it's not bad at all.

 

[Rob S.]

Can't wait to see what happens when I hit 9th Gear!

Or a thousand miles an hour!

 

[diptenkrom]

i have an 86 GoldWing that i stripped down. and because it came factory with digital gauges, i figured it would be easy to install another digital gauge. it was pretty easy to install, took some mathing to figure out the speedo parameters. the fuel level does just like the factory one did, (never shows completely full, but when it gets under half is pretty close to accurate) and i have some bad connection on the gear indicator for 3rd and 4th gear. i mounted it at a less than optimal angle, so i have to duck to see it in full daylight. otherwise it works, but i do have to figure out the best way to fix the temp gauge, as it uses a different resistance range than the factory sensor, so it is always HOT...

if you figure this out and it works well, might be something to look into. seems decent looking.

 

[salty_monk]

I did one on the 750. It was a pain but not too bad once I got it sorted. Tach was the hardest bit so if they are using cables & sort that out maybe it's a winner... Mine was a Koso

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Been picking at this a bit each evening:
First was figuring out the mounting. On the gauge pod bracket, the ears at the bottom and the ignition barrel ring had to go. And I drilled holes in the Suzuki bracket to line up with the inner mounting bolts on back of the gauge pods.

Cleaned up and painted the cut edges while waiting on some special hardware from Amazon

I needed the screw posts in 5mm x .8 pitch because I no longer had theads proud enough to get the acorn nut screwed on. I have plenty extras if anyone needs.

Mounted up the speedo and tach cables attached.

It became immediately clear that the angle of the spindles coming out the back of the pods being straight is going to be an issue. Both the severe bend required at the top of each cable, and interference with normal headlamp bucket position. The spindles in back of the OEM pods point in a more downward angle. I think if I can bend the OEM bracket a bit (blue squiggle) I can make it work.

Happy with my progress so far. I hooked up the ground and ignition wires and turned the key. After a little start-up dance, it settled to look like this.

Fired it up to see if the tach works. It does!

Everything is loosely connected so I think I can get the clocks clocked so their lines are level. Having those teal-colored horizon lines askew would drive me nuts.
I’m aware I’ll have to also connect a wire to the battery that will draw continuous voltage to run the clock and keep odometer and other settings. It remains to be seen what kind of constant draw this will have.

So as long as I can fine tune the mounting so the angle of the cable ends is pointing more downward and I can get the bucket remounted where it needs to be, I’ll work on getting the rest of the wiring done. And there’s a lot.

So, going well so far, I think. :clap:

 

[Burque73]

I like it, Rich. Thanks for posting this.

 

[rphillips]

Yep looking better than I'd thought it would... You say a wire to the batt. to draw continues voltage to run the clock and keep odometer and other settings... I remember the "79" and "80" GS1000 S had a small toggle switch, in that batt. wire, so you could turn the clock off when bike wasn't going to be rode for an extended period, so clock wouldn't run batt. down.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I was thinking the same thing, if needed. Bike is typically kept on a tender through winter. So I’m not that worried about it. But I do want to run some tests once I get it all hooked up to see if the drain is like 1v/day or .1v/week. My Tiger has a a digital gauge/clock. I can go weeks at time without riding it or having it on a tender. But this cheap digital gauge is not made by Triumph.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I bent the bracket to provide a better angle to the cables, buttoned everything up as is and went for an evening ride. I have to tweak the angle a bit but it’ll work. The good news is I shouldn’t have to connect the battery full time wire. The unit kept the MPH setting after I changed if from KPH and the odometer kept the total miles after shutting off and back on. But the clock did reset , so I can use the clock as a timer for rides. The Speedo, as checked alongside the Waze app on my phone was pretty accurate. To me that’s the most important. The tach, however, showed way high. That’s OK. I know the bike well enough to know that I’m not actually red-lining it.

Over the next few days/weeks I’ll work on wiring up the gear indicators, neutral light, high-beam light, turn indicators, fuel level indicator, and side stand.

 

[jprice90]

my plan is to find a stock digital tach for my 850. most likely a stock 1100/1150 one. but very nice writeup.

the tachs on these bikes are such a pain. mine has been leaking since i bought it 10years ago, and probably leaking 20years before that.

i'll be posting when i dig into the top for that job

 

[Rob S.]

my plan is to find a stock digital tach for my 850. most likely a stock 1100/1150 one.

A stock digital tach from an 1100/1150?

 

[jprice90]

A stock digital tach from an 1100/1150?

im sorry not digital. i meant 12v

 

[rphillips]

This is the first I've heard of a GS tach leaking. There's not supposed to be anything in there to leak out.

 

[jprice90]

This is the first I've heard of a GS tach leaking. There's not supposed to be anything in there to leak out.

from the head where the tach cable goes in

 

[dandypop]

from the head where the tach cable goes in

Oil from the valve cover area. I converted to a digital tach and had to cap the tach input hole because it was spitting oil all over my front tire.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Well, this pretty much wraps it up. An upgrade? I’m not quite sure. But it is modern and very easy to read all info at a glance. Very bright. Better quality than expected for the low cost. All in all a fairly easy project if you can read a wiring diagram and make good crimps, use a hacksaw and a hammer.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

my plan is to find a stock digital tach for my 850. most likely a stock 1100/1150 one. but very nice writeup.

the tachs on these bikes are such a pain. mine has been leaking since i bought it 10years ago, and probably leaking 20years before that.

i'll be posting when i dig into the top for that job

Since we’re off topic anyway. Your leak is something most of us have had and have dealt with. The tach drive (in the valve cover on some models/ in the head on others) has an oil seal and a square profile o-ring. Get new of both. You can find the part numbers on any site that sells parts for our bikes. I like Partshark.com. But the fiches are the same on all such sites. There is a writeup on the procedure by Brian Wringer on BikeCliffs Website. He lists part numbers, but best to do your own homework. Do this job when you have the valve cover off for valve clearance work.
https://www.bwringer.com/gs/tachcableseals.html

 

[dandypop]

Well, this pretty much wraps it up. An upgrade? I’m not quite sure. But it is modern and very easy to read all info at a glance. Very bright. Better quality than expected for the low cost. All in all a fairly easy project if you can read a wiring diagram and make good crimps, use a hacksaw and a hammer.

Hacksaws and Hammers

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

To be clear: the hacksaw and hammer were for cutting the ears off the digital gauge cluster bracket and for bending the Suzuki gauge cluster bracket. I have a very spiffy crimper from Vintage Connections for the wire work.
https://www.vintageconnections.com/products/ratcheting-crimping-tool