ZX14 Gauge Faces

[eng943]

I was looking at a ZX14 while talking to my dealer about an '11 C14. It looks like the gauge faces are identical to the C14 with the exception that they are white, which I find easier to read.

Has anyone done or explored swapping these gauge faces for the ZX14's?

[SpazOnaConcours]

...I've changed the LED color on my gauges to blue from the stock amber color. If you could get just the white faces somehow, you could install them over, possibly in place of the black face gauges.

I tell you though, if you change the color to white or blue the black gauges look fantastic.

[ZG]

...I've changed the LED color on my gauges to blue from the stock amber color.

Any pics Spaz?

[So Cal Joe]

I had a 98 Gold Wing SE and it had white gauges, I liked them better than the black face gauges.

[SpazOnaConcours]

Any pics Spaz?

You'll have to wait a few weeks for pics... I have it all apart right now for some other upgrades.   

...but I can take a few when it all gets back together. I did the LED mod on my kitchen table..... not too difficult for someone with soldiering experience and a steady hand.... but not for the faint of heart. If you look at those ebay sites that sell LED's for DIY mods you can get a good idea what it looks. Pictures do not do it justice at all.

[gPink]

You'll have to wait a few weeks for pics... I have it all apart right now for some other upgrades.   

N2O?

[SpazOnaConcours]

N2O?

HA! Tempting though... I do have a 1lb bottle & solenoid laying around somewhere.... but no. Doing the smart thing and putting forged pistons in. Cleaning up the head a bit while I'm in there & tweaking my manifold too.... thinking about clutch upgrades, but money is tight right now. Actually, if I had the money I'd do a water/meth kit in an instant: those things are awesome.

Back on topic: http://www.bluegauges.com/motorcycle/kawasaki_concours_08.htm <-----is a link with pics. On mine I left the data display LED's white, and changed just the speedo and tach LED's to that nice deep blue. 338% happier with the way it looks. at night.

[maxtog]

...I've changed the LED color on my gauges to blue from the stock amber color.

Please note- the stock color of the gauges on the 2010+ C14 is white, not amber....

[SpazOnaConcours]

Please note- the stock color of the gauges on the 2010+ C14 is white, not amber....

That's a plus. The amber is atrocious in my opinion. The blue looks better than the white to me though. Again, just my opinion.

[Pokey]

Yeah I hate the amber.

[SpazOnaConcours]

....quick pic, but the lighting was horrible for a camera phone.... but you get the idea.

[maxtog]

....quick pic, but the lighting was horrible for a camera phone.... but you get the idea.

Neat- but I still like the stock white color.  Tends to be the best on my eyes, and matches the LCD.

Only change I would like to make to my dash lighting is to cut the damn high-beam indicator brightness by about 90%.   When I am alone on a dark road and I turn on high-beams, I am blinded by that damn blue light!  For now, I put a piece of black electric tape over 90% of the area of the light.  Ghetto, but seems to work.

[SpazOnaConcours]

You must have a second gen... the first gen suffers from amber backlighting straight out of the 1980's.

You could use a bit of dark window tint to take the edge out of the indicator light brightness. It goes on easy, you can make it look really nice, and will leave it transparent enough to still function as an indicator

[Smokeyzx]

...I've changed the LED color on my gauges to blue from the stock amber color. If you could get just the white faces somehow, you could install them over, possibly in place of the black face gauges.

I tell you though, if you change the color to white or blue the black gauges look fantastic.

Do you have the manufacturer and the part number for the LEDs?

[SpazOnaConcours]

Ebay, sadly enough... I too lazy to break it apart and figure it out on my own. The seller was a fellow from Puerto Rico. My only gripe about using that guy was that it took the guy weeks to send an envelope with a strip of LED's in it. Cheap though, at least if you're not in a hurry... and you can get just about any color(s) you want.

[maxtog]

You must have a second gen... the first gen suffers from amber backlighting straight out of the 1980's.

Yep, 2011 (it is in my member description on the left).  So glad it is not amber.... blech.

You could use a bit of dark window tint to take the edge out of the indicator light brightness. It goes on easy, you can make it look really nice, and will leave it transparent enough to still function as an indicator

Yeah, but I fear nothing would really look all that good without it being done behind the clear plastic.  And I am unwilling to do that right now.  Good idea, though.  I think a perfect compromise would be a MOSTLY opaque, dark, circular piece of "cling vinyl" to stick on the outside of the dash, right over the lamp.  Remember "Colorforms?"  Something like that.  No adhesive residue, easy to remove for cleaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorforms