Author Topic: GEAR INDICATOR  (Read 10712 times)

Offline Jaxter

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GEAR INDICATOR
« on: April 13, 2014, 06:42:46 PM »
My gear indicator has gotten sluggish. A few months ago I started to notice that when shifting into 6th gear (OD) that sometimes it would continue to display 5. Interesting, but not earth-shattering until Saturday morning it indicated 1st gear when it was really in 2nd gear and when I started to pull out into traffic it dogged down unexpectedly and it surprised me. My question to the massive brain trust out there is this...is there an adjustment to the linkage which will correct this?
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2014, 06:57:07 PM »
No adjustment but quite a few of us have had issues with the original gear position indicator. It is not all that robust and is likely malfunctioning. Mine was replaced under warranty quite a while ago, as were many others. If your bike is under warranty, I would suggest having a competent dealer take a look- the sender is probably bad. If the bike is not under warranty, you might want to consider a new sender (the neutral switch) along with the plungers and springs that go with it- I believe they are on a different fiche and really go with the main shift fork shaft.

Brian

My gear indicator has gotten sluggish. A few months ago I started to notice that when shifting into 6th gear (OD) that sometimes it would continue to display 5. Interesting, but not earth-shattering until Saturday morning it indicated 1st gear when it was really in 2nd gear and when I started to pull out into traffic it dogged down unexpectedly and it surprised me. My question to the massive brain trust out there is this...is there an adjustment to the linkage which will correct this?
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Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2014, 07:48:43 PM »
Mine is doing the same thing..
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Offline T Cro ®

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2014, 08:15:55 PM »
Mine is doing the same thing..

Put a piece of tape over it....

Fixed it for ya!
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Offline maxtog

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2014, 09:30:32 PM »
Put a piece of tape over it.... Fixed it for ya!

No, that is what you do to the high beam indicator (well, at least 90% of it) else it will blind you at night those times  you need to use them.
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Offline Freddy

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2014, 04:16:04 AM »
My 08 was doing something like that.  I cleaned the contacts after removing it and it's been ok ever since.
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Offline Rembrant

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2014, 05:05:51 AM »
No adjustment but quite a few of us have had issues with the original gear position indicator. It is not all that robust and is likely malfunctioning. Mine was replaced under warranty quite a while ago, as were many others. If your bike is under warranty, I would suggest having a competent dealer take a look- the sender is probably bad. If the bike is not under warranty, you might want to consider a new sender (the neutral switch) along with the plungers and springs that go with it- I believe they are on a different fiche and really go with the main shift fork shaft.

Brian

Brian has hit the nail on the head here;).

I've had a couple of these apart on other Kawasaki's (ZX10R), and the C14's gear indicator mechanism is the same.

There are two spring loaded brass plungers in the left end of the shift drum, and the outer one, the one that moves along the individual gear contacts wears down and gets dull on the end. The contacts also get dirty, and the springs weaken with age/use. I've swapped the brass plungers...put the dull one in the center, and then the 'sharp' one in the outer socket, and it will make better contact. (Installing new springs and plungers will remove any doubt if you don't mind waiting for them to come in.)

However, 'adjusting' or replacing the plungers will do no good if the sender itself is actually bad. It has to be tested with a good digital multi-meter.

Testing and/or replacing the gear position sensor is a fairly involved job, so I wouldn't recommend it as a DIY task. If the bike is still under warranty, then you don't have to touch it at all;).

Cheers,
Rem 8)



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Offline PH14

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2014, 09:32:55 AM »
No, that is what you do to the high beam indicator (well, at least 90% of it) else it will blind you at night those times  you need to use them.

Isn't that the truth. The thing is way too bright.  :yikes:

Offline maxtog

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2014, 04:47:55 PM »
Isn't that the truth. The thing is way too bright.  :yikes:

I mean, the time to use the high beams are when you are out in nowhere, with no street lights, and (of course) no oncoming traffic.  It is very dark in such situations.  And that super bright blue indicator is just BLINDING in those conditions.  Maybe it is because my eyes are getting older, but I have trouble with bright vs. dark and adjustment time.

My ghetto solution is a piece of black electric tape covering 90% of the indicator.  I keep saying one day I will find some nice black "cling" vinyl or something to make it look better... hasn't happened yet.
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline martin_14

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2014, 05:25:54 AM »
I mean, the time to use the high beams are when you are out in nowhere, with no street lights, and (of course) no oncoming traffic.  It is very dark in such situations.  And that super bright blue indicator is just BLINDING in those conditions.  Maybe it is because my eyes are getting older, but I have trouble with bright vs. dark and adjustment time.

My ghetto solution is a piece of black electric tape covering 90% of the indicator.  I keep saying one day I will find some nice black "cling" vinyl or something to make it look better... hasn't happened yet.

yeap, it's like if somebody at Kawasaki HQ calculated the amount of extra light gained by engaging the high beams, and calibrated that blue led to blind you by the exact same amount. The end result is a net 0% gain in vision  :banghead:
« Last Edit: January 03, 2015, 01:52:14 PM by martin_14 »
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Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2014, 05:37:04 AM »
Sounds like the guy that adjusted my headlights at the factory..
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Offline firehawk618

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2014, 11:04:07 PM »
Sorry to keep feeding the thread that's gone sideways.

I recently dismantled my cluster, took a black sharpee  to the high beam LED and put it back together.

It's the perfect brightness now.  Not blinding at all but still completely visible in day and night.

Back to the original topic.

 :)
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Offline martin_14

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2014, 12:44:37 AM »
Sorry to keep feeding the thread that's gone sideways.

I recently dismantled my cluster, took a black sharpee  to the high beam LED and put it back together.

It's the perfect brightness now.  Not blinding at all but still completely visible in day and night.

Back to the original topic.

 :)

Is it difficult? I don't get along with electronic stuff...
Build bridges, not walls.

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Offline firehawk618

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2014, 12:40:20 AM »
No it was pretty easy.

Here's the procedure from memory, and my memory isn't very good.  :o)

Remove windshield.  Remove panel behind windshield that gives access to speedometer bolts.

Remove 4? nuts and unhook one electrical connector.  Lift out speedo.

Remove all the phillips screws on the back. 

After that it just comes apart. 

No serious work required.

Black sharpee works AWESOME!
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Offline martin_14

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2014, 02:42:09 AM »
looks like even I could manage. Thanks.
Build bridges, not walls.

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Offline sche202460

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #15 on: December 18, 2014, 11:47:51 AM »
Just got bike with 10 miles and gear indicator bad. Seems dealer didn't really do prep right. Same thing though gear all over place OD comes on in any gear and others don't display at all sometimes. Now just waiting for parts.
some folks can justify need for fast bike the minute they open their mouth!

Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #16 on: December 18, 2014, 01:11:37 PM »
10 miles and the gear indicator is bad?  What year bike?  And what does prepping have to do with the gear indicator going bad?  Are you saying that after you rode it out of the dealer it started messing up immediately?  One would think that with 10 miles on the bike someone would have noticed that...
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Offline Rhino

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #17 on: December 18, 2014, 02:05:18 PM »
Just got bike with 10 miles and gear indicator bad. Seems dealer didn't really do prep right. Same thing though gear all over place OD comes on in any gear and others don't display at all sometimes. Now just waiting for parts.

I would take it back and tell them to give me a bike without problems out of the crate.

Offline maxtog

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #18 on: December 18, 2014, 02:18:22 PM »
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline sche202460

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Re: GEAR INDICATOR
« Reply #19 on: December 21, 2014, 02:23:00 PM »
Yes dealer prep should include test ride to make sure every thing working. Considering the price they charge for it. Unfortunately I picked up at closing time. By time I went back they were closed. And to make situation worse bike would not start next morning due to battery terminals not tightened and negative wire was reversed so they couldn't even properly install battery cover. To make story short they ordered new part and waiting for it to come it. It's a 2014.
some folks can justify need for fast bike the minute they open their mouth!