Which gear indicator would you buy?

[motopete]

I'm having trouble deciding on which indicator to buy, both the Datatool Digi and the Healtech GIpro x look very good. I'm leaning towards the GIpro x only because it comes in blue but is $70 more. Any opinions?

 

[steveindenmark]

This one always baffles me but I realise it is a personal choice.

I just cannot see why people need a gear indicator. Is it just because it is another gizmo to put on the bike or is there some reason you cannot do without it.

I find the FZ6 gears easy to work with. I can see the reason for having a gear indicator on a truck. But on a bike?

Steve

 

[Andz]

Couldn't be bothered. I always know what gear I am in.

 

[fadge]

thought of having one myself ,must say at time thought it was good idea but after doing more riding things got a lot better ,i think you better off not rely on gissmo to tell you what gear your in you should know

 

[fz6joker]

I went into a curve a few weeks back, after having been riding all day and I was tired/not at my best, I wasn't hammering down but at a spirited pace. Half way through I realized that I was in a higher gear than what I thought. My bike just stepped out slowly and if I had been going faster I would have wrecked. I was alone and out on a country road, so it would have been some time before somebody drove by and saw me. I went home and started googling.



Have you considered Acumen Digital Gear Indicator?

Acumen Digital Gear Indicator

 

[Adrenaline Junkie]

yeah i wouldn't buy one. i used to want one when i first started riding, but quickly learned how the gears line up in relation to speed and rpm. if i can remember right, at 4k rpm-- 3rd is ~35, 4th ~40, 5th ~45, and 6th ~50. sometimes i count gears up and down, especially when im rippin it thru the twisties.

 

[steveindenmark]

I went into a curve a few weeks back, after having been riding all day and I was tired/not at my best, I wasn't hammering down but at a spirited pace. Half way through I realized that I was in a higher gear than what I thought. My bike just stepped out slowly and if I had been going faster I would have wrecked. I was alone and out on a country road, so it would have been some time before somebody drove by and saw me. I went home and started googling.



Have you considered Acumen Digital Gear Indicator?

Acumen Digital Gear Indicator

A gear indicator would not have helped you here I don`t think. You have to take your eyes off the road to look at the indicator and then take all the necessary actions to correct your mistake, by that point it is too late anyway. Taking your eyes off the road is not a good idea at anytime, never mind in the twisties.

You need to work on what caused the problem to begin with not increase the problem by adding another distraction. Using gizmos as a crutch is not the way to improve your riding skills is my opinion.

Steve

 

[Cloggy]

.........

Have you considered Acumen Digital Gear Indicator?

Acumen Digital Gear Indicator

There's a very clear how to install acumen gear indicator posted by Jonac :thumbup:

 

[yabolek]

I would go for Gipro X because of its compact look and (as they claim) more reliable indications. They also have an installation kit for the FZ6 and a shift indicator.

Of course its a gizmo but a pretty useful one. I'm finding myself trying to shift the '7th gear' quite often. The shift indicator is also pretty useful. You can set it low for economy or high for sport rides. Some bikes have this as standard. I can remember ppl saying that the fuel lvl indicator is a gizmo because You can always have a look at your trip odometer. Maybe it is, but I love my fuel indicator in FZ6

 

[fz6joker]

A gear indicator would not have helped you here I don`t think. You have to take your eyes off the road to look at the indicator and then take all the necessary actions to correct your mistake, by that point it is too late anyway. Taking your eyes off the road is not a good idea at anytime, never mind in the twisties.

You need to work on what caused the problem to begin with not increase the problem by adding another distraction. Using gizmos as a crutch is not the way to improve your riding skills is my opinion.

Steve

The problem started about 25 seconds before I ever got into the curve.
The problem started as soon as I exited the previous curve and shifted up to many times. I had plenty of time to shift down before getting anywhere near the curve and then I would have had the power to pull myself through the curve like I am accustomed to. I lost track of what gear I was in and went into the curve thinking I was in a much lower gear. Anywhere in the space between curves I would have had plenty of time to glance down at a bright LED telling me exactly where I was at.
A gear indicator serves many different people for a variety of reasons. To point out one reason and say that it is going to cripple a riders ability to improve is very short sighted.
How about when a person posts a question we all reply with answers, instead of polluting good threads with opinions that would better be discussed in a completely new thread.

 

[necrotimus]

Best advice I ever read regarding being in the "right gear" you don't need to know what gear you are in you only need to know how many times you need to upshift or downshift. If you can't yet tell by feel then you should be able to tell through a combination of speed and rpms.

 

[RJ2112]

Joker,

If you can't tell by ear that you are in a specific part of the power band, you need to practice more. Knowing what gear you are in needs to be almost an instinct. It should be something you constantly think about, without having to.

Maybe an indicator would assist you in learning this; I've not owned a bike that has provided that info. Nor do I feel the need to own such a thing. Can't help with which one works best. Somehow, I've managed since I was 12 without one..... which was in 1973.

"A gear indicator serves many different people for a variety of reasons. " What other purpose would a gear indicator have? Bling?

 

[yabolek]

"A gear indicator serves many different people for a variety of reasons. " What other purpose would a gear indicator have? Bling?

Yes! Girls today are just all over you when they see a shiny, spanking new gear indicator on your bike. Once they check your VIN number for production date youll have a definite score

 

[RJ2112]

<chuckles>

I guess that's an old bull/young bull thing, LOL.

 

[Guitar Man]

I had the Digitool on mine. Worked good and I can tell you what wires hook up to the harness if you decide to get one. Just PM me.

In response to the "nay sayers" I didn't stare at it constantly, and I do listen to the bike and have a pretty good feel of what gear I'm in at any given time (better have after almost 40,000 miles on this bike). I've found it to be a pretty useful tool sometimes. And when I do look at it I'm usually in a straight setting up for the next corner and give it a quick glance just to know where I'm at. And then sometimes I don't look at it at all. Just provides a visual aid sometimes when I need it.

 

[08-FZ6]

I have to admit, I am a little disappointed with some of the responses to this. Motopete just asked for some oppinions on 2 gear indicators and people are questioning his riding ability. Who cares if you know exactly what gear your in by the sound of the rpms, that has nothing to do with the question.

 

[Boneman]

I have an Acumen DGV gear indicator with Voltmeter. I love it! It has auto dimming so it's not as bright at night as it is in the day light and the response time is good.

Details and pics here: Boneman's FZ6 Site - Acumen DGV

I find it funny that most of the people commenting on gear indicators themselves don't have one.....

Here is my $0.02 worth on the subject. Yes, a gear indicators is not "needed". I can say that most here are accomplished riders and would do just fine without one. It's an 'addition' that can assist you. Just like the gas guage, most bikes don't have those but ours does and it's nice to have...so is having a gear indicator.

Since I actually have and use one I can say that I rode fine for years without it and I've ridden fine with it. Just having finished a 3 day riding trip, there was times that it was nice to glance down and ensure I was the gear I wanted for an upcoming curve or road section. I didn't have to "take my eyes off the road" and stare at the thing either (stop being ridiculous).

Now that I have one, I enjoy having it there. Some new bikes are now coming with gear indicators standard. My friend who just bought an 09 Triumph Daytona 675 was complaining how it didn't come with one.

It's just another 'tool'.