Gauges instead of idiot lights on the NCX

[drseth]

Hi,

I was really surprised that there was no temperature gauge on the NCX I picked up yesterday. I wish I could install a temp gauge, as well as a voltmeter and an oil pressure gauge. I guess it is the redneck in me, but I like to know what my engine is experiencing.

Seth Anderson
Moon, VA

 

[Beemerphile]

Hi,

I was really surprised that there was no temperature gauge on the NCX I picked up yesterday. I wish I could install a temp gauge, as well as a voltmeter and an oil pressure gauge. I guess it is the redneck in me, but I like to know what my engine is experiencing.

Seth Anderson
Moon, VA

It would only make you worry. The motorcycle will stop running if it is unhappy.

 

[L.B.S.]

I'm so wishy washy on this topic it's not funny!

On one hand, I looooove guages. I love instruments that I can glance at and see oil pressure/coolant temp/tire pressure/battery voltage, etc., etc.

But on the other, I recognise my own OCD hypochondriasis, and find myself focusing too much on the stupid little things, going OMG OMG, my tire psi is at 2.3 bar instead of 2.5, auugh!

I realized that's just silly, and as much as I appreciated the info when my tire did get a nail and I was warned of impending flatness before it happened, for all the rest of the time when my tires were just fine, I'd be staring at the TPM readings like they were some kind of hypnotic Svengali device, lol.

 

[Beemerphile]

<snip>...the rest of the time when my tires were just fine, I'd be staring at the TPM readings like they were some kind of hypnotic Svengali device, lol.

I'm concerned in my own case that the "gauge scan" detracts from attention to the road - it seems it has to. But I like having information. That (and additionally that there is no clean place to mount one) is why I chose the CVS voltage monitor over a voltage gauge. In the case of voltage, how I operate all of the accessories can have an impact on battery health. I can see the CVS light in my peripheral vision and interpret it without actually looking at it. For oil pressure, water temperature, oil temperature, etc., I'll just trust the thing to run. Heck, I'm no gauge hater, I used to have an EGT gauge on each cylinder of my BMW. It was great fun to watch and I could see the throttle bodies getting out of sync, and so forth, but OCD is a slippery slope and I am trying to stay back from the edge.

I used to have tire pressure monitoring on the BMW as well, but I took it off when one of the sensors caused a flat by leaking. On my last trip to Inuvik, NWT I had two flat tires within 300 miles. It is real easy to tell. The bike gets all squirrelly.

ETA: Remember when some Chrysler cars had talking warning systems? That was before anyone was worried about distracted drivers. I think they were marketed to the blue hair generation. A friend's mother had one and he used to never tire of asking "When is a door not a door?" He would say "When" and then open the door and the Chrysler annunciator would chime in and say "a door is ajar." Then he'd laugh like a crazy man. It was a solution in search of a problem. They finally tried to market it to race car drivers, thinking they didn't have time to be looking at gauges. In their market research, one of the then-famous drivers said "What for? I'm gonna run the bitch until it blows up anyway."

 

[L.B.S.]

OCD is a slippery slope and I am trying to stay back from the edge.

I don't quite believe you, but I won't say anything if you don't...


I would love to rig up an instrument cluster panel, that fills in the space beneath and around the gauge pod. To be used to mount my gear indicator when I get it, any assorted lcd blinky info lights, a 12V socket, etc.

Sloth and entropy are my constant companions though.

 

[wozza]

I must admit I would rather have self cancelling indicators coz I constantly forget to switch the buggers off!!!!

 

[Beemerphile]

I must admit I would rather have self cancelling indicators coz I constantly forget to switch the buggers off!!!!

Look for a Kisan Signalminder. I haven't seen one yet that will work for the NC. It has a 4-wite connector. Most Hondas have either 3 or 9. If you use the 3-wire you will not have emergency flashers when the ignition is off. Gosh knows what kind of swell sparks-n-smoke you could make with the 9-wire.

 

[wozza]

Look for a Kisan Signalminder. I haven't seen one yet that will work for th NC. It has a 4-wite connector. Most Hondas have either 3 or 9. If you use the 3-wire you will not have emergency flashers when the ignition is off. Gosh knows what kind of swell sparks-n-smoke you could make with that.

Beemerphile, I don't have your sort of skills to start messing with electrics......gulp!

 

[Beemerphile]

Beemerphile, I don't have your sort of skills to start messing with electrics......gulp!

Nothing to it once you learn that electronic circuits all operate on smoke. They work fine unless you let the smoke out, then they quit working - usually permanently.

 

[soggybottom]

Where is the flasher located? I have a standard 3 prong Kisan I can make a 3 wire adaptor, maybe. After 27 yrs in the trucking bidness and manually canceling turn signals I have a mental problem canceling turn signals on a motorcycle after 40 yrs of riding. I've boiled it down to sitting at stop signs or red lights for a long period, also half the bikes I've owned have auto cancel and half don't, today I have a BMW R1150R with a kisan and now the NC without.

 

[Beemerphile]

Where is the flasher located? I have a standard 3 prong Kisan I can make a 3 wire adaptor, maybe. After 27 yrs in the trucking bidness and manually canceling turn signals I have a mental problem canceling turn signals on a motorcycle after 40 yrs of riding. I've boiled it down to sitting at stop signs or red lights for a long period, also half the bikes I've owned have auto cancel and half don't, today I have a BMW R1150R with a kisan and now the NC without.

It is attached to the left hand outside of the luggage box. You have to remove the center front cover to access it. The four wires are ground, load, battery, and ignition. In choosing between the wires, the ground and the load are required. You are left with whether to choose the 12v switched or unswitched power. If you choose switched, I don't believe that your emergency flashers will not work with the key off. Maybe that is not a big deal to you. Personally, I don't see using it except at an accident scene maybe.

 

[Crilly]

I know of at least one intersection where I make a right turn that if you donot cancel the signal, cars well pull out on you from McDonald's. So as soon as I make a turn I always try to cancel. Auto or not.

 

[jakeisbill]

I think having gauges would be too distracting from the road.