RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator

If you’ve ever tried to shift into high gear when you were already in high gear, or any one of those times you simply were in the wrong gear at the wrong time, you will understand the need for a digital gear display. You can’t look at the gear shift because there is no “H” pattern, no blinking skull, only a little lever down by your left foot that is spring loaded to go back to the same point after every up or down shift. 1N23456...5432N1...23456 ad infinitum.

Knowing the gear you are in makes your driving faster, safer, and more efficient. Less mistakes is always a better deal. We got frustrated with the lack of a suitable digital gear position indicator so we made one.

Bonneville

Going 200 miles and hour on the long course at Bonneville you try to drop a shift into 5th gear and you’re already in 5th gear...Presto!!! Instant air brake like the flap popped up a 50’s Mercedes Grand Prix Car. Who slammed on the brakes? Well, you did, didn’t you?

The RSR Bonneville Gear Display is waterproof, shock proof, hard anodized billet gauge that is highly visible in direct sunlight. It is easily programmed for any 5 or 6 speed transmission and indicates the gear selected by a bright red digit that displays "0" (neutral), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. It also displays a “C” when the clutch lever is pulled in.

In case you wonder what we develop and test things on...The Bonneville Bullet is one of them. Yes, we do ride things like this.

All Shapes and sizes

Aftermarket gear position indicators are usually made for bikes that have resistor circuits that give a particular voltage for each gear. There isn't any programming and they are not adaptable to motorcycles that do not have the specific Suzuki or Kawasaki voltage read outs.

Here's a Suzuki Hayabusa gear position module that signals the ecu and the dash what gear you are in. Most modern sportbikes and BMWs have gear position indicators. Late model Harleys only have a high gear indicator.

We voted no on blue

Some digital gear indicators for custom bikes like the one above do not indicate clutch actuation. The reason they don't is that Harleys, except for 2007 and 2008 models, do not have clutch switches. We rejected the Blue vacuum fluorescent display technology as it is never seen on race vehicles, only on radios or foo-foo custom bikes that never see competition. If it isn't race ready we aren't interested, as we are go and not show. No race car would use vacuum fluorescent gauges.

We voted no on liquid crystal

Most of the oem dash displays use liquid crystal displays and position the "gear" along with another sea of numbers. They must be backlit to be visible and can be difficult to see under certain lighting conditions. We decided that ultra bight l.e.d. displays were superior to both liquid crystal and the blue vacuum displays. They are easily seen in daylight or at night.

We voted yes on red L.E.D.s

Red L.E.D.s are universally used in F1, here on a BMW steering wheel. We opted for the same technology in our RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator. It's highly visible in daylight and at night and brightness levels can be owner shifted for personal taste.

The large red L.E.D. is easily visible in direct sunlight and the display will dim under low illumination or night riding conditions. Here the bike is in neutral so "0" is displayed.

Tight Packaging

It's a tight packaging operation to crowd a bunch of integrated circuits, microprocessors, resistors, diodes, capactitors, push buttons etc. inside a 2" round gauge, so we resorted to a six layer circuit board and put components on both sides. Fully encapsulated, it is designed to survive in the real world. Complexity hidden beneath simplicity.

One Gauge fits all 5 or 6 Speed Transmissions

The RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator can be user programmed for either 5 or 6 speed transmissions. No matter what your transmission ratios, your sprocket or pulley sizes, belt or chain drive, the RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator can be programmed for your bike. If you do not have a transmission speed sensor we can provide a hall effect sensor that simply mounts on the rear axle spacer and "reads" the bolts on the rear pulley or sprocket.

Harleys do not have gear indicators beyond the neutral light and a high gear light on some models.

Easily programmed...One Button

It is easily programmed with one button and requires eight wires to connect to your application. Yellow button for programming.

Eight Wires to Connect

Instructions are simple. We have provided a PDF document to show you how to install and program the RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator.

1. Red: 12V switched power i.e. 12V when key is “on”, no voltage when key is off.
2. Black: Ground #1 to Battery Negative. Gauge display and electronics
3. Black: Ground #2 to Battery Negative. Optically isolated input circuits ground system.
4. Orange: 12 Volt event based green l.e.d.light (optional use)
5. Light Blue: Speed Sensor input
6. White: Neutral "0" (ground event).
7. Yellow: Clutch "C" (ground event)
8. Pink: Engine Speed (crank sensor)

Road Toad

Typical Install on a Fuel Injected Twin Cam FLTRI Road Glide:
1. Mount gauge on handlebar using clamp provided (see above).
2. Remove seat. Loosen, but do not actually remove gas tank. Loosen front tank bolts, remove rear tank bolts to elevate tank.
3. Route Gear Indicator wiring harness looping forward with handlebar cables and then back under leading edge of gas tank. Gear Indicator White Wire (Neutral) and Yellow (Clutch Wire) are then routed back up to the instrument nacelle. Slide White and Yellow wires though thin black vinyl-clad sheath provided. Slide other six wires into larger black vinyl-clad sheath provided and route six wires under the left side of the gas tank. Note: If you are extremely ambitious you can remove the gas tank and route the wires with the oem harness.
4. Remove two screws on side of plastic tach/speedo nacelle using #25 Torx. Lift nacelle and tach/speedo but do not disconnect them. Gear Indicator White Wire (neutral) goes to Tan Wire (pin7 connector 21A). On bikes with clutch switch the Yellow Wire can be attached to the Black /Red Stripe clutch lock-out switch wire. On some models you may slit the oem sheath from the left handlebar to access the Blacl/Red Stripe Wire. Replace instrument cover and speedo and tachometer plastic nacelle.
5. Pre 2008 models: Remove right saddle bag. Remove right side cover. On 2008 and later models remove the left saddle bag and side cover.
6. Scotchlock Gear Indicator Red Wire to Yellow/Green Stripe wire (12V Switched) on relay.

7. Slit plastic covering on wires leading to ECM to expose input/output wires.
____ a. Scotchlock Gear Indicator Pink Wire (engine speed) to ECM Red Wire ( Crank Trigger, Pin 30 ECM). Note the Red Wire is in the twisted pair (Black and Red Wires).
___ b. Scotchlock Gear Indicator Light Blue Wire (Speed Sensor) to ECM White/Green Stripe Wire (Pin 33 ECM ).
8. Use black vinyl harness wrap tape provided to reseal ECM harness and secure with plastic tie wrap.
9. Two Black wires to Battery Negative Terminal or good OEM grounding point. Use large eyelet provided, crimp two Black Wires together.
10. Replace side cover. Replace saddle bag. Bolt gas tank back in place. Replace and secure seat.
11. Ride and program the unit.

Here the White Gear wire is crimped to the Brown wire (neutral indication).

Download Wiring Diagrams for FLT Models: 2004 2007 2008

RSR Dual Air Fuel Ratio Meter mounted on right side of bars in picture above provides real time information on front and rear cylinders. Quicky see how the "Dyno Dude" messed up your scooter.

Road Toad...The Movie

Harleys vibrate. Next time we'll make a better camera mount. Video shows the gear indicator in action on a 5 speed 2004 Road Toad as well as our RSR Dual Air Fuel Ratio Gauge. We made a few edits to the TC88 ECM for our LSR 2-1 Pro Stock Spyder exhaust. Gives you an idea of how we tune things by actually riding them and how useful the Bonneville Gear Indicator is.

Get a tub of popcorn and a six pack and watch a 2004 FLTRI find happiness going through the gears. Make your own movie and get some more popcorn and beer and show your friends how you hit redline in sixth gear. At Bonneville we run five gears but we have a 425 hp Harley...and a lot of beer.

Optional Speed Sensor

Not all bikes have transmission speed sensors as earlier models have cable operated speedometers that typically run off the front wheel. For these we offer a hall effect sensor that is triggered by metal objects, like sprocket bolts or gear teeth, passing by the sensor. On Harleys we offer a sensor that is fixed to a machined mount that clamps to the rear axle spacer and senses the five bolt heads as they pass by.

The sensor has three wires. Black signal output wire which ties into our Light Blue Speed Sensor Input wire. Brown is +12VDc switched power. Blue is a chassis ground wire.

We supply the machined mount, the sensor, the sensor wires in a protective sheath, all hardware and instructions for mounting and setting the sensor spacing.

Optional Clutch Switch

Clutch switches are also standard on most modern bikes including some 2007 Harleys and most of the 2008 models in Harley's lineup. These switches prevent you from starting the bike in gear without the clutch lever being pulled in.

The switches are "ground event" i.e., when activated, they send the switch to a chassis ground. The RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator incorporates a clutch signal input wire (yellow) and we can provide a waterproof microswitch that is clutch lever activated for pre-2007 Harleys, and aftermarket handlebar housings. If the engine is running and you pull in the clutch lever "C" will be displayed.

You simply program the display for 5 or 6 gears. As you shift the proper gear will be displayed. The display is easily seen in daylight and automatically dims under low light conditions.

Even if you have a suicide clutch a microswitch can be incorporated. Two wires: Yellow one attaches to our yellow "Clutch" wire. Black wire goes to a chassis ground.

Part Numbers and Prices

06-1028
RSR Bonneville Gear Indicator
Hard anodized billet grey housing, l.e.d. display and wiring harness, Including 06-1025 Handlebar Mount (Specify 1" or 1.250" bars). Specify if EFi or Caburetted Harley.
$295.50
06-1026
Clutch Switch
Waterproof microswitch
$37.50
06-1027
Rear Axle Speed Sensor
Machined aluminum rear axle spacer mount with sensor, cable
$89.50
06-1025
Handlebar Mount 1" or 1.25" (specify)
Machined aluminum mount
$49.50
06-1024
Triple Clamp/Headlight mount
Aluminum bracket and hardware
$24.95

We have been racing one thing or another from road racing, to drag racing, to Bonneville for well over 30 years. Gear position indicators are somewhat new in the last 20 years or so but they are really indispensable for any form of motorsport. Our 1977 Bol D'Or racers did not have gear position indicators. Progress is a slow, iterative, process. 31 years later at we're at Bonneville. Fast never gets old.