How do the gauges work? Installing PC touchscreen in place of instrument cluster.

keyvan · December 23rd, 2008, 12:27 AM

Hey there, I'm from OCMOTO.com forums, and someone referred me here and told me to talk to Kkim. Cool that there's a forum dedicated to my type of bike.

I have a red 09 Ninja 250r, it's been a blast to ride and I love it (recently upgraded from an 88 kawasaki eliminator 250 cruiser, world of difference).

I plan to remove the gauge cluster and in its place put a 7" LCD Touchscreen monitor. There will be a picoITX size PC (about the size of a pack of camel wides, 1ghz processor) in the trunk with a device called the Fusion Brain (a piece of hardware with 16 analog sensors that hooks up to the PC via USB and can display graphs, gauges, etc, based on the analog sensor inputs)

so what I need to know is if the fusion brain will even work for me in the case of the ninja--I need to know how the gauges work on the ninja...

I HOPE that the needles on the tach, speedo, and fuel are simply a wire with a varying voltage and needle moves further as the voltage increases/decreases further from a point--if this is how it works i am lucky and the fusion brain will do the job....

i hope I've given you enough info for you to expand on this-

thanks guys

kkim · December 23rd, 2008, 12:41 AM

well, I can tell you the speedo is cable driven.

The signal tach is taken off the igniter. The fuel is a wire from the tank sender... don't know if it's a resistance reading or what.

I would suggest you purchase a service manual for the bike if you are serious about the project so you can track down with certainty the signals or wires you need. Our bikes have carbs and not FI, so unlike FI there is no computer which controls the functions.

welcome to the forum.

keyvan · December 23rd, 2008, 12:52 AM

the legendary kkim! thanks for your quick response. I'll pick up a manual--I hope it goes that into depth about the gauges.

for the speedo, i figure i can design some kind of hall-effect or photodetector unit to stick to the end of it and get a pulse signal out of that, but i would need to learn more about how it works.

for the tach, when you say it's taken off the igniter, it makes me think that the tach works by being connected to a wire that receives electrical pulses that increase in frequency as the engine rpm increases....

as for the fuel, i guess i'd have to keep looking...

I have yet to remove the front fairing of my bike (ive removed the side fairings) to get to the gauges and inspect with a multimeter but i plan to do that soon (i heard you've taken apart your bike many times, maybe you can suggest something, is there an easier way to get to the gauge cluster without having to remove the front peice that holds my mirrors/headlight/windscreen?).

thanks again for your help, and yeah i'm very serious about this project, it's these obstacles that make me feel good once i've completed the project--not as fun if it's easy

kkim · December 23rd, 2008, 01:01 AM

check out the DIYs in the new gen tech forum. There are DIYs on how to take the fairings and tank off... I've not had the pleasure of removing the front "nose" piece, but there are many on this site that have. Just ask if you can't find something in the tech forum and I'm sure someone will help you.

Take the time to post an introduction in the new riders forum. We're all interested to know more about the members here.

noche_caliente · December 23rd, 2008, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keyvan

for the speedo, i figure i can design some kind of hall-effect or photodetector unit to stick to the end of it and get a pulse signal out of that, but i would need to learn more about how it works.

for the tach, when you say it's taken off the igniter, it makes me think that the tach works by being connected to a wire that receives electrical pulses that increase in frequency as the engine rpm increases....

thanks again for your help, and yeah i'm very serious about this project, it's these obstacles that make me feel good once i've completed the project--not as fun if it's easy

I know that there are some alternate sensors you can get for the speedo - as there has been plenty of talk before about gear indicators....

this was an item that was posted over on another forum that had been purchased to skirt the speedo issue with the acumen gear indicator...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=290275827012

islanderman7 · December 23rd, 2008, 11:48 AM

Post pics here if you get this project done. I'm interested.

VeX · December 23rd, 2008, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

I know that there are some alternate sensors you can get for the speedo - as there has been plenty of talk before about gear indicators....

this was an item that was posted over on another forum that had been purchased to skirt the speedo issue with the acumen gear indicator...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=290275827012

Dang! That's a really good price

If I still had mean money coming in that was actually on my pallet of things to do (along WITH the acumen gauge)... Oh wells

M-Oorb · December 23rd, 2008, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

I know that there are some alternate sensors you can get for the speedo - as there has been plenty of talk before about gear indicators....

this was an item that was posted over on another forum that had been purchased to skirt the speedo issue with the acumen gear indicator...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=290275827012

Anyone have any idea how easy it would be to install this and the gear indicator? Sounds like something that would be great for our bike.

keyvan · December 23rd, 2008, 10:38 PM

A gear indicator would be awesome. Should not be hard to do once everything else has been done. Christmas is take-apart-the-front-end and inspect the guages day...

HKr1 · December 24th, 2008, 01:47 PM

Wonder what kind of signal the gear indicator is looking for. Have seen these sensors for the speedo cables. Maybe one of them you could tuck up under the cluster for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

The fuel is a wire from the tank sender... don't know if it's a resistance reading or what.

Yeah, just a resistance thing. Close to 0 ohms for full, and like 100 ohms for empty.

Alex · December 24th, 2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKr1

Wonder what kind of signal the gear indicator is looking for.

The aftermarket gear indicators need two signals, one from the tach and one from the speedo. All they do is then figure out a ratio between the two to show the current gear selection (which is why there is often a delay until the clutch isn't fully engaged). When you first install them you click through the gears (can be done on a rearstand) to calibrate the indicator for each gear...

M-Oorb · December 25th, 2008, 09:02 PM

The gear indicator actually looks really nice...anyone have an idea where to get the adapter since that ebay selling is over with?

Dameyon · June 18th, 2009, 09:21 AM

FOR KKIM: Wondering is a zx-6 guage cluster could fit on the 09 250r...if not how is the best way to fill the gap that would be left when installing those koso guages..

kkim · June 18th, 2009, 10:53 AM

Sorry, Damian... can't help you with that one at all.

...but, welcome to the forum!

TnNinjaGirl · June 18th, 2009, 12:44 PM

Go to a hotrod shop. Have them show you their digital gauge section. Stare in wonderment as all your questions are answered.

They should have all of the mechanical to digital conversion pieces you need. You could also probably add a few do-dadds we don't already have like oil pressure, engine temp, coolant temp, intake air temp, etc...

Have fun!!

Dameyon · June 19th, 2009, 09:22 AM

Oh thanks KKIM....i'm glad I found this forum..you guys really know what's going on....I'm gonna have alot of questions for you soon lol...unfortunately I had my first fall so I'm recovering now from a hairline fracture in my foot and two dislocated fingers...the bike got some damage to the left handle bar and the back fin..

insurance is gonna take care of it....so as soon as I get it back ..i had ordered two blue bulbs to install the first thing I'm gonan wana know is how do I change um myself? I think I know where to look to get to um but do I really have to remove the fairing to get to them?

TnNinjaGirl · June 19th, 2009, 12:45 PM

Sorry about the bad news.

Dameyon · June 20th, 2009, 07:50 AM

lol thanks TNninja Girl..I've been told it's all part of the game though..I posted pic of how the fingers were lol..I can laugh bout it now but that was some pain..not at the time really was more uncomfortable but the pain comes when the doc's fixing the problem..the injections to numb the hand before he pulled um back into place sigh n then afterwards when it wore off..sigh..

December 23rd, 2008, 12:27 AM	#1
keyvan NinjaPC<[2%]----> Name: keyvan Location: orange county Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): red 09 ninja 250r Posts: 8	How do the gauges work? Installing PC touchscreen in place of instrument cluster. Hey there, I'm from OCMOTO.com forums, and someone referred me here and told me to talk to Kkim. Cool that there's a forum dedicated to my type of bike. I have a red 09 Ninja 250r, it's been a blast to ride and I love it (recently upgraded from an 88 kawasaki eliminator 250 cruiser, world of difference). I plan to remove the gauge cluster and in its place put a 7" LCD Touchscreen monitor. There will be a picoITX size PC (about the size of a pack of camel wides, 1ghz processor) in the trunk with a device called the Fusion Brain (a piece of hardware with 16 analog sensors that hooks up to the PC via USB and can display graphs, gauges, etc, based on the analog sensor inputs) so what I need to know is if the fusion brain will even work for me in the case of the ninja--I need to know how the gauges work on the ninja... I HOPE that the needles on the tach, speedo, and fuel are simply a wire with a varying voltage and needle moves further as the voltage increases/decreases further from a point--if this is how it works i am lucky and the fusion brain will do the job.... i hope I've given you enough info for you to expand on this- thanks guys

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Instrument Cluster aka Gauges	lowdown112	General Motorcycling Discussion	8	October 26th, 2014 09:16 PM

December 23rd, 2008, 12:41 AM	#2
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	well, I can tell you the speedo is cable driven. The signal tach is taken off the igniter. The fuel is a wire from the tank sender... don't know if it's a resistance reading or what. I would suggest you purchase a service manual for the bike if you are serious about the project so you can track down with certainty the signals or wires you need. Our bikes have carbs and not FI, so unlike FI there is no computer which controls the functions. welcome to the forum.

December 23rd, 2008, 12:52 AM	#3
keyvan NinjaPC<[2%]----> Name: keyvan Location: orange county Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): red 09 ninja 250r Posts: 8	the legendary kkim! thanks for your quick response. I'll pick up a manual--I hope it goes that into depth about the gauges. for the speedo, i figure i can design some kind of hall-effect or photodetector unit to stick to the end of it and get a pulse signal out of that, but i would need to learn more about how it works. for the tach, when you say it's taken off the igniter, it makes me think that the tach works by being connected to a wire that receives electrical pulses that increase in frequency as the engine rpm increases.... as for the fuel, i guess i'd have to keep looking... I have yet to remove the front fairing of my bike (ive removed the side fairings) to get to the gauges and inspect with a multimeter but i plan to do that soon (i heard you've taken apart your bike many times, maybe you can suggest something, is there an easier way to get to the gauge cluster without having to remove the front peice that holds my mirrors/headlight/windscreen?). thanks again for your help, and yeah i'm very serious about this project, it's these obstacles that make me feel good once i've completed the project--not as fun if it's easy

December 23rd, 2008, 01:01 AM	#4
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	check out the DIYs in the new gen tech forum. There are DIYs on how to take the fairings and tank off... I've not had the pleasure of removing the front "nose" piece, but there are many on this site that have. Just ask if you can't find something in the tech forum and I'm sure someone will help you. Take the time to post an introduction in the new riders forum. We're all interested to know more about the members here.

December 23rd, 2008, 11:48 AM	#6
islanderman7 The Sexy Filipino Name: Jordan Location: Bakersfield, Ca Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R 2008 (da black one) Posts: 312	Post pics here if you get this project done. I'm interested.

December 23rd, 2008, 10:38 PM	#9
keyvan NinjaPC<[2%]----> Name: keyvan Location: orange county Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): red 09 ninja 250r Posts: 8	A gear indicator would be awesome. Should not be hard to do once everything else has been done. Christmas is take-apart-the-front-end and inspect the guages day...

December 25th, 2008, 09:02 PM	#12
M-Oorb ninjette.org sage Name: Matt Location: South East Florida/Rutgers University Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250r (Fastest Color) Posts: 914	The gear indicator actually looks really nice...anyone have an idea where to get the adapter since that ebay selling is over with?

June 18th, 2009, 09:21 AM	#13
Dameyon Dameyon Name: Damian Location: Barbados Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 R Posts: 4	FOR KKIM: Wondering is a zx-6 guage cluster could fit on the 09 250r...if not how is the best way to fill the gap that would be left when installing those koso guages..

June 18th, 2009, 10:53 AM	#14
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Sorry, Damian... can't help you with that one at all. ...but, welcome to the forum!

June 18th, 2009, 12:44 PM	#15
TnNinjaGirl Ms. Personality Name: CB Location: Murvill, TN Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): Depends on the week you ask Posts: A lot.	Go to a hotrod shop. Have them show you their digital gauge section. Stare in wonderment as all your questions are answered. They should have all of the mechanical to digital conversion pieces you need. You could also probably add a few do-dadds we don't already have like oil pressure, engine temp, coolant temp, intake air temp, etc... Have fun!!

June 19th, 2009, 09:22 AM	#16
Dameyon Dameyon Name: Damian Location: Barbados Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 R Posts: 4	Oh thanks KKIM....i'm glad I found this forum..you guys really know what's going on....I'm gonna have alot of questions for you soon lol...unfortunately I had my first fall so I'm recovering now from a hairline fracture in my foot and two dislocated fingers...the bike got some damage to the left handle bar and the back fin.. insurance is gonna take care of it....so as soon as I get it back ..i had ordered two blue bulbs to install the first thing I'm gonan wana know is how do I change um myself? I think I know where to look to get to um but do I really have to remove the fairing to get to them?

June 19th, 2009, 12:45 PM	#17
TnNinjaGirl Ms. Personality Name: CB Location: Murvill, TN Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): Depends on the week you ask Posts: A lot.	Sorry about the bad news.

June 20th, 2009, 07:50 AM	#18
Dameyon Dameyon Name: Damian Location: Barbados Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250 R Posts: 4	lol thanks TNninja Girl..I've been told it's all part of the game though..I posted pic of how the fingers were lol..I can laugh bout it now but that was some pain..not at the time really was more uncomfortable but the pain comes when the doc's fixing the problem..the injections to numb the hand before he pulled um back into place sigh n then afterwards when it wore off..sigh..