Problem: seeing the speedo/tach digits at night/evening

[Tx Bohemian]

Maybe it's the age thing but I have a hard time seeing the needle and the digits on the speedo and tach once the sun goes down, basically at night.

All the lights are lit up (or so I think) but I just can't see what number the needle is pointing at.  I think it's due to the white face and the light blue numbers on the face. Plus the numbers are small. (and at 53 my eyesite isn't what it used to be)

I did a quick search but didn't find anything like different faces and/or needles that I could replace the factory stuff with.

Does anyone know if there is anything out there like that (replacement faces) short of replacing the complete speedo/tach?

[98valk]

http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Improving_Indicator_Light_Visi/improving_indicator_light_visi.html


should have been this link

http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Instrument_Lights/instrument_lights.html

[Patrick]

How about changing the bulbs to either #158[3.3w] or #194[3.9w].. #168[4.9w] will also work but develops an awful lot of heat..

[X Ring]

http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Improving_Indicator_Light_Visi/improving_indicator_light_visi.html

CA, these aren't what the o.p. is asking about.  These instructions are for the lights in the headlight shell not the indicators in the gauges.  Tx, you could try to find the earlier gauges which use orange light plus increase the brightness of the bulbs.

Marty

[98valk]

updated

http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/Instrument_Lights/instrument_lights.html

[John Schmidt]

It doesn't show them as good as they actually are in person, but you can see/read them in any light. I did it mostly to match the blue LED backlighting on the small gauges. Looks really neat at night.

[John Schmidt]

OK dear! I found some license plate mounting bolts at Advance Auto Parts that have the LED's in the center. You can get them just about anywhere and various colors. Then I simply mounted and wired them into the headlight bucket, used a source that only comes on with the key but don't recall which wire it was just now. Easy enough to figure out though. The attached picture shows work in progress for the mounting. I had some thin SS angle scrap metal and cut, drilled, and ground them to the shape you see. I used a piece of SS tubing to cut a spacer large enough to allow them to clear the gauges. Initially the light was too concentrated and only lit up the center of the large gauges, so I just smeared a dab of clear RTV on the end of the LED bulb and it diffused the light enough to flood the entire gauge face. As you can see, it's a clean installation/look, and I've hade them on there for a couple years at least.

[Jack B]

I have a mint green & black 98 tourer and my light is green, on the other posts one said he had blue and another said orange. So are the color of the lights match the bike mmmm then a black bike would have a black light ?? but those are so fast they don't need any light.....   

[BF]

"Tx, you could try to find the earlier gauges which use orange light plus increase the brightness of the bulbs."


What earlier models?  I have a '97 red & white standard with a serial number of 383.  That's about as early as it gets.....and it has the green numerals. 

I have however, seen a video of a Valk (it was black, but I'm not sure model/year) on youtube that did indeed have the orange numerals. 

Are there model or year specific Valks that do have the orange speedo and tach?  Do they have a different part number than the green ones?

I'd love to be able to source a set if I can find them. 

[Redline +]

"Tx, you could try to find the earlier gauges which use orange light plus increase the brightness of the bulbs."


What earlier models?  I have a '97 red & white standard with a serial number of 383.  That's about as early as it gets.....and it has the green numerals. 

I have however, seen a video of a Valk (it was black, but I'm not sure model/year) on youtube that did indeed have the orange numerals. 

Are there model or year specific Valks that do have the orange speedo and tach?  Do they have a different part number than the green ones?

I'd love to be able to source a set if I can find them. 

My black/red '02 has the orange.

Redline  

[Colin]

I am pretty sure my 1996 has orange too (it is in pieces at the moment so I cannot confirm).

[MP]

I believe the early ones were green, then switched to orange.

[Ferris Leets]

It doesn't show them as good as they actually are in person, but you can see/read them in any light. I did it mostly to match the blue LED backlighting on the small gauges. Looks really neat at night.

So how did you get them to be that bright?

[John Schmidt]

It doesn't show them as good as they actually are in person, but you can see/read them in any light. I did it mostly to match the blue LED backlighting on the small gauges. Looks really neat at night.

So how did you get them to be that bright?

Which are you referring to....the small gauges or the OEM? The small ones come that bright, they have blue LED internal backlighting. For the large ones, see my photo above showing how the lights are mounted. The blue LED in the license plate bolts are very bright and I just aimed them at the face of the gauges, the beam lights them up like that.

[Ferris Leets]

I see now. 

[houstone]

Light can't keep up with the fast black, which is why they are!
 

[Tx Bohemian]

Light can't keep up with the fast black, which is why they are!
 

Well, that explains it!  My bike is black, thanks!!

Now that I think of it, that may be why all the chrome on the front forks is peeling too, I thought it was just a bad plating job!!

[John Schmidt]

Yup, I had the same problem with those blue LED's. My bike is black as well and without the addition of the fairing they kept washing out. I guess the fairing slowed the wind down enough so the light could catch up. 

[X Ring]

My '97 had orange gauge lighting