When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Take this as simply discussion and not argumentative:
Theres a good reason why dark background gauges with bright numerals are easiest to see at night. Your pupils are dilated at night and they more easily contrast the bright numerals against a dark background. Think about a single distant light against black darkness. Our eyes are literally designed to see that with greater detail. You can see the bright digits on a gas price sign from half a mile in the night, but not in bright sunlight.
Almost the opposite is true in bright daylight. Pupils constrict in bright conditions. In those conditions the eye is best set up to notice a dark object (black for example) against a light background. Think about a chunk of tire laying on white concrete ahead....youll likely see it much quicker versus a light colored object laying on blacktop in bright sunlight. Its also the reason your eye doc has you read a chart consisting of black letters against a white background in his bright office.
The DD MLX-8414 gauges go into high-contrast mode in bright sunlight. The black numerals against a light background instantly pop out. On mine there is no washout or fading or glare. The high-contrast setting can be set to happen automatically, with the gauges responding to ambient lighting as sensed. It can also be set to off in which case your desired gauge display appearance will not change in bright light.
Totally agree with your comments in regards to not seeing the gauge face when the sun is behind you, could of spent $900 Australian dollars on something better.
well Im in Florida and the weather has been excellent lately and I can tell you there has been zero issue reading these in direct, bright sunlight. Another plus is the elimination of that annoying fogging of the stock gauges.
Agree and it really comes to if someone likes digital numbers or needle pointer preferences isntead.
Really, look at the watch on someone wrist, and will tell you right away if they are digital numbers read out preference, or a hand sweep needle person instead.
With needle pointer gauges, just easy for me to take a quick scan of the needle angle positions to make sure everything in in the clear on the direction they are pointing (without out having to look at the back ground numbers), then not having a back ground reference points and have to do the math in your head with just the number read outs alone. Hence oil pressure or voltage, as long as they are in the correct needle angle range, don't need to be bogged down with the specifics of what they are isntead.
Hence its a a Harley out for a daily ride, and not like a VFR finial approach into Oshkosh without ILS during EAA, that all the specifics come in handy isntead.
I can honestly say Im more traditional in mindset, and I actually like the aesthetics of analog gauges. I wouldve happily never replaced mine except for the (imo) rather average job H-D did with the stock gauges on my 17 and 20 bikes. The needles....no problem picking these up....were about the only useful things for me. The gray-scale readouts telling me things like odometer/trip meter miles, gear selection, fuel miles to empty, tire pressures, and so on....those were basically hard for me to see in bright sunlight, or with reflection on the gauge face. The contrast was lacking and well....I was pretty much disappointed with having to struggle to see the more detailed information I wanted. Im admittedly pickier than heck about the things I depend on and/or replace on my ride. Dropping about $800 into gauges....I did some pretty obsessive research on what I was getting and what I could count on. The result for me is instantly more readability at a glance, and better acquisition of the secondary info that Harley provides the rider. What I have now:
Obviously they arent for everyone, but I think its good for prospective buyers to know what they can expect from these. One other thing to be aware of: Dakota Digital gauges have an anti-reflective face which closely matches the aesthetic of the BOOM GTS screen. Its more of a matte look instead of the glassier look which causes reflection.
Wouldnt the install of these Mark your bike as true mileage unknown because its not the stock odometer reading
Good question.
Im not sure of the procedure, but theres a way to have the odometer reading certified. Same sort of thing as if youd replace a stock gauge for a malfunction or other reason. In my case, I didnt do anything because I installed them with about 50 miles on the odometer. I documented that and let it go.
Wouldnt the install of these Mark your bike as true mileage unknown because its not the stock odometer reading
I dont think so. The mileage is taken from ECU. So, it doesnt matter which Speedo with odometer you plug in, it will grab the information from the computer anyways.
I dont think so. The mileage is taken from ECU. So, it doesnt matter which Speedo with odometer you plug in, it will grab the information from the computer anyways.
newer bikes yes I can see that. But like on the ops bike his odometer reading is stored in odometer you can swap odometer and it would read from it. 14+ bikes yes its stored and sent from Ecu.
newer bikes yes I can see that. But like on the ops bike his odometer reading is stored in odometer you can swap odometer and it would read from it. 14+ bikes yes its stored and sent from Ecu.
Ahhhh ok. I did not know that. Learn something new everyday
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
