Instrumentation - digital or analogue?

[Hillbilly]

What type of speedo/tacho do you prefer on a bike? A lot of the sports bikes now have either a digital speedo with analogue tacho, or both. I personally prefer analogue as I can get a idea of what speed I'm doing at a glance as opposed to reading the digital numbers. OK, it's not as accurate as a digital speedo, but all I need to make sure of is that the needle is under 130. (that's the speed of the traffic flow on the F3)

Here are my favourate layouts on new bikes:

1: Triumph Sprint ST

2: Kawasaki ER6F

3: Suzuki GSX750F

4: Suzuki GS500F

[onearmedbandit]

Don't mind my digital speedo, tell's me exactly what I need to know at a glance, instead of having to also read the increments. Rev. counter however I prefer to be analogue, but in saying that I hardly ever look at that, I just go by the sound and pull from the engine. When it hits the rev limiter it's time to go up a gear.

[SpankMe]

Needs more options for different combinations. Digital speedo is easier to read, but prefer an analogue rev counter next to it.

[Cajun]

after spending last 3 years with a digital speedo when i jump on a bike with out one, bit strange

but rev counter needs ot be analogue.

[James Deuce]

I've got option 2 and I'm happy, though the digital speedo/analogue rev counter of the R6 was much easier to read at a glance.

[Indiana_Jones]

I prefer analouge to digital, but it doesn't make any difference really to me.

The digital Rev counter on the FXR is pretty cool.

-Indy

[Squeak the Rat]

Those ER6-f dials look the biz.....:whistle: I've ridden digital but not owned one. Based on the limited experience I prefer dials except for when going really fast and needing an accurate glance reading (which doesn't happen that much)....

IMHO I reckon digital dials don't age as well due to the bigger technological advancements every year.

[Toaster]

A mixture can look great. Mines got a bit of both with an analogue speedo with a digital odo and tacho.

[imdying]

Don't mind my digital speedo, tell's me exactly what I need to know at a glance, instead of having to also read the increments. Rev. counter however I prefer to be analogue+1 on that :yes:

[N4CR]

i'm on the fence. went from ****gogue to digital and in some ways like digital beign eassier to glance at as said above it's not as cool as having a bike with a 320kmh speedo :) people go look at mine and ask where speedo is.. it's inside the display above ****ogue rev counter. don't like 04 zx10 with digital revs hard to read.

i love busa layouts.. esp turbo ones. that move needles faster than usual.... revs rise and the speed just buries into the 340 notch.. looks amaing revs/speedo turning almost same speed haha. check gr1 turbo hayabusa run for what i mean.

on the zxr250 you know when the speedo in corner of your eye was pointing noirth she was screaming and you were flying 140+.. looked cool.

digital you have to look at to get speed ****ogue you can sorta get a feel for it, real good when ya riding on tank or something.

[merv]

The digital Rev counter on the FXR is pretty cool.

-Indy

I'm happy with either having had both with cars and bikes.

However, the FXR tell me if I'm wrong but doesn't it have an electronic rev counter that displays a pseudo analogue type picture i.e. its not displaying digits as such? So would we call that digital just coz its being driven digitally?

[RC1]

never had a digital dash so cant comment on which is better but i tend not to look at the speedo to much just listening and feeling what the bike is doing you can usually roughly tell what speed your doing imho. :innocent:

[Deviant Esq]

Of the above images I like the Kwaka's clocks the best, although the GS500s are okay too. I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to that kind of thing, I prefer the simple yet effective, easy to read, functional but stylish in an understated kind of way that analogue has. Had digital before, not so keen on it. Not really from an accuracy or ease of use standpoint, just don't really like the way it looks.

*Shrug* :blink:

[Back Fire]

tacho I prefer analogue display... just more fun to watch... the speedo I dont care either way aslong as I can read it

[Flyingpony]

I like analogue but digital is good too, provided they're designed well.

The FXR digital rev counter & speedo work very good. I like it.

Fuel gauge how ever, should be analogue, the FXR is accurate to 1/4 tank which isn't good enough.

[-df-]

Needs more options for different combinations. Digital speedo is easier to read, but prefer an analogue rev counter next to it.

+1 on that, I hate digital rev counters like on the 04 ZX10R but love seeing the digital speedo count up

[ArcherWC]

My Aprillia has Analogue Rev Counter and Digital speedo.... Perfect...... :-)

[jim.cox]

What type of speedo/tacho do you prefer on a bike?

All analog - like this....

[vifferman]

I want a digital data display that shows the important information in a mixture of analogue, bar graphs, pie charts, cartoons, various colours, and digits. And by crikey, I'm going to have one! #2 Son and I have one on the drawing boards - stay tuned (same place, same Bat-channel...)

[robertydog]

Ive got the didital speedo and i reckon its a bit easier to maintain the right speed. But i luv the analogue rev counter as which is perfect on the R1

[xwhatsit]

I'm happy with either having had both with cars and bikes.

However, the FXR tell me if I'm wrong but doesn't it have an electronic rev counter that displays a pseudo analogue type picture i.e. its not displaying digits as such? So would we call that digital just coz its being driven digitally?

Nup, it would be an analogue display. People use the word `digital' incorrectly these days -- strictly speaking, digital refers to the use of digits. So instead of a circuit being analogue -- the processes inside the circuit representing the outside inputs proportionally and in the same manner -- the circuit is digital because it represents those inputs in digits (base 2, not decimal, usually, inside an electronic circuit).

Analogue refers to the fact it is an `analogous' representation of the data at hand. FXR150's rev counter is in fact not digital, as the data is not represented in digits but in an analogous fashion to what the engine is doing -- the faster the engine turns, the wider the bar gets on the screen.

Can you believe I had an entire lecture on this nomenclature? Amazing how that bullshit sticks in your head.

[Blairos]

The Bandit has my preferred mix - Analogue RPM, and Digital "everything else"

[Indiana_Jones]

I like analogue but digital is good too, provided they're designed well.

The FXR digital rev counter & speedo work very good. I like it.

Fuel gauge how ever, should be analogue, the FXR is accurate to 1/4 tank which isn't good enough.

yea, the fuel gague is bollocks on the FXR, I just take a peek or tap the side.

-Indy

[phoenixgtr]

yea, the fuel gague is bollocks on the FXR, I just take a peek or tap the side.

-Indy

Mine tells me I've got about 1/4 tank less than I actually have until I've been moving for a while at which point it corrects itself and is pretty accurate.

[megageoff76]

Ive had both and I prefer analouge...I just find it easier to glance at the needle rather than trying to read a number. If its pointing to 9 o'clock it means im doing 100 or there abouts.

[Indiana_Jones]

Mine tells me I've got about 1/4 tank less than I actually have until I've been moving for a while at which point it corrects itself and is pretty accurate.

Yea, I noticed that too. Says u have like 1/4 left, then it goes upto to 1/2 after you've been riding for a few mins

-Indy

[avgas]

I prefer analog everything, but i WILL NOT EVER buy a bike with a digital tacho......its just wrong, like the 80's.

[Quartermile]

Yea, I noticed that too. Says u have like 1/4 left, then it goes upto to 1/2 after you've been riding for a few mins

Yea It's like the tank has to get warmed up.

I've just got a GSXRR250 and that has analouge but I prefer the digital speedo and analouge tacho,

but my FXR's speedo was out so maybe analouge is best.

[rwh]

I've never had a digital speedo or tach, but it seems to me that analogue is much better than digital for glancing at, especially when it's moving fast (ie rapid acceleration). It should also have 100 km/h and redline revs at the top, so they're easy to spot.

I dispute the assumption in point 2 as well - digital is not inherently more accurate than analogue. In fact, it's only accurate when you happen to be doing an integral number of km/h; the rest of the time it's up to 1 km/h out. Analogue will show you those fractions. It may still be wrong, of course, but that's not the fault of the display technology.

Richard

[What?]

Nomenclature aside, I can't see any reason why a digital speedo would be any more accurate than an analogue one - it's all down to calibration (not to mention tyre diameter).
Can't beat analogue gauges for quick-glance reading. I read once (probably ~20 years ago when digital speedo's were a very trick item) that this was the finding of some university study.

[scumdog]

Analogue every time - easier to read at a glance plus on a motorcycle analogue is easier to read when the sun is over your shoulder shining on the guages and your wearing sunnies.:yes: digital almost impossible to see quickly them - if at all!!:nono:

[Hillbilly]

To be fair, and as I didn't include it in the poll, here are some examples of Digital and Combo instruments.

1. Yamaha XT600X

2. Cagiva Xtra Raptor

3. Hyosung GT250R

4. Yamaha FZ-6S

5. Benelli Tornado RS

[Flyingpony]

Yea, I noticed that too. Says u have like 1/4 left, then it goes upto to 1/2 after you've been riding for a few mins

-Indy

That's right. Just after starting the engine, mine would indicate 1/2 tank and then move up to 3/4 tank. If I were to tank now, I'd get 6L of petrol in - that's approximately half-a-tank from top to reserve.

Interestingly, once you start getting in towards the empty (reserve) tank zone, the granularity of the display increases, why they not to it for the rest? :spudwhat:

I've never managed to hit reserve! Have always chickened out at about 400km :innocent: even though I know there's at least 100km worth of fuel left over ... :dodge: ... before she runs totally dry.

[Flyingpony]

Analogue every time - easier to read at a glance plus on a motorcycle analogue is easier to read when the sun is over your shoulder shining on the guages and your wearing sunnies.:yes: digital almost impossible to see quickly them - if at all!!:nono:
Analogue are very easy to read though I've not had any sun strike problems.

And, the trip meter won't get RESET if the battery were to be disconnected or didn't quite have enough juice to start the engine and therefore cause the ignition module to run through it's power on cycle.

With analogue you have to push the reset button which might be a problem if there are children around. "What's this do Daddy?" ... click ...

[pzkpfw]

I like my Z750S with it's digitally controlled analogue dials.

(Servo motors).

Fast and accurate but easy to read.

I just wish there was a "range" option for the speedo.

It's nice to see my bike can (in theory) go to X km/h but normally I'm between 0 to 100 so it's a pain that 100 km/h is just a quarter or so of the range of dial movement.

Wouldn't be hard (as it's all computer contolled) to have a button to switch the speedo from 0 - 150 range to 0 - 300 (or whatever).

Cheers,

[Motu]

I drive a heap of vehicles a day with all kinds of dashes,I don't really care.

I find it's hard to stick to a speed with a digital speedo,you can't ''hold'' 50kph,the numbers just tumble up and down,it doesn't matter if a needle goes up or down a point.For that reason I don't think you'll ever see a digital tacho,who's going to watch numbers tumble up to 12,479rpm....a digital tach will always be displayed as anologue.My NX Coupe has a digital dash,and like Sumdog says,it gets put out by sunlight....I have to block off the sun with my hand to read it,never happens with any anologue dashes.My DT230 has a digital dash....I don't mind the speedo as I don't look at it much and there is no tacho - but the multi function with twin trip meters and another display to find the odo a bit of a pain.I'm always pushing a wrong button and erassing my figures,not good on an adventure ride.Old guys shouldn't ride modern bikes I guess...

[Biff]

Gidital - it's easier to read at a glance IMO, especially if your bikes vibrating like a Welsh chicks knickers. (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=42684)

[Beemer]

The Goose would look a tad odd with a digital, although it does have an add-on - a digital watch without the strap as it has no clock!

[Street Gerbil]

Digital MFD (speedo, temp, fuel gauge, odo, etc.)
Analogue rev counter.
Got the same combination on my cage (not by choice) but managed to get used to it.

[scumdog]

The Goose would look a tad odd with a digital, although it does have an add-on - a digital watch without the strap as it has no clock!

Me too!
A $2 Shop item, sealed with silicone sealer and hot-glued to the steering head.l

[Grub]

Digital .....

It's all Nasty's fault, she had an FXR150. Now I've sold the car for $1 and have a bike.

The FXR's instrumentation is great .... like a fuel guage and everything. The graphics are easier to read than the CBR where I find the distraction of having to look down and left for the speedo is just too dangerous .... so I don't look at it :)

Brett

[Beemer]

Me too!
A $2 Shop item, sealed with silicone sealer and hot-glued to the steering head.l

My eyesight isn't as sharp as it was, so I paid $20 for one from K Mart with a really large digital display, and mine is on velcro - another bit of velcro glued to the top of the fork head and bob's your uncle! I can take it off when it rains (although it's waterproof), when the people hanging around look dodgy, or to change the battery. Works well too, the vibration hasn't affected it.

[Quartermile]

Digital .....

It's all Nasty's fault, she had an FXR150. Now I've sold the car for $1 and have a bike.

The FXR's instrumentation is great .... like a fuel guage and everything. The graphics are easier to read than the CBR where I find the distraction of having to look down and left for the speedo is just too dangerous .... so I don't look at it :)

Brett


I find the FXR's a pain in the ass to read the tacho on and like pony said the fuel gauge is out and so was the speedo on mine

[dawnrazor]

wheres the option for both, analogue rev counter, digital speedo blah blahblah

[JayRacer37]

I race a bike with a totally digital set-up - what a pain in the arse! At least it's got a shift-light, but you can't tell where in the rev's you actually are. The dash is the only thing in the Kawasaki I don't like.

[pritch]

Couldn't vote in the poll. The Hornet had instrumentation that was analogue in appearance but, I'm informed, was in fact digital.

I prefer an arrangement where you can see the needles at 12 O'clock in peripheral vision when they indicate a good speed and the meat of the torque curve. A digital speedo looks a bit too much like another computer game...