'97 CBR900 and fitting of the F4i gauges

[Bry]

Sometimes when you look over the internet, thinking about a cool project you find something that interests you.

Well this time it was the mod for the F4i gauges, the original thread has all the info you want but if you've a '96 / '97 nutting out what I needed took a lot of trawling. Hopefully the mods won't mind another thread, but dedicated to these years as a lot of the info was for the '98. Think the idea of the upgrade is great, and having a clock is motivation to do it alone! (won't be forced to write myself a speeding infringement in the school zone.... )

Was able to score a s/h F4i unit from the wreckers and when I asked if he had any '97 female plugs of the speedo, he handed me a damaged '97 complete panel that the mounts had been broken off and asked me to return what I didn't use! AWESOME!



Set about stripping the plugs off the old '97 and identifying all the wiring, I'm going to put a mudmap of the wiring in a later post, I'm not very good with the graphics will draw and put on later, hopefully then, those with this series can then just put x wire there to here and that's it.

Powered up the F4i gauges, it lives!!!



Made up the template for it, I know, I know... corrugated cardboard is NOT the designers choice of material, but it was there, and cutting the Corn flakes box was -apparently- out of the question.
The evolution began....



2 1/2 hours later......



The final template.. the others never mentioned anything about the levels, but the gauges sit at another angle in respect to the mounting. I'd have lost hair, if I had any!

Quick shot from the top showing in and mounted in situ, you can see a bend in the cardboard, it's not important at the moment but what I was trying to show, is that the top bolt sits 9mm higher than the bottom ones, I'm using the original top bolt/grommets and bushing from the original speedo and bushing the bottom two with a hollow piece of alu and a washer between it and the bottom of the original bush to mount the platform flat, and screwing the new gauges into that.



Haven't seen many of the US guys with the HISS light? Our model had it and it's on the White/red trace with, -ve switched. I'm going to hook the Laserline alarm I've already fitted into it, certainly will make it look more integrated.



Tommorow, the hardware shop to find some 3-4mm plastic sheeting to make the proper mount, and Monday to order a '98 temp gauge. (37750-KV3-951).

When I got the toy it was an import with a MPH gauges, I fitted an metric unit and worked out how to set the odo to the correct mileage, and had purchased a V4 speedo healer, never used the healer, so it'll get fitted to work with this update!

It'll need the RRzone gauge face as well (Jawhn?), kudo's to all the guys who took time to put all the info out there!

More to come....

[lambchops]

Looks great, nice write up also

[Bry]

Thanx Lamb,

Next part...

Went and found some perspex, ended up reshaping mount slightly...



Unsure if it helps people, if I scan this will people be able to print to size? If so I'll attach, might make someone else's day easier.

(btw, I friggin LURV step drills! )

Holes drilled to size, rubbers in and I made some spacers by cutting a flat screen TV wall mounting bolt spacer in half! Sadly the washers look cruddy, why is it when you're making something and you've got shiny stuff to use, the stuff that fits came off a washing machine?

Picture of the bits next to each other.



Lastly, fitted to bike, with spacers.



Ordered a smaller plug to run the constant 12V and LED drive today so thats a few days off, fired up on the center stand with the gauges connected, at 3K revs I was doing 4Km/h. So the speedo healers going in next.

[jawhn]

... It'll need the RRzone gauge face as well (Jawhn?), kudo's to all the guys who took time to put all the info out there! ...

Yeah, I don't get on here as much any more... (Whoa, the look of the site completely changed in the past week!!!) Saw your Paypal payment, and am mailing them out tomorrow. Sorry about the delay.

[Bry]

Great Jawhn! I started monkeying with the gauges, although it's negative switched for the HISS LED the module has to have ignition feed to enable this. So unless they've hardwired your bike, the LED won't work as an alarm fitted indicator.

So I took the gauges apart and took the tacho out, having a solder sucker from the prior trade's damn handy.

I cut the traces (copper lines) to the LED solder point and direct wired the White w/red and White w/blue as LED feed for the alarm and it can drive it directly, as neither are used in the current setup and saved having to run extra leads.
(ps it's not shorted, just haven't cleaned the flux off yet )



Figured as the LED sits proud, see below, I'll hole punch in the face I get from Jawhn and I'll be able to retain the LED, won't have the little key symbol obviously, but that's no biggie..



Lastly for your constant feed for the gauges I tapped into where the key switch takes it feed from under the RHS panel. Plain red is your constant 12V, just need to put a 2A blade fuse spliced to this. You could tap into the female plug that sits on top, but if you ever disconnect the ignition, you're then cutting and resoldering again...



Just waiting on bits now.....

[Bry]

So I got some time after nightshifts...

First the wiring as it relates to running the original 900's plugs with the F4i wiring fitted.



Got the speedo healer out of the packet.



Found where the sensor comes up by the left hand side near the airbox



Used the Honda patch lead kit (SH - H01) and patched in.



Mounted the unit under the passenger seat, it's that friggin simple. Followed the instructions and set at a postive 380% for the time, until I can get an accurate reading.
You can hook in a second wire with a small microswitch that allows for top speed recall, but frankly, I'll only worry about that when the officer shows me the laser...



So now, back to waiting for parts... 'spose I should fit the water pump cover and the fork seals... having more fun monkeying with this!

[lambchops]

Nice job! I hate waiting for parts sucks doesnt it

[Bry]

Got a fantastic package today, thanx Jahwn!

So I had dinner with gauges, got the forks out to take the needle off...



At it became!




Fused the constant,



And taa - daa! Fitted,



Might have picked up it's slightly empty, replacing forks seals and steering head bearings... one thing after another.
I'll put up the piccies of the temp install and that's it, the gauge looks awesome, I might experiment with another cbr 600 gauge face panel, you can buy em off eBay, and chop the guts out of it to light up the "CBR900" bit individually. But very stoked with the results.

[lambchops]

They look great! I need to post some pics of mine fitted with Jawhn's gauge faces, very impressed with them have to say. Did you remove the old face or just stick the new one over the old?

[Bry]

Yeah I stuck over the original as the needle stop and the original face are wider, if anything I'm 1/2mm out on alignment and the tacho numbers are slightly blurred with night light.

Hence my idea for one of these...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Face-Gaug...item3f13d2f378

and then carve the entire number section out but leave the plastic around the temp and the needle area, then attach the other face that Jawhn was nice enough to send.

If I do I'll post up..

[Bry]

Forgot to add this, final shot of the backet, 3 coats of satin black on the perspex after being sanded. Worked a treat.

[Bry]

The last bit, been busy with the rest of the bike, sorting out butchered fork seals and headstem bearings so the final bit took awhile but today!

Started removing this...



Found the temp sensor, hidden behind the feed pipe on the thermostat housing..



I remembered the warnings about the sensor, I handled it like my wife..... it snapped! SONOFABITCHMUTHAF******..... or something less gentile was offered.

So off with the carbs, and out with the ezy outs, bit of tapping here, a LOT of swearing there and the sensor was out!



Fitted the new one, reassembled and started.

Then I freaked....

The sensor read "--", What could I have done? Did I forget to connect something? Had I wired the plug incorrectly? Was I cursed? Should I not park the Honda next to the R12GS?

As the bike idled and I scratched my head, it started to read at 35c, Fan cuts in at 100C.

Turns out it starts reading there... thank heavens!

So I wheeled the GS back...

Took it out for a test run with the trusty Garmin GPS, 14Km/h at 100 km/H actual! So I ended up programming the speedohealer for 619.3% So I had a 5km/h slower than actual reading.
Really pleased with the look, not having the wider gauge assy there isn't a problem and looks factory. Big ups to Jawhn and the original posters this is a top mod!

[lambchops]

haha yeah have to watch the -- bet that would have worried you, the 98 does that anyway so I was expecting it, just a case of waiting that 30 - 60 secs for it to start reading

Nice job you have done there well done, cant wait to try mine on the road when the bike is finally all finished.

[x10ded97RR]

nice! i have one of jawhns original brackets along with the faces. i have yet to wire in the constant 12v source for the clock so it resets every time i shut the bike off lol. i've got the fairings off to be prepped/painted so i plan on cleaning up the harness cuz it looks kinda bulky to me. my bike is a 97 but luckily it has a 98 motor so no need to change the temp sensor

[Bry]

Last thing that was irking me... The odo was out. I wanted it to be right, I got the power drill out set the speedo healer to +5000% and found a bolt with a 12mm head and sat there doing 290K's, over that it seems to stop counting properly.

Having a past as a tech helped, I whipped out the digital oscilloscope, measured what the pulse height and frequency ranges where, dialled it up on the bench pulse generator, hooked up the 'scope and went and made a coffee..... going to take a few hours to get the reading right but what the hell...



Probablt the only time it'll ever see those speeds with me!

Lucky with the 98 motor too... they're damn delicate sensors to get out.

[Rompenalga]

Hi! How can I order stuff from Jawhn? I want to do the conversion myself and want to start ordering all the parts first before I get started. I have a 97 and was wondering if I can get a consolidated list of all that is needed to get this done. Thanks for your help.

Rompe

[Bry]

Everything I used I posted about, the bracket you have to fabricate, as to Jawhn, send a PM, that's what I did.
Main item is the gauges, you can cut and shut the plug from your old gauges to the 600 gauge if you don't get another set of 900 gauges like I did, and of course the speedo healer and the temp sensor.

Then a bit of patience and time.

[Rompenalga]

Thanks! I guess I'll get the gauges first. As far a the bracket; are those the acual measurements in the picture? I am going to try and print it and the work from there. If I change the gauge face, Will I need to do anything special other than just taking the needle out? I am trying to avoid calibrating stuff.

[lildad90]

addition of clock is totally worth this mod. I have a 98 so i wouldnt need to worry about temp sensor, but what exactly is the speedo healer?

[maaak928]

An adjustable device that modifies the signal from the front sprocket pick up and allows for the speedometer to display the actual speed. Without it, the speedometer reading is rather erroneous.