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[JCZ]

I probably will install it myself, I really want the functionality.

[Twolanerider]

I don't know if the 04 and 05 instruments are different as described above or not.  I just know that it's not really a close match to the instruments on my 05.  In and of itself that's one issue.  But I was really bugged more by the fact that I'd asked the question on matching appearance before ordering and wasn't told anything.

Perhaps I'm being overly critical.  I don't know.  But when the public history has been one of extended delay ostensibly so a supplier who is "very picky' could get it "just right" and when that supplier then tells you directly that it matches up I'd expected something better.

I called McEwan after seeing the physical difference to ask if the instruments could be disassembled so that a needle off of one might be swapped on to the other.  It was an unlikely alternative but worth a phone call to find out.  In that conversation describing the dissatisfaction with the needle's appearance he offered the explanation of "we can't make 'em look exactly the same or Harley would be on us."

It seemed kind of a bail-out answer at the time.  But even if it were a real factor than it was known beforehand.  So when I asked the question about matching appearance before ordering the fact of a difference was known and could have (should have) been supplied.  It's just, quite frankly, a poor presentation of a product by a vendor/manufacturer.

[Jackhd]

I installed and wired Harleys compass. It really works good and everything matches. [smiley=1syellow1.gif]

[Twolanerider]

I installed and wired Harleys compass. It really works good and everything matches. [smiley=1syellow1.gif]

Jack,
You're the first person I've seen mention  the compasses in quite awhile.

[pj57]

Just a thought, but for the perfectionists out there (which includes me) is there any chance that the needle off the air temp gauge could be used as a replacement for the needle on Roger's oil temp gauge?  If so, maybe Roger could install it on an exchange basis.  Send in your air temp gauge, Roger guts it and uses the needle. I don't want to get too crazy over this, but most of us are crazy anyway - so why not see if it's possible?  I personally would be willing to pay Roger extra for the needle swap.  Unfortunately, Roger's comment to Twolane leads me to suspect that there might be legal issues with him installing a HD part (however small) on something he's manufacturing and selling.  PJ  

[Twolanerider]

When he and I were discussing if a swap were possible he said that getting his instrument apart to the point of swapping a needle would "basically wreck" the gauge.  Didn't make it sound like a realistic possibility.  

Another problem with swapping the needle from the air gauge would be that the point at which the stem comes through the stock instrument is different than the point at which the stem comes through the McEwan instrument. So the needle length is different.  And if you shorten one end the balance from the tail won't be right anymore.  So... well, it'd be just a problem......

[WFP]

Just received mine 10 minutes ago...read through everything and examined the pieces.  Nice work but I agree they will look different to the trained eye once on the bike.

Now a sender question...will I be draining the oil to install also, there iare ywo pieces to the sender one threaded into the other...I haven't looked at the bike yet but does the piece with larger diameter threads go in first or at all?

/Bill

[WFP]

The Sender...

[Twolanerider]

Before I finally talked myself out of installing mine (it just wasn't a good enough match for a $30k bike) I had already convinced myself that the installation could wait until the next oil change.  So, yeap, you'll be draining the oil.  

The plug in the pan that it screws in to is close to the drain plug you'd normally use.  It's ID is the OD of the sleeve that came with the sending unit.  That sleeve, however, doesn't have any kind of a hex side to it.  So screw the sending unit in to the sleeve then screw the whole thing in to the pan.  You'll be tightennig them up together.

[mw8385]

My sending unit was all ready assembled. What i did was unscrew the plug untill it was almost out them got the sender ready. I pulled the plug and quickly replaced it with the sender. Lost about 3 or 4 table spoons full. My main problem was getting the plug out. It is lock tighted in and not much room to work.

[WFP]

Thanks for the info!

/Bill

[mr_magoo]

Twolanerider you are the first to say the gauge doesn't match and aren't installing it whats wrong with it??

[Doc]

You may have missed page 5...there was plenty of discussion as to needle match, face, etc.

[Twolanerider]

Twolanerider you are the first to say the gauge doesn't match and aren't installing it whats wrong with it??

Hey Magoo, I'm sure the gauge is well made and would perform flawlessly.  From it's look and from everyone else's descriptions of his prior work I have no real concerns over the quality of the instrument's performance.  And the spun metal face of the gauge is beautiful.  The trouble was that it looks as if all the attention was paid to that face and no one then thought to compare the needles.  It just looks as if it was an afterthought and it's a lot different.

I noticed it immediately upon holding it up against the bike for comparison.  The center stem comes through in a different location than all the other gauges is what first caught my eye.  This makes the nose and tail lengths of the needle different, the center oval is sized a bit differently, and it's a completely different color.

While I had no concern about the functionality or the general appearance of the instrument I finally decided against using it because the comparative appearance just wasn't close to good enough to hang on a $30k bike.  I'd rather use the silly little LED dipstick than be slightly annoyed by the thing everytime I looked at the dash.  And since HD has been offering an oil temp gauge for other applications I'm guessing we'll see one to match the spun metal pieces sometime with the common new product releases in Jan/Feb or late July like they do every year.

[BLM777]

I'm using the LED stick at the moment as several of the HD parts guys I know have advised that oil temp gauges are in the works.  No one knew, however, if the SEEG format would be in the mix.  Seems strange that the 30k plus bikes seem to be waaaay down the priority list on many of the items.