Gear Indicator Install

[ClassicVW_imp]

Someone please tell me how a gear indicator is a useful piece of equipment that will either keep you safer or make you a better rider? It's just another farkle, admit it.

[emptysea]

How does having one make you a "poser" and more important...who cares?

An analogy: I happen to think that the 6th gear is a "farkle" by your definition. I don't need it, it doesn't make me a better rider or keep me safer. However, I don't care if someone else loves the 6th gear. I'm not smart for not wanting it and they're not stupid for wanting it.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I unashamedly love my gear indicator. Even if I fail to look at it on occasion. The fact that Classic thinks it superfluous makes me giggle with delight.

[ClassicVW_imp]

How does having one make you a "poser" and more important...who cares?

An analogy: I happen to think that the 6th gear is a "farkle" by your definition. I don't need it, it doesn't make me a better rider or keep me safer. However, I don't care if someone else loves the 6th gear. I'm not smart for not wanting it and they're not stupid for wanting it.

BTW- I also think the 6th gear is unnecessary. I never said anyone was stupid for wanting something or not wanting something. I just feel the gear indicator is a cute farkle, nothing more. The time you spend looking at it is more time you're not looking at the road. And what does it matter if the indicator reads 3,4,5 or 13? Are you going to let it decide what gear you should ride in? I think not. The type of road and your speed and whether you may be needing to speed up or maybe slow down is what tells you what gear to be in. If you're in a safe speed and gear combination, you'll feeel it, you shouldn't be looking at a readout to help you.

[emptysea]

"Now, don't get me started on the stupid gear indicator. All right, so nobody got me started....but here goes....Real motorcyclists don't need no stinkin gear indicator! Posers need a gear indicator!"

I guess that, technically, you didn't call the person who likes the gear indicator stupid, but it is an easy inference to make. Similarly, it could be easily inferred that you think anyone who likes the gear indicator is a poser. Frankly, this is all semantics, but I tend to be a little thin-skinned about people's statements that, intentionally or otherwise, judge another person's intellect or taste about something when they should simply state that they don't care for the thing. People do that with music and food all the time and it drives me up the wall. "Sushi is gross" instead of "I don't care for sushi". "Country music is terrible" instead of "I prefer Ska". When you say that gear indicators are stupid, you are making a judgement about those who like them. If you had said "I don't find them useful", you would simply be stating something about YOUR preference. So, that is a long-winded and convoluted apology for my misinterpreting your posts on this subject.

Let's look for common ground....anyone who doesn't see the value of RLETs is definitely stupid, right?

[gossman_imp]

This is getting pretty grumpy, unusual for what I consider the nicest forum on the 'net.

[ClassicVW_imp]

MTC, if you'd dare to quote my entire paragraph, maybe someone could then explain it to you that I was having some fun. Sorry if my calling an add-on a farkle offends you. Yes, I think it's a farkle. Yes, I think it adds no usefulness to the bike. But neither do RLETs and yet I've posted that I've installed them and I think they are great. Am I calling myself stupid? You are inferring way too much with regard to my comment and you keep trying to stretch things to say that I am calling people stupid. I want you to stop saying that.

And furthermore, you go on a paragraph long rant against me and then at the very end you call it a convoluted apology? No thank you.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

This is getting pretty grumpy, unusual for what I consider the nicest forum on the 'net.

Mind your business gossman! This is just getting good!

I'm kidding, of course. Some people (I Classic won't mention VW names) have strong opinions and aren't afraid to express them. The poser comment I took as nothing more than a jab made in fun. The idiots comment I took as nothing more than a strong opinion against the need for a gear indicator that could and probably should have been worded differently. It's just that I'm so comfortable in my choices of what I like or find necessary or find useless, that someone else's strongly voiced opinion to the contrary is, at most, amusing.

Let's all hug it out. What do you say? Unless, of course, someone is going to talk smack about RLETs. In which case, it's on like Donkey Kong!

[gossman_imp]

If Honda wanted me to have a gear indicator on my '13 they would have done so! It's only for the sissies that came along later that they had to add it. When I was a kid I use have to KICKSTART my GT550 and it was on the wrong side! Kids these days.....

[AllenM_imp]

I just read Chip Beck's post about his recent long distant trip at speeds of around 85 and how a 6th gear could be helpful. So, I can see where a 6th gear would be desired based on your riding needs. http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4945