'06 Instrumentation

[Constant Mesh]

For those that have seen an '06 at one of the shows --

Is the instrumentation chrome surround fashioned from plastic or metal? I assume it's polished aluminum.

Is there a shift light in the LCD readout area? In a photo I've seen of a non-USA instrument panel there appears to be an amber/yellow LED shift light in the lower right area of the LCD display.

 

[twowheelnut]

Plastic. To the left of the time display is the gear indicator.

 

[Vulcan]

I don't like the the look of the new dash at all but I am jealous of the gear indicator as well as the real time MPG.

 

[Constant Mesh]

What's in the black unlit area inset just above the clock display? On the non-USA (kph speedo) models there appears to be an amber/yellow LED there.

Why would Yamaha have omitted this feature from the USA models?

 

[gRed04]

What's in the black unlit area inset just above the clock display? On the non-USA (kph speedo) models there appears to be an amber/yellow LED there.
Why would Yamaha have omitted this feature from the USA models?

I believe that is where the "safe to downshift" light goes for the AE.

 

[radman]

What's in the black unlit area inset just above the clock display?  On the non-USA (kph speedo)  models there appears to be an amber/yellow LED there.
Why would Yamaha have omitted this feature from the USA models?

Thats the "wrong oil installed" lamp. Red for anything but YamiOil.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

I wonder if the temp gauge has the same number of bars as the pre06 models. If not, heat discussions will be more messed up than they already are :lol:

 

[Warchild]

My biggest objection to the '06 instruments is they way they dorked up the speedometer sweep. Look what they have done: the numbers are so close together, there is only a 90-degree sweep between 0-mpg and 70-mph.. that's a bit too constrained, IMO.

 

[radman]

My biggest objection to the '06 instruments is they way they dorked up the speedometer sweep. Look what they have done: the numbers are so close together, there is only a 90-degree sweep between 0-mpg and 70-mph.. that's a bit too constrained, IMO.

Being somewhat visually challenged (gave up on tri-focals), the speedo on Frank (05) wins no contests either. But I agree-you have a 360 degree dial-use it.

 

[mjacks]

Aesthetically I like the 06 over the previous generation and I can't comment on functionality of either since I don't own and haven't owned an FJR and haven't received the 06 yet.

I think the finish and design of the 06 just looks more elegant and refined. I was pleasantly surprised to see it after I had ordered my 06 and I would have still ordered it even if they hadn't changed it. I also like the orange/amber color of the gauges.

I doubt anyone will reject their new FJR over the gauges. :blink:

 

[f1fan]

But I agree-you have a 360 degree dial-use it.

there is only a 90-degree sweep between 0-mpg and 70-mph.. that's a bit too constrained, IMO

I am not sure and I can't really see it in this picture, but Yamaha may have used the space that's left in the speedometer dial for the telltales that were placed underneath the instrument in the previous versions.

 

[markjenn]

Is the instrumentation chrome surround fashioned from plastic or metal? I assume it's polished aluminum.

Looks like gen-u-win faux alum plastic to me. I'd be very surprised if it's metal.

- Mark

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Being somewhat visually challenged (gave up on tri-focals), the speedo on Frank (05) wins no contests either. But I agree-you have a 360 degree dial-use it.

+1 (sorta) I'm NOT particularly visually challenged (although I do wear contacts), but I have a hell of a time reading the speedo on my '04 at a glance. I have to really focus on it to read it. Thank goodness I don't care all that much how fast I'm going. Seems like the illumination is too dim to me, and the numbers are a bit on the small side. If the speedo were as easy to read as the tacho, I'd be ok. Makes me miss the digital readout from my R1.

 

[markjenn]

Being somewhat visually challenged (gave up on tri-focals), the speedo on Frank (05) wins no contests either.  But I agree-you have a 360 degree dial-use it.

+1 (sorta) I'm NOT particularly visually challenged (although I do wear contacts), but I have a hell of a time reading the speedo on my '04 at a glance. I have to really focus on it to read it. Thank goodness I don't care all that much how fast I'm going. Seems like the illumination is too dim to me, and the numbers are a bit on the small side. If the speedo were as easy to read as the tacho, I'd be ok. Makes me miss the digital readout from my R1.

Wouldn't it be cool if they'd designed a speedo that works like the altimeters in airliners?

For analog, you make a complete 360-deg revolution equal 100 mph. This gives you more than 35 degrees of rotation for each 10 mph, compared to paltry 15 degrees they're giving us now. Make the face simple too, with just 0, 10, 20, etc. with tic marks at the halfway 5 mph points. Big fat needles, big markings, so the thing is readable at a glance.

The speedo would "wrap around" so 110 mph would just start around again to read 10.

To clue you whether you're going 10 mph or 110 mph (like you can't tell otherwise), you'd have a digital readout in the center of the analog gauge.

This is the sort of new-thinking instrumentation that would have me trading my bike for a new one in a heartbeat, not some silly faux al bezel and more gradations in the temp gauge. Let's get some substance rather than style.

- Mark

 

[turbodave_98]

what Dangerous Dave said +1 and amen. can't stand that darn screen on my 05. Nearly impossible for me to read as I am extremely far sighted.

 

[gRed04]

I would rather have a digital readout myself.

I would agree that it seems a bit small. It seems it would be hard to accurately tell what speed you are going at a glance.

 

[Geezer]

I thought I'd prefer analog gauges so that I could see the rate of change in speed better. That seems more important with the tach than the speedo though. Anyway, I changed my mind when I got an old Cadillac with a digital speedo. Digital is much easier and faster to read and I don't like to take my eye off the road for very long when riding the bike. I still think analog is the way to go for the tach.

 

[SpikeON]

This is a picture of the dash lit up. Beside the light in the LCD screen it does say SHIFT. Though I don't know if it is for downshifting or not!

I agree with warchild in that they should have used more of the sweep to indicate the low end speed. I don't think they need to tell us we are going faster than 200 km per hour. At that speed you would not have time to take your eyes of the road. Fast is fast. For the speed demons they could have put a fastest speed readout in the LCD area. Kind of like the way a GPS unit does.

IMO anyway

Dave

 

[Windjammer]

What's in the black unlit area inset just above the clock display? On the non-USA (kph speedo) models there appears to be an amber/yellow LED there.
Why would Yamaha have omitted this feature from the USA models?

That one's easy: USA riders are intelligent, independent thinkers who already KNOW when to shift. It's only the socialist countries that need a shift light.

Heeheeheeheeheeheeheehee......sorry man, you left the door open!