Instruments are one of the features on bike that often don’t give that much thought to. However, I think it is time we gave a shout out to one of the more under appreciated aspects of a motorcycle: The clocks.
Certainly Comprehensive
Buy a new bike today and when you turn on the ignition you are greeted, in many cases, by an elaborate animation on a colour TFT screen. The unit scrolls through all the bikes various modes and functions. Many proudly display the logo of the appropriate brand, often accompanied by a cheesy ‘mission-statement’ type quotation: You know the type of thing; ‘ The Power to Excite’ or ‘Progress through Technology’ or some such inspirational nonsense.
The typical modern TFT display is a brilliant. The range of information, settings and parameters you have access is as amazing as it is comprehensive.
Typical TFT screen, in this case the Ducati 1260 Multistrada
However, they are rarely very stylish. Think ipad at best, dated Casio digital watch at worst…Instead cast your mind back to the 1930’s and 1940’s, when instruments (so much more appropriate than calling them clocks), fitted to the likes of machines such as Brough Superior. Large diameter, often in a brass bezel, fitted with a beautiful face. Often, they are works of art in themselves.
Keeping it Simple
A good example is the HUGE speedometer fitted to a Vincent Black Shadow. That is now an iconic element of that legendary bike’s persona. Crisp, businesslike graphics painted in white on a black background, The dial just conveys MPH and miles covered. All you need and no more. Big and easy to read; handy when you are covering ground at speeds well in excess of 100mph potentially. You might have quite a bit else going on!
No doubt about your velocity on this Egli Vincent
The pre-WW1 ‘flat-tankers’ for example, when fitted with instruments, are just amazing pieces of engineering sculpture. They have a real class to them that dials into the modern ‘Stem-Punk’ vibe. It’s like something from a Jules Verne novel.
Fast forwarding to the 1950’s and 60’s brought us the classic black and white, speedo, occasionally paired with a tachometer. Smiths,Veglia, Bosch, Huret et al were the key suppliers often dependent upon where the bike was built. Generally, they were stark, simple and crisply calibrated. Some had a little more style, especially those from the likes of Huret and they would sometimes go for cream faces and a more stylish form.
Making a Comeback
Memorably the BSA Goldstar featured instruments that rotated counter to each other and around the lower halve of the dial. Even the new Goldstar faithfully mimics this.
BSA Goldstar – Original versus 21st Century take
By the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s the influx of Japanese bikes in the market place became to felt. Nippon-Denso and Seiki became familiar brands. Like the European manufacturers the classic pairing was circular tachometer matched with a Speedometer, but often featured a simpler font and perhaps a green back drop.
Iconic
The iconic Kawasaki Z1 of 1972 really made of its clocks; two prominent dials, housed in a pair of chrome, domed shape bezels. Fabulous. They stood proud atop the bars, almost akin to the mascot on a Rolls-Royce.
To be honest the period through the 1970’s to the 1990’s are my favourite years. Not surprising as this mirrors my formative years as a motorcyclist. It was through this period that a number of eye-catching instrument layouts came and went: The peculiar barrel fitted to the early Suzuki RE5 Rotary engine superbike, the glorious Suzuki GSX1100 Katana had a fabulous set of clocks that seemed impossibly futuristic in 1981. Yet another Suzuki, the father of the race-replica genre GSX-R750 had race inspired clocks, where the tacho didn’t even start until 3k and was stuffed into a piece of foam for amounting, aping the practice on endurance racing bikes.
Suzuki RE5
The Kawasaki GPz1100/750/550 Unitrak where the Clocks dissimilar size and there was an auxiliary set up on the tank with (gasp) a digital fuel gauge.
Kawasaki GPz750 Unitrak
Meanwhile Honda produced a series of neat (if slightly bland) clocks, typical of the character of their bikes. This probably reached it’s Zenith with bikes such as the 1200 Goldwing and VF500.
Honda 1200 Goldwing
Honda VF500
Going Digital
The trend of the with big hitting sports bikes of the late 90’s through to about 2010 was the big rev-counter paired with a digital speedo and gear-indicator. At 170mph that’s all you need to know surely?
Me? I still just love a simple classic pairing of rev-counter and speedometer such as the Z1 I mentioned earlier. Perhaps even a or GS1000 set up
Going forward how about a TFT screen that can be configured to show that classic set up should you choose? Get on with that please motorcycle manufacturers of the world!
Programme a ‘superdooper’ TFT to show show something classic like the 1960’s Yamaha set up
Anyway on that note I will leave you go away ponder about clocks and instruments.
Words and Pictures: Tony Donnelly