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DIY Trip Meter
Post Received 3 June 2020
By Mark Noel
My Honley MTR125 is a faithful recreation of the legendary Honda CG125 and is very well equipped but with the exception of a trip meter. Most folks will, I am sure, agree that such a mileage counter is essential for estimating your remaining fuel range or for calculating miles per gallon. As with a wife, I decided that I could not live without one and so set about designing my very own. A trip meter that is, not a wife.
One option is to fit one of those electronic bicycle gadgets which serve as a speedo and odometer amongst other things. They count wheel revolutions via a fixed Hall sensor and magnet on the wheel but that would require more wiring and bits to fix to the fork, wheel and handlebar. The option I describe here is manual-input and much simpler, being based on a miniature three digit BCD edge switch - a type of encoder switch with up/down buttons for each digit which appear in a small window. The BCD switch used in this project was sourced from ebay and is shown in the picture.
BCD Switch. Buttons to set the number as required.
I designed a mount that clamps to the ignition key stalk and extends to a housing for the BCD switch, with a hinged lid and window to keep out dust and water. An oval recess is included for a label reminding me of the range to reserve (420 km in the case of the Honley). The great thing about 3D computer modelling is that the whole assembly can be viewed from all angles and the lid hinged back and forth to check for fit. Once the model was deemed to be OK then each part was saved as a special file that was sent to my Ultimaker printer for creation in PLA plastic. It took about 3.5 hours for the machine to print the PLA components.
3D computer model of the trip meter.
The photograph shows the two 3D printed parts (housing & window frame) and other bits from my scrap box that complete the unit. The redundant 5 pin PCB connectors were cut off before assembly and the finished trip meter is shown mounted on the little Honley.
Components of the DIY trip meter.
Each time I fill up with petrol I note the odometer reading (say 1326 km), mentally add the range figure, then use the + and - buttons adjacent to each digit to show the distance when I will next run down to reserve: 1746 km in this example. Of course it is always prudent to fill up before reaching this terminal value but it is very handy to have a reminder close to the speedometer.
Assembled and mounted trip meter
If your bike already has a trip meter then a unit like this could instead be used as a memo for other data, such as distance to the next B&B or filling station.
By now you will be wondering what 'BCD' stands for: it is an abbreviation for 'Binary Coded Decimal', a digital convention whereby a 4 bit number (plus ground) is used encode the numbers 0 to 9, hence the 5 pin connectors. In this convention my birthday in MM-DD format is written as:
[0000 0001] [0001 0101]
I look forward to receiving your birthday greetings on the relevant day - in binary of course!
Send in your own useful(?) gadgets. Click here.
Reader's Comments
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Thing is, I'd need a calculator to work out whatever plus range...
24/06/2020 09:23:37 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
That might be a good idea for the Norton as it doesn't have a trip meter (some previous owner fitted a WD speedo). On the other hand it's easy enough to open the filler and have a quick shufti inside.....
24/06/2020 11:18:16 UTC
Snod said :-
I just remember the three digits you'd put into the new counter, is it really so hard? I'm yet to reset a trip meter, too fiddly/dirty..
24/06/2020 11:26:32 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
Come to think of it, it's like those stitch counters that knitters use. Hmmmm......
They seem to come in only 2 digit versions but I could have 2 in fetching harmonised colours.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KnitPro-Small-Sizes-Counter-Blue/dp/B009NEQJ1S/ref=sr_1...
24/06/2020 11:26:42 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I just can't see you fitting 2 of those stitch counters to the Norton Ian, that's the sort of bodge that I'd do.
What does "harmonised colours" mean too? Is that like when Sharon talks about cushions that match the curtains? To me the word "match" speaks of a short splinter of wood used as an incendiary so I just see cushions that set fire to curtains. It sounds very dangerous and I certainly would not want to "match" anything on my motorcycle.
25/06/2020 08:15:44 UTC
Bob said :-
I like it, a simple solution that is quick and easy to use - and therefore you will use it.
25/06/2020 13:11:52 UTC
CrazyFrog said :-
I did something very similar, but possibly less elegant on an old MZ. My local 99p shop sold cheap and horrible combination locks for bicycles. I stripped one down and used 3 of the numerical wheels mounted on a bolt with a wing nut to loosen it off for adjustment and a bit of suitably bent wire as a pointer. 99p and bobs you uncle!
29/06/2020 18:53:54 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Now you're talking my kind of language CrazyFrog. Mind you, where would I find 99p from? Not made of money you know (I only sleep on it).
29/06/2020 20:52:25 UTC
Borsuk said :-
In the same vein as the Soviet answer to Americas $1,000,000 pen developed during the space race. Write previous odometer reading on the speedo glass using chinagraph pencil.
03/07/2020 00:49:29 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I had to look up chinagraph pencil. Personally I'd use a permanent marker on the tank and when I've run out of space to write on the tank I'd just repaint it using some quarter-empty tin of matt emulsion in "shades of summer" lime green. I'm stylish like that.
03/07/2020 07:50:47 UTC
Doug said :-
My LS650P Savage had almost spot on 100 miles from full to reserve, so I only needed the last two digits of the odometer to remind me.
17/07/2020 11:37:29 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
There you are! Now if I was Ren I'd charge you for the idea!
17/07/2020 13:56:49 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
And Pete CF - I may have one of those lying about. Who needs bike accessory shops when you have creativity!
17/07/2020 13:57:45 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
100 miles before reserve. It makes me wince, I'm reminded of the SLR650 which gave about the same. There aren't many places in the UK where 100 miles is not enough although in The Highlands you tend to fill up at each station rather than when you're getting a little low. I just found it frustrating having to stop all the time, like a dog with bladder issues stopping at every lamppost.
I managed over 300 miles before even reserve on the 500 last weekend. Very judicious use of the throttle on the motorway tucked behind trucks.
17/07/2020 18:34:07 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
I can't imagine anything much worse than 300 miles "tucked behind trucks" on the motorway. I'd have zoomed my dad instead (if he wasn't dead).
18/07/2020 10:18:02 UTC
Bob said :-
Try riding an MZ125 to North Wales on the M56 into a strong Westerly - tucked behind trucks is the only option available!
The KLX only has about 100 miles range, there is supposed to be another 30 odd on reserve but I don't like to use it. Agreed Ren, not many places in the UK where 100 miles won't do but I do sometimes get annoyed because if I'm about to go a long distance and the trip meter says anything over 60 then I feel the need to fill up anyway. I have a pair of throwovers and two 3 litre fuel cans which more or less doubles my range.
It could be worse, I had a KLE500 that used to hit reserve at 90 miles but took £14 to fill, rather than £6 like the KLX.
19/07/2020 14:07:24 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
There are times Ian when I just crack on, get my head down and run at 70mph, give or take. Then there are times when I'm chilled and calm and perfectly happy to flow gently. On the way down I chilled out into the saddle, on the return leg I was keeping around the 65-70 mark.
Bob - when I was looking at the CB500X I had a deep long think about the CRF250. Save for the skinny seat and the lack of obvious luggage options (I'd have crafted something eventually) it was the piddling 7 litre tank that broke me. Some aftermarket company offer an 11 litre plastic option but they ain't cheap and a faff to fit. If there was a 15 litre choice...
19/07/2020 17:23:11 UTC
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