Always in 2nd gear...says the gear indicator

[Andrew Vanis]

Always in 2nd gear...says the gear indicator

When it did that before it went away after warm up... This time it always shows 2nd as well as the actual gear including nuteral.

Ideas?

[cowboyup3371]

Have you checked the sensor down on the side of the engine? If your 750 is like my 550, it will be located under the sprocket cover just above and to the left of the front sprocket.

[Redman]

Let me see if I understand this: the "2" is always on regardless of what gear you are in, and the netural light does come on when in netural, and the other numbers 1,3,4,5 do individually come on when in that gear, all with the 2 also being on.....
Right?

One thing could do in your troubleshooting would be to determine if the cause of this problem is in the switch or if the problem is in the instrument cluster.

Find the switch assembly (where Scott Cowboy described) and its wiring harness and the connector in that wiring harness going up to the instrument cluster.
If it is like the 850G & 1100G, it has a multi conductor connector and then also a separate wire (blue)(with bullet connector). Disconnect the multi conductor connector, if the 2 light goes out, then know the problem is in the switch. IF the light stays on then know the problem is in the cluster.

Note: The Red/Black wire in the connector is the wire for the 2 light. If you want to test the 2 light, you should ground out the Red/Black wire that goes to the instrument cluster (not put power to it).
Note: All the lights for netural and each number light all have power to them all the time, and the switch works by connecting whichever wire to ground to light the light.

[Steve]

What bike is this on?

Yes, it really does matter.

They all have pretty much the same switch arrangement down by the front sprocket, but some bike have individual bulbs that light up in sequence, others have a digital display in the dash panel. Let us know what bike you have, and what the display looks like, we can offer some more-intelligent suggestions (guesses).

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[Andrew Vanis]

Thank you for the great replies

The first one in my signature
1981 GS750L

[Steve]

Thank you for the great replies

The first one in my signature
1981 GS750L

That answers the first question, but what about the second?

They all have pretty much the same switch arrangement down by the front sprocket, but some bike have individual bulbs that light up in sequence, others have a digital display in the dash panel. Let us know what bike you have, and what the display looks like, we can offer some more-intelligent suggestions (guesses).

.

[Andrew Vanis]

Right Steve... Looks like this one

https://www.ebay.com/i/264170026284?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=264170026284&targetid=541454196452&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9030452&poi=&campaignid=6470396611&mkgroupid=78970910873&rlsatarget=pla-541454196452&abcId=1139336&merchantid=101637114&gclid=Cj0KCQjwt5zsBRD8ARIsAJfI4Bi4RCilsh8YvXdePWaGWcot7G4_JHkL6z8_X-MfP9VDBptq4gKDkX0aAqWiEALw_wcB

[Steve]

That appears to have the individual lights for each gear. If it's stuck, showing just one number, I would look at the selector switch that is just inside the front sprocket area.

You will have to remove the outer cover to access the switch. Might have to remove the footpeg and/or shifter to remove that cover. Be VERY careful when you remove the switch assembly, there are spring-loaded pieces inside.

If you want to test the display module, remove the fuel tank. In the area over the carbs, there is a 6-pin connector that has a separate wire alongside. Separate the connector. Turn the key ON, use a jumper wire to connect each pin on the front half of the connector to a ground, you should see the different lights come on. The separate wire is for the neutral light.

You can also use a test light (or a meter) to check the selector switch. Connect the clip of the test light to the positive terminal on the battery, then test each of the terminals in the back half of the 6-pin connector. As you move the shifter lever, you <should> see the appropriate terminal light up.

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[bobgroger]

One of my GS1100es always shows 5 on the LCD indicator. Maybe this will motivate me to dig in...

[Grimly]

My tuppence worth:
I haven't had a working gear indicator on my bikes for decades.
I do miss the neutral light, so fix that when it plays up, but gear indicators? Nah, they're designed for folk who should learn what their engine feels like and know the right gear to be in.

[Oggy]

I just replaced my gear indicator switch. '83 GS850gl. It showed 2 + 4 whenever in 2nd or 4th. and I had no green neutral light. I bought a used one and now all the number show up individually. I like features to work even if I don't use them. It was definitely a shorted wire pair in the sensor cable, right at the sensor where the cable had to make a 90 degree bend. That finally wore the insulation through two wires and gave me the double gear reading. I did fiddle with that harness to see if I could get the gear lights to change but the problem area was exactly under a metal strain relief band that didn't move much when I messed with the harness.

I recommend putting the bike in 3rd gear, key to run...no need to start it...then monkey with the wire harness at the sensor, making sure to bend it back and forth to see if you can get the light to change to 3 instead of 5. I don't think I could've fixed the harness because the insulation break was exactly where the epoxy of the sensor meets the harness. It required digging into the hardened harness and separating the wires within the epoxy, but that caused even more damage, so I could only replace the harness and sensor. The sensor itself definitely was not serviceable because of the epoxy but that wasn't the problem. If you are lucky, the harness could be straightened out and the wires separated with heat shrink or e. tape, and that would stop the short and you wouldn't have to find a replacement sensor costing $15.
FYI: If you pull that sensor off you will let loose a little oil from that area. There is an o-ring ( O-Ring 26.2x2.4mm) that fits around the sensor that you should be ready to replace.