Anybody looking to do something about the gauge/ecu issue?

[MAXdB]

I recently did away with my gauges... sort of--I stuffed the guts in between the frame and airbox. It's fine there right now and I plan on getting some sort of aftermarket gauge soon but the issue is that the gauge circuit board, although much smaller than the gauge itself, is still pretty big. I think appx 7" X 3"? Either way, even though I have hid my gauges and most people wont notice it, it is still a little unsightly as far as im concerned..

So i was trying to see if anyone else here was considering trying to find (or have already found) a solution with working around it.(This is, of course, without reflashing the ecu. That I'll leave open in case I really screw things up) In other words, has anyone cut down the circuit board to just the necessary bits to allow the bike to start? I'm thinking about maybe even just starting to cut little bit by little bit off the circuit board until basically it affects the immobilizer. At least then, people in the future know how small they can make the circuit board and still run the bike.. although, of course then the ecu reflash will be necessary for me BUT not without some sort of benefit.

Any thoughts?

[Bill in OKC]

I think cutting the circuit board is the wrong thing to do.  Most likely, when you find the "right" component, the fact that it is gone will prevent it from ever working again.  Without knowing exactly how it works - is it just a logic level? or is it a CAN bus message to the ECU?  - if it is a logic level then that could be tricked without cutting up the board, if it is a CAN bus message then no amount of cutting will override it.  I'd be more likely to try and reprogram the ECU or even better go to a different ECU where you would have some support from people who know what you are trying to accomplish.  I'd like to know how it goes, it is a good project.

http://www.magneti-marelli.com/motorsportsengine.html

edit:  there is a thread on here somewhere where someone replaced the gauges - can't remember what was done.

edit: I found it
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=30838.0

[MAXdB]

I think cutting the circuit board is the wrong thing to do.  Most likely, when you find the "right" component, the fact that it is gone will prevent it from ever working again.  

I realize I can simply get my ecu reflashed but my thought process was that if i do this at least some other duc riders hampered by the immobilizer could cut the circuit board down to a more manageable/smaller size to more easily hide somewhere--since we'll know what is extraneous to the bike running. That way you wont have to pay for the reflash IN ADDITION to new gauges.

Ideally, I will cut it down to an acceptably small size (before reaching the point-of-no-return) and simply hide it away without having to reflash.. although I do know that is a bit of a gamble

[Bill in OKC]

I'm thinking don't cut anything important - power, ground, important signal traces that the "operative" portion of the circuit card will require.  I guess without brave souls willing to try this out we'd never learn anything.  Good luck!

[Spidey]

On my bike, Stu didn't cut down the circuit board.  Instead, he built a box for it under the tank and ran it as is (after rebuilding the entire wiring harness).

[TAftonomos]

I'm thinking $250 (or whatever it costs to flash the ecu/lose the immobilizer) is a shit-ton cheaper than the time involved to accomplish the above.  F all that noise.  Race bike without all the junk, sure.  Street bike with lots of wiring...umm no.

[MAXdB]

On my bike, Stu didn't cut down the circuit board.  Instead, he built a box for it under the tank and ran it as is (after rebuilding the entire wiring harness).

  wow..no doubt that is the handy work of stu

I was hoping to do something similar but closer to the front that way I wont need to take the wiring harness apart 

I'm thinking $250 (or whatever it costs to flash the ecu/lose the immobilizer) is a shit-ton cheaper than the time involved to accomplish the above. 

I'm starting to get that feeling...

[Spidey]

I'm thinking $250 (or whatever it costs to flash the ecu/lose the immobilizer) is a shit-ton cheaper than the time involved to accomplish the above.  F all that noise.  Race bike without all the junk, sure.  Street bike with lots of wiring...umm no.

+ 11tyb

After seeing what a PITA this solution was (mine was even more so because of the wiring required for all the aftermarket switchgear), its worth just getting a reflash.  Besides, the number of problem areas you introduce (in terms of reliability), by removing the circuit board and rewiring is much greater than just getting a reflash.

I understand that your intention is to provide a solution that saves the money that one would spend on a reflash.  But I just don't think it's worth it unless you just can't find the money for a reflash at all.

If I was going through it again, I'd do the reflash in a second.  Unfortunately, the technology didn't exist at the time we did it or wasn't easily accessible despite me contacting people all around the globe to try to find a solution. 

[ducrider45]

I had to build a new harness as well. It takes a while but it makes for a clean job. Motogadget sold me the prototype for what became the Classic. It had problems (the odometer inicats miles, but tacks on Km numbers) . But the bike works well. Motogadget did offer to fix the gauge I have.

[accrocker]

Don't waste any of your time trying to cut apart your gauges. I spent nearly a month messing around with the wiring and using an oscilloscope to watch signals trying to figure out exactly what is going on with the immobilizer. It is not a simple logic level signal sent to the ecu to unlock it. It seems to operate on a similar principal as the EWS systems installed in many European cars. It is all bus communication and is simply too secure to trick with any wiring changes. Otherwise...it would be way to easy to just jump a couple of wires and steal motorcycles. Get a reflashed ecu, rid yourself of the immobilizer and as an added bonus you can have them flash it with a ducati performance map at the same time. Then you can throw any kind of gauge you would like onto the bike and make it your own. Also remember that the factory gauge controls things like maintenance indicators, fuel level warning, and acts as the flasher relay for your turn signals. These are all things that you will have to recreate when you wire in a new gauge, with the possible exception of the maintenance indicator as you likely will no longer have a gauge with enough internal logic to display mileage based warnings on an LCD.