One Harley-Davidson tachometer kit: $336 US. One Harley-Davidson digital gear indicator: $219 US. One Harley-Davidson handlebar-mounted chrome clock: $79 US.
Coming up with a software application that can do all of that and more: priceless.
Well, not exactly priceless - it retails for just under $300.
But local software designer Sven Resch, who has developed Gauge Face - a free software application and its $265 hardware adapter that connects it to a Harley-Davidson through an iPhone - has come up with one product that could replace the after-market dials and gauges that can seriously run up the cost of motorcycle ownership.
Resch, CEO of Logicopolis Technology, came up with the idea when he was shopping for a tachometer for his Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883. He figures all-in he was looking at a $500 bill to get it installed.
"I figured I would want other things as well and realized there's a whole market for these after-market gauges, a lot of companies just doing that," Resch said. He had been developing apps for the iPhone and realized no one was doing Harley telemetry and diagnostic apps for that tool.
That was two years ago. Since then, Resch has developed and started giving away the app online though there are few reviews at the iTunes store, the ones there rate it highly and selling the adapter that plugs an iPhone or iPad into the bike.
Without a marketing plan, he has already sold 400 of the Gauge Face adapters. They are available at a handful of Harley-Davidson dealers in Canada and the U.S., including Steve Drane Harley-Davidson in Victoria and Trev Deeley Motorcycles in Vancouver, or through Gauge Face's email ([email protected]).
It is also available through motorcycle dealers and after-market parts dealers in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan.
With the application and an iPhone mounted on the handlebars, riders have a tool that gives them a variety of displays, including speedometer, tachometer, levels for engine temperature, a fuel gauge, indicator for what gear the bike is in and indicator lights.
There is also a diagnostic mode to get a sense of what may be ailing the bike and if it needs servicing.
"It's a complete gauge replacement. Everything your gauge can do I can do, and I do it plus, plus," said Resch.
It also charges the iPhone while it's connected so riders on long trips don't have to worry about being without power.
Resch also notes it's completely customizable and offers a variety of screen backgrounds and style that can be changed and altered to the tastes of the rider.
While the concept took hold when he was looking at gauges for his own bike, it was on a trip to Japan when he saw a customized bike with a video iPod fused into the gas tank just to play music that started his brain ticking.
While he was doing the iPhone development work at the time, Resch also realized it was difficult to be successful as copycats pop up almost as soon as a new app is launched.
"I thought I needed to do something that included hardware. It's harder to copy and implement," Resch said.
It's hard enough to keep up with Harley-Davidson, which continually modifies its designs and its technology is proprietary without worrying about copycats. "Basically it's up to you to figure [Harley-Davidson] out," said Resch.
Resch said it's been slow to get traction. It's still not his day job, which remains contract software development. But he is intent on ramping up the marketing of the device.
He's sold on the Harley-Davidson market.
"Harleys are the most customized bike out there," he said. However, he eventually could adapt the technology to support other high-end motorcycles.
At this point, Gauge Face is only for iPhone and iPad, though Resch is working on developing an app for Android devices.
