Purpose

• The gear indicator informs the vehicle operator of the selected gear, which proves especially helpful in manual-shift vehicles, where the driver changes gear frequently.
  
  

How it Works

• The transmissions of most motorcycles, cars and trucks have a gear position switch that sends a signal to a central processing unit, or CPU, indicating the gear's status. A gear indicator wired to the CPU then provides a display to the driver.
  
  

Aftermarket

• Some vehicles not fitted with a gear indicator from their manufacturers can have an aftermarket indicator installed. This addition commonly occurs in vehicles modified to give greater performance than their stock counterparts.
  
  

Location and Appearance

• Gear indicators normally sit near the mile-per-hour gauge and odometer for viewing convenience. Digital indicators display a digital number representing the current gear, while analog indicators have a needle running along a calibrated scale that points to the gear.