Besides the physical dangers brought about by inattentive drivers there are also environmental issues that cause problems for motorcyclists in Arizona. Although we get only ten inches of rain per year it seems as though that rain all comes in the course of just one day.

There are also the extreme temperatures that exist in the southwestern desert. It is not unheard of to see summer temperatures reach 120 degrees or hotter. During the winter it is rather common to see early pre-dawn temperatures drop to the teens making it somewhat difficult to dress appropriately.

It seems as though the longer I am in Arizona the more difficult I find it to accurately guess what the temperature is. There are days I would swear that the temperatures are over 110 degrees only to find that it is only 87.

As my buddies and I ride we are continually commenting on the weather and temperatures with guesses differing by more than 20 degrees. I finally decided I needed to find some way to accurately measure the temperatures to try and settle some of the outrageous guesses that come from riding for hours in the heat.

During one of my near weekly trips to the Harley-Davidson dealership I happened to find a bike accessory that would perfectly fit the bill.

Harley-Davidson has developed a Master Cylinder Clamp Thermometer that attaches to your bike’s handlebars at the master cylinder. The thermometer then displays the temperature using an analog dial.

The dial face comes in either silver or black to match your bike. The housing is chrome which allows the thermometer to blend into the handlebars making it fairly inconspicuous. Besides face color, you can also choose between Celsius or Fahrenheit temperatures.

The thermometer is an analog device with temperature readings between zero and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The gauge numbers show 120 degrees but minor marks go an additional ten degrees.

Installation is extremely simple. All that is required is to remove one screw from the master cylinder clamp, thread the screw through the thermometer clamp and replace the screw on the handlebar.

Based on initial testing the temperatures are fairly accurate when compared to the local bank signs I’ve come across when riding. While this is not a must-have accessory, it has eliminated a lot of discussions about how hot or how cold it is during a ride.

The gauge face is very easy to read even while riding providing a way to quickly glance at the handlebars to see what the temperature is. Now when someone asks me if it’s hot enough for me I can respond with the temperature quantifying exactly how hot it is.

From a readability perspective the gauge is first rate but somewhat limited. I prefer having a gauge that shows not only the current speed but also has a tachometer for monitoring RPMs. For a Softail owner you basically have two choices.

The first choice is to add a separate tachometer gauge. Harley-Davidson offers such a gauge in a three-inch gauge that mounts to the center of the handlebar. While this is the least expensive choice for adding a tachometer, it does require adding yet another item to the handlebar.

I like the handlebar relatively free of clutter so the thoughts of adding a gauge front and center was not something I was interested in. Besides the gauge it would also require additional wiring to tap into the bike’s electronics, which is yet another connection to manage while you, are on the road.

The second option replaces the existing speedometer instrument gauge on the tank with a combination speedometer and tachometer. This provides one single instrument gauge rather than two. The tachometer speedometer combination also is a five-inch gauge making the face easier to read as you glance down.

The combination gauge also is plug compatible with the existing wiring harness for the factory speedometer meaning that there is no splicing or additional wiring that needs to take place making it a very simple installation.

To order, you must visit your Harley-Davidson dealer who will verify your mileage on your existing instrument panel then order the new gauge. When it arrives it will have the mileage entered into the odometer. It’s kind of a crapshoot as to whether the mileage will match. I guess if you noted the mileage then took the bike home and left it parked until the new gauge cluster arrived it would probably be close. Mine ended up being within 15 miles of the estimate I had.

The new instrument cluster comes with simple instructions and it took less than half an hour to complete the transformation. When I started the bike the tachometer immediately registered as did the speedometer so it’s basically foolproof to install.

At first I thought the tachometer would just be informational or a nice-to-have addition to the bike but I find myself monitoring it more often than I would have guessed. The face of the gauges is quite easy to read.

Harley-Davidson offers several different types of faces to their gauges. I went with a traditional black faced gauge with speed listed on the top half and the tachometer listed on the bottom. The style is very close to the stock gauge giving the bike a traditional look. The instrument panel is lighted making it easy to see both in daylight as well as night.

You can never have too much information when you are riding so this has been a valuable addition. It’s also one more way for you to customize your Harley-Davidson motorcycle to make it unique.