Yamaha Y-Display vs older LCD: which is better?

[INVISIBLE]

Yamaha Display Is Side Swtch A Better Than The Previous Lcd Display On Older Model Bikes

 

[Greg Watts]

Yamaha Display Is Side Swtch A Better Than The Previous Lcd Display On Older Model Bikes

@INVISIBLE - "better" really depends on what you want from a display, so let me give you the honest version rather than a sales pitch.

The two are different philosophies rather than one being a straight upgrade: • The older Yamaha Display A is a full LCD screen - speed, mode, battery, range, the usual data - with the mode switch built into the unit.

• The Side Switch (Switch A) setup is a minimal bar-mounted control. From what I understand, it's designed to be compact and keep the cockpit clean, rather than throw a big data screen at you.

So which is "better" comes down to taste: • If you like glancing down at a proper screen full of numbers, the Display A gives you more at a glance.

• If you want a tidy cockpit and just need mode + battery without a screen hogging the bars, the Side Switch wins.

One thing I'd flag, given your Haibike Alltrail 5: these aren't freely interchangeable. As I mentioned the other day, Yamaha switch/display compatibility is tied to your motor generation - so you can't just bolt the newer unit on and expect it to talk to an older system. If you're thinking of switching, the deciding factor is what your motor will actually accept, not which display reads nicer.

If you can tell me exactly which display you've currently got and the motor (PW-ST, I think, from our earlier chats?), I can be more specific about whether a swap is even on the table.

 

[INVISIBLE]

@INVISIBLE - "better" really depends on what you want from a display, so let me give you the honest version rather than a sales pitch.

The two are different philosophies rather than one being a straight upgrade: • The older Yamaha Display A is a full LCD screen - speed, mode, battery, range, the usual data - with the mode switch built into the unit.

• The Side Switch (Switch A) setup is a minimal bar-mounted control. From what I understand, it's designed to be compact and keep the cockpit clean, rather than throw a big data screen at you.

So which is "better" comes down to taste: • If you like glancing down at a proper screen full of numbers, the Display A gives you more at a glance.

• If you want a tidy cockpit and just need mode + battery without a screen hogging the bars, the Side Switch wins.

One thing I'd flag, given your Haibike Alltrail 5: these aren't freely interchangeable. As I mentioned the other day, Yamaha switch/display compatibility is tied to your motor generation - so you can't just bolt the newer unit on and expect it to talk to an older system. If you're thinking of switching, the deciding factor is what your motor will actually accept, not which display reads nicer.

If you can tell me exactly which display you've currently got and the motor (PW-ST, I think, from our earlier chats?), I can be more specific about whether a swap is even on the table.

I Have Yamaha PW ST Motor And Side Switch A, But I Prefer LCD Display Sitting In The Middle Of Handle Bars, Rather Than A Side Switch

 

[Greg Watts]

I Have Yamaha PW ST Motor And Side Switch A, But I Prefer LCD Display Sitting In The Middle Of Handle Bars, Rather Than A Side Switch

@INVISIBLE - fair enough, and honestly that's a perfectly sensible preference. A proper LCD sat in the centre of the bars, full of numbers you can glance at, is what a lot of riders want - the Side Switch's clean cockpit is lovely until you actually want to see your range without faffing.

Here's the rub, though, and it's the bit that matters for your bike: on your PW-ST setup, you can't just swap the Side Switch A for a centre LCD and expect it to work. As I flagged earlier in the week, Yamaha's switch and display units are tied to your motor generation - they have to be a matched, compatible set for the system to talk properly. So the deciding factor isn't whether the LCD reads nicer (it does, for your taste); it's whether there's a centre-mounted display Yamaha lists as compatible with your specific PW-ST and its current firmware.

That's the one thing I can't confirm from here - which exact display part numbers Yamaha sanctions for your PW-ST. So before you buy anything:

• Get the part number off your current Side Switch A and your motor. • Check that against Yamaha's compatibility list (or get a Yamaha-savvy dealer to do it) - not a generic "looks like it fits" from a listing photo.

• Confirm whether the display you fancy needs the matching switch unit too - on a lot of Yamaha setups the display and control aren't independent of each other.

If it checks out, you get the centre LCD you actually want. If it doesn't, forcing a mismatched display is the same can of worms as the motor-coding chat we had - wrong signals, errors, no joy.

Tell me the markings on your Side Switch A and motor and I'll help you work out what's actually on the table.

 

[INVISIBLE]

@INVISIBLE - fair enough, and honestly that's a perfectly sensible preference. A proper LCD sat in the centre of the bars, full of numbers you can glance at, is what a lot of riders want - the Side Switch's clean cockpit is lovely until you actually want to see your range without faffing.

Here's the rub, though, and it's the bit that matters for your bike: on your PW-ST setup, you can't just swap the Side Switch A for a centre LCD and expect it to work. As I flagged earlier in the week, Yamaha's switch and display units are tied to your motor generation - they have to be a matched, compatible set for the system to talk properly. So the deciding factor isn't whether the LCD reads nicer (it does, for your taste); it's whether there's a centre-mounted display Yamaha lists as compatible with your specific PW-ST and its current firmware.

That's the one thing I can't confirm from here - which exact display part numbers Yamaha sanctions for your PW-ST. So before you buy anything:

• Get the part number off your current Side Switch A and your motor. • Check that against Yamaha's compatibility list (or get a Yamaha-savvy dealer to do it) - not a generic "looks like it fits" from a listing photo.

• Confirm whether the display you fancy needs the matching switch unit too - on a lot of Yamaha setups the display and control aren't independent of each other.

If it checks out, you get the centre LCD you actually want. If it doesn't, forcing a mismatched display is the same can of worms as the motor-coding chat we had - wrong signals, errors, no joy.

Tell me the markings on your Side Switch A and motor and I'll help you work out what's actually on the table.

My Yamaha PW Series ST Has These Numbers X1X40 0015096

 

[Greg Watts]

My Yamaha PW Series ST Has These Numbers X1X40 0015096

Good news for @INVISIBLE - that serial number didn't match anything in our database, but the search has actually given us something more useful: the compatibility picture for your PW-ST.

The number X1X40 0015096 looks like a motor unit serial or batch code rather than a part number for a display - so it doesn't directly tell us which display you can fit. What it does confirm is that you're on a PW-ST, which is the important bit.

Here's the good news: the Yamaha Display A (SideSwitch LCD) is confirmed compatible with PW-SE, PW-TE, PW-ST and PW-X systems from 2019 onwards.

But here's the thing - you already have the Side Switch A, and what you actually want is something with a proper screen you can mount centrally.

Yamaha's own documentation for PW-ST systems covers three display options: Display A (SideSwitch), Display C (Multiswitch), and Interface X.

The Display C (Multiswitch) is worth looking at - it's a centre-bar mounted LCD unit with a separate control pad, which sounds much closer to what you're after.

The Display A mounts on the left side of the handlebar and shows assistance level, battery status, current torque, remaining range and bike computer functions - the Display C gives you similar data but with that central position you prefer.

Bottom line: your PW-ST should support the Display C as a centre-mounted option. Before buying, confirm the part number with a Yamaha dealer and check it includes (or needs) a separate switch unit - on some setups the display and controls are separate items. The serial you've given is a motor batch code, not a display part number, so a dealer can cross-reference it to confirm compatibility properly.