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Speedometer busted?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gsg
  • Start date Start date
G

Gsg

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So I changed my tire. And replaced. Tach cable.
Tachometer started working. The speedometer started making a high pitched noise above 10 mph. Needle started bouncing all over the place at high speeds. I lubed the connections as advised on these forums. Yes I used something other than WB-40

so that worked for about 2 miles. Then it would intermittently start doing the same thing and always do it about 45 mph.

This morning I didn't have Time to screw with it and low and behold it just stopped working altogether. It's pegged at zero.

So im thinking it has something to do with my tire change. But I don't know.
So what say you forum. You think it's he cable, the speedometer or the speed sensor housing down by the tire. I'm hoping for an easy fix. Cable doesn't appear broken. But how would I really tell.
 
sounds like the inner cable does not work, maybe it's not
properly inserted anymore.

If you undo the cable on the speedo and spin the front wheel,
does the cable rotate ?
 
I will try again but I tried to just walk the bike and watch the cable and it didn't look like it moved. I will get it on the centersrand and spin it and see if it moves at all but my guess is no.
 
Gsg said:
I will try again but I tried to just walk the bike and watch the cable and it didn't look like it moved. I will get it on the centersrand and spin it and see if it moves at all but my guess is no.
Click to expand...

If the cable doesn't spin at the speed-O side then the cable is either broke or not engaged at the wheel end. Hard to imagine the wheel end problem unless you flattened the prongs that engage the wheel. It's possible that the cable wasn't inside the drivers and got bound up. If that's the case, then it's probably broken now. Where did the noise come from?
 
ok that was the easiest check ... the issue must be further down then.

It may be the inner cable is not properly inserted in the drive,
can you rotate the inner cable, wiggle it, and push it down ?

If not, undo the cable at the wheel, you can check the cable.
Turning the inner cable should be easy and ofcourse the other end
should be rotating.
 
Last edited:
and if you have the cable off anyway ... if you spin the front wheel you
should be able to see the square hole in the speedo drive rotating.

If it does not, Julius is probably right and the prongs are flattened.

You would have to take the front wheel out and check prongs and
speedo drive.
 
Ya but if it was broken wouldn't you be able to pull it out with a little bit of force?
 
probably, yes.

If it is broken you should remove the cable anyway,
so taking the cable off is the next logical step if you
are not able to push the inner cable down and get it
to rotate when spinning the wheel ..
 
Last edited:
When I get home I am going to pull the wheel off and see if I flattened those teeth. If I did I'll see about poking them up. I did lube that area up with axel grease and I am wondering if that is my problem. I'll also check the connections within the cable and see if I can get that sucker to spin or no dice. I'm wondering if I can push it back down now just by pushing on the end connected to the speedometer
 
that is the best approach, take it all apart and inspect the parts :encouragement:
Hope it's an easy fix.
 
Good grief, you would have to really bear down on the speedo drive to bend those tabs, plus, you would have trouble lining up the wheel and axle. I would pull the wheel off, then take the cable end off the speedo unit, then pull the cable out (I've seen cables twist into in the middle). If that is fine, you either didn't get it in the slot just right, if that isn't it, pull the speedo unit apart. Could have strip a gear in there. As for bending the tabs, it is possible, but what did you use to tighten the axle nut down with lol. If all that fails, the bushing in the speedo itself could have froze up and snap the shaft, wouldn't take much to do it.
 
Ya it definitely isn't the teeth. I pulled it apart last night and this is what I got.

1) the unit with the teeth on the outside has teeth on the inside. Those are ground down. So nothing I did I think when they got a little air and some new grease they ground down about a mm. So there are still teeth, but they look worn. Tried brazing some metal to fill them back in. That is def not strong enough. New plan is to get another washer and push the unit further down. Those teeth will bite if I push them into the speed pack more. So another washer, the same side as the other should push them down to where they grab. My question: is there supposed to be a spring in this pack because I get the feeling the gears are supposed to push the mechanism with the female teeth "out"
 
Sorry its a GS850GL.
got it for 1100 US dollars and I sold my 16500 Harley the next week. Too much fun on these....

Hope these pictures help anyone also experiencing this problem.
here is what was wrong with my bike again....
GS850GL 1981....

AFTER a tire change- start to hear a high pitch whining like its coming out of the speedometer or the tachometer. I tried to lubricate the connection points..
Couple miles later the speedometer needle would bounce all over the place....whirring noise kind of continued but it wasn't as bad.
Sometimes it would run fine.
Another mile and it totally went out.

Took the wheel off and the speedometer pack housing looks like this.....

IMG_3262.jpg
 
Gsg said:
Ya it definitely isn't the teeth. I pulled it apart last night and this is what I got.

1) the unit with the teeth on the outside has teeth on the inside. Those are ground down. So nothing I did I think when they got a little air and some new grease they ground down about a mm. So there are still teeth, but they look worn. Tried brazing some metal to fill them back in. That is def not strong enough. New plan is to get another washer and push the unit further down. Those teeth will bite if I push them into the speed pack more. So another washer, the same side as the other should push them down to where they grab. My question: is there supposed to be a spring in this pack because I get the feeling the gears are supposed to push the mechanism with the female teeth "out"
Click to expand...

Might want to consider buying used as a replacement. Parts like that can be found cheap on ebay.
 
last one........hope it helps someone and ya i looked on parts outlaw but i can't just buy the gear with the teeth. sucks...

IMG_3264.jpg
 
ya i just got it......im going to slap it all back together and run through life without a speedometer for a week. I got a used axle and a speedo unit for 25 bucks. good deal.
anyone tried using a new aged speedometer on these old bikes? I love mine...and i am doing a tracker build with this bike...but the speedometer still has the "remember to get your first 600 mile oil service" sticker and i cannot part with it.
 
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