Speedometer noise

[Hermit]

Today my bike started making a speed sensitive squeaking/wailing type noise. It's coming from the speedo side of the instrument cluster and is road-speed dependant (ie: when I stop moving, it stops squeaking, when I speed up the pitch gets higher etc...)

It appears to be coming from the instrument cluster itself, not the speedometer drive down on the front wheel. How should (can?) I lube the speedo guts to make them stop squeaking....it got REALLY loud as I approached home...borderline painful. Dogs were howling, animals were fleeing, mothers were scolding etc....LOUD.

Thanks!

**edit** It's a 1979 GS 750. Has ~42000 miles...her name is Big Ant **edit**

[DMPLATT]

What bike?

Could try to loosen the cable at the speedo and slip some grease in it.

[Anonymous]

I had a similar problem with my tac last year. I took some spray lube removed the cable and squirted some in problem solved at least so far.

[Redman]

Cant really get inside the the speedometer, is a solid plastic orange housing with face/glass held in place with that chrome ring crimped on (assuming like my 80 GS850G). There is a page in "the garage" section of this web site that describes how to cut the plastic housing and glue back togeter. And others (highly exhaulted Leon Mr. Focus Frenzy has described this to me) have priyed the metal bezel open then crimped back closed. Both methods seem fairly drastic and have potential probelms getting it back together, I would think.

Even though you think the sound is comming from the speedo itself, maybe lubing the cable and the end of the cable that drives the speedo might help, if the vibrtation is generated by the cable and something in the speedo is being the 'sounding board'. But as loud as you describe, seems like near catostrophic failure in the speedo gearing inside.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Remove the speedo & turn it upside down Pour some 3/1 oil, trans fluid,
something light Let it soak in, do it 1-2 times

[Hermit]

Funny you should mention catastrophic failure

It quit working alltogether today. Sigh.

On the plus side, my brother in law (who has never ridden) really enjoyed learning on dad's old Yamaha.

Hruumph....gah...if it's not one thing, it's the other...

sometimes I wish I had a new bike...

oh well. That's what you get for riding something that old.

[gremlin]

pull the cable out. I am betting its dry and broke.

order a new one if its broken. lube well.

[thines]

Squeaking Speedo

I have the same problem. If anyone gets theirs fixed let me know. I have a 1981 GS750 that is doing the same thing.