Slow speedo. Should I worry.

[Anonymous]

I recently worked on the front end. We"ll some of the work was done a long time ago, but I'm just now getting the bike on the road. Everything is working out great thanks to all the help everyone has given me.

I was concerned that I had pinched the speedo gear or something becouse the speedo is slugish. I took it all apart inspected it and shot a little WD in the gears + cable. I hadn't messed anything up, so I put it back to gether and rode it. Its still slugish.

Should this work itself out as I ride, or should I have the speedo serviced.

Thanks Chris. Oh man if I had only known how to maintain my bike when I was 18 - 20 It would have riden as nice as it does now all along.

[Anonymous]

Chris

Is it both the speedo and the odometer that are sluggish?

On my 1978 GS550e, the speedo needle swings wildly between 50-80 mph, yet the odometer is dead on accurate (I installed a bicycle computer to verify speed/odometer)..

Anyway, if the odometer is accurate but the speedo isn't then you've probably need to fix the speedo and not the cable.

If both the odometer and the speedo are inaccurate, then check the gear drive at the front axle to make sure its on properly.. and then check to make sure the cable is engaged at both ends.

Hope that helps
Tim

[Billy Ricks]

Ahhh, just ride faster.

[AOD]

my speedo reacts really slow too...it takes about 2-3 minutes of consitant speed driving before it gets up to speed.

the odometer seems to work right. my trip timer has been accurate.

~Adam

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I'll have to.....

Thanks. I checked out the cable and drive gear... both seem good. I'll have to drive off a distance in my car, and then see how my bike does over the same trip. I sure hate to have the speedo messed with. It still looks good, and Im not looking forward to having to get a new one that will mess up my actual mileage.

[Anonymous]

I have the same exact problem with my 77 gs750. Speedo works but takes a good minute to get it where it should be. Cleaned the cable ends and re-lubed also and still have the same problem. Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

Ahhh, just ride faster.

Your knowledge and sound advice is always amazing Bill.

[Anonymous]

I took a junk speedo appart to find out....

I took a junk speedo appart to find out. It seems like a round metal thing spins on the end of the cable inside the speedo. The mph needle is attached to a roound metal thing that covers the spinning piece but doesn't touch it.

It seems to me that the spining metal piece works magnetically to turn the needle more and more as it spins faster.

The whole system is lubed with some sort of sticky lube..... sort of like chain lube. I thing the needle /metal cover it is attached to are getting hung up in the sticky lube. I tried to shoot some WD in it to free it up some, but I dont think I can get any above the metal cover. Only under it around the gears and spining metal piece.