Eating Tach Cables

[Gary Lich]

My GS is going through tach cables like crazy :x . Broke another one yesterday that only had about 1K on it (third one in two years). Is it just my bike or has anyone else had this problem What lube is best Perhaps there's a difference in brands/manufacturer

[SqDancerLynn1]

Sometimes it is just the cable, I had a new oem cable break after only two months. Just make sure there are no sharp bends in the cable

[spots25]

i used graphite when I lubed mine, but then I saw in my repair manual that you're supposed to use grease. It still bounces, so maybe tomorrow I will grease it up... or maybe I'll tear something else apart. Haven't decided yet

[Anonymous]

You're not alone! I bought my 850G new in '84 and went through three tach cables in about a year and a half. :x In contrast, I've never replaced the speedometer cable in 20 years (bike sat for nine years) and 32K miles. That third replacement, however, is still holding up.

I use a graphite type speedometer cable lube in mine, and I use it often. I put the lube in until it comes out at the bottom. If your needle begins to bounce at high RPMs, lube it ASAP. I'll probably do the tach cable two or three times as frequently as the speedometer cable.

Turning the instruments over and using a little light oil where the cables enter once in awhile is a good idea. By the way, always lube a new cable when you install it.