Speedometer cable problem

[KDS111]

Hello All,
Took a ride on the GS850GL Saturday, 55 nice degrees and about a half mile into the ride the speedometer quit working. I unscrewed it from the head and the turned and I was able to pull it out.
Something tells me the cable shouldn't do this.
Also rolling slowly the cable will not spin anymore.
Anyone have this assembly for sale?
Anything special about changing this out?
The tire needs replacing anyway.

[Suzuki_Don]

A lot of inner cables can be removed from their outer cable. I would say you have broken your inner cable. Don't muck around, go and buy a new speedo cable, get the correct length or OEM and grease the inner cable if it has not been done at the factory. Grease it again for extra insurance. Oil your other inner cables as well before they break as well; clutch, throttle & choke.

Don't forget to grease the tacho cable as well.

[DanTheMan]

As SuzukiDon said, buy a new one etc. You don't need to remove the front wheel to replace the speedo cable, just unscrew it at the drive gear. You may also find that the slottted driver end has just unscrewed and fallen off the cable, that happens to me with the tach cable a lot until I epxy the end on it. It might be just that simple, check it out.

[joejeweler]

As SuzukiDon said, buy a new one etc. You don't need to remove the front wheel to replace the speedo cable, just unscrew it at the drive gear. You may also find that the slottted driver end has just unscrewed and fallen off the cable, that happens to me with the tach cable a lot until I epxy the end on it. It might be just that simple, check it out.

I noticed my speedo was jumping around tonight, about 5 mph range back and forth while doing about 40 mph. Figured it was a bit dry and decided to try to remove the speedometer cable and grease the interior cable up.....

.....however, with the wheel on there's not much room to get at the knurled connector at the drive unit. Obviously the PO had thought so too, as there are marks on the knurled connector from attempts with the flat of something like a screwdriver blade that was tapped sideways into the connector to try to remove it.

It doesn't look unuseable, but i'd like to get it off to grease the inner cable until my new "Motion-Pro" cable comes in ordered on ebay. When that comes in i can take the front wheel off to clean out and regrease the worm gear in the drive unit.

But for now i'm not sure which way to try to turn the cable knurl if i leave the wheel mounted?

Looking at the wheel from the front, and down from the top,.....does the top of the knurl have to move inward toward the rotor (left), or to the right?

If i cant get it off mounted,...i'll have to pull the wheel. I plan on doing that at some point anyway to clean out and regrease the worm gear. But i want to use the bike while i await the new cable and do some more pressing things.

BTW,... any chance a little heat from a soldering gun might expand the connector to free it?

[cowboyup3371]

I've used a pair of pliers to turn it lefty loosey to remove it (reverse obviously to tighten) when my fingers won't move it. I agree, I don't care for that type of connection but what else can we do.

By the way, could you please remove one of the pictures in your signature file or at the very least shrink them down? Thanks.

[joejeweler]

I've used a pair of pliers to turn it lefty loosey to remove it (reverse obviously to tighten) when my fingers won't move it. I agree, I don't care for that type of connection but what else can we do.

By the way, could you please remove one of the pictures in your signature file or at the very least shrink them down? Thanks.

Thanks for the info,.....but it's not really clear as when you look at the knurled ring from the top, in effect the cable is coming in from behind. So it's reversed and the reason i asked the question the way i did......

....."looking down in from the top of the wheel standing in front, does the top of the knurl have to move toward the rotor (left) or to the right for loosening"?

Not knowing if suzuki has a wierd threading to prevent the spinning internal cable from working the knurl loose, i didn't want to bugger up the base (under the knurl) going the wrong way.

Also,...i'm thinking you might have used pliers to get at the knurl,....when the wheel was off???? I saw no way to get a plier grip on the knurl while the wheel was mounted in the forks, as only about 40% is assessable!


BTW, I DID reduce my signature pics before i posted them!
......never much liked the signature pics of most,....as you can't make out much detail.
(your sig pic might very well be a Honda from what i can make out )

.....been thinking of removing the bigger back to front pic anyway,.....so now it's gone!

[cowboyup3371]

Nope when the wheel is on. In fact, did it a couple of weeks ago when I saw the cable coming out after a ride (checking to see why my speedometer was shaking on me as well). You don't need much room to do it.

[joejeweler]

Nope when the wheel is on. In fact, did it a couple of weeks ago when I saw the cable coming out after a ride (checking to see why my speedometer was shaking on me as well). You don't need much room to do it.

Hehe,.....must be your GS550T was thought out a bit better up at the fork/wheel juncture then,......because no way in he!! a pair of pliers gets in on my '82 GS850GL, .....even long neck needle nose are a no-go!

.......and i still didn't get an answer to my question looking down from the top of the wheel.

BTW,....i'm about to run out to the hardware store to pick up a few eye-bolts. I intend to drill a few holes into the 2X6 on the floor wall supports in the garage, and screw them in down low. Then i can back the bike up near them and put it on the centerstand, and use some rope and tip the back side down using the eyebolts and rope to hold it there with the rear wheel on the ground.

.....i've needed a system for front wheel removal and other work up that end, and i like this better than pulling the handlebars up to the ceiling. I have the steel side rails from the KG slider backrest still mounted, that a rope can hook up to easily. The factory alluminum rail still there also,...would do as well.

The KG rail shows up in my sig pic.......handy as it sticks out a small bit and makes easy attachment points when i need to use a 6 hook bungy cargo net. Still looking for the clamp to mount the backrest,....one came off. ( i'm pretty sure it was "lifted" in the mall parking lot! )

[Agemax]

looking from the side of the wheel, where the speedo cable mounts, you need to grab it with grips of some sort and twist downwards.
if you cant get a good grip, then slacken off the front axle enough to be able to rotate the drive until you can get a decent grip on the knurled nut

[joejeweler]

Just got back from the hardware store,.....picked up a pair of screw in heavy hooks that i'll bend around into an "eye" so i can make my "rear wheel down to the ground" anchor. I'll get that done while i await a new Motion Pro speedo cable to arrive next week.

In the interim, to stop the annoying "dance of the speedo", before i left i detached the speedo cable at the top. I taped off where the sheath meets the metal end and added 2 "fills" with Mobile 1 75w90 gear oil i had left over from the fluid change in the secondary and final drives when i first got the bike 6 yrs ago. The metal part of the sheath made for a decent funnel to hold the oil.

After each gear oil application, i used my air compressor hose to force 60 lbs air pressure with a tappered nozzle against the metal end on the cable. I had the perfect nozzle, tappered with a center hole big enough for the center of the speedo cable to pass through, but the outer tapper fit nicely into the metel end of the cable to effect a reasonable seal. The tempory tape on the outside kept most of the oil from blowing by the metal to sheath crimp connection!

......and it worked,......the speedo was stable for now. When the new cable gets here, i'll take the wheel off and do a proper cleanout of the speedo drive unit and worm gearing, with a regrease with maybe the Honda 60 moly (spline grease) i have coming also. The cable internals will likewise ge greased, once i find out if the nylon sheath can be greased
(not sure if these run ok with just nylon's slippery nature?)

........got a bite to eat on the way home, and a minute after i started home got hit with the 15% chance of t-storms they fooled me again with!

Had shorts, sandels and a "Land's End" light windbreak on for the 5 mile "bath" on the way home! Open faceshield with glasses didn't cut it either, even with the Vetter fairing/screen!

A young Harley rider followed me most of the way, and we talked at lights.

Nice guy........seemed interested in my old girl!


Oh,....on the way out to get the screw hooks, while i was pulled off into the center divider waiting to make a left across lanes to get into the hardware store parking,......an old pickup truck (without a rear door) dropped it's load 10 feet from me......

......a full sized REFRIDGERATOR! (no doors mounted) I put the bike on the kickstand, and me and 2 other folks plus the driver got it lifted back up into the truck bed and pushed foreward all the way. He still didn't have any tie downs!

.............glad i'm not following.

.....be careful out there!

[Agemax]

you ride in shorts and sandals????????????

[joejeweler]

you ride in shorts and sandals????????????

Not usually, short trips i'll roll the dice! (sandles are enclosed toes with rubber bottoms and stretchy leather backed uppers) But usually feet covered with black leather sneakers.............

Usually i go riding with jeans and a heavy leather jacket, and full face carbon fiber helmet.......but rushed out today.

My fast food joints are 2 miles away or less,....so i usually just go slow (35 mph) and pay extra attention thru intersections. Always a safe rider though. One accident in my youth showing off at 16,.......i'm almost 56 now and NO other accidents with either car or bike..................

[mrbill5491]

It is those the short quick trips that tend to bite when you least expect it.

[joejeweler]

It is those the short quick trips that tend to bite when you least expect it.

True,.....my bad.

......i wonder if Lady Godiva caught flack for her "unprotected" rides?



"Lady Godiva" by John Colloer, c. 1897 , Hebert Art Gallery and Museum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Godiva