Speedometer repair

[AlfromNH]

My speedometer makes noises like I used to get by putting baseball cards in the spokes of my bicycle. When I was a kid I thought that sounded cool  now, not so much.

It looks like I'll have to take it apart, which means somehow prying the bezel off. It's crimped on, has anyone come up with a clean way to remove it? The forum search turned up a thread of someone taking one apart, but the pictures were gone  

[Mike V]

Al,

You may inspect your cable first before breaking into the instrument itself.  Speedo noise that I've encountered on my bike was caused by a kinked and partially broken cable flopping around in it's sheath causing stepping in the gauge itself.

[montmil]

Before you booger up the speedometer's bezel by prying up the formed lip with a little screwdriver, check the cable as Mikey V suggested. Your noise description sounds like a bad cable.

Cables are less expensive than a basic $100.00+ speedo repair. Remove the cable and attach one end to a variable speed drill motor. Run the cable drive as you hold the cable in a curved position simialr to the installed position. Could be that a good lube is all you need. Or a new cable should your test proves it's wanky.

[AlfromNH]

I was hoping it would be a problem with the cable. It seems fine, altho I haven't spun it with a drill, so I'll try that. Thanks for the input.

[montmil]

Al, If the cable ultimately test as 'good' and you are sure it's the speedo, check back as there are a couple gauge repair services that we can link you to.

[AlfromNH]

Well, I put a drill on the cable and it spins smoothly. Plugged it into the speedo and it rattles and the needle doesn't move. Drat.

[Bob_Roller]

Are you turning the speedometer the correct direction

[Mike V]

Al,

If you determine your gauge needs attention, there are a few places that repair speedos and tachometers for our bikes. I can only recommend those that I have personal experience with.

One is Foreign Speedo here in San Diego. Excellent work and very reasonable.  They specialize in MotoMeters.
http://foreignspeedoinc.com/

Another is Terry Vrla (aka: WireSpokes)
Terry does excellent work and is also very reasonable.  Terry just completed a complete service and repair on my /7 gauges.  Very thorough and meticulous. Terry is also a rider and an Airhead.  I highly recommend him.  
Terry email: terryvrla@hotmail.com

I'm sure others will give you some recommendations based on personal experience, that may be closer to you.  You may contact Terry first and see what he says.

[Luca]

Are you turning the speedometer the correct direction

The speedo cable spins Counter Clockwise when the bike is moving forward.  When I had my speedometer apart it seemed to me that spinning it clockwise for any length of time would force the plastic gears to skip over themselves.  I didn't explore it further, but it made me wonder if it was bad for the speedo gears to push the bike backwards for any great length.

If the speedo checks out without the buzzing/squealing noise and the cable doesn't make any noise when disconnected, I'd suspect the nylon bushing that's inside the meter end of the cable (or at least I know the earlier bikes had a split nylon bushing in the speedo end of the cable)

Terry aka Wirespokes was generous to provide me (and the rest of the forum) with some info when I had my speedometer apart to fix the odometer/trip meter... but his prices are very reasonable should you decide to use his services.

[tvrla]

Thanks for the good review, Mike!

Backing the bike up or pushing it in reverse won't hurt the speedometer, but driving it  with a drill clockwise can, due to the higher forces involved. It needs to be driven in reverse (like unscrewing a bolt). I don't think it should be a problem for the gears, but it is for the hair spring which is a coil of brass. Running it in reverse tries to 'open up' the spring, rather than tension it.

As to the source of the clacking, if it's not the cable, my guess is the input helical gears.

[AlfromNH]

I was spinning it backwards

The good news, I didn't spin backwards very long, and when I went back and spun it with the drill counter-clockwise it works. So I didn't destroy it!

[AlfromNH]

After spinning it with the drill, I reconnected the cable to the tranny, now the noise only happens in the first 1/2 turn or so of the rear tire, otherwise it's quiet. Very strange. It does sound like a gear skipping when it happens.

[tvrla]

Probably needs to be opened up and serviced. Hopefully it doesn't need parts.

[AlfromNH]

Probably needs to be opened up and serviced. Hopefully it doesn't need parts.

I sent you a PM, I may want you to look at it.  Is it possible it was a little "bound up" from lack of use, and spinning freed it up?