Speedometer problems.....

[vadasz1]

So here goes the scoop.  I bought a complete Canadian instrument gauge off of ebay.  I installed the speedo and tack from it into my original housing as mine is in better condition.  Start the bike and the tach doesn't read anything.  Replace my old tach and it reads fine.  So I decide to take the bike out around the block and notice that the replaced speedo is reading very low compared to what I am traveling at.  So I take it onto the highway and get into 5th and the tach reading about 7000 RPM which should be equivalent to about 110-115 KPH.  But the speedo needle doesn't go past 80 KPH.  The speedo I had in there before is an 83 US speedo.  It would read very accurately.  I also had this issue with my original Canadian speedo before it blew itself up earlier this spring, the reason that I installed the US speedo.  BTW, the odometer and the trip meter are reading the distance traveled correctly.

So my question is, why is my Canadian speedo reading very inaccurate low readings?  Does the speedo unit on the front wheel have to be changed as well?  I thought the unit on the front wheel was the same and only the gears on the speedometers themselves were different between Imperial and Metric speedometers.

Also what will cause the tach to not read at all?  I have the Yellow/Black wire disconnected at the tach so as to not have the rev-limiter issues.  So all I have is Brown, Black and Orange coloured wires correctly mounted to the back of the housing.

[QBS]

Can't say about the speedo, but the tach is electrical.  And, if the '83 worked fine, then obviously the problem is down the line from the plug.

However, there is a mechanical side to the tach as well, namely the tach needle pivot.  I am only speculating, but maybe the tach needle pivot would benefit from some very light weight lubrication.  Silicone spray perhaps.

Maybe others can comment on how to access the area in question.

[Lucky]

there are no gears in the speedo (it's magnetic). look at the back of it again.  you need to change the unit on the ft wheel...

[vadasz1]

Lucky:  The unit on the front wheel and my 83 US speedo are working fine.  My original Canadian speedo would run fine until I reachead about 80-90 KPH and then it would jump all over the place and it eventually pegged it self past 220KPH and broke the needle and then eventually broke the spring in the  mechanism behind the face plate.  The second Canadian speedometer I got is smooth without any bouncing around, but it WILL NOT read correctly once I am above 30 KPH or so.  It will just read VERY VERY low. 

Could it be that there is TOO much grease in the cable connector end and on the odometer gears?

Why would I have to change the unit on the wheel if the 83 speedometer is working correctly?  Are there different units for imperial gauges and also for metric gauges?

[Tiger]

 :) I would remove the speedo cable and speedo unit from the front wheel, wash them both completely in something like brake and parts cleaner...get rid of all the old lubricants/gunge/crud, etc. Clean out any excess grease from the speedo head (it only needs a wee bit). Lightly re grease the wheel unit, lube the speedo cable and reinstall

Pack the wee wifey and kiddlywinkles in to your car, run north along side them up W C Blvd at the posted 60kph and then on to the 401 at 100kph...this way you can check your speedo.......or.......clock it using a GPS ;)

                       8) ....... TIGER ....... 8)

[The Prophet of Doom]

Mine reads a bit slow up to 80km and then doesn't go any higher regardless of my speed.
It's clean as a whistle, nicely lubed, needle doesn't bind.

I took it to an instrument technician who said the magnets loose their pulling power over time, and that the only solution was to find a meter with good magnets.

[Lucky]

The Speedometer:

If you take it out of the cluster & look at the back you will see a few things:
the part the drive cable attaches to and the piece it drives (bell and magnet) do not touch each other

if the needle jumps, the bearing or shaft for the needle is messed up, the gears (ok, they do have gears, but are not 'gear driven') are dirty or something is worn/bent.  examine it closely & you might just be able to fix it.

DON'T GET BRAKE OR ELECTRONICS CLEANER ON THE FACEPLATE!

if you look at the 'sweep' the needle takes between 82, 83 cdn, etc, they are all about the same, so the difference is going to be the wheel drive gear

--Lucky

[Raj1988]

vadz go to a vapor unit like yj