Speedometer Noise

Couple weeks ago I heard a noise coming from the front of my bike when I was moving. On the way to work figured out it was coming from the speedometer cluster. If you put your hand on it you could feel it vibrating hard. Then before I got home it quit working altogether. Got home and found that the cable broke down by the wheel. So ordered a new cable and put that in there and it makes the same noise and vibration. I was moving it around this morning on the way to work and it would quit making the noise for a little while, then it would start making it and the mph would jump to 80 and then it would quit making the noise and go back to normal. Did that all the way to work, any ideas what would be causing this?

 

I'm assuming the cable's not kinked anywhere of course...

Anyway - sounds like it might be something siezing up the spindle in the speedometer. Take the cable off at the back of the speedo, and use a small screwdriver or cordless drill with a small Robertson bit to spin the connector - check for smooth operation, and you should be able to reproduce the sound if that is the problem.

If it is the problem - best idea I can offer is to completely disassemble the unit and see if something got in there that's causing it.

 

I did take it apart the night that the cable broke and put a drill on it and it all seemed to run smooth with the speedometer. But put it back in and now its doing the same thing.

 

I suspect then that the problem is the speedo drive gear down at the front wheel, and it's transferring the noise & vibration up the cable to where you can feel it.

Sounds like it's time to take the front wheel apart and check that drive gear - plus a good chance to re-grease it and the wheel bearings! :lol:

 

Mine did the exact same thing with the jumping and noise. My cable didn't break but the ears on the inner plate in the hub that drives the speedo gear were bent. I got that all fixed but my speedometer quit. But I would check the gear as suggested.

 

Well last night I took the guage apart and took it out and hooked it up to the cable, lifted the fron tire off the ground and spun it. The vibration was coming from the speedometer. After messing around w/ it for awhile I decided to spray some brake cleaner up and around where the cable goes in. Bunch of black crud came out. Put the cable back on and spun the tire and it didn't vibrate. Haven't taken it down the road yet, but hopping maybe there was just some junk up there and now its out so turns smoother??

 

I would avoid spraying any kind of solvent that might harm the plastic parts. Melting your speedo is not something one could call good. I would flush with technical grade alcohol and a hyperdermic syringe. Once it flushes clean, a shot of graphite powder spray should set everything right. In theory, if you have to lube a speedo, you should use something that does not attract nor hold contaminates, ergo graphite powder. Good luck on this.