speedometer cable

I have an 1985 that has a speedometer that is jumping around the 45 to 50mph mark so I cut the ride short. Is this something that needs to be lubed with graphite powder? This bike has 28,000 miles on it and I have had it about 3 months now. new to this whole scene.javascript:emoticon('post',%20'message',%20'')

 

my 85 Maxim X cable broke on me at 235XXmiles A new one was 15 bucks or so plus tax from the dealer and they had it in stock! Yes you can try to lube it mine was rusted/dry right in the middle of the cable so I wouldn't have been able to lube it unless I pulled it out of the housing. If you wish to do this just disconnect both ends one side has a stop on it the other didn't pull it out from the side with the stop then you can inspect the cable. IF the cable is good you either have issues with the drive gear at the wheel or the gear in the speedo.

 

I dunno if graphite powder would be a good choice... Eventually the graphite particles will mix with remnants of old lubricant and might make things worse.

I usually flush the cable out with brake cleaner or something similar, then blow some air through it and lube it with gun oil. I've yet to have a cable fail on me from doing that. Of course, make sure the cable is disconnected at both ends.

 

thanks for the suggestions. I took it off and flushed the front wheel gearing out and wiped the actual cable that was really oily and put it back together. It seems to work for now so maybe it was just gummed up.

 

Take the Cable right off the bike.
Pull the inside cable out and thoroughly clean it with Carb Cleaner.

Hang the outside cable sheath so it will drain into a gallon milk jug.
Flush the outside cable sheath with Carb Cleaner.
Force cleaner through it with a Rubber Ear Syringe.
Get it so its nice and clean inside.

Oil the outside cable sheath with 10-40 Oil until it drips and stops dripping.
Oil the inside cable with 10-40 Oil, too and feed it back into the outside sheath.

That ought to take the shimmy out of the speedo.
Its a little messy ... but, worth the trouble.

 

Followed the above instructions except I used a machine oil.
Speedo still shimmies some but is greatly improved.

 

I just replaced my tripometer, and that involves pulling the speedometer. First ride the speedo hangs low about 10 mph when I'm going about 35, then springs to about the right speed. When I stop it hangs around 10 and slowly falls to 0. WTF, I check everything, then pull the speedo, there is a half ball thing the needle is attached to and a speck of sticky grease on it. I clean it off speedo works like new.

 

http://www.motorcycletoolchest.com/Moti ... 8-0182.htm

Cheap enough and makes it real easy.

 

Guys i gotta say, this is one part i can't believe that yamaha carries so cheap. They must use it on a ton of bikes. Got mine at yamaha in the neighborhood of 12-15 bucks after i lost my entire cable going down the highway.

 

Speedo, tach, control cables: TRI-FLO! Tri-Flo is a spray lube containing teflon, available at most good auto parts stores. It AIN'T CHEAP. It NEVER dries out, gets gummy or has issues with cold. WD40 has all of the above failings and more. Motor oil doesn't like the cold so much; I wouldn't use it for cable lube except in a pinch.

 

I'm not suprised that the dealers sell a lot of cables. My tach cable is constantly coming loose at one end or the other. I think I'm going to have to replace "chain" in my T-CLOCS with "cables" since I don't have a chain. It seems I have to check them just about every ride.