Speedo

Just took ride to the store. While I was in there, I made some more rubber washers to replace the old hard ones. The jumping slowed down even more. I suspect a lot of it is coming from the cable. I'll try Zip ties to see if it makes a difference.
Steve

missionkz wrote: One of mine is so bad that at 65-70mph, it can read anything from 58'ish to 80mph!!

...You might want to try greasing the cable, or replacing it. Very often it's the cable that's at fault. It drags, winds up and then lets it fly. Just like a wagging dog tail. Common problem back in the old days with speed-o cables in cars. Or, maybe not.

Yes, I slid the inner cable out of it and the tach a few weeks ago and wiped it all down with clean motor oil and then regreased it... etc.
That did help a bit but I decided that after 37 years maybe new ones are in order.... just got them both installed last night but it has been 40-48 degrees and rain for a few days here.... so, no test yet.
The tach seems better now with the bike on it's center stand.... Speedo drive is on the front wheel....

swest wrote: Just took ride to the store. While I was in there, I made some more rubber washers to replace the old hard ones. The jumping slowed down even more. I suspect a lot of it is coming from the cable. I'll try Zip ties to see if it makes a difference.
Steve

I use rubber grommets and cut the top half off to make a rubber shoulder washer that work in a similar to the stock Kawasaki grommets, that were used when new.
Old ones I have are rock hard and brittle... hard to reuse,
But the cost of these things on eBay are insane!!!!


My four rubber grommets cost 80 cents to make.

Left is the homebrew, center is an actual 18 cent grommet and right is the original factory grommet from 1977.

Good idea.
Steve

OK the wagging is better,
New cable, new homemade isolastic insulating rubber grommet, super whizz bang, woof woof washers and with the little bit of lube on the pivot point of the cone and a drop in the bushing under the needle.
It pulses about +or - 3mph to 4 mph now.
However, It now reads 80mph when I'm going 72mph! LOL
I'm thinking that torsion clock spring is going soft... or my head is.
Like I said, this might be the last time I pull this speedo off and pry back the F'n compression ring off the two halves!!!
I hate that SOB.
At least the glass is crystal clear and nice seeing the white again.

I'm gonna start selling extra crap on eBay and buy one of the new reproduction Speedos from Z1 Ent.....

I'm with you but will it last 40 years. At my age, I guess it doesn't matter.
Steve

I'm still thinking a vibration oscillation.
I went through the speeds in 3rd, 4th 5th gear from 30 on up to 85mph, varying the engine RPM speed at the same MPH.... and what I found is, it starts wagging differently at different engine RPM too.
Actually, it isn't so much the actual MPH speed as the combination of where on the dial the speed is and what the engine RPM is.
But, holding on tight or looser to the top bezel.... quickly starts to slow the wagging down and actually stops after a few long seconds of gripping it. I mean dead stopped in many examples.
Now I wonder if the top and bottom bushings of the driven cone and the needle shaft are just worn enough that the cone is actually oscillating wobbling a very tiny bit, more or less, at various engine speeds from vibration through the bracket and isolation mounts. No normal dampening of the mounts seems to make enough difference.
In other words, bushings and pivots worn out and the inside of the cone gets closer and further from the four ends of the clover magnet during these induced oscillations, throwing the needle forward a backward a bit as the magnets impose their force to the cone in different places?
Ha... I should shut up and starting saving for a few weeks and just buy a new one.

It's the input shaft. I'm going to do the same.
Steve

While installing my Speedo, I decided to glue the stop indicator lens back in and screwed up. ARGH. I still want to buy new gauges but it looks like I'll have to wait on the larger $ projects. I just bought a new tire, so I picked up a new plate for $21 and change. The Tach looks good at least.
Steve

Oh, that little lens? I just mist sprayed it with red paint. :whistle:
Steve

I replaced the worm drive assembly on the axle and it eliminated the needle gyration completely. Oover 63000 miles and it is now completely steady. If you already did this and I missed it my apologies!
Art