Sticking Speedometer needle

Well I've started tearing things apart to get it all working again, it's fun but can be frustrating.

When i bought the bike the speedometer was stuck at 10 mph. Cables unplugged etc. I figured I'd try to fix this one before shelling out the cash for a new one.

Thanks to some posts in the forums and the Archive I was able to get the speedo apart and clean the glass, repaint the outer housing etc. I noticed if i turned the speedo needle all the way to 80 mph then let it go, it'd 0 out like it's supposed to, but if I let it go at 20mph or so it'd stick at 10. So I thought perhaps it was a lubrication problem. I sprayed WD-40 inside on the turning bits and boom it works, I work it back and forth some and it's great.

Then I go out and start stripping the paint off the housing, repainting it etc. I come back in and now it's sticking at 10 mph again. I think the WD-40 just is not a perminant fix. Do any of you guys have an idea on how to fix this? If I don't have to I don't want to mess with the internals too much as I know that would throw off the calibration if i were to move the magnet or such but if I have to i'll get in there.

Suggestions? experience?

You are lucky! Mine doesn't move at all

its not the magnet. its binding in the bearing/ bushing....put a drop of light oil on it.no more or it will be all over the faceplate in no time... wd 40 is a water dispersant not an oil. make sure it hits the stop inside when its at 0 steve

Thank you for the insight guys. I put some drops of oil on the mechanisms I could get to last night with no effect. I proceeded to take apart the speedo the rest of the way and found that there seemed to be an excessive amount of (somewhat brown) grease inside that was working it's way up to parts that it should not have been on. I cleaned out a lot of the grease, leaving enough on the little plastic gears that needed it, and put some oil on the parts that needed to move really freely. I put it back together and flicked the needle again and it worked great! Seems the old grease was causing some very slight friction inside that messed things up.

Once I'm at home I'll post a few pictures but I should have documented the process a little better with photography for those that need to do this in the future.

Also I really appreciated the write up about how to take apart the speedometer in the Archives, very helpful.

Also had to clean the faceplate with rubbing alcohol to get off the extra lubricants I had gotten on there (mostly the WD-40... some of it that oil, no grease thankfully)

-Dave

(now onto headlights/blinkers/brakes yay!)

Kick A** Dave! Thats better thanI could do!