Speedo no longer functional

Hey guys, i'm not sure how to test where and why my speedo isn't working correctly. When I first built the bike, the speedo *kinda* worked, as it when I was going a consistent speed it registered correctly, but upon any sort of change in speed up or down the needle would wildly bounce. Not a big problem as I could judge my speed by RPM and gear to get close. Now the speedo has stopped responding at all, just shows 0 all the time. How do I check the sending unit to see if it's still good? How can I check to see if the speedo is shot? (you can see the wild action, on my build thread page 2 linked in my signature)

rokit_armor wrote: Time to dig this thread out of the archives, lol

Back from the shop, completely roadworthy! Turns out some pin in the timing advance was all messed up, causing it to be 1/2" off. Timing was fine at idle, but when the advance kicked it, well pffbbbtttbbb. They also jetted the carb correctly(I wasn't too far off, with the advance working right). She's got some balls lemmetellya.

If you look close, my speedo is bouncing all over the place upon acceleration and deceleration. Steady speeds and it reads correct. Any ideas?

Patton wrote:

rokit_armor wrote: Time to dig this thread out of the archives, lol

Back from the shop, completely roadworthy! Turns out some pin in the timing advance was all messed up, causing it to be 1/2" off. Timing was fine at idle, but when the advance kicked it, well pffbbbtttbbb. They also jetted the carb correctly(I wasn't too far off, with the advance working right). She's got some balls lemmetellya.

If you look close, my speedo is bouncing all over the place upon acceleration and deceleration. Steady speeds and it reads correct. Any ideas?

I've had that same problem before. Bouncing erradical speedo readings. I removed my speedo cable, cleaned the inner cable, airhosed the inside of the cable body and both connections as best I could, relubed cable, install, and problem gone...smooth running speedo! My prob that instance was simply sticky cable that needed cleaned and relubed. Few people include tach and speedo cable maintenance in their periodic maintenance regimen. That's what worked for me that time. Good luck.................................................Mike

Vroom-vroom!!!

Ditto on cable and fitting clean and lube, but also on these old gauges, there is a sealed oil component in the gauge mechanicals. The problem may not be serviceable and a new unit may be needed. R

I forgot to mention doing the same thing (clean and regrease) of the spedo drive gear on the front wheel is also a 'must do' on any old bike that not everyone considers or thinks of, and very beneficial to overall speedo mechanics. Next time you have the front wheel off, clean that gear assembly and inspect it for abnormalities before regreasing. If the problem persists, then the problem is in the speedo itself as afore mentioned. Best of luck............................Mike

Vroom-vroom!!!

The Z1/KZ speedo's don't have a oil filled damper on the shaft. They are weights. Another place to lube is the input shaft where the cable screws onto the shaft. Use a little spray grease to do it but don't do it upside down or you'll get grease on the glass. I have lots of posts about tach and speedo, tach etc. I wound up buying new ones. :dry:
Steve
kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/597925-speedo?start=20#672364

I thought the 1100A had an electronic speedometer. If so, the wheel sensor may need cleaning or there may be a loose or corroded connection in the harness. A can of Deoxit and some small brushes may take care of the problem.
There could also be a loose solder joint inside the unit.

I didn't notice it was a 1100.
Never-mind. :whistle:
Steve

Me too even tho' seeing the vid. Though good food for thought none-the-less to all who see the posts. It is a problem that is not that uncommon and a tad bit of periodic maint can prevent....................................Mike

Hehe yes electric speedo. I had cleaned the sending unit and contacts really well, I was wondering if there was a way to use my DMM to test the circuitry.