Eating speedo cables?

I was boppin' around the neighborhood on the 400 a week or 2 back, & I noticed that I was probably going a little fast for local streets. I also noticed the 4500 RPM in 4th gear corresponded to 0 MPH on the speedo. Cool, no worries then, I can't be speeding. :evil:

Okay, seriously, I went through 2 speedo cables on the 440 & I'm on #3 on the Triumph, so I know what to look for. Pulled off the cable when I got home & sure enough, it was broken about 3" up from the wheel end. "No problem", I says to myself, "thanks to Wireman's generosity, I can just dip into the big-box-o-parts & probably find one." Sure enough, there's a speedo cable in there, & it looks good. I clean it up, grease the inner cable, & install it. All is good.

So, I'm boppin' around the neighborhood on the 400 today, wondering if the truck in front of me is moving at double-digit speed or not. I glance down at the speedo, & it says we're not moving at all. About 10 miles on the odo since I swapped cables.

So I know the "new" cable I put on was 32 years old, but it looked in good shape & I did clean & lube it well. It seems to me that it should have lasted more than 10 miles, & it seems a bit suspicious that it broke so soon after the other one. Is there anything I should look for before I feed this bike another cable?

Thanks,
-Kit

What does the busted cable ends look like? Has it been cut through? Worn through or twisted? I usually get cables broken at the ends. Also is it correctly routed. allowing the fork to turn and travel up and down without stretching or crimping the sheathing of the cable?

lube the bushing at the speedo head...not too much!!! a drop or two will do here...steve

Thanks, y'all.

AGM: I tossed the first busted cable, & I haven't had a chance to pull the second yet. I'll see if I can figure out how it broke when I pull it off.

Fixer: I have to swap the front wheel out, so I'll drip a little lube on the speedo bushing when I do that.

Thanks,
-Kit

kit...i mean the bushing at the gauge itself not at the wheel!!! two drops of oil no more or youll be seeing it on your dial face...steve

Oops! :ohmy: Thanks for clearing that up!

-Kit