Speedo Cable

[mikeb921]

Recently my speedo and odo quit working. I disconected the speedo cable from the drive unit and the cable was broken about one inch from the end. I rotated the wheel and saw the drive unit was turning. I ordered a new cable and installed it. Still no speedo or odo. I disconected the cable and saw the drive unit was not working, so I ordered one. I thought it was strange that both would fail at the same time. I hope to install the drive unit Saturday. Has this happened to anyone else?

[cjack]

Recently my speedo and odo quit working. I disconected the speedo cable from the drive unit and the cable was broken about one inch from the end. I rotated the wheel and saw the drive unit was turning. I ordered a new cable and installed it. Still no speedo or odo. I disconected the cable and saw the drive unit was not working, so I ordered one. I thought it was strange that both would fail at the same time. I hope to install the drive unit Saturday. Has this happened to anyone else?

Does the input to the speedo turn easily? Could a stuck speedo input have broken the cable first and then the driver after you put on the new cable? Can you rotate the bottom end of the speedo cable and see the speedo jump a little? Feel easy to turn?

[mikeb921]

cjack,
Yes, I can turn the cable easily and the speedo needle jumps. The drive unit will rotate if I tamper with it with pliers, but does not work when I attach the cable. I'm pretty sure all will be well when I install the new drive unit. I just thought it was odd that both failed at the same time, however the bike does have 73k miles.

Thanks for the reply.

[jeffsdale]

I have had both fail a few times but never at the same time.

[PGlaves]

The dogs on the lower drive unit engage two metal tangs on a ring inserted in the wheel hub. Sometimes, when things don't quite line up the metal tangs on the ring in the hub get bent, and don't squarely engage the dogs on the drive. This causes the drive to sometimes work and sometimes not work.

So - take the old drive loose and make sure the metal ring and tangs aren't bent. I have re-bent the tangs outward slightly (out toward the side of the bike) on several bikes and restored the drive function this way.

Even if putting on a new drive, check this. I know of one replacement drive which stopped working within a few miles because the tangs on the ring were bent.

I can't think of any relationship to the broken cable - but check this anyway.

[kbasa]

The dogs on the lower drive unit engage two metal tangs on a ring inserted in the wheel hub. Sometimes, when things don't quite line up the metal tangs on the ring in the hub get bent, and don't squarely engage the dogs on the drive. This causes the drive to sometimes work and sometimes not work.

So - take the old drive loose and make sure the metal ring and tangs aren't bent. I have re-bent the tangs outward slightly (out toward the side of the bike) on several bikes and restored the drive function this way.

Even if putting on a new drive, check this. I know of one replacement drive which stopped working within a few miles because the tangs on the ring were bent.

I can't think of any relationship to the broken cable - but check this anyway.

We had this happen to our RS as well. I had to bend the tangs on the wheel back into alignment.