Topic: total speedo & tach failure!

[meestabeck]

Okay, so I looked through the forums and couldnt locate a quick fix for this one, maybe you have a suggestion.
My 82 Nighthawk 650 has lost both the tach and speedo. I was riding to work a few weeks ago, and as I glanced at my gauges, I noticed that the tach had died, it was not acting funny at all before hand. Okay, so I was just going to replace that tach cable. Then, this week I went on a 200 mile trip with a buddy, and while on a rural highway, the speedo failed as well. Again, I was not looking at it when it died, it just ceased to function. Is this a simple problem, like an inline fuse? Or am I gonna have to shell out $70 to get another gauge cluster? Feel free to mock me if the problem is easily remedied, I will take the insults with joy if I can save some cash. Thank you!
brian,
Spokane, WA

[rab1dwolf]

shouldnt this be in tech?

if your tach/speedo is the same as mine (also an 82) then thats really weird.

they each have seperate lines and are mechanical not elecritcal.

try this if you havent: pull the cables off of the instrument cluster and see if the little square part inside rotates as you spin the wheel (sppedo) and rev the engine(tach).

If they do then the issues in the cluster.

if they dont then the issue may be in the other ends or the cables themselves.

I've had to test he speedo before and all that requires is to put the bike on center stand and have someone tip it so the front wheel is off the ground.  lay down so you can see into the area where the cable goes and then rotate the wheel by hand like a mad man.  If the littler inner peice doesnt rotate then the drive is the issue .  In that case make sure your front axle hasnt come loose and that the speedo drive is set snugly where its supposed to go.

I have a 1982 cb650sc nighthawk parts bike as well if you need any parts let me know.  I dont have the instrument cluster but probably have the rest of it.

[TwoTired]

Have you checked that vibration hasn't simply allowed the drive cables to become unscrewed?

[scondon]

Have you checked that vibration hasn't simply allowed the drive cables to become unscrewed?

Haha   I have a brand new tach cable on my wall, been there 5 months, because I failed to make this simple check.

[cben750f0]

yep happens more often than you might think!!!!... bloody cables!!!!..   peace

[meestabeck]

you mean the drive cables at the wheel/cam right? Because the cables are good and tight at the cluster.

[rab1dwolf]

the one at the wheel can be a massive pain to make sure its on correctly and all the way in depending on how it mounts into the speedo gears.

[Noel]

So how come when I say "I'm a guy with no speedo" in the thread header everyone gives me shyte but when this guy says he has "total speedo failure" (can you picture it?) everyone pulls a straight face?

[Zane]

try this if you havent: pull the cables off of the instrument cluster and see if the little square part inside rotates as you spin the wheel (sppedo) and rev the engine(tach).

So - did you try this ^?

[smashme33]

 I'm no stranger to the speedo cable popping out at the wheel every blue moon. I had a Yamaha Venture that would do it to me every so often. A little, long-term vibration can really do weird things to motorcycles. Lube those cables if they're not bad while you're checking the problem out.

[meestabeck]

Well I must say that i feel a lot better to have been dumb. Yes, the cables were NOT turning in the sheath, so i gave a tug on them and both came tearing out about seven inches down. I dont understand how they failed so close to one another, the only thing I can guess is that the large number of miles that i have put on her recently caused it. I was cruising at speeds in excess of 55mph and 5500rpms for hours at a time. THis likely put a large strain on an already old and fragile set of cables. Anyway, thanks for the input anyway, I am glad it turned out to be nothing.

[dusterdude]

So how come when I say "I'm a guy with no speedo" in the thread header everyone gives me shyte but when this guy says he has "total speedo failure" (can you picture it?) everyone pulls a straight face?

because the safety nerds think you should have a speedo on your bike.