speedo question

[kotkinjs1]

Hi all,
I need a new 82 GL1100 speedo - needle went whacky then died and settled on zero. But the odometer and trip meter still work correctly. Replaced the cable - it was snapped at the wheel hub end - but no change in operating the speedo. Same symptoms - needle won't move at any speed but the odo/trip still work correctly.

My question, since GL1100 speedos seem a little harder to come by than I'd expected, can I use a GL1000 or even a 500 or 650 speedo? I guess my next question, has anyone seen a speedo break this way where the needle won't move but the miles still work? Maybe it's got something to do with the main cable connection to the magnet or the little spring around the needle shaft? Any way to fix or probably just easier to replace?

Thanks!
Jeremy

[BlueThunder]

Yes. They often break this way. There is a plastic gear that strips, assuming that many other small pieces inside the speedometer aren't broken. No way to really tell until you open the speedo. You can use just about any Honda speedo (Kawasaki and Yamaha for that matter. Suzuki uses a different speed ratio). Check eBay for a Honda speedo knock-off. They look and work exactly like OEM. I have been using one on my GL1000 for 5+ years without any issues.

[kotkinjs1]

Yes. They often break this way. There is a plastic gear that strips, assuming that many other small pieces inside the speedometer aren't broken. No way to really tell until you open the speedo. You can use just about any Honda speedo (Kawasaki and Yamaha for that matter. Suzuki uses a different speed ratio). Check eBay for a Honda speedo knock-off. They look and work exactly like OEM. I have been using one on my GL1000 for 5+ years without any issues.

Thanks BlueThunder. So the wiring connections would be the same too? There's one set that goes to the two little bulbs then I think 4 others wires that end in bullet connectors if I remember correctly?

[kotkinjs1]

ok so I looked at a wiring diagram....looks like since my bike has the air shocks and all associated stuff for that removed as well as the auto turn signal cancel system removed, all the wires coming out of the speedo aside from the two little bulbs were for those two things. So I guess any speedo I get just needs to have power/ground for the bulbs. I can just tape off those wires coming from the wiring harness up to the speedo?

[redglbx]

Another option is to have your current speedo repaired/rebuilt, there are several out there that do that. Somebody here might have a recommendation.

[kotkinjs1]

I finally found an aftermarket maker of our vintage Honda speedos. He's got a store on eBay. I didn't want to take a chance on another 40 yr old used speedo. Got it in the mail and it hooked in no problem. Perfect fit. It's for the gl1000 but the 1100 is the same speedo-wise. It only uses one light inside so I spliced one wire pair onto this and just taped up the other pair. Had it on a small test run and works perfect. Ignore the zip ties, they were just temporary. I had to epoxy the top half of the housing together since the mounts for the two top screws broke off inside.

Plus it's got the proper max speed, not the crappy 85mph.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Speedo-S ... pORnrdAdfQ

276168182_10158868593886733_6925681240076190086_n.jpg (26.22 KiB) Viewed 727 times

[Fred Camper]

Looks good, is there options for the dial colors as Green, Dark Gray and Black faces are there for different models?

[toomanybikes]

reviving a recent thread.

My speedo also went wacky between 10-20 mph when i was going 30-40, then died to 0. The odometer also died.

I inspected the cable and it seemed fine.

I've heard that sometimes adding oil to the cable inlet can help revitalized speedos, but mine *seems* too far gone. Is mine now also due for replace or rebuild?

[kotkinjs1]

reviving a recent thread.

My speedo also went wacky between 10-20 mph when i was going 30-40, then died to 0. The odometer also died.

I inspected the cable and it seemed fine.

I've heard that sometimes adding oil to the cable inlet can help revitalized speedos, but mine *seems* too far gone. Is mine now also due for replace or rebuild?

So you've inspected the entire length of the cable taken out from the housing? And the end that sits into the housing at the wheel is okay too? I'd take the cable off to lube the whole thing (let it drip out the other side) but sounds like more than lubing will fix. If the cable had any damage at all replace it.

[toomanybikes]

reviving a recent thread.

My speedo also went wacky between 10-20 mph when i was going 30-40, then died to 0. The odometer also died.

I inspected the cable and it seemed fine.

I've heard that sometimes adding oil to the cable inlet can help revitalized speedos, but mine *seems* too far gone. Is mine now also due for replace or rebuild?

So you've inspected the entire length of the cable taken out from the housing? And the end that sits into the housing at the wheel is okay too? I'd take the cable off to lube the whole thing (let it drip out the other side) but sounds like more than lubing will fix. If the cable had any damage at all replace it.

Yes, I took the inner cable completely out of the housing, inspected it for frays/damage, twisted it to see if anything was broken, then lubed and re-assembled it. I could twist it while holding both ends. It wasn't 100% rigid like a metal rod, but there was torsional tension.

[Sidecar Bob]

This kind of stuff is exactly why I gave up on mechanical instruments and put electronic instrument panels on both of my bikes.

[kotkinjs1]

Yes, I took the inner cable completely out of the housing, inspected it for frays/damage, twisted it to see if anything was broken, then lubed and re-assembled it. I could twist it while holding both ends. It wasn't 100% rigid like a metal rod, but there was torsional tension.

I'd probably start looking for a decent used speedo. I can look for and post the website I bought my aftermarket one from if you want. Seems to be holding up so far. It was made for the 1000 (I've got an 1100) so the background is a little different color but otherwise it's plug and play.

[kotkinjs1]

This kind of stuff is exactly why I gave up on mechanical instruments and put electronic instrument panels on both of my bikes.

I've though about that but it seemed like a lot of work to make it compatible, with the units I've seen at least. Did you have to do any creative electrical or splicing work, heavy duty fabricating for a mounting bracket, or things to get the wheel size calibrated? What type did you use?

[Sidecar Bob]

I started with cheap eBay/China ones but when they didn't last I replaced them with ones from Danmoto. Unfortunately Danmoto no longer sells them but there are others available.

The way I mounted the new instrument panel on the 'Wing was rather involved bit mostly because I wanted a place for speakers and a few other things (shown here with the eBay/China piece of garbage instrument)
viewtopic.php?p=517461&sid=69b392aec6c6 ... 64#p517461


The bracket for the CX was much simpler

New keyswitch.jpg (80.82 KiB) Viewed 407 times

I didn't find the electrical part too difficult but another of my hobbies is electronics. The Danmoto instruments came with wire colours that mostly matched Honda's colour codes and with the terminals already crimped onto them so for most of the wires all I had to do was plug them into a connector housing (I keep them in stock in several varieties) so they matched the wires in the bike's connector and figure out what to do with the few that didn't match.

The ones I had first came programmed for the wheel size but the Danmoto is programmable. I initially put a tape measure around the front tire and used that number but when radar speed signs started appearing everywhere I found that it was reading low so I made a few passes past the one in our village, figured out the ratio between what the speedo said and what the sign said and adjusted it so the speedo reads about 2% high.