Knowing your speed is important not only from a safety aspect but also from getting a ticket if you ride over the speed limit. Therefore a functional speedometer is essential for you to know what is your speed.
If you notice that your speedometer is not working correctly, you should consider replacing or fixing it as soon as possible. The good news is that you will learn how you can fix the speedometer on your own in this article.
So is it possible to deal with the problem by yourself and how to fix a motorcycle speedometer? In general, you can fix the mechanical speedometers problem by replacing worn out cables and improper gauges. Fixing the electronic speedometers problem, on the other hand, require a skilled technician.
If you wish to learn more about the speedometer, all of its characteristics, and what the speedometer is in general, then we advise you to stay with us as we are going to explain all of it in the following chapters.
Table of Contents
What Is a Speedometer?
A speedometer is not a complicated part of motorcycle equipment. It is made of a speedometer gauge and a speedometer cable which brings the gauge and a front-wheel hub. Electronic speedometers can be found on some motorcycles, and they need to be repaired and calibrated by a skilled technician.
Mechanical speedometers, on the other way, have problems most often related to worn cables or faulty gauges. Suppose you find out during speedometer inspection that the gauge doesn’t have any signs of damage. In that case, the problem should be solved simply by troubleshooting procedure.
A few percent reading errors can be seen on speedometers. It is always on the high side since a speedometer can show up to 10% plus 4 km/h higher at a specific test speed. Still, the speedometer is not allowed to show a lower speed than it is.
How to Fix The Speedometer
Tools required for fixing the motorcycle speedometer:
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Metric wrenches
- Sewing needle
- Spray lubricant
- Speedometer cable grease
Step 1: Loose The Fitting
Use a repair stand or a kickstand to stabilize the motorcycle. Find the speedometer cable’s lower end where it connects at the front wheel hub. Loosen the fitting connecting the cable with the hub with a small metric wrench.
Step 2: Replace The Cable
Take the end of the cable from the hub, and take a closer look at the square end of the cable. If you notice rounded edges or it is broken, then you need to replace the cable. If you find a broken end, there is a great possibility that a piece of the broken end is inside the hub.
Use something small like a sewing needle and take the broken part out from the speedometer hub. In case that the end is not broken or worn, reconnect the fitting and skip to step number 5; if not, get a new cable and follow step number 3.
Step 3: Loosen The Speedometer Cable
Take pliers and loosen the speedometer cable connection fitting on the speedometer’s underside. To do so, you need to turn it counterclockwise. Take the end of the cable out of the speedometer. Take away any possible cable guides from the handlebars of the motorcycle or the front forks.
The type of tool and guides needed for its removal depends on the type of motorcycle it needs to be removed.
Step 4: Reconnecting The Speedometer Cable
Take the cable’s square end and place a tiny amount of speedometer cable grease on it. After doing so, reconnect it to the front wheel speedometer hub. Pull the cable through the speedometer’s underside and connect the upper end to the speedometer’s fitting. Take the pliers and tighten the fitting. Reconnect the speedometer cable guides.
Step 5: Removing The Speedometer
Disconnect the cable out of the speedometer’s underside. Loosen the nuts on the handlebars with a metric wrench; these nuts secure the speedometer camp. Take off the speedometer and put it on your worktable. Remove the back cover from the speedometer with a small screwdriver or a metric wrench. Speedometer type will determine which type of tool you will need to use to fix it.
Step 6: Take Off The Odometer
Take a small metric wrench or a screwdriver and remove the odometer. Take a closer look at the small odometer gears placed under or behind the odometer number wheel. You will need to replace the odometer if you notice that the gears are worn, or teeth are broken and in bad condition.
Step 7: Assembling It All Together
Examine the speedometer gears along with the back of the speedometer. You must replace the speedometer if you see corrosion or rust. Other than that, use a lubricant to spray the components and check them with your hands to make sure they move freely. Take a new or existing odometer and reinstall it, reconnect the back cover to the speedometer.
Put the speedometer back in place and strengthen the clamp. Take the cable and reconnect it to the speedometer’s underside.
What Can Affect The Speedometer Accuracy?
One of the factors that influence the speedometer accuracy is tire diameter. Tire diameter can change depending on the temperature, load, and pressure.
The latest motorcycle speedometers have a sensor activated by the slots placed in an ABS wheel ring, the transmissions gear teeth, or an identical dedicated ring. A square-wave signal is sent to the ECU through these sensors, and the ECU then uses the frequency of the signal to calculate the speed.
Along with tire diameter affecting the speedometer, the sensor can be placed in transmission too. If the gearing is changed, it will also affect the speedometer accuracy. The SpeedoHealer is one of the devices that recalibrate the speedometer reading by increasing or lowering the signal frequency after gearing or tire change.
What to Do if Your Motorcycle Is Equipped with ABS?
Motorcycles that have ABS equipment use the same signal for ABS and the speedometer. Use of devices that tap into the sensor or changes ABS rings readings is not recommended because they can impact the ABS, which could lead to ABS not functioning correctly, which can be very dangerous in a situation where you need it most.
Here are a couple of solutions that can be done: If the ECU transmits a square-wave signal to the dash just for the speedometer, a gadget can be placed in opposition to the sensor wires. An ECU re-flash can recalibrate the speedometer on some motorcycles.
Here you can watch a great video about speedometer repair:
Conclusion
The speedometer is a very important part of your motorcycle since not only will it save you from paying large sums of money for possible fines, but it will also save your life with correct speed reading because it is impossible for us to 100% estimate the exact speed we are riding which can be very dangerous in a curvy road especially for motorcycles.
We hope that this article has helped you fix your speedometer problem; if you need to solve any other issues regarding your motorcycle or wish to learn something new, we hope that other articles will be of great use as well.