82xj Speedo

[Troney]

Hey guys jumped on the bike yesterday to go for a ride and the speedo wasn't working. It was working fin the day before. Today unscrewed it from the gauge it didnt look broken but it didn't look like the inside cable came past the sleeve. BTW I know nothing about this stuff.

[trdriver71]

I would take the cable right off the bike and check. Mine was fine but it broke when I took it on a 400 mile trip last summer.

[WSL91]

Take the cable off the speedo and pull it out, the other end is square with an end crimped on. If the entire cable comes out good. If so install the inner cable and tape the loose end to the handle bars and go for a short ride and see if the end of the cable turns as the bike rolls. You could also place the bike on the center stand and place a jack under the motor and spin the front wheel but it has to rotate fairly quick to see the cable move.

[Troney]

Thanks guys I will try that stuff tomorrow if I get time.

[trbig]

You could also place the bike on the center stand and place a jack under the motor and spin the front wheel but it has to rotate fairly quick to see the cable move.

Actually, that cable spins a lot faster than one would think. I was thinking one day about using a drill to take off the mileage on a set of gauges I bought off Ebay to match the mileage I currently had on the speedo I was replacing. I don't remember the exact speed, but the drill on full speed only registered like 30mph? I figured I'd have to burn up a few drills trying to get the mileage back to do what I wanted. Almost 14 days running 24hrs a day to get just 10k miles off. It'd probably be much more prudent to take one apart enough to manually turn the odometer back, but every one I've seen on a car that has had that done, the numbers don't line up well any more.

Anyway, good advice, but you shouldn't have any trouble seeing the cable turning by spinning the front tire a bit... if it ain't broke.

[Troney]

So if it is not spinning how do i replace it? I just took a peek at where it mates at the front wheel and it looks permanently attached, no nut head or anything.

[Troney]

So just took it for a spin and the inside cable is not spinning.

[Elwood2]

the cable does come off the drive unti at the wheel. If you are having trouble seeing how just pull off the front wheel. then you can check to make sure it is the cable and not the drive unit. Also the replacement parts are cheap on Ebay. here is a a link so you can see how it comes apart http://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-YAMAHA-...152e9b&vxp=mtr

[trbig]

So just took it for a spin and the inside cable is not spinning.

No sad faces!! lol. The cheapest thing to go wrong did. Speedo cables are cheap. Finding a good replacement speedo if that's what was messed up... not always so.

[Troney]

Indeed. $11 CDN for a rebuild kit. I took the cable out and it had a break and was stretched about 2 inches. How long should it actually be?

[Troney]

Cable redone. Still not moving the speedo. Hooked it up to a drill gauge worked. Guessing whatever is at the tire is dead too. How hard is it to replace the drive unit? Im guessing i have to remove the tire?

[WSL91]

The drive units run around 25.00 used. On my XJ the PO had assembled it wrong and bent the drive tangs that rotate the unit. There was nothing wrong but I had to take it apart and straiten out the thin sheetmetal ring that is used to drive the speedo drive. You put the bike on the stand, put a jack under the motor and pull the front axle. The drive tang is a piece of stamped sheet metal with 2 tabs that engage to slots in the back of the actual drive assy.

[Troney]

Should I just take the cable off the bike until the new one comes? Don't really wanna wreck the new cable.