Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Speedo going haywire!!

The speedo on my 08 EFI America has recently started to read very high when initially setting off on a journey. After a few miles it stabilizes and returns to a true reading. Do I need a replacement speedo or could it be a cable problem??

Could be a sticky cable....but a 2008 bike is still under warranty, isn't it ??

Get the dealer to sort it for you.

Yes. Dealer will sort it under warranty. Just wondered if others had experienced the same fault.

This has been covered before. It's a fairly common issue. Some got it replaced while under warranty. Mine did it for a while but straightened out on its own. Hasn't happened again in well over 25000 miles.

Mine's done it since March when I got the bike at 2000 km. Now at 17000 km and the speedo has ALWAYS gone ballistic. I can start down my street at say 50 km and the speedo is buried at FULL TILT!! Most time when I get over 70-80 km and rap my knuckles on the thing it will calm down to a near accurate reading. Then.... on most occasions when I have to stop at a red light or stop sign or whatever, the speedo goes back to it's hyper behaviour and so on. I will eventually do something about the crazy bugger.

Check the cable. Mine had similar symptoms and it turned out the cable was rusted inside the sheath. It would wind up then release causing the speedo to go nuts. It broke soon after.
The cable, that is....

Well if it is the cable... and I'm starting to believe it is just because to many of you have cured the issue with a new cable, then I wonder why rapping the thing with my knuckles puts it back to normal.

My cable just broke the other day and gave me no signs or symptoms whatsoever...the speedo just quit outright. I suppose it was due. Just over 54000 miles and i had never lubed it.

What should the cable be lubed with?
I think I need to do this.

I used lithium grease on my replacement cable. WD40 would probably be fine too.

MM - speedos have been known to fail also. I was just relating my experience.
As to lubing the cable, WD40 is more of a penetrating oil than a lube. I think they are "lightly" lubed from the factory with some form of graphite grease. Black sticky stuff. Either that or there is a teflon lining in the sheath, because when mine broke, I pulled the cable out of the sheath and got black sticky stuff all over my hands...
The odd part is it actually rusted through a few inches above the drive - where it bends. Now how in the heck does moisture get in a cable like that which is essentially sealed off at both ends?