Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech speedo mechinism failing?

Hey guys,

I posted on here last week thinking my front wheel bearings were going after only 10k. I have replaced them but seem to have the same symptoms. When I get cruising on the hiway I get this feeling every few seconds of the front end being "pulled down" like I'm riding the front brakes. When I get off the bike and check, the speedo mechinism is hot. The bearing on the opposite side and the brake rotor are cool to the touch? anyone else had this problem before?

Any hints on this would be great.
Thanks,

No , but I would have thought bearings right away too. Maybe the speedo drive needs grease. Sounds like something you better track down before you go down.

There was still good grease in it when I had it apart and I put a little more in on assembly. Riding today I heard a faint squeeling/grinding noise from the front end. My speedo needle isn't jumping either?

anyone have any idea how much a replacement would cost? The two nearest dealers to me are not retuning my calls.

Have you tried removing the speedo cable completely and see if you still have the noise while riding?

Perhaps it's the speedo drive itself?

I spent some time last night trying to sort out the trouble with this speedo drive. I took it apart and greased it. I'll try it today and see how it feels.

A little tid bit for the tech vault?

To disassemble the speedo drive on an America; After you pull the front tire, pull the speedo drive out of the hub. I sprayed into it with "brake clean" and compressed air to clean out most of the grease. Carefully pull on the drive collar (it looks like a bushing with two notches that is slid over the "spacer" part of the drive housing) There will be two shims under the drive gear. Then you can see the driven (worm) gear. Regrease and reassemble in reverse order. No special tools needed.

not so quick update.

Today I removed the drive gear from the speedo drive assy,( I thought this was my problem?) and rode 170km to the nearest stealer with the same grinding/heat problem. I told them the problem I was having and what I had found and that it was most likely a problem with the housing itself. They looked at it for almost ten whole seconds and decided that my rotor was warped which was rubbing on the caliper and "possibly" side loading the speedo drive???

They charged me $50 to put the speedo gear back in and send in a warranty request that may get denied because my warranty was up in March!
So I rode back home with the same problem and now have to wait to see if I get a new rotor on warranty. They acted like this was the first warped rotor ever in existance??

In the meantime I'm going to get a spacer machined so I can ride without the speedo drive housing and make sure that is the problem!

Anyone else had problems with Echo in Edmonton?? I am thinking of taking my business to Blackfoot in Calgary??

I think Wendy may have a warped rotor now too. When I took it for a ride yesterday under breaking it felt like it. Didn't put a dial indicator on it yet but I've felt that kind of pulsing feeling before.

Warped rotors are nothing new. Dont let them Bull***t you.