Speedo and tacho failure !

When I stripped my Commando, both the speedo and tacho were working (as well as they usually do on these bikes at least).

Whilst it was down, I fitted nice new Venhill cables to both.

And now neither of them work!

Is this a case of the inner cables being too long and damaging the heads?

If this is so, are they easily fixable or are they basically scrap?

Eddie
First you can check yr heads with a low speed drill. A battery job with about 6-700 rpm is good. Run it counter clockwise and you should see about 40-45 mph on speedo, not sure on the tach. You can adapt an old small screw driver to fit the square drive in the heads. Alternatively disconnect at wheel and tach drive ends and you can flick the inner cable round with a flick of the fingers. Remember do it in reverse.
If they are OK you may have the speedo inner entering the drive gearbox too deep, causing it to drop out of the head end. Mine did that and I had to slip in a spacer to control depth of engagement. Tach could be similar, you do have the spade to cable adaptor on the drive end? It sometimes stays on the cable but often drops off. Good luck.

Thanks Keith.

I've got the tacho working (which is the most important to me). The new cable square section is smaller than the old one and was just spinning in the spade connector.

The speedo cable is turning with the wheel, but the speedo is doing nowt, so that doesn't look like such an easy fix.

You don't sound a million miles away from where I am in Oxford Keith... Perhaps we could meet up for a cuppa some time?

I bought a set of speedo and tach cables for my Trident from the fellow in Canada who purchased the Smiths dies etc. Neither worked
on my previously working heads. Turns out the pattern drives and cables are not exactly the same size. The new made cables worked when I changed out to genuine items.
Might be a similar situation for you.

You don't sound a million miles away from where I am in Oxford Keith... Perhaps we could meet up for a cuppa some time?

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Well down in Hampshire but I sometimes make the Oxford events, Cassington etc. Hoping to be at the NOC Cafe racer day Sept 6. BTW did you go to Cassington and did you see the JP colours F/Bed with Maney 1007 engine? Or is that yrs as I recall you were building something special?

Keith1069 said:

You don't sound a million miles away from where I am in Oxford Keith... Perhaps we could meet up for a cuppa some time?

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Well down in Hampshire but I sometimes make the Oxford events, Cassington etc. Hoping to be at the NOC Cafe racer day Sept 6. BTW did you go to Cassington and did you see the JP colours F/Bed with Maney 1007 engine? Or is that yrs as I recall you were building something special?

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Maney 1007!! I wish! Mine is a humble 850, with a smattering of JS bits etc. some info in the 'engine build prep' thread.

Where is the cafe racer day this year? Might stick some clip ons on Roadster and come along!

Where is the cafe racer day this year? Might stick some clip ons on Roadster and come along!

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.........which in reality is all I've done + rearsets and a PR fairing. Tank is standard Roadster. I've only been to one but some interesting stuff turns up, not always a Norton though.
Cafe Racer Day Saturday September 6th – Open-to-all, at Eight Bells pub Eaton OX13 5PR

Keith1069 said:

Where is the cafe racer day this year? Might stick some clip ons on Roadster and come along!

Click to expand...

.........which in reality is all I've done + rearsets and a PR fairing. Tank is standard Roadster. I've only been to one but some interesting stuff turns up, not always a Norton though.
Cafe Racer Day Saturday September 6th – Open-to-all, at Eight Bells pub Eaton OX13 5PR

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Thanks Keith, weather permitting, I'll be there, but not until the afternoon.