Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: speedometer, yamaha yzf 600, hub drive

Question
I was riding my '96 Yamaha YZF 600 the other day and all of a sudden the speedometer stop working.  As I got home, I noticed that the cable that lead to the speedometer was disconnected from the front tire.  Intuitively I connected the wire back on to the front wheel thinking that would fix the problem.  But instead, it is still not working.

Do you know why the speedometer is still not working even though I reconnected the cable for it to where it is suppose to be?  Is there more to it in fixing the speedometer or could I do this myself?

Thanks.
Alex

Answer
Alex,

Thanks for the question. Even though you reconnected the cable, the fact that it came loose at all is indicative of a possible larger problem.

I'd disconnect the cable again and take a close look at it. Is anything broken off the end of it? Is there any dirt or other obstruction in the connection? Is there a retaining screw missing wher it enters the hub? If so, the cable end may not be able to be inserted far enough.

Also, is it connected properly to the speedometer at the other end?

The most likely culprit is the speedo cable itself. I'd replace it, or see if a dealer will let you "try" a new one to see if that's fix. Of so, buy it. If not, say thanks and buy some oil or something for the favor.

After that, the next most likely suspect is the hub drive area. You'll have to take it apart (get a Clymer manual).

Unless the speedo has been damaged by a previous crash or something, it is usually not the problem, but that's to say it can't be.

Try a new cable, maybe have a mechanic install it or give you some install hints. If that's not it, move to the next compnent.

Unless it's the speedo itself, you can probably solve this one yourself.

Good luck,

Bill Roberson

The fact it came