The Harley-Davidson motorcycle was born in 1901 when 21-year-old William S. Harley drew up the blueprint for the first bike. Two years later, he was manufacturing motorcycles, and by 1904, the first Harley dealership opened in Chicago. Over 100 years later, people are still riding Harleys. Proper maintenance is important to keeping your bike in good working order. A speedometer problem is not only inconvenient, but represents safety and legal risks if you can't tell the speed at which you're riding.
Locate the front wheel hub and find where it connects to the speedometer cable. Separate the cable from the wheel hub with a wrench and slide the cable out of the hub.
Locate the fitting linking the speedometer and the speedometer cable. Loosen it with a pair of pliers. Remove the cable and the cable guides on the bike's front forks.
Apply cable grease to each cable's square end. Thread the cable underneath the speedometer and, using pliers, secure it to the speedometer's fitting until it is tight. Replace the cable guides.
Separate the cable from underneath the speedometer. Loosen the handlebar nuts holding down the speedometer camp and detach the speedometer. Unscrew the back of the speedometer.
Determine whether the speedometer dial and gears show signs of wear, tear or damage. Move the gears by hand to determine if they move easily. If not, or if there is visible damage, replace with a new speedometer. If not, lubricate the gears and hand-test them to see if they turn now that the lubricant is added.
Install the new speedometer in the reverse order you removed it. Tighten down the clamp. Reconnect the cable running from the speedometer to the wheel hub assembly.
