Speedo Stopped (Harley XL1200)

[MadDuck]

I have just been up North for a wee ride and my speedo was doing some weird things.

My friend and I reset our speedos at the same time at a petrol station. Next time we checked I had done 191.2kms and he had done 202kms travelling together. That seemed rather odd and where were staying was those speedo checking 5 km signs so I checked and it seemed like mine was ok and so was his.

So just north of Keri Keri there is a sign saying '70kms in 400 metres' and a Mr Plod was sitting by the side of the road so I let the gas off and watched the speedo needle go from 100kms to 0. It stayed there at 0 for what I would estimate about 5kms and the odometer did not click over either. It then sprang back into life.

Anyone got any ideas at what the cause may be or are there a milion possibilites and I should book it into the shop?

[Hitcher]

Book it into the shop.

[sinfull]

The same shop that just had your front wheel off !!!

[MadDuck]

The same shop that just had your front wheel off !!!

Not sure what putting a new tyre on and this issue would have in common. Also not sure how you knew I had new tyre fitted. That was back in September anyways

[FJRider]

Is your speedo cable driven or electrical sensor ... ???

[MadDuck]

Is your speedo cable driven or electrical sensor ... ???

Electrical sensor as far as I know

[White trash]

The same shop that just had your front wheel off !!!

Speedo's not wheel driven on Duckys little Sporty mate.

[Goblin]

Wiring connection in the loom somewhere. Happens to Doc's sporty all the time. Speedo is on a different circuit to the ignition.

[nodrog]

Too many bloody wheelies you mad woman!

[ynot slow]

Won't be a speedo issue,as we all know tractors have hour meters not speedos on them,well ones I've driven all have lol,sorry couldn't help it duckie.:clap::spanking:

[MadDuck]

Too many bloody wheelies you mad woman!

They wheelie really good too :msn-wink:


Wiring connection in the loom somewhere. Happens to Doc's sporty all the time. Speedo is on a different circuit to the ignition.

Ah OK. Thanks for that.


Won't be a speedo issue,as we all know tractors have hour meters not speedos on them,well ones I've driven all have lol,sorry couldn't help it duckie

Yeah well if it stays playing up then my Road User Charges will take ages to run out :2thumbsup

[FJRider]

Electrical sensor as far as I know

On the FRONT wheel ... ???? :innocent:

[scumdog]

On the FRONT wheel ... ???? :innocent:

Uh..I doubt it...

[FJRider]

Uh..I doubt it...

I don't know much about those new fangled high horsepower sports bikes ... so where IS the sensor for the speedo ... ???

[scumdog]

I don't know much about those new fangled high horsepower sports bikes ... so where IS the sensor for the speedo ... ???


From down in the depth of the mechanical gubbins at the bottom of the motor....

[FJRider]

From down in the depth of the mechanical gubbins at the bottom of the motor....

So ... if it FAILS to do it's thing ... $$$$$$ just to get to it ... ????

[MadDuck]

From down in the depth of the mechanical gubbins at the bottom of the motor....

The manual says nothing .... hardly surprising

[scumdog]

So ... if it FAILS to do it's thing ... $$$$$$ just to get to it ... ????

Possibly -but could also be a just a loose connection/broken wire.

normajeanes Sporty 'S' speedo played up a bit (as did the rev-counter) whenever it had a bad battery earth.

(Which turned out to be a factory earth-strap that was broken down at the other end from the battery, - the plastic sleeve over the end held the wire in line with the crimped on connection, sometimes it made connection, sometimes not, t'was a bugger to find out where the break was!.)

[FJRider]

Possibly -but could also be a just a loose connection/broken wire.

normajeanes Sporty 'S' speedo played up a bit (as did the rev-counter) whenever it had a bad battery earth.

(Which turned out to be a factory earth-strap that was broken down at the other end from the battery, - the plastic sleeve over the end held the wire in line with the crimped on connection, sometimes it made connection, sometimes not, t'was a bugger to find out where the break was!.)

Sounds like fun (not) for the one doing the looking ...

Old technology has it's advantages ... it seems ...

[porky]

Check the loom as it exits the gauges and winds around the goose neck. Mine peeled out there and shorted. Took out the rev counter as well which took out the coil. What year... i think i still have a pdf of the workshop manual if you are interested.

[MadDuck]

Check the loom as it exits the gauges and winds around the goose neck. Mine peeled out there and shorted. Took out the rev counter as well which took out the coil. What year... i think i still have a pdf of the workshop manual if you are interested.

I would be very interested thank you heaps. Year of mine is 2007.

[porky]

I don't know much about those new fangled high horsepower sports bikes ... so where IS the sensor for the speedo ... ???
Right side next to starter feeding off 5th gear (some fandangle device called a halls effect switch...or something like it...counts pulses....)

[porky]

I would be very interested thank you heaps. Year of mine is 2007.

Mine was a 2003 and the manual i had was before this but was all good. I think they made soom major mods around 2005.....but if i can track it down it may be worth the read....

[MadDuck]

Mine was a 2003 and the manual i had was before this but was all good. I think they made soom major mods around 2005.....but if i can track it down it may be worth the read....

Yeah I have been scrambling my way around the US forums and it seems major changes were made 2005/2006. I sure do appreciate your help.

[porky]

Found it, its the 1998 for XLH 1200 and baby brother, its 450 pages long.... do you want to pm me an email address and i can fire it thru

[scumdog]

Found it, its the 1998 for XLH 1200 and baby brother, its 450 pages long.... do you want to pm me an email address and i can fire it thru

I'll keep you in mind - Mrs Scummie (normajeane on KB) has a '97 1200 Sportster 'S'.

[porky]

I'll keep you in mind - Mrs Scummie (normajeane on KB) has a '97 1200 Sportster 'S'.

Sweet........ but as i found trying to send it to madduck, the file is too large to shoot it thru gmail......so its back to the good ole way of copy and mail.

[The Lone Rider]

The manual says nothing .... hardly surprising

Try finding a workshop (or maintenance) manual, if it's an owners manual that you have. If you're lucky, a blown out parts diagram is also helpful.

[sinfull]

Sweet........ but as i found trying to send it to madduck, the file is too large to shoot it thru gmail......so its back to the good ole way of copy and mail.

www.sendthisfile.com has it's uses there bro ! free and good for large files that won't fit the email system !

they choke ya a little on upload being free, but just register and set it to send overnight, the duck (or whomever) will get an email from them to log in and download .

[MadDuck]

The old fashioned way works quite well :msn-wink:

Thanks to porky I will see if I can find the fault myself as getting to the shop before my next road trip is going to be awkward

[FJRider]

Try finding a workshop (or maintenance) manual, if it's an owners manual that you have. If you're lucky, a blown out parts diagram is also helpful.

The standard Harley owners manual (apparently :innocent:) has three pages stating why you should NOT wave ... (apparently :innocent:)

[MadDuck]

The standard Harley owners manual (apparently :innocent:) has three pages stating why you should NOT wave ... (apparently :innocent:)

...in 3 different languages :devil2:

[GrayWolf]

I have just been up North for a wee ride and my speedo was doing some weird things.

So just north of Keri Keri there is a sign saying '70kms in 400 metres' and a Mr Plod was sitting by the side of the road so I let the gas off and watched the speedo needle go from 100kms to 0. It stayed there at 0 for what I would estimate about 5kms and the odometer did not click over either. It then sprang back into life.

Anyone got any ideas at what the cause may be or are there a milion possibilites and I should book it into the shop?

See Ducky THERE is your problem, taking a Hardly Rideitson up to 100kph, Gheeeesh Waddya expect? it was the tractor's way of telling you ZERO kph and only SHORT distances please... :bleh::msn-wink::devil2: AND you took your hand off the bar to re-set the trip meter, I bet if you read your 3 pages of anti waving instructions, you'll find there's an electronic sensor for a hand taken off the bars (in case it's a wave to another biker). :not:

[FROSTY]

Was there a bump involved just before/as the speedo dropped out? If there was it may point to a loose connection somewhere down the wiring loom.
DEfinitely I'd investigate the condition of the earth strap from the battery

[ellipsis]

...very similar thing happened to my sporty, after a very wet ride...unplugged the connector to the sensor...wiggled it, dried it...hey presto, works like a new one...( simple if your bike has a similar connection to mine)....

[MadDuck]

Well a quick trip to Wellington today and no problem. I blame it on the moon!