WANTED: trip meter knobbie for virago 250 [98]

**sunhuntin** · 4th November 2006, 15:48

have tried about 10 different knobs, but none fit. id love to be able to reset the trip meter after ive filled with gas so i know how much ive got left [roughly.] if anyones got one they dont want....please let me know!! otherwise ill have to try and order one through yamaha, which could be a costly exercise!

thanks!

**crashe** · 4th November 2006, 16:03

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

have tried about 10 different knobs, but none fit. id love to be able to reset the trip meter after ive filled with gas so i know how much ive got left [roughly.] if anyones got one they dont want....please let me know!! otherwise ill have to try and order one through yamaha, which could be a costly exercise!

thanks!

What you have broken a part off it already

You will get approx 200 km before you hit reserve.
I say approx..... as it does depend on what type of riding you are doing (country or city riding).
I have gotten 220km as the outside to as low as 189km on the inside
The bike does a shake and a shudder which means turn the tap to reserve.
You should get around 30 to maybe 40km on reserve.
(mind you I do have my choke disconnected so that may make a difference)
And she is going to have a good tune up done soon as well.

I tend to find as soon as it goes to reserve I look for a gas station....
As they are heavy bikes to push when you run out of gas.

I will check out up the yamaha shop up here on monday for you to see what price they charge....... and where the part has to come in from......
Aussie, Japan or Mt Wellington Auckland.

I have had great difficulty finding a wrecked 250 for parts, because as soon as one hits the wreckers... someone goes and buys the whole wreck.....

**Waylander** · 4th November 2006, 16:10

Originally Posted by crashe

I tend to find as soon as it goes to reserve I look for a gas station....
As they are heavy bikes to push when you run out of gas.

Try pushing the 1100 version....

infact I wonder if that part of mine will fit the 250? I may have a spare from the last time I replaced the instruments.

**sunhuntin** · 4th November 2006, 16:13

thanks crashe. i have rarely hit the bottom of a tank, so never fully realise what the shaking means. lol.

waylander...my buddy did find a yammy speedo, but the knob was screwed in. we destroyed the knob getting the screw out, only to find the knob was useless as was screwed into the shaft.

**Waylander** · 4th November 2006, 16:16

Just had a check and the spare one I thought I had i busted aswell, sorry.

**crashe** · 6th November 2006, 12:51

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

have tried about 10 different knobs, but none fit. id love to be able to reset the trip meter after ive filled with gas so i know how much ive got left [roughly.] if anyones got one they dont want....please let me know!! otherwise ill have to try and order one through yamaha, which could be a costly exercise!

thanks!

Ok I went down to my local Yamaha dealer this morning......
Tis all bad news Im afraid.

You cant just buy the knob thing on its own.
It comes with the whole instrument unit.
Yep thats dumb and they even agreed with me on that.

I got the print out of the whole thing....
so if you want I can scan it and put it up here for you to look at let me know ok.

The stupid thing about it all is that you can buy all the bits and pieces that go around the instrument unit individually EXCEPT for the trip meter knob that is attached to the instrument unit.

Ok to buy the whole instrument unit and it comes in from Australia is $434.46 including GST. (that means they have added in the gst in that price) Gee I hope you were sitting down for that

I have rung Atomic bike wreckers up here in Auckland, as I heard that they had a few VIRAGO parts around. They dont have the instrument unit part at all... it was sold off last year.

I do however have a name of a dude that you may want to phone up... as I heard he may have some parts for the XV's.
it is a cell phone number.
Andrew at Yamaha Motorcycle Graveyard
021 106 8693

BUTT, I was given an idea that you may want to look at doing..
Get the black thingee off the top of a spray can and somehow glue it on to the bit and then it should work........ hey it is worth a go.

**MSTRS:Me** · 6th November 2006, 13:52

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

have tried about 10 different knobs, .....

I thought that was a secret???

Will ask a couple of people I know and get back to you.

**sunhuntin** · 6th November 2006, 20:00

Originally Posted by crashe

Ok I went down to my local Yamaha dealer this morning......
Tis all bad news Im afraid.

You cant just buy the knob thing on its own.
It comes with the whole instrument unit.
Yep thats dumb and they even agreed with me on that.

I got the print out of the whole thing....
so if you want I can scan it and put it up here for you to look at let me know ok.

The stupid thing about it all is that you can buy all the bits and pieces that go around the instrument unit individually EXCEPT for the trip meter knob that is attached to the instrument unit.

Ok to buy the whole instrument unit and it comes in from Australia is $434.46 including GST. Gee I hope you were sitting down for that

I have rung Atomic bike wreckers up here in Auckland, as I heard that they had a few VIRAGO parts around. They dont have the instrument unit part at all... it was sold off last year.

I do however have a name of a dude that you may want to phone up... as I heard he may have some parts for the XV's.
it is a cell phone number.
Andrew at Yamaha Motorcycle Graveyard
021 106 8693

BUTT, I was given an idea that you may want to look at doing..
Get the black thingee off the top of a spray can and somehow glue it on to the bit and then it should work........ hey it is worth a go.

cheers crashe...so basically i have to buy a whole new speedo? bugger! theres no way of taking the speedo apart is there? it is broken off inside the casing...i can stick my finger in the hole. [mstrs, see what you can do with that

]

ill get some spray bits off old cans and see if my buddy can work out how to glue it on. he did find one knobbie that turned the first section from a 0 to a 1, but wouldnt go any furthur than that.

cheers also, mstrs. had a guy come in tonight, hes gonna look as well.

any idea what the inside of the tripmeter looks like? if i could get at it, i might be able to fabricate something. like, is it solid or is it hollow? can i stick a toothpick in the middle?

thanks to you both!

**crashe** · 6th November 2006, 20:06

You can take the instrument unit out of the casing to have a look at it.
Disconnect the speedo from up behind the casing unit.

It is all held onto the bike by a bracket.....

ok what I will attempt to do is scan the piece of paper and post it in here..
which will show you how to do it.

give me about 10 minutes......... all going well...

Ok see post below this one..... you will have to somehow turn it around so that you can read it....

Thats the price to buy the whole instrument unit....
The numbers match up to the item when ordering a part.

**crashe** · 6th November 2006, 20:18

here we go.........

**sunhuntin** · 6th November 2006, 20:58

thanks again, crashe. got it turned around and printed out. looked on ebay, and didnt find any speedos at all!

ill try the aerosol can idea and then look at other alternatives.

thanks!!

**oscar the cat** · 6th November 2006, 21:34

two thoughts come to mind first take unit in to robinson instrument by vic park mark ( they not cheap but they know there stuff ) or try a watch make ( a real one not just some one that replaces batteries ) might cost a bit in labour but i think still cheaper than 400 notes