[Ducati Scotty]

My first indication was that my last tank only got 38mpg.  Then today I noticed that the speedo seems to be reading at least 40mph even when I'm not moving.  It drops back to 0 really slowly.  I checked the hub and the connection was tight, pulled the cable and it spine freely.  Of course I can get the speedo up to 20-30mph with a twist and it stays there.

Anyone else seen this before?  The three prong plug I put on the headlight does press on the cable a bit but it seems to spin with no resistance.

Scott

[drbvac]

Well - had my c-5 a week  but sounds like the cable is broken or loose ?

[REpozer]

I had my speedo cable come lose at the speedo.

I was able to turn the handle bars to the left and then get in there and tighten the cable connection to the speedo with needle nose pliers.

[Ducati Scotty]

Seemed tight at the top but I will double check.

Scott

[olhogrider]

Of course check that both ends are snug but also check the pinch bolt on the front axle. Mine was torqued to spec but that wasn't enough. Wonky speedo cured! While you are there check the angle of the drive. If the pinch bolt is not snug the drive can rotate to a bad place.

[SSR]

@Scott- Try these might help;

1.Check the speedo cable near the speedo, make sure its coming down straight from the speedo and there is no bend there. A little bit is ok.

2.Undo the cable from down and rotate the wheel, check the speedo drive assembly for any missing rotation or hesitation.

3. Pull the inner speedo cable from down and inspect if it got a weak link or about to break.

4. If above does not help then for a last resort get a drill machine, fix the speedo cable onto the drill machine and spin it in reverse for around 5 minutes. Usually it cures any erratic speedo behaviour. Don't use a drill with more then 1500 RPM.

[Ducati Scotty]

Thanks for all the tips.  Maybe I can get down to the garage after all the Easter dinner guests leave tonight.

Scott

[GSS]

Scott,
Besides all the tips and suggestions above, also lubricate the cable thoroughly and tighten both ends. I have seen a bit of drag on the cables do wierd stuff with Indian speedometers.

Regards,

GSS

[Ducati Scotty]

Will do.

[Ducati Scotty]

The top connector was just the slightest bit loose, maybe a 1/4 turn.  I swapped out the three prong connector I had on the headlight since it was pressing just a bit on the speedo cable and went back to individual flag connectors.  I also pulled out the cable and greased it.  I oiled the hub.  It seems to be working ok now.  I tested the speedo with a drill: no wild swings to high speeds, no wavering, and a quicker return to zero.  I connected to the hub and spun the wheel and it comes up to a few MPH. 

Too late and and rainy for a test ride tonight.  I'll have to test it for real later.  Thanks for all the advice.

Scott

[Ducati Scotty]

The speedo worked just fine this morning.  In fact, it seemed more smooth and steady than before.  I also noticed that when I backed the bike out of the garage I didn't hear that usual sound that I always thought was brake drag but I now suspect was speedo cable drag.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled program...

Thanks,
Scott