Author Topic: Speedometer replacement  (Read 2064 times)

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dginfw

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on: November 23, 2015, 01:01:08 am
Okay I've read several threads, but it seems there is no clear cut answer as far as inexpensive speedo replacements. Seems its a crapshoot as far as quality for the generic drop-in replacement units. They are available starting at under 20 bucks but I can't imagine they would be of any decent quality. Then there are some that look the same and cost twice as much. Are these any better or the same thing, just marked up more?  They all seem to be made in India, even the Smiths replicas. I don't mind paying a bit more for one from Hitchcocks IF IT was decent quality.
Has anyone bought one of the Indian made replacements and had it work properly (speedo and odo functions) or are all the ebay units junk? Anyone got one from HC's and found it to be ok?


Then the price jumps up to the $200-sumthin' range for the electronic tach/speedo combo from our hosts. Those seem nice and add a tach but not sure I can justify the price jump, plus the digital display seems out of place. They seem to be out of stock on the nice Smiths electronic units, which are visually the best ones but lack warning lights.
I would like to get a new one in there this winter. The old unit seems dead as hell, and since the motor rebuild was only a few miles ago, now would be the time to start an odometer over from zero.
Dave in TX:   '01  W650- keeper
                    '12 C5 military -sold
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Carlsberg Wordsworth

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Reply #1 on: November 23, 2015, 09:54:03 pm
I was told the Hitchcocks are Indian made when I enquired if they were British made replacements. I'm on my 2nd speedo (part no. 146297). This gave up the ghost, the cable was pushing to hard in it's drive so I rotated the speedo gearbox down a bit to relieve the pressure put on the small brass bit once I found when pushed in the needle wouldn't move.

Part no. 92546 has a different drive ratio. The odo gave up after 0.8 miles so refunded. By this time I'd 'fixed' mine. Now only the face wobbles now and again.

Maybe a small led unit could me made for the idiot lights if using the Smiths?

Personally, and I was all for a Koso unit, I'm now tempted to see how much it would cost to ditch the nacelle and put a Rumbler headlight and dual clock setup on my B5.

The cost of a Koso was to my reckoning the same more or less as four new Hitchcock speedos.




Adrian II

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Reply #2 on: November 24, 2015, 05:49:13 pm
Depending on what year your B5 is, you can use the '64 Interceptor Series 1 style twin clock alloy top yoke. It needs the earlier B5 forks with the leading axles, and with external threads at the top of the fork legs/stanchions. These forks were used on the C5 models until about 2012, I think the B5 may have used them for a while longer.

A.
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