I had to take off my speedo cable on an 98' Ultra Classic. I noticed that it was not threaded all the way down on the back of the speedo gauge & that there was silicone around the threaded piece on the back of the gauge. So upon re-install I tighten the nut & think why in the hell did the previous idiot not just tighten this nut....

Well looks like I am the idiot. Seems that when you do this it smashs the face of gauge into the glass. The needle got caught on the face needle post and bent and I noticed a mile down the road that my speedo is spinning like a windmill in a tornado...

I think this is why it did this. I was also messing with my radio and pushed on that metal tubing that keeps the cable in place.

So the question after all that is....

How the hell do I get the glass of the gauge or did I make an expensive mistake that will require a new gauge?

I hope the cable is saved...should the speedo cable itself come out of the cable housing & one end just go into the wheel piece then the other end into the speedo correct?

I had a new cable put on not even 4,000 miles ago...

Is it ok for the cable to be left undone and not in the gauge so I can ride until I find out what to do?

Thanks guys...it has been a few month since I was on here. Having some health issues & I go to start riding again & I mess up my speedo....

So....how do I get the glass off the gauge?

 

I am guessing that whoever you had replace the cable put the wrong cable on it. I would assume that your speedometer is toast. Not sure how they come apart, but I would guess that they are crimped on. You may have some luck working a small screwdriver, or pick around the bezel to loosen it up.

 

I was trying to get an amp to fit in there....I am so not happy as far as saving $. I did good speakers, great 4 channel amp, front fairing speaker enlarger adapters all for $180 STMD.

Sounds awesome, I ended up putting the amp in the tour pack. I am so mad at myself.

I then tried to stuff that amp in there noticed the speedo cable all gooped and then great sound & a toast speedo.

Should the speedo cable be 2 pieces?

I jumped the gun & since I can't stand my speedo not working I found one that after all is said & done will have cost me the same as the Fosgate Stereo Kit for my bagger.....

 

My speedo went then I had a new cable put on so many miles ago now this....
So the verdict is the last mechanic put wrong size cable on and used silicon to hold the nut on place ? I will post pic's...

 

There is no silicone there from the MoCo.

 

Well,
I tried to get the glass off the face of the gauge (off the bike out of the wing of course) & this is what I get. If that damn' camera at all these lights in AZ get me ...oh well'....

I will consider myself lucky, I found a speedometer correct for my bagger on E-bay & I am just waiting for the dealer to get a new cable.

So, I figure with that many miles on my bagger that the speedo was bound to break...maybe it was just the timing? I think that even if the nut was not threaded all the way on the back of the gauge that it would not make the gauge go bonkers?


It was just bad timing & I should have never tried to stuff that amp in my bat wing.

I put the amp in the tour pack & the amp & speakers sound amazing.

Now I can hear my heavy metal & rock as I ride in the desert.....

Thank you all for the input.

 

The speedo cable are I think 18mm and 25mm. EG takes 25mm. Maybe guy got wrong cable (18mm) and tried to make it work/

 

So....just hand tight down to the base of the back of the speedo & I will be good?
Looks like the cable hits real hard on top of the radio?

As you were saying, tried to make a shorter cable work. For the $40 at the dealer I wanted piece of mind. That speedo gauge is damn' hard 2 find...

 

OMG! The speedo bezel has to be loosened from the back, not the glass side. Install the new cable at the drive first, then finger tight at the speedo. 18 & 25mm refers to the size of the cable nut at the speedo. You are lucky to find the replacement speedo. They've been discontinued since 2000.
Your cable should make smooth turns all the way to the wheel, it looks like it is forced around the radio.

 

No, I had that gauge out if the wing and the back all apart & that is just a pic of it in. That is the way the speedo cable looked as it was before I started the amp project...... had it coming real nice then a litle chip...then I said F it and put pressure on it to see how long it would take to crack. The needle was already twisted....would have looked bad anyway even if I got the glass off....

Thank you God for E-Bay, that is where I found my new speedo.

Yep, I took the chrome ring off, etc. I am green but not that green.LMFAO

I am just so noided that I am going to mess this speedo up now that I found one.....

Wish me luck guys ....I will try tonight...I hope....if the wife gets home in time for me to get to the dealer to get that cable that is.

So.....any advice for this simple costly part install?

How should that cable look by the radio...on top but plenty of flex room?
They put a short cable on huh?

Well, I got 40,000 miles (purchased with 35,000 in 2012) on the speedo and 10,000 on tha cable so that ain't bad I suppose?