There is a male square on the inner cable that slides into a female square in the drive unit, pictured above.

The outer housing has an inch of plastic stripped off and the remaining metal spiral of the housing screws into the drive unit at the pictured magnifying glass icon.

Whether you grease it or replace it, you're gonna have to take it loose as the speedometer. If you're gonna dick with it at the wheel, order a new cable and be done with it.

Good luck.

 

The inner cable has a square profile at the tips to fit into square holes at the speedo ,and at the speedo drive at your wheel. It just slips into these holes.

 

Thanks guys. If I disconnect the cable from the back of the speedometer only, I could then ride the bike and see if I still have the noise or not, correct?

 

You would need to pull the inner cable out after you disconnect from the speedometer. If you leave the inner cable in, it will still be turning and potentially making the noise.

 

They do make a specific lube for speedometer cables.. Back in the '80s and 90s when Chrysler still use speedometer cables, we used to have to lube them every now and then because of noise and the reason why there's a specific lube for cables, in cars that is, is when it gets colder you'll get a drag on the cable with regular grease.. That's not to say you ride your bike in cold weather but it is formulated a little bit differently than regular grease.. Sort of like 5W-20 oil compared to 20w50 it's all about viscosity..

 

When I grease my clutch cable, I take a straw from a can of silicon lubricant spray and crush the end together with a pair of pliers. That allows it to go inside the cable shield.