My new to me 1980 FXS needs a new speedometer cable. It wasn't working when I bought it. The cable was broken. I found the speedo drive on the front wheel but it's on the right side of the bike.

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My service manual shows it is supposed to be on the left.

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Ive been told that this won't work on the right side because there's a tab on the drive and a notch in the rim that won't align? But I don't really understand. Can some one help explain this? Will this work? Is the wheel on backwards? I have a new speedo drive on order but now unsure where it goes.

Thanks
Steve

 

'80 FXS should have the drive on the right side, just make sure you buy the correct one.

 

Well, that's good to know I guess? Where can I see that in print? I see that the FL has a right side drive. But the FX should be on the left, according to my factory service manual. At least the bike is correct, right?

So how do I know the "right" one to buy? My Harley parts manual and the parts web sites (J&P) all give the number 67127-73, and this is listed as the replacement:

Speed Drive

Is this the right one?

 

he needs to post up some pictures of the fork assembly guessing and he does not even have the correct fork is a waste - maybe he does maybe the guy before him was a moron seen that more then once

 

Good idea. Here's some pics of the front end. Are these the wrong forks? I looked at them before I bought and thought they were FXS' but I'm still learning so I could be mistaken.

 

The image of the manual shows an EVO
That's not the manual for your bike and if it is, the picture is not correct.
There are CALIPERS and the drive is on the left
The picture of your bike is correct for shovel

 

Awesome. Thank you. So at least I know I ordered the right thing. I've looked at a lot of pics of similar era FX's and it looks like FXE and FXWG had it on the left. FXS and FXSB had it on the right. The truth will be clear when the parts arrive and I pull everything apart!

And yeah, that pic is right out of the 1978 1/2 - 1984 FL/FX service manual. As the caption says it's for FX wheels. Not the first time I've found errors in a manual however. But weird that a Shovel manual would have a pic of an Evo model; the chronology doesn't make sense.

 

Same manual , look at fig. 2.95. Shows speedo cable on right side, the handlebar controls show that pic to be pre '82. I guess we could forgive the tech writer lots of models and changes in that time period.

 

You're right! But, wow. How in the world did you happen upon figure 2.95? That's in the clutch section, not really near the Fig 2.5 that I was looking at. Nice catch!

As for the tech writer, you're correct. Lots of model changes. I'm not on the warpath for his scalp! I just want to know what I've got parked out back. Part of the fun of buying a 37 year old bike is getting the unknown, taking it apart and figuring out what you have, and then customizing it to your liking and making it run even better. The challenge with these FX'es is that they are SO interchangeable that you can think you have one model type, when you really have a collection of lots of other models' parts, bolted on by prior owners. As far as I can tell, except for the carb my bike is pretty stock on the key mechanical systems (frame, forks, engine, drive train). But I don't know for sure - and that's why I didn't know whether the speed sensor's location was correct or whether it was a prior owner's modification. Thank God for HDF!

Steve