OK.. Brand new here.... just getting to riding after many years off.
So here's my question.... (simple things first)
We have a 1996 Sportster... I want to know if it has a speedometer that is cable driven or electronic. I looked for some sort of cable, but never found one.. (tank has been changed)

Now on to the more involved question.
Last week I messing with the bike, and had the tank off. Touched a couple wires together that shorted out, and the neutral light, speedometer, odometer, turn signal indicators, etc... all stopped working. I still had head lights, tail lights, signals etc all working.
SO I figured I blew a fuse. Checked them and found all was good.

I unplugged the wiring harness that has all those pin connectors on it and replugged it in. Everything went to working.
Yesterday I was riding, and the speedometer started jumping up and down, and then just quit (so did odometer)
SO.. that is why I have the first question..??
Second question is how would you go about fixing it.

The tank has been changed from the original 'sportster' tank to a "EZ Bob" tank.
(here is a link to show what it looks like)... instrument cluster is same as in pic also.

http://www.tejasthumpcycles.com/Part...ZBOB%20XL1.JPG

I assume since everything HAD been working "MAYBE" it is the contacts need cleaning.... if not that, then what
And how do you advise about the very best way to go at it....
Thanks folks from a newbie
Chris

 

If the fuses are fine and the harness looks good, I would check the speedometer housing. However, it sounds to me like you pinched wires between the two locations. I'd probably take the pain in the *** solution of cutting the wiring sleeve and exposing the wires. Then I'd individually wrap each wire in electrical tape to ensure no short occurred.

There's probably an easier way, though.

 

The '96 model is the same as my '00 model, I believe, and has an electronic speedo. I also agree that you problably have a pinched wire up in the tank speedo area, since that's where the problem started when you were "messing" around. I'd start there.

 

hhuumm
well my messing around was basically I just removed the tank..
Needless to say you have to remove the instrument cluster to take off the tank.
That was the extent of that..
Thing that made me curious was it worked fine for a few days, and then just quit one day while driving. I'd figured if I had done something to a wire (etc) it would of been messed up from when I reassembled it... not work for a while and then quit.
As you know just one nut removes the instrument cluster... but on the underside there are tons of wires,.. most are where you can't even see or get to then.

Would you have to disassemble the cluster,.. and how would you go about doing it.. I didn't even see a way to start. No wires look kinked or pinched from what I can see

 

I'm gonna have to agree with the pinched wire idea. And maybe next time your are messing with your bike, you might want to disconnect the battery. Could a wire be grounding against the frame? or something like that?

 

been checking.. No pinched wires,.. nothing being grounded..
I am guessing maybe not all the pins are connecting on the plug in. I had a RF turn signal that had one fillament burned out. It would flash for the trun signal, but not run all the time. I put in a new bulb, and it worked well last night.

Today a guy at a Harley shop was looking at my wiring harness, and unplugged it, and was inspecting the contacts, etc. He plugged it back in when he got done looking. I noticed after I set off riding again that the RF light didn't work at all .. so after this latest development I am gonna guess it has something to do with not getting a good contact somehow.