Triumphrat

HumpedZebra · 11-04-2009, 07:53 PM

In the middle of this last summer, I submitted a post about my speedometer on my 07 Speedmaster. When cold or sitting for about a half hour it would go wild on takeoff. At 15 mph, the needle would indicate 40 or 50 mpg. If I got it up to around 50 (per my GPS), the needle would fly all the way around and peg on the zero.

No one else seemed to have had the problem or at least there were no replays from similarly afflicted bikes.

Stopped at the dealer and got some got a diagnosis that this was just a start-up test procedure. To which I commented to didn’t do it the first 6000 miles. Once we got past that, he suggested I remove the cable and re-install it and that should clear the problem.

My feeling was it wouldn’t help. Since this is just a mechanical process, I couldn’t see any way it would make the indicated speed jump to over double the real speed. But I did it, it was no help.

Back to the dealer. They took it in the shop and pulled the cable, put it back on and went for a rest ride. They then reported the cable was “chewed up” on the wheel end. I still couldn’t see how that would increase indicated speed but who am I.

They were nice enough to order a new cable for me (not under warranty, 30 bucks). Ten days later, it’s in and I ‘m back wrenching (OK, not a big job). I compared the old and new side by side and would be hard pressed top tell the old from the new if one wasn’t clean and the other dirty. No evidence of the cable being “chewed up”.

Of course, it still did exactly the same thing.

Back to the dealer. Submitted a warranty claim to Triumph and a fortnight later it was in and ready for install. Had to wait a week for an appointment but finally got it installed (about 3 minutes before my warrant expired).

Works great now, although the odometer now reads 51 miles instead of 7700. The new on is a little better then the old one, it was usually about 10% fast. The new one is only about 7 % fast.

Jonsun · 11-05-2009, 09:35 AM

Has anyone else found that their speedo measures fast...I only say so as i went thro a speed trap at 70 mph in a 60 mph limit and havnt heard anything.....maybe I wasnt going 70 after all

...fingers crossed

boofhead · 11-05-2009, 05:19 PM

They all read fast , putting a 110/90/18 Tyre on the front fixes that

FrankW · 11-05-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonsun

Has anyone else found that their speedo measures fast...I only say so as i went thro a speed trap at 70 mph in a 60 mph limit and havnt heard anything.....maybe I wasnt going 70 after all

...fingers crossed

I checked mine with a handheld GPS and it read about 5% fast.

Maybe allowing for your speedo reading fast and the little bit of tolerance they allow at radar traps you might be OK.

cci · 11-05-2009, 11:03 PM

My speedometer is exactly 10% fast, but my odometer seems dead on.

Stagger Lee · 11-10-2009, 04:29 AM

I had the exact same speedo problem as you HumpedZebra. There have been a few threads about them over the years.

According to my speedo I had the worlds fastest air cooled twin cylinder bike, eat your heart out Anthony Hopkins.

Stagger Lee · 11-10-2009, 04:35 AM

Oh and BTW HumpedZebra it proves your dealer is an ASS

How can the speedo cable suddenly turn 20 times faster, then return to normal ....

It had to be an internal fault of the speedometer.

ThelBen · 11-16-2009, 12:48 AM

I also have the same problem with my speedo goes all the way to the stop when I'm only doing about 60klm. I generally let it sit there for a while than give it a tap with my fist and then it comes back to something reassembling normal gives me the ****s but it works.
Ben.

wolfmanjr · 12-05-2009, 03:35 AM

I am having a different, but related issue. Took delivery of my bike today, finally, after a major fight with the dealer. Put 30 miles on the bike around town and discovered the speedo doesn't work. It only goes as high as 20 mph, even when I'm doing 60.

Back to the dealer tomorrow!

dartuck · 12-14-2009, 12:25 PM

I'm jumping in to this a little late, however, I have an '03 Speedmaster. It's been great up until about a year ago (12,000 miles then), when I noticed that the Speedo Needle would go all the way around the dial, at just 10mph.

Very similar to the tale that you tell. At any rate, with a tap on the speedo, or after running the bike for a while, it would always sort itself out. It also didn't happen every time, but was more likely to happen in sub 40 degree whether.

I originally put it down to a quaint little nuance of the bike. Well, in August this year, the speedo needle stopped responding...as had the trip meter. The odometer though, kept working. This led me to believe that it was likely NOT the cable, but I did go ahead and order/install a new $30 cable. It was a surprisingly easy install.

I jumped on the bike and felt very proud of myself that everything was working great now. I thought I'd just saved $270 on having to buy a new speedometer. Two days later (38 degrees), I was about to go for a ride...and the speedometer spun around again (but at least the trip meter is still working).

At any rate, I am back to square one. I'm going to try some graphite grease in the gears and see if that helps. If not, I think I'm going to have to invest in a new speedometer.

Such is life.

Daren