nklr: bmw 650 problem

[Priest Kemper]

2003 KLR650 6500 miles About 1200 miles after giving the speedometer cable a good lube for the 6K checkup, it suddenly developed problems, after being totally steady and precise all these years. It usually stays on "0", but occasionally tries to read steady for a few seconds, then starts gradually raising and lowering, then falls to "0" again. Sometimes it reaches up to 40-45, close to being accurate for a moment, then falls back off. About half the time it's at dead "0". I loosened the lower collar on the spindle and pulled the end of the steel lead out, and when I push it in and out of the cable, I hear it clicking up at the speedometer head, so it seems to be in one piece and not broken somewhere midway. Are "0000000" odometer speedometer heads available anywhere but Kawasaki ? Any ideas? Thanks, Priest

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Sep 17, 2007, at 4:40 PM, Priest Kemper wrote:

> It usually stays on "0", but occasionally tries to read steady for a > few seconds, then starts gradually raising and lowering, then falls > to "0" again.

Priest, the usual culprit for a failed speedo is that the tabs in the pickup on the front hub weren't aligned correctly when the front wheel was installed. I'd start by removing the front wheel and checking the tabs and gears. -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Priest Kemper]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> > On Sep 17, 2007, at 4:40 PM, Priest Kemper wrote: > > It usually stays on "0", but occasionally tries to read steady

for a

> > few seconds, then starts gradually raising and lowering, then

falls

> > to "0" again. > > Priest, the usual culprit for a failed speedo is that the tabs in

the

> pickup on the front hub weren't aligned correctly when the front > wheel was installed. I'd start by removing the front wheel and > checking the tabs and gears. > > -- > Blake Sobiloff > http://www.sobiloff.com/> > San Jose, CA (USA)

Thanks Blake, that is the suspicious area for me too, but it rode fine for the 1200 miles since the cable was lubed by removing that little collar on the wheel spindle, and it worked for the 1000 miles before that when the front wheel was last removed. Could the tabs just NOW be popping off? Priest

> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Sep 17, 2007, at 6:03 PM, Priest Kemper wrote:

> Thanks Blake, that is the suspicious area for me too, but it rode > fine for the 1200 miles since the cable was lubed by removing that > little collar on the wheel spindle, and it worked for the 1000 miles > before that when the front wheel was last removed. Could the tabs > just NOW be popping off? Priest

They could be, or the grease in there dried up, got flushed out, or got contaminated to the point that the mechanism can't turn well. Only way to know for sure is to open 'er up. -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Alex Needleman]

That speedo thing happened to me on a long trip. I think the tabs lasted 3000km before starting to jitter and fail. It was the tabs, and a free fix. I didn't think it was because I'm usually very careful with the speedo/front wheel so I hooked a drill to the end of the cable and put it in reverse, the speedo worked fine. I think it was reverse, I went very slowly at first... Alex [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "maudibbb" wrote:

> > Hello Folks, Not owning a bmw or being a member on a BMW list, I > thought you could offer some advice to my friend who owns a 1999 BMW > F650. When he bought the BMW he had the carb rebuilt and the bike > worked beautifully after that. Now he lives on the other side of the > country, and is having some problems. It started with the BMW "running > out of gas", and then working when he went to reserve. When he made it > to a gas station, he discovered that the tank seemed to be full, but > from then on would only work on reserve. Then he began to have similar > problems on reserve also. At this point, when the bike is on choke, he > can drive it. Off choke, it won't idle. He can keep the engine running > by giving it a little gas but when he twists the throttle further, the > engine stops running. > > Any ideas out there? Thanks so much! >

Sounds like a blocked pilot jet. he probably ought to take his petcock out and make sure it is clean too.