tacho rev counter

Should be possible with a little patience and ingenuity to shorten the outer casing and refit the alloy end and securing nut if it's just a case of inner too short 9if we're only talking a cm or two). Once broken of course, you're looking for someone like Slaters (as mentioned).
 
Piranha Brother 2 said:
Should be possible with a little patience and ingenuity to shorten the outer casing and refit the alloy end and securing nut if it's just a case of inner too short 9if we're only talking a cm or two). Once broken of course, you're looking for someone like Slaters (as mentioned).
Click to expand...

Just buy an inner that is too long, then cut the inner to the length required and linish down the cut off end into a square. Done it heaps of times. Getting the busted end out, if stuck, can test your patience.
 
chrisk said:
Just buy an inner that is too long, then cut the inner to the length required and linish down the cut off end into a square.
Click to expand...

I've done the same, but instead of grinding to a square, I fashioned a little 5-minute press tool. It's just a couple of half inch across square sections with a small Vee cut into each one with a file. Put the cable between the Vees, then whack it very sharply with a hammer. Reforming the round into a square. Keeps a bit more integrity on the cable strands.
 
Or just buy a brand new one from Slater, they use Venhill cables.
No faff, just fit and forget. I have not had one fail me yet, and I fit quite a few.
 
I know there's more alternatives on speedometer cables than on tachometer cables.
For example on Laverda Paradies catalog there is just one tachometer cable listed for Laverda 180 with ND clocks, I understood it says one model fits all.

As far as I know Venhill lists bike models on their site someone has confirmed that they fit. It's usual some models are not listed which use same cables.

Actually I expected someone to confirm if 1200 TS (I assume TC means TS on the first post) has same cable than Jota/Mirage 1200. I haven't checked if there is different part numbers mentioned for these bikes on Laverda part numbers. Sometimes feels it's probably better not to post anything at all if it just mixes things more and more.
 
fit and forget, I would love that!
I was a fortnight at the beginning of September trying to resolve the problem of a chewed cable caused by my own clumsy self, too keen with the 24mm spanner and not paying attention, and then had 3 weeks in Spain with no operating speedo, if I hadn't been following a gold star for 95% of the riding, I wouldn't even know how far I had travelled.

"Or just buy a brand new one from Slater, they use Venhill cables.
No faff, just fit and forget. I have not had one fail me yet, and I fit quite a few."

I bought my first two speedo cables from the above, the first was wrong because the bike is a TS1200 and has the speedo on the left, probably what I got was a Jota cable which has the speedo on the right, the second cable was the correct length, but was fitted and did not operate the instrument, it was a Venhill, the next two were custom made by Venhill with me in attendance, the first didn't work either, the second was made with a spare speedo unit and spare speedo gearbox (not the ones from the bike) in the cable makers hands, not enough attention was paid to these provided two units but I left the works with confidence,

back home the newly fitted cable works if disconnected one end (either)

turned by the wheel (with resistance added by squeezing the spigot with the fingers) the inner revolves well

connected to the speedo unit, (where the float is controlled by a ferrule) and then connect the speedo gearbox end to a cordless drill, the cable drives the speedo and MPH is registered.

a new old stock cable is on its way to me, I have already said that I might still get egg on my face and this is still current, but I cant see why.

There are many different speedo cable lengths could even be six or even more., what with ND individual instruments, ND pod instruments, RGS (Lancia) pod instruments, Veglia instruments and then left or right speedo, long or short forks (or in between), and of course callipers in front or behind? and that is only going for standard triples, there are many non standard and a few factory changed as well, the SFC1000 for instance started with separate Smiths instrument's, and as JLO pointed out his even came with ND pod mounted clocks, oh well, I will get there in the end

just fitted a new starter solenoid to my Pan European (yes its a proper solenoid not a relay) unbolted the old one, bolted in the new one, oh what Joy SHE STARTS! 20 quid part, 20 minute job, apparently this part fits about 320 different Honda models, and is probably ordered by Honda 200,000 at a time. Just saying.

CLEM
 
Well Clem, your story is interesting.

All I can say is I have fitted literally dozens of Venhill cables (throttle, clutch, speedo, tacho) from Slater and not a dud among them so far.

Ceriani forks are around an inch or more shorter than Marzocchi forks, and the Marzocchi-forked bikes with the plastic instrument console are higher up still.
RGS type are different again.

I specify which model the cables are for when I buy them as this eases the issue.
 
Interesting story.

Sounds Clem didn't inspected the cables according to how our local Smiths shop taught to inspect them around 45 years ago. It doesn't matter much if the inner cable is not floating with the ferrule because motorcycle speedometer gears or tachometer gears are quite heavy if compared to the mass of the inner cable. The lower end is always fitted in first, then the upper end is tried in without the nut. The surfaces must meet without force or the inner cable is too long and the cable will get stuck when both ends are tightened. If this is the case the inner cable end is first soldered and then cutted shorter. (Edit: At this condition the inner is pushed down and seen also if it is too short.)

I always check the outer cable length when order cables. The length of the square section can often vary quite much without making any problems.

And what is a better supply then?
I think the challenge with non-original (especially hand made) cables is to specify the tolerance limits. They will always differ somewhat even if old cable was used as a model for new cable.
 
hello Moto Jouni
are you trying to suggest that this is my fault?
I expect to buy a cable, and just fit and forget as Grant says (by the way Grant Slaters has a newly made batch of TS length cables in stock right now, he has sent out around three others from this batch and is contacting those buyers, he doesnt think that any of them are fitted to bikes that are in use.)

I too have been fitting stuff like this to motorcycles for approaching sixty years, and I very well now the correct pre-installation procedures and the actual installation procedures
I am perfectly capable of making up my own cables given the components that are required and it may well come to that.

While I am at it, my original purchase for this cable  was three items,
1) the cable which was wrong in length so not fitted
2) a gearshift return spring which was wound too tight so as to have no clearance on the splined shaft (should be at least 1mm bigger)and cause the legs to "open" when fitted.
3) a gearbox triangle gasket which had to have 1-3mm trimmed off the outside after fitting and the 6mm bolts wouldn't even go through the holes without attention from a wad cutter and is  the most horrible green colour.

pattern parts may well cause the demise of one of the best parts dealers, he is getting very sick of ill fitting parts bought in, in good faith for re-sale.
CLEM
 
No not at all, I'm sorry if that sounded like that. Actually I found I missed that you said new inner cables were too short.
It is also possible to inspect how much there is free play on both ends and is it in acceptable limits. Then inspected cables should work.

Are you able to make cables for meters? I haven't found parts and tooling for these.

Seems to be a lot of parts on markets which are not correct. I have a box for abandoned new parts.
 
making a one off speedo cable is the easy part, with a little ingenuity and some jiggery pokery, buying single units of the components is a lot harder, (I haven't tried so how would I know?) although I suspect that Venhill would as likely as not give me those parts just so as to be getting rid of me, which they probably have done anyway (the getting rid part that is) time will tell what a new old stock cable will do for me.
CLEM
 
CLEMTOG said:
making a one off speedo cable is the easy part, with a little ingenuity and some jiggery pokery, buying single units of the components is a lot harder, (I haven't tried so how would I know?) although I suspect that Venhill would as likely as not give me those parts just so as to be getting rid of me, which they probably have done anyway (the getting rid part that is) time will tell what a new old stock cable will do for me.
CLEM
Click to expand...

Sourcing sheath and inner drive cable has become difficult, with hardly any newer vehicles having anything like that any more.  Old-style speedo repair places have largely disappeared, modern taxameters are no longer mechanically driven.

I buy a drive cable for a brit bike, cut it up and use that as a basis, they are often long enough to make 2 short ones (most have the drive gearbox at the rear wheel).  Ferrules are quickly knocked up on the lathe, same with a drive square to crimp on to one end of the inner (a milling machine helps, but can be quickly filed into shape).  Many Smiths instruments have the same thread at the drive junction as ND, the nut for the other end can be pinched from a broken cable.  Over the years, I've amassed a nice selection of different fixing nuts, so no great challenge there either.  I've made myself a forming tool for squaring the end of the inner and crimping tools for the ferrules, all in, making a cable from scratch takes a little more than an hour.

piet
 
speedocable.html
 
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