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Just wondered if there are any regular rev counter fixes

Windmill John

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2022
Total Posts
446
Total likes
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Location
East Sussex, England
A buzzing suddenly started on today’s second ride; my first with my wife in the back.
After checking that the buzzing wasn’t her…. It turned out to be the tacho.

If I held it, the buzzing stopped… loose screw, bezel etc, me thinks, no worries.

On the ride home, the buzzing was accompanied by a rabid needle. It started doing a good impersonation of a wagging finger, shooting from 1 or 2k revs to 6 to 8k and back.
It calms down under about 35mph.

Any ideas?

Cable is lubed, so must be internal.
 
Likely not your issue, but I've had the cable come loose on the back of the tach due to vibration. If it's not fully engaged I could imagine noises and improper function resulting.
 
There is a thread stickied somewhere in here where LDR details getting them apart.

My original did exactly what you describe. Couldn't figure it out. Picked up a really nice looking one on Ebay and it bounced all over. Couldn't fix it either.

I switched to aftermarket until I can figure it out. Eventually me or someone will stumble upon a fix.
 
Yeah, I forgot you have the early all-plastic bodied gauges.

In that thread I detailed how I got the plastic ones apart. My method did involve some grinding away the plastic lip holding it together. Once that lip is gone, it will pry apart cleanly. I didn't see any other way. Not a lot of flex to that plastic. It will crack.
 
A couple of pointers on lubing/cleaning the drive bushing.
You have to use a very thin oil, that's why I got some from and RC car store. All the oils we normally use are too thick to wick thru the bushing area.
The drive has to spin easily when done. By easily I mean you spin it with your fingers and it goes another revolution or so when you release.
 
I have 3 in 1 which is pretty fine; plus all the usual lubes.

I think, buried somewhere, I have some sewing machine oil which is very fine and probably best for this job.
 
Okay, stripped my tacho today.

Did it fix it?…… No.
is it worse?…… Erm…. Yes.
Will you try again?….. No way.

Here’s a YouTube video with a similar case and similar internals.

https://youtu.be/Q6-gtfY3-Xo

It helped with the opening, but I think I buggered the spring. I’m afraid I brought a hammer to a gun fight.

On a positive note, I no longer have the ratchet noise and it no longer flicks both ways.
But, it now enjoys red lining when I’m actually at about 2000 rpm.

I’ve taken the cable out again and will now leave as is for a while. When funds allow I might look at a replacement, or a digital version, as long as it looks very similar.
This will be in the future, as I’ve just had to fork out for a clutch kit.
 
Good luck. Post if you find something. I replaced mine with aftermarket. I looked a long time. The highest quality ones were very expensive. I settled on the type you can see on 4into1. I got the chrome ones. But they also have black. I've seen the same ones at several different places.

I like the way they look. Tach does jitter a bit. It's tolerable. But it was only US $50.

For both tach and speedo, make sure you get the correct ratio.
 
I think my fingers took over my brain. It was advertised as NOS. It appeared to be the only one anywhere. I’m still unsure if it is or a CMSL one; don’t mind either.
But the price got a bit out of hand. In hindsight, I probably should have put the money towards some Ikon shocks; my back would appreciate it. Or bought a digital one and saved a ton….

Or just not have a tacho and saved a megaton!
 
Only kidding ;)

About sticking it in the bin that is, it is slightly the wrong fitting for my bike.

Mine has the mounting bolts at 2 to 2, the new one is quarter to nine. The mounting bolts are also much longer.

After a little fiddling, I cut the bolts down, was able to use one original hole in the bracket and fabricate a little bracket to fit the second mounting bolt.

You can see that the tacho is slightly higher than the speed and from the top it is slightly further back.

But no one else would notice. I might tweak it at some point, but for the mo I had a great ride with a functioning tacho.

Bottom line, I'm very happy.

Except with image rotation!!!!!! I've just rotated these buggers and they're still wrong!!!

IMG_2839.jpg IMG_2841.jpg IMG_2842.jpg
10500.jpg front.jpg
 
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I suspect the tach may have been for the earlier CB/CL/SL175, redline is right for it.

Not sure how you're rotating the pics when you do. I save copies of them to my computer, open them in MS Paint, rotate as needed, re-save and re-upload as I did with the last two.
 
I tried it the first time and they were wrong. So I opened them in Photoshop (work provided :) ) rotated, saved and still the same.
Just lay on your side to view…..

Anyway, as I can’t afford another Honda, I fitted the old tacho to my push bike. ;)
 

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Just lay on your side to view…..

No thanks, I have enough back and neck problems as it is :rolleyes:


Anyway, as I can’t afford another Honda, I fitted the old tacho to my push bike. ;)

Cool! Now you just need an electric motor to turn the tach and a recording of a vintage Honda twin to go along with it for when you ride that one.
 
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