Paging sweller and other Guzzisti

I've been told, but find it a little hard to believe, that the speedo
cable from a Moto Guzzi 850 T3 will fit my Elefant.

Can someone who's got one get the relevant measurements so I can confirm
this before I order one? I guess I'd need the overall cable length, and
the dimensions of the screwy bit at each end.

 

I'll be back in Brighton this weekend and let you know.

 

Fantastic.

If it's true, it'll save me a pile of money; apparently Guzzi speedo
cables are only EUR8.33, but getting an Elefant cable made up will cost
more like GBP30.

 

You get through a lot of cables?

 

About one every four weeks, so far.

 

The man at Motomecca is probably fed up by now of Ducati/Cagiva owners
phoning up to ask if he has anything from some sort of Guzzi that might
fit but he has always been very helpful to me.

 

I might give them a ring, then.

My scepticism is because Italsport, who are apparently very familiar
with Elefants, claimed that nothing else would fit and all I could do
was get one made up.

 

just get something from these guys:

http://www.motogadget.de/en/frameset.html

and forget about the original speedo.

 

Check the routing of the cable. It's a common fault
on Ducatis that the speedo cable will snap if it's
not routed right. It may look ok when static but
under fork compression it can tighten the radius
and snap the cable.

Having said that, I've got an old Ducati cable (which
I think is a standard size across *all* cable driven
speedo models) that you're welcome to - I might even
measure it for you first.

 

I bet it's the right length, but the spindle's a different size, just
because the Italians are mentalists.

 

I wouldn't bet against it.

 

I'll check that when I pull the cable out this evening.

I suspect it might be the length that's the problem. Even carb-ed and
injected Elefants have different length cables.

 

For what it's worth, most Guzzis have a very useful 'right-angled
flexi-joint' at the clock end of both the rev counter and speedo cables
where the cable screws onto this joint and the joint screws onto the clock..
This allows the cable to keep its shape without the damage you get with a
rigidly fixed cable end as per most Jap stuff..
I haven't got any of these joints spare but I may have an old speedo cable
in the garage somewhere you could have if it's any good. This would be from
a Spada but will be the same as a T3.

JB
JB

 

In communiqué

It's amazing what speedo cables will fit on totally different makes if
you can find a friendly parts chap prepared to do a bit of matching.
For example you can put the speedo cable from an RD125LC (or XJ900 IIRC)
on a Gilera Nordwest.

Of course in the good old days somewhere like Vale-Onslow would make you
up just a new inner cable so long as the outer was still in good nick.

A slightly longer cable is not a problem (other than possibly
aesthetically) given careful routing.

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Sounds a bit suspiciously technical for something Italian...

Ta. Once I've got a few minutes free, I'll whip off the old cable and
measure it up.

 

Vale-Onslow is still open, still full of old junk, and probably still
staffed by people willing to do this kind of work.

This post brought to you by somebody who goes past the shop once every 6
months and keeps meaning to wander in, but is slightly scared he'll come
out with an old bike.


--
Mike Buckley
RD350LC2
http://www.toastyhamster.freeserve.co.uk - deleted by Orange - f*ckers - then
randomly reinstated - wtf!
http://www.toastyhamster.plus.com
BONY#38

 

I remember the days when Vale-Onlow used to have a shop in Soho Road
Handsworth (not far from the 'Elite' cinema), as well as the Stratford
Road one. They had a special little press thingy which could make the
correct square end on a speedo inner cable which had been cut to length
to suit an old, but still usable outer.

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Oh, hang on: *whoosh*.

You might like to think about how long I've had the bike...

After removing the old cable this evening, I'm not surprised that it
snapped. The rubber cover over the wheel end had perished and split, the
boss on that end came off in pieces when I put the pliers to it, and
there was a split in the outer coating which appeared to have let a load
of water in, which dripped out when I undid the bottom end.

Mine's about 1011mm (outer), 1022mm (inner).

I don't know what else to measure; do the sizes of the bosses at each
end vary?

 

I forgot then went away again. I'm servicing Snorky tomorrow so will
have a look then.

 

Ah, don't worry. Venhill made me up a very nice one, which will
hopefully last long enough that I'll be concerned about paying for
another one from them if needed.