speedometer light?

[John0]

I just bought my bike used last saturday, and tonight was the first time i drove it at night.  I started it up and realized, "i have no speedo light."  does anybody know how easy (hard) that is to fix and what it would take?  luckily, ive already ridden it enough to know that 45k rpm is rought 55 mph in 6th gear.

[ben2go]

Purdy easy.Take the gauges loose from the top plate.Flip them up,remove the 4 acorn nuts and 3 phillips head screws.There you will find the lighting plugs.I lube them with WD-40,turn them back and forth a couple times and slowly pull them out.Be careful,sometimes the wires will pull out.Lubing the socket helps.I don't remember the bulb number but they are common at auto parts stores.They're sold in pairs so replace both tach and speedo bulbs.Heck buy three packs and replace the dash lights too.

BTW the torque spec for the gauge assembly bolts to handle bar plate are 12 ft-lbs.The acorn nuts and phillips screws holding the black plastic cover to the back of the gauges are snugged up.Don't over tighten them or the gauge cover will shatter like glass.I learned that 1 the hard way

[astroaru]

thanks for the post! my tach lights  are down too. Never thought it is as simple as what ben2go said

[ben2go]

It would seem to me that it would be easier on an F model because the head light doesn't trap the gauges between the top clamp and headlight.

[gsJack]

You have to remove the trip odo reset knob first on E models. I use a jewelers size phillips screwdriver.  Then remove the 2 acorn nuts on the speedo and the cable and then you can just lift the speedo out far enough to change the bulb.  You can remove acorns and cable and lift the tach the same way to change the bulb.

I use the #94 bulbs available everywhere for the speedo, tach, and indicator lights.

[ben2go]

GSjacks way is actually a little easier than mine.Remove the trip meter knob,remove the cable,remove acorn nuts and lift out.Omit the trip knob for the tach.Can you get to the center acorn nuts with the headlight or gauge plate in place?

[gsJack]

I can even with my big fat arthritic fingers.   

[ben2go]

I can even with my big fat arthritic fingers.   

Then it should be easy for my small ones.Arthur had it out for my fingers this winter.I had to get a courtizone shot for the pain and stiffness.

[saady2s]

You have to remove the trip odo reset knob first on E models. I use a jewelers size phillips screwdriver.  Then remove the 2 acorn nuts on the speedo and the cable and then you can just lift the speedo out far enough to change the bulb.  You can remove acorns and cable and lift the tach the same way to change the bulb.

I use the #94 bulbs available everywhere for the speedo, tach, and indicator lights.

Ok I removed the calble, accorn nuts  but, now how to open up the speedometer to change the bulb? (does the silver plate on top of the meter removes?)

Saad.

[pkey]

Just lift straight up on the speedo. It'll come out of the black bucket it's in. The bulb is in the round rubber plug that has wires coming out of it on the bottom of the speedo. Lube it up a bit and twist/pull it out. Don't pull it by the wires, though.