Speedometer needle flutters at 65 MPH

[csmith]

My speedometer needle flutters at 65-70 MPH after about 20 minutes of riding. It stays that way until turned off.  Once restarting and driving under 65-70 , no flutter but going back up to 65-70 the flutter returns after 15 -20 minutes.  The flutter is a full 5 mph on the dial by the needle.  Anyone have any thoughts

[Thumper]

If it were me, I'd take the speedo cable off and look for two things in the core -
a) breakage
b) grime-build up
 
I've seen a speedo cable-core almost severed and behaved at low speed but the stress of high speeds was enough to mess with it.
 
As for the grime - pulling the core should allow a good squirt of something like carb-cleaner (followed by a good soaking in a lubricant like wd-40 or better, fresh motor oil) which can help get that old stuff out.

[Arizoni]

Hopefully I don't start a war by saying, WD40 is about as useless as teats on a bore for long term lubrication.
It was designed to be a water displacement for electronic hardware, not for lubricating moving machinery parts.
WD40 also tends to dry out and become gummy after a while and gummy is not what a person wants in the speedometer drive.

Lubricate the inner cable with motor oil or a light weight grease like a white petroleum jelly.
Slightly thicker greases can be used but they put more load on the drive gears.

[baird4444]

Hopefully I don't start a war by saying, WD40 is about as useless as teats on a bore for long term lubrication.
It was designed to be a water displacement for electronic hardware, not for lubricating moving machinery parts.
WD40 also tends to dry out and become gummy after a while and gummy is not what a person wants in the speedometer drive.

Lubricate the inner cable with motor oil or a light weight grease like a white petroleum jelly.
Slightly thicker greases can be used but they put more load on the drive gears.

I got yer back on this one Arizoni...  it's great fer getting the gummy off a bumper sticker or drying plug wires or a distributor but....  oh hell, read this -
http://www.wd40.com/about-us/history/

it is everything BUT a lubricant- Mike
now if ya want a lubricant, let's talk about PB Blaster...

[Thumper]

Hopefully I don't start a war by saying, WD40 is about as useless as teats on a bore for long term lubrication.
It was designed to be a water displacement for electronic hardware, not for lubricating moving machinery parts.
WD40 also tends to dry out and become gummy after a while and gummy is not what a person wants in the speedometer drive.

Lubricate the inner cable with motor oil or a light weight grease like a white petroleum jelly.
Slightly thicker greases can be used but they put more load on the drive gears.

or better, fresh motor oil

[Thumper]

I got yer back on this one Arizoni...  it's great fer getting the gummy off a bumper sticker or drying plug wires or a distributor but....  oh hell, read this -
http://www.wd40.com/about-us/history/

it is everything BUT a lubricant- Mike
now if ya want a lubricant, let's talk about PB Blaster...

or better, fresh motor oil

[ridgerunner]

I like to use "lock ease" on my cables. It's graphite in alcohol which evaporates and fills everything with dry lube. No gummy yuck ever.

[barenekd]

I use Dri-Slide which is about the same as Lock-Ease, but there are speedo specific lubes available at auto parts stores. I've also used white lithium grease. NO axle grease or wheel bearing grease, please. The lube needs to be very light.
And no WD-40. That stuff is a fair parts cleaner. That's about it. Gotta be the most overrated crap in the world!
Bare

[rick505]

When I had speedo flutter, I lubed the cable with a good fairly heavy chain lube.  Seemed to dampen the flutter.  Don't rider her since getting another bike but it seemed to solve the issue for me.

[LarsBloodbeard]

For what it's worth, my speedo would flutter by about 5 mph at high speeds too.  But it would always flutter.  I checked and lubed the cable - no change.  I wound up getting a Smiths replica, since my speedo's glass was cracked anyways, and voila!  No more flutter.

[dogbone]

Try the lube provided by Ford, It cleared mine up

[ridgerunner]

This is gonna sound nuts, but...
My speedo flutters at 60+ as well. Then it was 50+. Yesterday I was going for a ride so I lubed the chain, checked the oil, put some air in the tires, etc. Much to my surprise, the speedo was steady well betond 60mph. Came home and checked that front tire and noticed some odd wear patterns. I pulled the wheel and took it to the shop and had it balanced. Viola! Speedo is rock steady beyond 70mph. Looks like the tire had been "bouncing" and confused the speedo drive.