Install a Smiths Digital Speedometer

Reader Contribution by The Motorcycle Classics Staff
Published on April 13, 2015
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Instrument failure is a familiar issue on vintage bikes. Smiths speedometers and tachs, used on the majority of British bikes up through the late 1970s, are generally reliable. Yet with age, failure becomes increasingly common. Specialty vendors can restore many of them, and while an excellent option, it might not be the route to take with a daily rider vintage Norton or Triumph.

A major issue with vintage Smiths speedometers is the speedometer gear box, which drives the speedometer cable at the wheel. These are known to fail regularly. Recent pattern replacements haven’t been as durable as the originals, and originals haven’t been available for years. So what’s the option? For some riders, it might be a digital speedometer.

Going digital has a distinct advantage; no mechanical components to fail. Instead of a gear box, a stationary pickup triggered by a magnet attached to the spinning wheel sends a signal to a processor, which calculates speed. It’s a simple proposition, but it does mean wiring up a trigger, which, while small, detracts from the vintage proposition. Fortunately, as we discovered, you can keep vintage looks while gaining modern electronics.

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