TOPIC:

rebuilt my speed&tach yesterday to improve needle response and try to glue the needles back on. The needles were so badly sun damaged that they literally crumbled apart as soon as I tried to touch them! Instead of jigsaw puzzling it all back together I wound up using superglue and glued some sewing needles in their place until I can find a replacement lol (Ghetto I know but doesn't look too bad!).

I found a source for needles in the past but quickly forgot it when I figured I could just glue the old ones back on (silly me!). Anyone else have the same problem and found a reasonably priced replacement? I know our German friends have some replacements but they generally ask for more money than I'm willing to part with . Thanks!

Mike,

I have had the same problem in the past.
I just went to a breakers yard & looked for a kawasaki with accident damaged clocks (normally a few) & bought the damaged unit for the needles alone.
Mine are white rather than red but still look good & do the job.
I think the bike was a ZZR1100 ?

There aren't any bike junk yards nearby as far as I know (my zip is 68005). Believe me, if I had easy access to one they would surely come to know me by name lol. The last one that I knew about went out of business years ago . Might be time to check into it again though.

Yeh mate, same problem down under, imagine how brittle the needles were on mine after 30 odd years in the aussie sun, they crumbled to dust when touched, I bit the bullet and got new needles from the German site, he got them made up when I asked if he had any, took a few months, that's the z1300.de site, sorry to say they are 27 euros each, and have a special way of replacing them, but they are new, orange and black, and work well, he sends instructions on how to refit the new ones correctly, cheers

P.S. I did try some aftermarket replacement type, trouble is the hole for the pin was too big, another was too short a needle, they have to be just right and balanced to suit the application and to read right

Hi mates,

I do not know the price, however Wilfried does have them, saw them myself):

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regards,

Holger

Mike

Mine disintegrated also probably due to age. I bought the ones from the German site and yes they are expensive but I can assure you they are excellent quality. They fitted with no drama whatsoever and they are well weighted.