Aftermarket gauges for CB700SC

[BlackHawk84]

The needles on the speedometer and tach of my Nighthawk S broke.  Had anyone tried aftermarket gauges on this bike?  I would like to keep the dashboard, instead of bolting on a big old speedo on the handlebars.  It looks like there are gauges that will fit inside the dash (same diameter).  I am leery of buying OEM replacement of e-bay, because plastic will be just as brittle as the one that I have.  There are some speedometers that are electric.  Does NH S have a spot to pick up pulses off the transmission or final drive?  What is your experience?

[leftfield6]

Are you dead set on replacing the gauges, or would you be willing to take a shot at repairing your needles?

I have a certain affection ( my wife would say obsession) with vehicles from the 70s and 80s.  In my collection right now there is a 1985 VW Westfalia, a 1979 Dodge Stepside Truck, and my 85 Nighthawk S.  On the truck, my speedo needle snapped into tiny pieces when I was working on the dash recently.  NLA part, of course, there is virtually no aftermarket support for old Dodge trucks.  So, I improvised/fabricated.  The part of the needle that slides onto the tiny speedometer shaft was undamaged, so I carefully whittled away what was left of the old needle so I had a nice flat surface.  Then I began looking for something that could become my new speedometer needle.  Any small tubular item about 3-4 inches long.  Eventually I decided on the pointy end of a small zip tie!  Trimmed it to the right length, painted it with Krylon florescent orange spray paint to match the other gauge needles, and then super glued it to the center piece I had trimmed earlier. 

Result, only someone who had the original needle to compare it to would be able to tell that the speedometer looks different,  It looks perfectly natural, like it came that way from the factory.

You could easily do this with both needles on the NH S gauge assembly.

[ariwhiteboy]

+1 on repairing the needles...someone on here did a really cool fix using a CD jewel case if I remember correctly, but to look at the finished product you would never know unless he told you!    Do a search for "broken needle" and it should come up.  If you can't find it like that I'll try to hunt it down for you an post a hot link.

[leftfield6]

Found it for ya

http://nighthawk-forums.com/index.php/topic,3319.0.html

[Munkey]

+1 on repairing the needles...someone on here did a really cool fix using a CD jewel case if I remember correctly, but to look at the finished product you would never know unless he told you!    Do a search for "broken needle" and it should come up.  If you can't find it like that I'll try to hunt it down for you an post a hot link.

+2

I was one of the guys who did the needle fix in the thread. I look at those needles almost every day and forget they were fixed until I'm reminded that I fixed them everytime this thread resurfaces.

[BlackHawk84]

I am not at all dead set on replacing the speedo and tach. I thought i needed to have old pieces for repair (which i did not have).  There is no harm in trying to fix the needles first.  I guess in the winter time, when not riding I will try the approach in the link above.  Thanks for suggestions.

[JJX]

Are there any aftermarket speedometer dealers for the 85 Nighthawk S? I cracked my speedometer glass, after downing the bike earlier this month and the needle is stuck between the badly damaged glass (a tree branch stabbed the glass as I went down). I haven't seen anything on Ebay for a speedometer glass and my local dealership said it is no longer manufactured.

[fishmeister]

You'll have to make your own or wait for a cheap set of gauges on EBAY (kinda unlikely) and hope you can polish up the plastic lens and use it.

Never seen the lens plate sold seperately anywhere. New or used.

[happycommuter]

Some member claimed to have heard of people removing the circular dial portions of the one-piece clear plastic piece and grafting in flat discs of new flat plastic.  I'm assuming an oversize circle and some adhesive on the circumference.

Anyone?  I wouldn't know what the best way to cut this stuff would be, what adhesive, etc...

[JJX]

I found an instrument panel from an 85 Nighthawk S in working condition, bought it, but for a fix, I used the DIY fix for now, using a colored CD jewel case and a clear plastic front that I (with help from my SOQS) managed to cut out. With a few dabs of Loctite epoxy, I wonder if this will hold? 

[biometrics]

If you cleaned the epoxy contact surfaces and did a good job in applying it, I would bet it will hold fine...

[Workrider]

I'm looking for a white dash kit with like a red needle or something similar. My needles broke as well and I think I'd like to get a kit to brighten up the dash for night riding.

Anyone know of where I can get a kit like this? How bout making them? Is it hard?

[Tryvelcro]

There is a thread in the lighting section about switching to led bulbs in the instrument panel.  They were significantly brighter.

[medger]

here is a bolt on aftermarket speedo
http://www.jcwhitney.com/chrome-speedometer-2-1/4/p2008923.jcwx?filterid=d8782y1984j3
and here is the matching tach.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/chrome-tachometer2-1/4/p2008924.jcwx?filterid=d8782y1984j3
They are great if you dont mind mind giving up your instrument cluster

[muttstang]

There are also some digital gauge setups out there

http://www.kosonorthamerica.com/

Dennis kirk has those

[Workrider]

Those are both nice gauges. haha, I wouldn't mind having those digi ones! :-D