Speedo glass front smashed [UPDATE - Bodged it for now!]

[Asharin]

I came back to my bike today (was my Dads house) to find the glass front to the speedo clock smashed
No other damage so might have been unlucky stone flung from road, or possibly pikey kids out to be a**eholes.

Either way the clocks/speedo still work fine (after I hoovered out the glass) but they're a mess lookswise. At the moment I have a clear plastic sandwich bag over the top to keep rain out, but that's hardly an ideal solution...

Is it possible to replace the glass front (and is there an idiots guide to..) or am I looking at replacing the whole damn unit?

Bike is a Hyosung Rt125 (aka Hyosung Karion)

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Asharin]

Oh yeah, whoops! Bike is a Hyosung Rt125 (aka Hyosung Karion) Korean bike
Editing original post to say so too Cheers for pointing that out!

[kt]

Measure what you need and get the local glazier to cut it for you

[The Artist]

Probably cheaper to buy some second hand clocks off egay or something.

[Asharin]

[Asharin]

[kt]

Op the speedo must come apart reasonably easily, I had a 250 comet with the same problem a few years back and the speedo came apart easily on it although it probably has differnet clocks, my local glazier cut the circular glass for 4 quid. I beleive your speedo is electronic and not cable operated so should be an easy job. They generally have screws on the underside but best remove the whole unit as it will be easier to work on.

[Teflon-Mike]

Unfortunate timing; haven't sorted the pics for this one yet. I have been snapping pics for a 'how to renovate clocks' How-To, using the clocks on the CB125TD as illustration.

It IS very do-able, BUT!

You have to be careful. Lots of clocks are 'sealed' a) to make them tamper-proof, so people are discouraged from 'clocking' the mileage, and to make them weather-proof.

BUT with care, some decent hobby-craft tools, particularly small craft knives and files, a soldering iron, you can get spare bits for, or a cheap one you dont mind getting jukky with plastic, welding the stuff....... can be done!

The 'Glass' IS the snagger, though. It usually IS glass, and suggestion you can use picture glass from your local glaziers, is unfortunately NOT the greatest advice.

You CAN use the stuff....... but its plain glass, and easily broken again. (most likely when you try fitting the damn stuff!)

Stuff in clocks SHOULD be propper automotive grade glass, either toughened or laminated, so that a) its stronger, b) it doesn't brake in stabbing sized shards like picture glass will.

Better, if you can get it, is the proprietry part from propper supplier. Some-times though you have to buy a whole case, OR a whole clock, making it rather expensive.

HOWEVER, if thats the case, you CAN get perspex sheet in variouse thinkness's at most DIY shops, and THAT is what I'd advise trying, rather than picture glass.

Stuff ISN'T as 'good' as propper glass. After a few years it does go yellow, and it does scratch.

BUT it is tougher than picture glass and wont break in the same way, and its reasonably easy to shape for round or more awkward shaped clocks with a junior hack-saw, and files.

Basics are, you need to remove the clocks from the bike. Disconnect speedo-cable, tacho cable if its a mechanical tach, and disconnect the wiring from the main loom.

Then, you can have a look and see what screws and fastenings you have.

Most clocks have an outer or back-case, that comes off with a few screws. Then inside there's a frame that takes all the back-lights and the actual dials.

SOMETIMES these are glued to the frontage, with the glass in it. Some-times they are screwed, OFTEN they are 'pegged'... towers of plastic from the facia surround pass through the whole lot, and are then heated and metled over to seal the whole thing together.

At this point you need to assess what you have, how BEST to split it, and HOW to do it so you stand a chance of putting it back together again.

Patience, imagination & a little common sence needs to be applied.

Once apart, you can get at where the old glass was, and with a bit of luck, buy, fasion and fit new glass (or perspex substitute)...

And put it all back together, neatly. Using a 'LITTLE' silicon sealant around the glass and fasia and other joints, and or glue (Araldite is a good one) and or plastic welding with aforementioned soldering iron..... (and strips cut from an old washing up bottle, pop-bottle, milk-bottle.... or whatever other plastic rubbish is in the bin, with a similar consistency to the cases, to use as 'filler-rod')

For a newbie...... how brave are you?

Check the prices & availabilityof the parts, of new clocks & see if there are any in breakers.

Then Give it a go!

End of the day, if what you got cant be fixed, its scrapped, and its not much good as it is, so what do you have to loose?

At some point I will get a How-To up on the tpic, becouse it is a good one. Clocks can often be fixed, reclaimed, salvaged or 'customised' for penies, and if you want to get a bit creative, as we are with Donna's 'Pup' project, you can often make custom fasias for them..... in her case, to make them look pretty and personalise the bike...... but on 'imports' the same principle can be used to 'recalibrate' the speedo to MPH from clicks!

(Her old Chinese 'Raptor' used to do my head in; was duel calibrated, but with the major marks in KPH... and a mated Jap-Imp 400 with calender dots on the glass was just useless, ugly and in constant need of re-doing!)
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Asharin]

Thanks very much for the advice guys, especially the last post
I shall give it a go on weds after I finish my night shifts. Worst comes to worst I shall just replace it but lets see if I can fix first

[kt]

Teflon, with respect I never mentioned anything about picture glass, the hyosung clock which I repaired came apart with the use of a screwdriver and a couple of spanners and contained a reusable rubber seal. I didnt find it necessary to buy anything other than the glass which was toughened glass which all Glaziers worth their salt will have in stock.

[Teflon-Mike]

[kt]

Fair enough, and yes the perspex is fine for a while but fades and cracks after the suns got to it .

[Asharin]

Like I said thanks for the advice, all of you, appropriate has been given I'll be having a mess with it on my next days off, It'll have to live with a sandwich bag until then!

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Pete.]

I've seen a few smashed clocks and they were all broke with long sharp shards like regular glass - never seen anything that broke like toughened glass does.

Glaziers might not have a glass thin enough to replace your clock one - but a picture framer very likely would. If you are worried about flying glass from the clocks in an accident then cut a circle from some clear self-adhesive plastic from the craft shop and stick that on the face, that will hold the glass together if it breaks. If it happens to fade in the sun then pull it off and fit another.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[stigger]

Forty Squid + Postage...

https://www.hyosungsource.com/hyosungsource/karion-rt125/speedometer-assembly-rt125

[Asharin]

So until I have time to sort out new glass, I have bodged it....

Take the lid from this:
https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll68/asmodeanv/Bike/20100625_089.jpg

Place over the speedo and add some tape:D

https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll68/asmodeanv/Bike/20100625_086.jpg
https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll68/asmodeanv/Bike/20100625_087.jpg
https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll68/asmodeanv/Bike/20100625_088.jpg

Bit better than the sandwich bag! Should do until I have time/money to fix properly.

[ian789]

It's genius

[Pete.]

That'll be on there forever
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Nice bit of bodgery

I forget whose sig it is, but it goes along the lines of "you can tell the sign of poor workmanship by the wrinkles in the gaffa tape"
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
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[Vincent]

If any part of the clock is held together with a clamped on Bezel, you'll have a real job to repair it properly. You might be able to get the bezel off in one piece but you will never be able to get it on again tightly enough. I did once see a proper bezel tool advertised in a vintage sportscar mag but have never seen one in the flesh.