Speedometer illumination mod? (Yamaha TDM 850)

[jimiscorpio]

Hello everyone,

I'm a total beginner here, just got my license and just bought my first bike. I have a Yamaha TDM 850, 1998.

I've got plenty to find out about but one of the most pressing is that the instrument panel on this bike is not illuminated or even reflective.

Has anyone got advice of what to do? I was thinking of a little led strip light perhaps. It's basically impossible to read at night, you can't even see the speed.

Or would is be possible to replace the clocks with a modern one? Is it possible to connect a "generic" counter on there or is that just a really dumb question?

Thanks in advance!

J

P.S. I'm also unsure about the terminology here, did I mention that I'm super green?
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The correct answer is probably no.

[P.]

Just replace the bulb underneath...? Unsure on the TDM but its likely just got a blown bulb in there.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Clocks of that age will have small bulbs behind them - I've had two bikes that have needed replacement bulbs, so they do definitely fail with age. However, it does seem a bit odd that all of them have gone (there will be at least two, I would've thought - one for the speedo, and another for the tacho). If you're not used to taking instruments like this apart, it's best to get a bike mechanic to do it. It's a relatively easy job for those who work on bikes, and the likelihood is that they'll have some bulbs knocking around ready to fit. Mine did, anyway. My only other comment is that it seems a bit unlikely that all the instrument bulbs have gone at once - perhaps a fuse has gone, and in fact, the bulbs are still working. If you can find your fuse box, it might be possible to remove them and see if any are blown - it's easy to check these once they're pulled out of the board.

Replacing the clocks strikes me as a pretty drastic first move - not least because they'll be expensive and your bike's mileage will then be incorrect.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Just change the bulb(s).

https://www.bike-parts-yam.com/yamaha-motorcycle/850-MOTO/1992/TDM/TDM850/SPEEDOMETER/27_2745-2745/B39/0/7154

https://www.bike-parts-yam.com/thumbs/y/images/27/2745-2745/900_900/FIG_39.PNG
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[doggone]

Sometimes the bulbs are in quite chunky rubber holders you can access from below without too much dismantling.
Vibration is the issue they do often fail.

[redeem ouzzer]

Don’t need clock lights for MOT.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[Easy-X]