Speedo & Tach Repair - Palo Alto Speedo

[Guest ratchethack]

So 2 days after my tach went berserk just before permanently checking out, my speedo cable let go. Evidently the ground was not the problem with the tach, per my little excursion inside the housing & post here on same. None of the local speedo shops will touch Veglia.

 

On a referral, I called Palo Alto Speedo (paspeedo.com) and the Guy I spoke with sounded like they know what they're doing. They actually have replacement Veglia bezels, which leads me to believe they've got some kind of volume business and depth of experience on 'em.

 

I got a $175 plus shipping estimate on the tach and they claim to be able to repair speedo cables. I've had speedo cable repair done successfully in the past with British (Smiths), but not with Italian gear. Any feedback on these guys from the Bay Area Guzzisti (Al?)

 

Thanks in advance - as usual you Guys are #1!

[guzzi323]

Palo Alto speedo is well knowm amongst my car friends up here. I've also used them for a couple of busted motorcycle instruments. They aren't cheap, but they do seem to know what they're doing.

 

My 2 cents..

[al_roethlisberger]

I have no personal experience with them, but have heard that they are indeed the "go to guys" for this sort of thing

 

 

Please let us know how it works out if you give them a try though. It would be great to know for certain of a shop on the West Coast that can repair these instruments.

 

al

[emry]

Boy thats a name from way back. I used them to do some custom gearing back in the late eighties for some projects cars. They were top notch back then, but they were not cheap. But you do get what you pay for.

[Guest ratchethack]

Thanks Guys. Not cheap but you get what you pay for - exactly what I'm after. They're shut down 1st week August, will send 'em my busted bits after that & post results here.

[Guest ratchethack]

Please let us know how it works out if you give them a try though.  It would be great to know for certain of a shop on the West Coast that can repair these instruments.

 

al

30600[/snapback]

 

Well, it's taken this long *sigh* to conclude my little *excursion* into the remote little world of Veglia Borletti, a seemingly alien dimension of time and space where (evidently) few dare to tread, and (evidently) for good reason...

 

I have mixed, yet overall very favorable things to say about Palo Alto Speedo. They seem to be at least as experienced as any other shop on the West Coast with the various models of tachs on late-model Guzzi's. At first, I found them more willing than most (read that, any) to even take on a Veglia tach repair. But that changed I will say that they certainly stand behind their work.

 

The net of my experience with PAS is: They honored their warranty on the repair work I paid for back on 8/13 when the first repair failed within 40 miles. They also honored their work on the second repair, made necessary after a second repair failure within 175 miles (just as I made my first downshift at the entry to Angeles Crest Trail).

 

They were good enough to advance me a VDO tach to use to make sure my ground and sending signal wires were good (they were). Then they ordered a few new Veglia tachs, with the promise of sending me one, which they did. The new tach had a black bezel, which doesn't match the chrome one on my speedo. But at my request, they sent me a new chrome bezel, which I switched out, having finally mastered the technique after 3 semi-excruciating attempts

 

I would urge anyone inclined to open the instrument case itself in pursuit of gremlins as I did to be prepared for a tedious, frustrating experience getting the instrument out and back in with the glass intact Hint - you gotta hold your mouth just right...

 

In the end, I was pleased to have a brand-new Veglia tach installed the day before the Ramona (San Diego, CA) Rally - and doubly pleased to have a Veglia tach WORKING again. I found the Veglia much easier to read than the VDO, which, being about half the diameter of the Veglia, looked pretty silly wrapped up in a bar towel to keep it from rattling around in the OEM housing.

 

I spent more $ on express shipping and a dozen phone calls than I spent on the repair itself ($175), and wasn't surprised when one of their Techs confided that after their experience with my tach, they will no longer be doing repairs on these particular units from Guzzi

[al_roethlisberger]

...ahh goodness, sorry to hear about your experience

 

 

I think the best course of action is to "stock up" on a couple eBay/salvage units if one is concerned. They are typically dirt cheap on eBay.

 

It doesn't sound cost-effective, or even prudent to bother fixing them based on your review.... unfortunately

 

al