Does the Magician 250 Speedometer/Odometer work right for anybody over the long-term?

[jsonnentag]

Last November (2023) I got a Magician from Texas Powersports (no problems with delivery or replacement of NUMEROUS parts under the warranty . . .) but the replacement speedometer/odometer is back to just as bad as the original. I think the original might have lasted a little longer because I was driving slower during the break in, but after a mere 1,000 (mostly close to km on the dial) the speedometer is back to flapping around WILDLY.


For the person I read a long time ago that wanted to get to 80 on the dial that is absolutely no problem! Driving back from Moreno Valley today I was going maybe 50 and the needle was pressed against the back of the 0 pin. ) But if you let up on the gas and coast a little it bounces around and back down to 35-50 or somewhere it the middle and then to 70 and 60. It kind of seems like an electrical problem in there, but it happened to the original and to the replacement.


Total numbers on the odometer add up to about 4,000 now, which is close to matching km, but not exactly.


Anyway, has ANYBODY managed to maintain a factory speedometer/odometer on a Magician over an extended period of time? It seems to me with my personal experience with 2 of them that they just will NEVER work right for any period of time.


PS - Things that had to be replaced under the warranty were:


- Top of the triple tree, because the pinch bolt broke off in it when attempting to remove it
- Speedometer/Odometer cluster (still doesn't work)
- Gas tank (because it started leaking at the front weld where the 2 pieces of metal the tank is made of connect)
- Carburetor, because something got stuck in it and gas just poured out of it and due to it having rivets holding it together you can't even clean it yourself
- Fuel petcock, because it dripped even when turned off - and I think a piece of rubber from that seal in there is MOST LIKELY what went into the carburetor and messed things up
- Big nut on top of the triple tree, because it came loose, I tightened it (but not enough) and then it rattled off somewhere on a dirt road - but it is fairly generic and Amazon had one that fit
- Bolt on the clutch handle rattled out and that made for an exciting exit off the freeway - replaced with one from Home Depot and added some Loctite and some pretty green paint so I can easily see if the nut has moved (lots of bright green fingernail polish on all kinds of other bolts now too so I can see if they move)

[Megadan]

Is the speedometer cable driven or electronic? If it's cable drive then the cable may need lubed, and/or the drive mechanism. If it's electronic then it may be a bad connection, wheel speed sensor, or electronic interference from the ignition system.

[CheapThrills]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Is the speedometer cable driven or electronic? If it's cable drive then the cable may need lubed, and/or the drive mechanism. If it's electronic then it may be a bad connection, wheel speed sensor, or electronic interference from the ignition system.

Good question, if cable I learned they need to be cleaned and lubed, or they break.

[CGcloner229]

Mine was built at the factory in Texas and it's always been off from the start.....get a GOOD phone clamp and use a GPS app, thyre pretty cool imo they are dead on, plan trips, record top speeds, stuff like that. It's even wrong on the high end I'll be maxed out going downhill at like 70 and my stock speedo has the needle past 80 (the max point) lol





R

[ProDigit]

From my understanding, the Magician is one of the bikes with reliability ratings on the lower side.
Like, in terms of lack of reliability, the magician is on the top.

- Magician,
- Hawk, Vader 125
- Condor/Vader 150,
- Templar
- KPX250/KP Mini/KPM200.

[Magician16]

I've had a Magician since 2018. It's actually a 2016, but I bought it new and put it together myself. Speedo has worked well, although it's off by about 8%. The only problems I've had have been as follows: Replaced head gasket under warranty, tri-clamp fell off but I found it, tail lights have burned out and bulbs replaced, had to replace chain after a couple of years, and one of my passenger pegs fell off. I think a lot of the problems riders have had are due to not putting loctite on all the fasteners and not lubing all moving parts when building.


I've done a few mods which I think were necessary including, gutted airbox and added pod filter, cut a groove into carb bolts and rejetted, adjusted rear shock, replaced front tire with a real knobby, and gutted cat in exhaust.