speed sensor question

[bykemeister]

when i lost the speedodometer on my '05 GS, i was told i needed
a new speed sensor that mounts on the swingarm.
i ordered the part, thinking a friend of mine could install it.
i have now been told that once it is installed, it needs to be "cleared"
or something like that, by a computer that only the dealer has.
anybody know the lowdown on this issue?
any thoughts would be appreciated.

[marc]

Oh boy. This leads to lots of questions. First is what caused the speed sensor to fail? It goes into your final drive. Is something happening to your FD? Or was a wire misrouted such that was sliced by the brake rotor?

A fault was probably logged, but it may not need to be cleared for the new sensor to work. Don't know. I'd install the new sensor and see. If it works the error log should be read and cleared as a normal part of your next service. If you service your own bike look into getting the GS-911 which will let you read and clear the fault logs.

If something in the bikes controller actually needs to be changed the GS-911 will not do the job. For that you'll need a dealer to hook up their diagnostics device to do the job.

[bykemeister]

marc
thanks for your input.
i'm thinking the sensor may have been damaged when i had the rear drive
fluid changed by a local mechanic.
i was hoping to get the sensor changed locally to avoid a 5 hour round-trip ride to the dealer.
as you suggested, i think i'll get it changed, and if it still has to
go to the dealer to be cleared, that's what i'll have to do.

thanks.
nice R 69 by the way.