I'm about to take the clocks apart and do the final LED upgrade.
While I will have it all open, maybe somebody can tell me how to correct my speed indicator? it shows about 10% higher speed that I'm actually going. Verified that with my GPS, speed indicators along the road... Any easy way to adjust it?
BTW - I'm running stock tires so that's not it.
From the factory, bike speedometers are typically set up to indicate 10-15% high. For the GS, this is a mechanical linkage (driven by the front wheel) where the rotation rate of the shaft drive dictates the indicated speed. Running a front tire 1 size taller than stock would probably get you about right, but then you would also need to run an upsized front tire to maintain proper steering geometry and handling.
Never mind. Not a biggie, thought there was a ez adjustment...
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I don't have anything to add with regard to speedo correction, but I want to add if you're completely opening the gauge clocks to change to LEDs, either you're doing some custom work or you're doing way too much work. ;)
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Get a GPS, and stick it on the handle bars...It will read very accurate speeds....
Don't bother reading the recent GPS threads...that will give you a headache! :mad:
If you monkey with the tire size...you may get the speedo to read correctly but then the odometer will be way off...... :nono:
Cookie
Quote from: jsyzdek on June 12, 2014, 03:12:23 PM
I'm about to take the clocks apart and do the final LED upgrade.
While I will have it all open, maybe somebody can tell me how to correct my speed indicator? it shows about 10% higher speed that I'm actually going. Verified that with my GPS, speed indicators along the road... Any easy way to adjust it?
BTW - I'm running stock tires so that's not it.
Quote from: jdoorn14 on June 12, 2014, 03:41:00 PM
if you're completely opening the gauge clocks to change to LEDs, either you're doing some custom work or you're doing way too much work. ;)
Well, I was installing the last LED - for the turn signal indicator. I had to take the clocks off to have a better access to the wires - I had to solder a couple of diodes in and take the ground from the high beam. It was better to have extra space.
I didn't actually open the clocks themselves. Just took the assembly off :)
Quote from: twocool on June 12, 2014, 03:47:37 PM
Get a GPS, and stick it on the handle bars...It will read very accurate speeds....
Don't bother reading the recent GPS threads...that will give you a headache! :mad:
If you monkey with the tire size...you may get the speedo to read correctly but then the odometer will be way off...... :nono:
Nah, I was looking for an 'ez' fix if there was one. Getting the right reading is not worth a new rim and tire, and all the related work.
And yeah - I noticed I have wrong speed indication because I already have a GPS on O0
You also could swap for a trail tech vapor, with a street kit.
It's a good upgrade and is accurate.
My buddy runs one on his yzf600, It matches his speeding tickets and gps =)
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Cool...so just go by the GPS....your odometer is probably spot on...
I think it is a motorcycle industry standard to build in the conservative speedo error, about 8%.
(so you gotta watch when guys brag about their top speed and stuff)
You could also do the math in your head while you ride :cookoo:
Actually, for someone who was really anal..you could re-number the face of the dial...you 'd have to either silk screen a new dial, or maybe print something up on a computer....all you have to do is "compress" the gradations by 8%. We sometimes send out airplane instruments to be re faced when the instrument comes out of one plane and installed in another.....or European instruments may be in kilometers per hour and we change to knots...etc..
Cookie
Quote from: jsyzdek on June 12, 2014, 04:42:28 PM
Quote from: twocool on June 12, 2014, 03:47:37 PM
Get a GPS, and stick it on the handle bars...It will read very accurate speeds....
Don't bother reading the recent GPS threads...that will give you a headache! :mad:
If you monkey with the tire size...you may get the speedo to read correctly but then the odometer will be way off...... :nono:
Nah, I was looking for an 'ez' fix if there was one. Getting the right reading is not worth a new rim and tire, and all the related work.
And yeah - I noticed I have wrong speed indication because I already have a GPS on O0
I have no problem with math ;) and can always look at the GPS. But if there was a quick and elegant fix, I would do it. And for the most part I don't really care what speed I go at. I prefer to spend my attention on looking for debris on the road, or :police:
I guess you haven't gotten any speeding tickets (Yet)?
Cookie
The elegant fix is a new face plate for the speedo...I think there was actually somebody on this group who made them!
Quote from: jsyzdek on June 12, 2014, 08:27:35 PM
I have no problem with math ;) and can always look at the GPS. But if there was a quick and elegant fix, I would do it. And for the most part I don't really care what speed I go at. I prefer to spend my attention on looking for debris on the road, or :police:
nope. Been driving and riding since 1999 and no speeding tickets yet. And I have covered enough miles to go to the moon, speeding whenever I felt like it (i.e. A LOT).
I just see them before they see me :)
The only ticket I ever got (except parking) was for not having chains on my wheels in Tahoe. The cop pulled over about 20 cars, everybody got a ticket. He asked me: 'Where are your chains?' and I immediately responded: 'in my trunk. Where else would I keep them?'
It was 50F, dry, no black ice or snow for that matter. Went to court - still had to pay that ticket. :police: :police: :police: are always right. As a rule I avoid people who are ALWAYS right.
Even more elegant solution is taking the speed needle off, and pushing it back a couple of degrees clockwise.
Offcourse, you have to take speedo apart first, which, IIRC is a real PITA, because of that shiny metal rings.
Anyway, once the ring and the glass is off the housing, carefully bend the needle so it passes above that little stick-stopper, and let it settle (unwound spring position).
Mark the pointer position with a pen, and take the needle off by using two teaspoons as levers (so you won't damage the needle/needle shaft/faceplate). Push the needle back on the shaft at desired position (and bend it over that little stick), pack everything back, and take the bike for a spin.
Sorry for my lack of precise technical terminology, English's not my native/spoken language.
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Mine is literally off by +10%.
When I want to do 70MPH on the interstate, I make sure it says 77 on the speedo.
:cookoo:
OK...I have noticed anywhere between 8% and 10% conservative error...I suppose it depends on front tire wear...
Cookie
Quote from: dinkydonuts on June 13, 2014, 12:52:32 AM
Mine is literally off by +10%.
When I want to do 70MPH on the interstate, I make sure it says 77 on the speedo.
:cookoo:
Wow no speeding tickets...maybe you're not trying hard enough? LOL
I'm sure that some states are more strict on enforcement than others. I've gotten speeding tickets in NJ, NY. PA, FLA, SC, and many many warnings......and I really don't speed! (ahem)
I know that some big western states consider the speed limit as a "suggestion only" and the cops don't believe in enforcement. I have a friend who got stopped in Montana for doing about 120 in an 80 zone...Being from NJ he was scared that they would revoke his license and give him a huge fine.....he did get a ticket...$10....
Most recent ticket was a typical "speed trap around here"......county road in NY with 55 speed limit...in NY if NOT posted, then you assume 55....coming into a little town, the posted speed then goes 45, 35, 25, 15 for one lane tunnel, and then stop light....all in about 1/2 mile.....I did stop at the light, but I guess I didn't decelerate quick enough.....ticket for 48 in a 35....!!!
Most of the times I've been stopped...I have been let go without ticket...just a "slow down and be careful"....Being polite and honest helps a lot...
Cookie
Quote from: jsyzdek on June 12, 2014, 10:06:35 PM
nope. Been driving and riding since 1999 and no speeding tickets yet. And I have covered enough miles to go to the moon, speeding whenever I felt like it (i.e. A LOT).
I just see them before they see me :)
The only ticket I ever got (except parking) was for not having chains on my wheels in Tahoe. The cop pulled over about 20 cars, everybody got a ticket. He asked me: 'Where are your chains?' and I immediately responded: 'in my trunk. Where else would I keep them?'
It was 50F, dry, no black ice or snow for that matter. Went to court - still had to pay that ticket. :police: :police: :police: are always right. As a rule I avoid people who are ALWAYS right.
Since the speedo is off by a percentage, rather than a fixed amount, this method will provide accuracy only at one speed.
I guess if you moved the needle by 5 or 6 mph, it would make the speedo accurate in the commonly used range of 50 to 60..
Cookie
Quote from: Shepa on June 12, 2014, 10:43:30 PM
Even more elegant solution is taking the speed needle off, and pushing it back a couple of degrees clockwise.
Offcourse, you have to take speedo apart first, which, IIRC is a real PITA, because of that shiny metal rings.
Anyway, once the ring and the glass is off the housing, carefully bend the needle so it passes above that little stick-stopper, and let it settle (unwound spring position).
Mark the pointer position with a pen, and take the needle off by using two teaspoons as levers (so you won't damage the needle/needle shaft/faceplate). Push the needle back on the shaft at desired position (and bend it over that little stick), pack everything back, and take the bike for a spin.
Sorry for my lack of precise technical terminology, English's not my native/spoken language.
Sent from my toilet seat using HTC FartPhone
here are some examples of making your own speedo dial:
https://www.google.com/search?q=make+your+own+speedometer+dial&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CtyaU8HmN7S2sAT83oHgCg&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=645
Here's a guy who did some nice work!
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?240217-Make-your-own-speedo-dial-designs
cookie
http://www.speedgaugecustoms.com/#!suzuki-boulevard/c1djv
Here's a place that can make the face for you...and incorporate the correction...starting at $35
cookie
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=60597.0
Well, as a teenager I've done things that I shouldn't talk about in public... Let's just say that 200km/h (125mph) was often near my AVERAGE speed. Now I don't drive my racing car any more (guess what, it's been converted into razor blades after a crash) and drive a little honda. I still stay in the 80-90mph range whenever I can, but hardly ever go higher than that.
With the GS I'm not really into speeding in straights. I love pushing it through corners and it's hard for the cops to really measure your speed precisely there (they don't even have a good spot to catch you).
Here in CA speeding policies depend on neighborhood. In some fancy areas cops are anal about it, my friend got a $120 ticket for going 27mph in a 25mph zone.
On I-5, where speed limit is 70mph, cops tell you to stay "in 70's". But another friend got a $350 ticket for doing 90. So the tolerance goes down very quickly as you cross the '80' line.
But why I'm not getting tickets? I just see them before they see me. About a month ago, going to LA, I was going around 90 (driving my little honda). All of a sudden I slam the brakes and my wife wakes up. Nobody on the road, so she asks - why did you do that? I said - you'll see. I keep driving and a mile later there are cops. I see them hiding on ramps at night by the freeway etc etc...
I just spend 75% of my attention for looking out for :police:
Better yet is to coast down to a more legal speed with just a tap of the brakes for the benefit of those behind. Cops look for that front end dive as an admission of guilt.
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If you go fast enough, coasting down to something close to legal will take too long and you'll end up with a ticket. I tend to take full advantage of my car being a stick-shift and use lots of engine braking in such situations (and help with the brakes if I have to). They also look for that flash of brake lights too :)
If you're going that fast, unless you're keeping up with other traffic, you deserve what you get ticket-wise. By the same token, if you're the a-hole weaving through 4 lanes of traffic passing everyone, you're a hazard. Big difference between light traffic smooth sailing and pulling nascar maneuvers on a crowded expressway.
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Quote from: jsyzdek on June 13, 2014, 08:20:16 AM
Nobody on the road
look for that magic set of 4 words in my 8:20am post :) :police: was hiding in the bushes on an empty road, hoping to enhance their stats...
You are correct "TWOCOOL". Moving the needle wil make the indication correct only within a limited range. I have used this method on my own speedo which was 10% optimistic. Using the GPS, my speedo is now (all in km/h) 4 slow at 40, 2 slow at 60, 1 slow at 70, correct at 80/90 and 1 fast at 100. Being a mechanical instrument the error is not linear like a digital unit due to internal friction, spring tension and magnetic field drag.
From my point of view this is close enough and a good compromise for the real world.
Macka
ps: for what is it worth, my standard bike (F) is flat out at 160km/h (100mph), true speed into a slight head wind. That's fast enough for me thank you!
Sorry Guys, I should clarify that "standard" means no jetting, exhaust or intake mods. It does however have 18/37 gearing and a 140/70/17 rear tyre. Top speed is reached in 5th gear at nearly 9000 rpm. At 160km/h or 100mph in 6th it is only doing 7400 rpm so is below peak torque and power and can just hold the speed, not increase.
Macka
yes, "close" is "good enough" As they say, "We are not making a Swiss watch here"
I do like the idea of making the speedo accurate at the most used and most important range.
One of my jobs in the airplane shop, is "calibrating" altimeters.......in a similar fashion we can only change the starting point. The FAA allows fairly large errors...but the error must be small at the lower more common altitudes...and the error can be greater as you fly higher..
As you said, the error is not linear..and the error can even change directions...Like the altimeter may read low up to a certain altitude, then read high, but then read low again at even higher..
it's just the mechanical nature of the works.....
I guess nobody really liked the idea of making a new faceplate, with all the correct speeds in the correct places.....it would be a bit of work to track and write down the error at each speed, say every 5 mph...but you could create a very accurate speedo this way........
But really...who cares? plus or minus 5 or 10 MPH...so what?
I really like using the GPS for speed anyway..and mine knows the speed limit, so it reads my speed vs the speed limit...turns red if I'm over the limit as a reminder..
BTW..I have future plans to build a "bobber" type bike...But I want it really stripped down and clean...so I will not have any gauges...just the smallest GPS I can find, attached as inconspicuously as possible..
Cookie
Quote from: prmas on June 13, 2014, 06:00:08 PM
You are correct "TWOCOOL". Moving the needle wil make the indication correct only within a limited range. I have used this method on my own speedo which was 10% optimistic. Using the GPS, my speedo is now (all in km/h) 4 slow at 40, 2 slow at 60, 1 slow at 70, correct at 80/90 and 1 fast at 100. Being a mechanical instrument the error is not linear like a digital unit due to internal friction, spring tension and magnetic field drag.
From my point of view this is close enough and a good compromise for the real world.
Macka
ps: for what is it worth, my standard bike (F) is flat out at 160km/h (100mph), true speed into a slight head wind. That's fast enough for me thank you!
I got to the party late, but my '07F was off +8% while the odometer was spot on. I used 10% in my head to be on the safe side...66 Mph was 60, 38 Mph was 35 and so on.
Quote from: twocool on June 13, 2014, 07:21:55 PMBut really...who cares? plus or minus 5 or 10 MPH...so what?
In the rural places that I ride they are handing out tickets for 2 Mph over, it's called "Revenue Enhancement"...
I care about keeping my cash in my pocket.
I was talking about the speedo accuracy plus or minus 5 or ten, not that you should drive + 10 over the limit...now we get into the idea of accuracy vs precision..our speedos, although "off" by 8 to 10%, are always off by the same amount at the same speed..so you can be pretty accurate if you want to.
A ticket for 2 over the limit seems pretty harsh...and with a good lawyer, probably you can beat this in court, because the accuracy of the method of determining your speed comes into question.
But the cops are tricky.....for instance, I was given a ticket for 9 over, but the actual radar reading was 16 over....so the cop has some leeway if challenged in court..
If the enforcement is going to be a ticket at +2...simply follow the speedo on the gs.....since it is 8% conservative..as long as it reads the limit or less...you're safe!
I think this was the whole idea of the conservative speedo in the first place!
Cookie
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on June 13, 2014, 07:32:33 PM
Quote from: twocool on June 13, 2014, 07:21:55 PMBut really...who cares? plus or minus 5 or 10 MPH...so what?
In the rural places that I ride they are handing out tickets for 2 Mph over, it's called "Revenue Enhancement"...I care about keeping my cash in my pocket.
Lolz...I just caught the "who cares" part and though..yeah I care about my funding! :cheers: