Went riding with a few friends the other day. have now been informed that my speedo reads 5-6 mph higher than actual (says 45, doing 40).  Hoping this is a simple cable adjustment issue. Advice please and thank you.

06 F w/6100 miles and a stock f/e and wheel.

That's perfectly normal

I've hear that, too, that the speedo is 5 to 7% high. I've experienced the same thing driving past those "Your Speed Is XX" electronic signs.

I guess that means mile and mileage calculations are also about 5% high. 63mpg did seem a little high after one trip.

Look at it this way: if you normally drive 5 to 10 miles over the limit, then based on your GS speedo, you're driving the speed limit hence no more speeding tickets !?!?! LOL?!?!?

That's it, a built in safety and anti ticket feature at no extra charge. Kinda like setting your watch ahead so as not to be late for work.

my 04 F does the same thing.

Quote from: adidasguy on September 06, 2010, 08:58:42 PM

I guess that means mile and mileage calculations are also about 5% high. 63mpg did seem a little high after one trip.

Not necessarily. Passing one of those Speedo Check things on the highway with a mark each click for five clicks, it ticked over pretty well spot on on My bike. But have had people tell me the speedo is wrong - but only people on non-Suzukis.

Michael

Most motorcycle speedos read 5-10% high. IMO, it's intentional.

On my K1300GT, the speedometer reads about 5 MPH high at freeway speeds, and yet the reported average speed from the trip computer is spot on.

Quote from: mister on September 07, 2010, 12:48:35 AM

Quote from: adidasguy on September 06, 2010, 08:58:42 PM

I guess that means mile and mileage calculations are also about 5% high. 63mpg did seem a little high after one trip.

Not necessarily. Passing one of those Speedo Check things on the highway with a mark each click for five clicks, it ticked over pretty well spot on on My bike. But have had people tell me the speedo is wrong - but only people on non-Suzukis.

Michael

Yes my findings too..........remember the speed needle, and the odometer are two different mech's......distance can be spot on, while the speed is 7% conservative!

My distance usually agrees pretty well with the gps, while the speed does not....

Almost every automobile review I have read in magazines gives some sort of chart for speedo error


Cookie

Supposedly automobile manufacturers are required by law to set the speedometers 5-10% fast to help eliminate law suits involving "incorrect" (reading too slow) speedometers.  As previously stated the speedometer and odometer are run by different mechanisms.. so while the speedometer may be 5-10% off.. the odometer can be completely accurate.

Quote from: Elijafir on September 07, 2010, 02:42:26 PM
Supposedly automobile manufacturers are required by law to set the speedometers 5-10% fast to help eliminate law suits involving "incorrect" (reading too slow) speedometers.  As previously stated the speedometer and odometer are run by different mechanisms.. so while the speedometer may be 5-10% off.. the odometer can be completely accurate.

Sorta makes sense, in this sue-happy society........we call this "known error".

My 1984 Honda Scooter had a digital speed readout........it was right on, exactly matched the GPS!

Also explains that when I used to do really long drives...NJ to FL.......I would keep the speedo on like 70 but time vs distance (on the odo) I only seemsed to average like 60 MPH......

Cookie




Cookie

Yep only way to really calibrate it on the GS is to change your front tire size, But then you also may effect the odo. With my 120/60 front tire, at 40-55 it's about 5 over, at 60 it's 6, at 70 it's 7, and 80 and up it stays about 10.

My Speedometer is roughly 7-8% high while my Odometer is spot on (Garmin GPS)

Mine is more than 10% in error.  I use a bicycle computer device that I found mentioned on this board and calibrated it using the suggested numbers from the post and verified by using my GPS.  Spot on, inexpensive, and a bit complex to program.  Honda just started correcting the calibration of their street bikes for 2010; previously they were also 10% or so off.

prs

Mine is just under 10% high. Im doing "80" and i look over at my Dad and his gps reads 73/74.

I have read on another forum that DOT requires that 0% of speedometers read pessimistic, i.e., vehicle is going faster than indicated.  To assure compliance manufacturers calibrate them from 5% to 10% optimistic, i.e., vehicle is going slower than indicated.

Keep the shiny side up (and tickets down),

Chuck

Quote from: GI_JO_NATHAN on September 07, 2010, 06:32:14 PM
Yep only way to really calibrate it on the GS is to change your front tire size, But then you also may effect the odo. With my 120/60 front tire, at 40-55 it's about 5 over, at 60 it's 6, at 70 it's 7, and 80 and up it stays about 10.

I think you have it the wrong way round. The larger the front tire, the lower the speedo/odo reading. For bikes that read off the counter-shaft sprocket, shorter gearing will tend to increase the error, where taller gearing will decrease it.

Quote from: burning1 on September 12, 2010, 02:30:12 AM

Quote from: GI_JO_NATHAN on September 07, 2010, 06:32:14 PM
Yep only way to really calibrate it on the GS is to change your front tire size, But then you also may effect the odo. With my 120/60 front tire, at 40-55 it's about 5 over, at 60 it's 6, at 70 it's 7, and 80 and up it stays about 10.

I think you have it the wrong way round. The larger the front tire, the lower the speedo/odo reading. For bikes that read off the counter-shaft sprocket, shorter gearing will tend to increase the error, where taller gearing will decrease it.

Yeah not sure how that's wrong, what I was saying is that changing the front tire size on the GS is the only way to change the speedo...

I found the speedometers on both my previous 97 and my current 02 GSs to be 10% off at lower speeds.  Holding them right on 40 mph indicated gave a very consistant reading of 36 mph passing one of those police radar carts that flash your speed when I was running a stock 110/70 front tire.  A 110/80 front tire would cut the error to less than half of that 10%.

At higher freeway speeds of 75-80 mph indicated the speedo error seems to be less than 10%.  That indicated 80 mph showing about 73/74 on a gps reported by Twism86 above sounds about right to me.  I think the centrifical growth in dia of the tire at speed would account for the difference.

Since the speedo is more accurate and my local dealer almost always has a 110/80 tire in stock but not a 110/70 I have settled for a lot of 110/80 front tires for my GSs over the years.