I have noticed in my travels that when i come upon one of those "how fast are you going" radar set ups, that my speedometer consistently reads 4-5 mph more than what the sign says I'm going. Anyone else notice this?
Most bike speedometers are off. Some say it is a percentage.......
My bike is off consistently by 5 MPH. I have checked it with bikes that were verified by radar and my bike has been checked against GPS units and other cars simultaneously driven by family members.
My 06 900 Classic is 5 mph off/slow at 70. In town speed checkers show me at about 38 for a 35. Don't know If it is fixable or how much it would cost but I know it and take precautions.
I was under the impression that all speedometers (cars and bikes) were off by a percentage. My X5 also is about 5 MPH off as compared to those speed checking signs and I've come to expect that as I'm passing a cop..
Actually, all speed tracking devices are designed to read in the favor of the motorist. Even the formulas we as police officers use for recreating speed during vehicle crashes are designed to show the minimum speed and not the actual speed.
...
Radar units typically register 1 or 2 MPH slower. Crash speed formulas will indicate driver X was travelling a minimum of XX(X) MPH to have skid across three lanes and the grass and the concrete, etc. etc... There are of course formulas for each type of road, asphalt, concrete, dirt, even grass.
Sorry, caught myself wandering down a rabbit hole.
my new TomTom Rider always mentiones my speed 6-7 km/h less than the speedometer... I figure it's a nice thought that there will never be a speed-ticket this way ;-)
Mine seems to be showing faster than I am going too, have not tested it against GPS yet but I will. I would rather I am going slower than the speedo says, makes it less likely to get a ticket
Tested my speedometer today against my GPS and it consistently showed 4 mph faster than the GPS at varying speeds. I'm going to call the dealer to see if they can correct it and report my findings.
My Voyager reads about 4-5 mph faster than I'm going against my GPS at highway speeds. I just use the GPS for my speedometer because it is easier to read than the bike speedometer.
My Voyager reads about 4-5 mph faster than I'm going against my GPS at highway speeds. I just use the GPS for my speedometer because it is easier to read than the bike speedometer.
Nice to know but better to show faster than slower. At 5 mph (or in my case 8 kph) could mean the difference between a speeding ticket or not. (And I just don't need any more of those)
Now when it stops raining I'm going to have to go check my speedometer!!!!
Just checked mine with the GPS app on my phone. (Had to keep it in my pocket for the ride but took note of speeds at different stretches of road.)
I was off by about 7 km/h. Now I am going to have to set up my handheld GPS to do it more accurately.
With today's technology why would they (Kawasaki) do this other than to give the feeling of going faster? I would rather know for sure!!
I bar-mounted a GPS for the first time on an 800 mi trip this weekend. It's on my 1700 but I think ALL motorcycle speedometers are off. At 70 on the speedometer I was 67 on the GPS. Off by 1-2 when in the 45-50MPH zone.
I bar-mounted a GPS for the first time on an 800 mi trip this weekend. It's on my 1700 but I think ALL Japanese motorcycle speedometers are off. At 70 on the speedometer I was 67 on the GPS. Off by 1-2 when in the 45-50MPH zone.
My old mustang was right on with the GPS. But our Hyundais both show speeds faster than what shows on the GPS. I really don't mind my bike speedometer showing a bit faster than what I'm really going at. It will keep me from getting speeding tickets.
My 06 vn900 classic lt shows roughly 10 mph faster than what I am going. Just picked it up a few weeks ago and am working through checking things out as I can.. I am eventually planning to get the Baron pulleys and new tires. We'll see what happens.
Speed was checked via other riders and gps from my phone.
My KVS showed 4-5 faster than the radar signs around here and showed 4 mph over speed when I dynoed the Goblin. I changed the rear sprocket to a 43 and not only eased the snatch in 1st and 2nd but it put the speedo nuts on by the dyno. In the long run it doesn't matter. Yes officer I know I was speeding.
the speedo is sensing the drive sprocket rotation so if you change final gearing, you'll be off. if the OD of your tire changes (differene size, wear, etc.) it'll be off as well.
if you're concerned, you can get a speedohealer. if you don't want to go that route, you can start at a roadside mile marker. zero out your trip, drive 5 mile markers down and look at your trip. it'll tell you what % you're off and you use that to estimate your actual speed. the longer distance you drive, the more accurate your number will be.
Don’t worry about it. Motorcycles are permitted to be off up to 10% on the plus side, but not on the low side.
mine was about 4 Km/h off.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Kawasaki Vulcan Forum
712.7K posts
67.9K members
Since 2008
A forum community dedicated to Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, Vulcan 1500, Vulcan 2000, Vulcan 500, Vulcan 1600, Vulcan 900 and all other Vulcan motorcycles.