Speedometer 10% fast

[Sandbagger]

Had my GPS on my "new to me" 2000 Venture. I noticed that my speedometer was over estimating my speed by about 10% vs. my GPS.

I am assuming that the GPS is accurate.

Any thoughts on what could be up with the bike that would make the speedometer overestimate?

Thanks,

 

Bob

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Had my GPS on my "new to me" 2000 Venture. I noticed that my speedometer was over estimating my speed by about 10% vs. my GPS.

I am assuming that the GPS is accurate.

Any thoughts on what could be up with the bike that would make the speedometer overestimate?

Thanks,

 

Bob

 

Nearly all foreign bikes do this. See my thread on speedohealers:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=25233&highlight=speedohealer&page=2

[midnightventure]

They are allowed + or - a percentage and the Japanese seem to always err to the plus side as much as they can. They could make it dead on and they don't. They try to convince everybody they are faster and get better gas mileage than they actually do but with GPS getting so common we are on to them. With the 5 year unlimited mileage warranty it doesn't really affect the warranty but we are all racking up more miles on our bikes than we are actually riding.

[Sandbagger]

Glad to know I'm not crazy adn there is nothing wrong with the bike.

[Seaking]

Its one of those annoyances that you learn to live with but try explaining to someone that you're not actually speeding.. I sometimes lead a large group of bikers when we go on club ride and they all whine and complain that I'm doing 10 over the posted speed limit and that they are afraid of getting speeding tickets (not sure how that would work for the cop, trying to pull over 20 bikes at once.. who gets the ticket who doesn't.. lol.. ouch)

 

However, they don't notice everyone else passing us on the highway at about 10 faster than we are traveling .. sigh..

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

It's not something they do to make their bikes seem faster. It's a liability thing that almost all vehicle manufacturers do. I haven't owned a vehicle yet, cage or bike, that didn't over read somewhat. That way if there's ever a lawsuit from someone saying they thought they were doing the speed limit but their speedo was wrong, then the bike maker can just say that's impossible because they designed them to read high on purpose.

 

The last bike I owned, I had an oversized white wall tire on the front, which made the speedo accurate for once. Most of the time, I watch my gps speed anyhow and not the bike's speedo.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Its a matter of regulations in each country the bike is shipped to, they all have different laws regarding accuracy....but the long and short of it is, to make them legal in EVERY country, they can either make them perfectly accurate and certify to that, OR make them read high and they are safe in the eyes of the government in each destination country.

[Bobby G]

My speedo on my '99 consistently reads 6 mph faster then I'm actually going, according to both my truck and my wife's HD when they are following me on the highway. Versus the GPS, it's a 5 mph difference. It used to bother me a lot, but I just ignore it now.

[KiteSquid]

They are allowed + or - a percentage and the Japanese seem to always err to the plus side as much as they can. They could make it dead on and they don't. They try to convince everybody they are faster and get better gas mileage than they actually do but with GPS getting so common we are on to them. With the 5 year unlimited mileage warranty it doesn't really affect the warranty but we are all racking up more miles on our bikes than we are actually riding.

 

 

Just because the speedometer reads high, does not mean the odometer reads high.

 

 

I will try to test this with my bike on a LONG trip in August against roadside mile markers and my GPS vs my bikes odometer.

[Sideoftheroad]

My speedo on my '99 consistently reads 6 mph faster then I'm actually going, according to both my truck and my wife's HD when they are following me on the highway. Versus the GPS, it's a 5 mph difference. It used to bother me a lot, but I just ignore it now.

 

 

Yup. That's what I get. Speedo is 5mph higher than GPS, no matter what speed. I guess except if I am at a stand still. GPS reads 0 too.

[Dave77459]

Just because the speedometer reads high, does not mean the odometer reads high.

 

 

I will try to test this with my bike on a LONG trip in August against roadside mile markers and my GPS vs my bikes odometer.

My speed-o is ~10% high above 50mph. My od-o is ~5% high.

 

Dave

[Leland]

When I installed my Speed-O-Healer a couple of years ago, I set it for -8.5%. Now, according to my GPS, the speedometer is exactly correct, however the odometer now reads 5% low.

[bongobobny]

Uhhhhh, unfortunately, it's normal...

[midnightventure]

I have tested the odometer against mileage markers and with GPS and it is of also. My 1997 Harley and all my American cars are within 1/2 MPH.

[midnightventure]

The bad thing for me is I get used to running 76 to compensate and then realize I am in my truck or my Trans Am.

[First_N_Last]

The bad thing for me is I get used to running 76 to compensate and then realize I am in my truck or my Trans Am.

 

That is what I go through also. I ride my RSV as much as I can (more than my cars or truck). I often fine my self driving at my motorcycle speedometer rates of correction on my normal vehicles. Yikes! It is going to be a ticket sometime.

 

I've got to get a Speedo corrector installed.

 

JohnB