2nd gen is your speedometer correct

[motorcycle_1300]

I ride with a few other Venture riders and recently we noticed all of our speedometer/oddometers are incorrect. When comparing the speed noted on our speedometers to our GPS units we noted our speedometers. all read out about 8% higher speeds than we were actually riding. we have also confirmed this using mile markers oddometers indicating 10 while mile markers had just passed the 9 mile mark. We have compared with automobile speedometers as well as other Yamaha bikes. Now while this allows a little buffer room, well it did untill we started riding a bit faster to make up the difference, it also racks up phantom miles that erode our resale values. Tire warrentes run out before their time, we change oil more often(not a bad thing) 0 to 50 is really 0 to 46 so we think we are faster than we think we are, but not actually half fast

 

Have any other 2nd gen riders noted this? is it possible to recalibrate the speedometers?

 

 

Al

Edited November 14, 2011 by motorcycle_1300
can't spell

[Rick Haywood]

Most motorcycles are off about 5-7 mph depending on how fast you are going. My RSV is off about 8% also. I really don't think it will effect much on tire warranties becauses you are only talking a few hundred miles plus I never realized Motorcycle tires had mileage warranty on them. As for resale a couple thousand miles either way doesn't really change the value.

[RedRider]

Yup, they are all like this. So is my KLR. The only bikes I have seen that are accurate are BMWs. Oh, and my 1981 Kawasaki KZ440 is dead nuts up to about 70. It won't go any faster than that with my fat butt on it.

 

You can use a Speed-O-Healer to correct the speedometer. I believe there have been a few on here that have done this - including our fearless leader.

 

Fortunately, the incorrect reading is high. So if you are indicating 70, you are really only doing about 63-64.

 

RR

[darthandy]

My RSV is off by 8% and my Triumph is off by 6% - both optimistic (Show higher than actual speed). As mentioned, this is normal for most bikes other than BMW. The German government is quite strict about vehicle modifications (Just ask any company trying to sell accessories there!) and requires accuracy in everything. There have been claims (That I have not seen substantiated) that some governments have unofficially approached motorcycle companies to request that they do this on purpose. The idea is that we'll think we're going faster than we are so we'll be safer! If true, this would mean that the governments in question believe that motorcyclists as a group are too stupid to figure out that their speedometers are inaccurate.

That, unfortunately, is easy to believe - when was the last time you met an intelligent government official?

 

I just calculated the three indicated speeds for my bikes that are close to the limits and run at those - limited access, rural two lane, city street - typically those have limits (Up here) of 50 KPH, 80 KPH and 100 KPH. Then if I were to speed (Not that any of us would do that - I'm just saying!) I would add the excess to those speeds. It sounds complicated but isn't really - especially once you've been doing it for a while. Mind you, now that I have a proper mount for my GPS, it's easier to check the speed anyway.

 

Andy

[BuddyRich]

www.speedohealer.com

[Guest Slab_Ryder]

My Speedometer is out by 8% (LIDAR checked by son). The Speed Healer works for the speedometer, but affects the ODO somehow.

[Leland]

My speedohealer is set for an speedometer correction of 8.5% which is dead on. My odometer now reads 5% low.

[MikeWa]

Yep my speedo is off 7 to 8% but the odometer is pretty accurate. So it must be a built in error. I just don't worry about it. All of my vehicles have a slight error. So I just run a couple of miles over.

Mike

[Venturous Randy]

According to two different GPS's and measure mile markers at 71 mph, my 1st gen, 28 year old bike reads 70 mph, so I am one mile per hour off.

Sheech, is that another one of those improvements(?) they made when they made a 2nd gen?

RandyA

[midnightventure]

My older Japanese bikes were pretty close but I noticed just as soon as I got my Venture that I was getting passed and previously I never got passed. Borrowed a radar gun and came up with the same answer your group noticed. My 1997 Sportster was right on the money.

[Mariner Fan]

I only read the speed on my GPS. Strange how they can't seem to get accurate speedometers on a lot of motorcycles.

[BradT]

Rhonda's Virago and Victory are right on. The First gens are also right on. Second gens are out about 2% on the Odometer, but higher as mentioned on the speedometer.

 

Brad

[pickinfred]

As said earlier....I just ride by the speed on the GPS.

The problem is the tired hand while riding the slab with a storm appoaching from the rear and the cruise control maxed out at an actual 74 MPH.......

[rbjohnsn]

shortly after my purchase of the RSV 2005 I complained to the dealer about the discrepency of the speed. Thier comment was it was set high to ward off any law suites for possible tickets. Ya right!

 

In any event there is no way to change it with changing the firmware in the computer module. The mileage though is right one the money.

Edited November 15, 2011 by rbjohnsn
wanted to add a sentance

[Brake Pad]

riding at 75 i'm really doing 68-69

[motorcycle_1300]

My FJR is right on, the goldwing is 3% off girlfriends 1100custom is right virago 250 is right shadow 1100 is off 3% and as noted at start of discussion RSV is 8% off. all are either right or read higher than actual speed interesting than nobodys reads low.

 

Al

[BradT]

cruise control maxed out at an actual 74 MPH.......

 

Mine shuts off at 131-132 kph measured on the GPS.

 

Brad

[elcorbs]

I rode with a 2008 Goldwing yesterday that had GPS that said he was doing 60. My speedometer said I was doing right at 65. Just ordered a ram mount and bracket for my Garmin so in the next week I will be riding the correct speed!

Ell

[jcturner3]

My '99 runs about 5mph below indicated...70mph indicated = 65mph actual. I just add the 5mph when I'm running without my Zumo 550 and go by the Zumo when I have it on board.

 

Thatta way I ain't got to take off my shoes to do no cipherin' whilst I'm scootin'. LOL!

 

:rotf::rotf::rotf:

[22lyons]

speedohealer works great. it drove me nuts for it to be off so much.

[leo3wheel]

Based on what everyone was saying, I assumed our 09 RSV reported on the high side. So I always drove a little faster, right. Well, we had our bike triked, and I continued to drive on the high side. I hooked up a GPS one day for a trip and found that reported speed was right on the money. Either problem was fixed by 09 or Hannigan fixed the discrepancy when they did the trike conversion. Glad I discovered that.........

[Bobby G]

The '99 RSV is always overstated by 5mph on the speedo. I just compensate. The wife's '03 softail is spot on. No variation between actual speed and what shows on the speedo.

[OB-1]

We have an 06 RSV. The owner's manual states that the maximum speed that cruise control will set or hold is 80mph. On my speedometer the cruise will set at approximately 86-87mph. My GPS reads 80mph at a speedometer indicated 86-87mph. Therefore, I conclude that the speedometer error is intentional.

 

The one benefit of the true 80mph cruise control is that I don't have to worry about speeding tickets on the Interstate out here in the western states with 75mph speed limits.

 

I just use the GPS for a speedometer.

[Canadian Gunner]

I have the same issue. Mine is out by 5km/h. If im doing 100km/h, its reading 105km/h. Checked this against my GPS.

[Great White]

My 83 is optimistic anywhere between 5-7 kph.