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Just making it right!

Fireguy

Active Member
I am sorry if this is a repeat question, but I have never gottin a straight answer. Our speedometers are off by 2-5 miles an hour at different speeds. I want to know why HD has done this and how we can fix it. WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING THINGS RIGHT? We all have spent big bucks on our bikes, and love them. I wouldn't trade mind for any other brand. So, if the speedometer can not be fixed, can a taller tire be put on or a smaller rear sprocket. Dakota digital stated that if we put there product on it would not allow our cruise controls to work. Any idea guy on how to fix this.
 
I have to say that the speedo on my RK is closer than many bikes and cars I've driven. The worst offender was a Kawasaki Vulcan that could be off by 9 mph based on radar readings. Tests done by a police department several years ago indicated that most speedo's are off by 2-5 mph and that the variance depends on everything from tire inflation to gearing to throttle setting plus the fact that the speedo itself is an analog device. Some car speedo's are digital now and more accurate but Harley will have to decide if the buying public will accept a digital LCD readout instead of a traditional dial and needle. My personal thought is that I can glance down and see the needle position but would have problems focusing on a digital unless it was pretty big.

John
 
Check into where the local cops get their speedos adjusted and certified. Most vehicles aren't closer than 2 to 5 mph and you have to remember that height of tires etc. can and will affect the reading by several MPH and even tire wear affects this reading to some degree. Agree that digital just ain't right.
 
use the GPS for speed check, it's probably the most accurate. A digital speedo still is being fed info from the vehicle transmision or axle which can be adversly affected by tire size.
 
I am not suggesting to go to a digital speedometer, but they have a recalibrator that plugs in for our bikes.(sim-1) But it may cause the cruise control to not work. I may just have to live with it, :(
 
I always thought mine was reading faster than accual speed. Is that what everybody is getting or are some getting slower readings? I've tried just keeping up with traffic and it seems like I'm always speeding.:dknow
 
The speedo on my 03 RG is pretty close to right on, as compared to my GPS. That's assuming the GPS is accurate.
 
From what I've read, the speedometers on most bikes are inaccurate by a couple of perecent. My 05 Goldwing is more accurate at slower speeds than at faster speeds. At an indicated 70 mph, I am actually traveling at about 63 mph according to my GPS. At least 2 companies make gadgets to correct the Goldwing error.

I expected the same on my 09 Road Glide but the speedomoter turned out to be within just a mile or two of the actual speed as measured by my GPS. Figuring the actual speed on the wing wasn't a hard calculation but it's very nice not to have to do it on the Road Glide.
 
I always thought mine was reading faster than accual speed. Is that what everybody is getting or are some getting slower readings? I've tried just keeping up with traffic and it seems like I'm always speeding.:dknow

That's because NOBODY goes the speed limit anymore. If you're keeping up with traffic, you undoubtedly ARE speeding.
 
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