Interesting discovery today - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

UpstateM50 · 08-31-2008, 10:04 PM

Well, my girlfriend and i just got back from a day of riding and sightseeing. We drove around Bennington Vermont and all over the place. Anyways, we all pretty much know that the speedometer is not very accurate on our M50's. I was wondering if it affected the odometer. So, before we ventured out on our trip today, we both reset our trip meters. My girlfriend drives a 2006 Suzuki GZ250, all mechanical speedometer and odometer. When we just got back, I asked her what her trip meter said. Her's said 138.9 miles, mine said 141.7 miles. I was behind her all day. Somehow, I put on 2.8 more miles than her by following her!! Either that or the odometers on the M50's are also off. Has anyone else had any experience with this?

XoZe · 08-31-2008, 10:30 PM

the spedo drives the odo, so yes...with the spedo being off, your odo will be off as well.

CJasper · 08-31-2008, 10:52 PM

my speedo is off 7 miles if I see 70 I'm realy doing 63. If I drive my car to work it shows 165 miles round trip but the bikes od shows me 160

burnchassis · 08-31-2008, 11:23 PM

Here in Cincinnati they have radar on the highways that shows your speed.
My bike is dead on what the radar says I was doin..I checked it at 60-80 mph.
It was within 1-2 mph each time ....I probably ran through 10 checkpoints.
CS

dankrencisz · 08-31-2008, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJasper

If I drive my car to work it shows 165 miles round trip

WOW, That's a serious commute. I guess I'm pretty good at 44 miles round trip.

vabeachblvd · 09-01-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dankrencisz

WOW, That's a serious commute. I guess I'm pretty good at 44 miles round trip.

you and me both.

diamond_jim · 09-01-2008, 09:31 AM

So her speedo is even more off than yours.

GeorgiaRoller · 09-01-2008, 10:49 AM

Mines apparently off by 7mph when going 80mph according to the GPS.

Easy Rider · 09-01-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XoZe

the spedo drives the odo, so yes...with the spedo being off, your odo will be off as well.

Maybe.....maybe even likely......but it doesn't HAVE to be that way.
It depends on the design and the reason that the speedo is off.

XoZe · 09-01-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vabeachblvd

you and me both.

1.5 mile commute here.....shazam!!

XoZe · 09-01-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Maybe.....maybe even likely......but it doesn't HAVE to be that way.
It depends on the design and the reason that the speedo is off.

OK....so how would you move the odometer separate from the spedometer?

Easy Rider · 09-01-2008, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XoZe

OK....so how would you move the odometer separate from the spedometer?

It's not about seperate movement, it's about calibration.

They don't have to be driven one off of the other. Even if they are, the odo could be first and the speedo second....or the other way around. They could both be driven in parallel off of the same input shaft and an error in one doesn't necessarily make an error in the other.

If both are electronically driven, like a lot are these days, each would likely have it's own calibration and could be off in either direction from the other.

Or to say it another way, just because they are in the same case doesn't necessarily mean that each is just a part of the same mechanism. Except for the input signal, each is it's own device.

rogerl · 09-01-2008, 06:28 PM

I have heard lots of people say that the M50 speedometer reads low. If that is the case then it should read FEWER miles traveled. It looks like BOTH of the speedometers are reading incorrectly.

Roger L

Breeze · 09-01-2008, 07:28 PM

I find that My Speedometer is off by 10% across the board.

womper · 09-01-2008, 07:40 PM

mine is off from 0-10% depending how fast i'm going... faster the speed, the bigger the error margin.

don't care much... i use a gps

btw, if it's +10% off, manufacterers will usually replace the unit.

XoZe · 09-01-2008, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerl

I have heard lots of people say that the M50 speedometer reads low. If that is the case then it should read FEWER miles traveled. It looks like BOTH of the speedometers are reading incorrectly.

Roger L

yep....mine reads 5 mph faster than I am actually going.

07M50zAllDaWay · 09-01-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerl

I have heard lots of people say that the M50 speedometer reads low. If that is the case then it should read FEWER miles traveled. It looks like BOTH of the speedometers are reading incorrectly.

Roger L

Most folks that travel using GPS or have gone through radar checkpoints reprt the speedo reading being 5-10% higher than actual speed. I've never heard anyone say their M50 speedo read lower than actual speed. I wonder if the ones you heard deviated from stock tire sizes on their bikes.

CJasper · 09-02-2008, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dankrencisz

WOW, That's a serious commute. I guess I'm pretty good at 44 miles round trip.

Well I use to live right next to my work (less than 700ft) But now I live in Tallahassee Florida with my Girlfriend ( Her Place) so I choose to ride that far. Now I could still live right next to my work but I might not have my Hot Girlfriend lol. Shes way better than my Ex when we were Married.

rogerl · 09-02-2008, 07:50 PM

Well that was a major brain fart. When I said the speedometer reads low I was trying to say that you are going slower that what the speedometer reads. And if that is the case the bike would actually have traveled a smaller distance than what was regestered on the speedometer so the origional post is correct. My bad. Man it sucks getting old.

Roger L

gxsilver · 09-02-2008, 10:29 PM

i drove with inlaws from Virginia to Alabama, i followed, they had a family sedan 15inch wheels gas saver type car....i followed in my mustang gt 18inch wheels and thicker tires....we set trip at same spot and followed each other all the way there, diff gas need times, but at the end i travelled 135 miles less than he did

08-31-2008, 10:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
UpstateM50 In Training Joined: Sep 2007 Bike: 2007 Suzuki M50 Location: South Glens Falls, NY Posts: 127	Interesting discovery today Well, my girlfriend and i just got back from a day of riding and sightseeing. We drove around Bennington Vermont and all over the place. Anyways, we all pretty much know that the speedometer is not very accurate on our M50's. I was wondering if it affected the odometer. So, before we ventured out on our trip today, we both reset our trip meters. My girlfriend drives a 2006 Suzuki GZ250, all mechanical speedometer and odometer. When we just got back, I asked her what her trip meter said. Her's said 138.9 miles, mine said 141.7 miles. I was behind her all day. Somehow, I put on 2.8 more miles than her by following her!! Either that or the odometers on the M50's are also off. Has anyone else had any experience with this? __________________ '07 M50, Blue Debaffled...but it's just the beginning

08-31-2008, 10:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
XoZe Found second gear by accident Joined: May 2007 Bike: 2007 M50 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 346	the spedo drives the odo, so yes...with the spedo being off, your odo will be off as well. __________________ HellCat Windshield, Ram Camera Mount, Kuryakyn Iso-Grips, Stebel Air Horn, Kuryakyn Ellipse Mirrors, Blue LED kit, Integrated tail light, side-mounted license plate. -------------- http://www.linkedin.com/in/joseluisherrera My other car is a Chevy Colorado www.coloradofans.com My other hobby is IDPA www.idpa.com Support your local sports www.los-toros.com

08-31-2008, 11:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
burnchassis Clunked into first gear Joined: Jun 2008 Bike: 2005 M50 PCIII K&N Thunder intake kit,and Drag pipes wrapped Location: Cincinnati,Ohio Posts: 219	Here in Cincinnati they have radar on the highways that shows your speed. My bike is dead on what the radar says I was doin..I checked it at 60-80 mph. It was within 1-2 mph each time ....I probably ran through 10 checkpoints. CS __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nPNckRZkjM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDul7vFS_-Q QUIET PIPES RISK LIVES!

09-01-2008, 09:31 AM	#7 (permalink)
diamond_jim Refrigerator Magnet Test Engineer Joined: Oct 2007 Bike: S4 Scatcat Location: North Alabama Posts: 3,622	So her speedo is even more off than yours. __________________ M50 tutorials, tips and how-to links DJ's new project bike Last edited by diamond_jim; 09-01-2008 at 12:39 PM.

09-01-2008, 10:49 AM	#8 (permalink)
GeorgiaRoller Fifth gear streak Joined: May 2008 Bike: Twisted 05 M50 Location: Barnesville, GA Posts: 1,363	Mines apparently off by 7mph when going 80mph according to the GPS. __________________ Skull Graphics - Depaired - Vance & Hines Cruzers - Thunder Charged Air Kit - Cobra FI2000R - J/K 2-1/2" Drop - J/K Forward Controls - Integrated Tail Light - Mustang Seat & Fender Bib - Boulevard Tank Bra - Grasshopper Driver Backrest - Kury Iso Grips w/Baron Bullet Ends - Memphis Shades Pop-Top - Side Mount Plate.

08-31-2008, 10:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
CJasper Ditch Magnet Joined: Jul 2008 Bike: 2008 Black M50 Location: Tallahassee, Fl Posts: 175	my speedo is off 7 miles if I see 70 I'm realy doing 63. If I drive my car to work it shows 165 miles round trip but the bikes od shows me 160

09-01-2008, 06:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
rogerl Ditch Magnet Joined: Oct 2007 Bike: 2006 Silver M50 Location: Northfield, Ohio Posts: 155	I have heard lots of people say that the M50 speedometer reads low. If that is the case then it should read FEWER miles traveled. It looks like BOTH of the speedometers are reading incorrectly. Roger L

09-01-2008, 07:28 PM	#14 (permalink)
Breeze Kickstand Operator Joined: Dec 2005 Bike: '05 Blue M50 w/Black Flames Location: Indian Trail, NC Posts: 278	I find that My Speedometer is off by 10% across the board.

09-02-2008, 07:50 PM	#19 (permalink)
rogerl Ditch Magnet Joined: Oct 2007 Bike: 2006 Silver M50 Location: Northfield, Ohio Posts: 155	Well that was a major brain fart. When I said the speedometer reads low I was trying to say that you are going slower that what the speedometer reads. And if that is the case the bike would actually have traveled a smaller distance than what was regestered on the speedometer so the origional post is correct. My bad. Man it sucks getting old. Roger L

09-02-2008, 10:29 PM	#20 (permalink)
gxsilver Where Am I ? Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 47	i drove with inlaws from Virginia to Alabama, i followed, they had a family sedan 15inch wheels gas saver type car....i followed in my mustang gt 18inch wheels and thicker tires....we set trip at same spot and followed each other all the way there, diff gas need times, but at the end i travelled 135 miles less than he did

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