Is my speedometer wrong?

[Elwood2]

I would have a buddy pace you with a car, use hand singles for differnt speeds. like 25, 35, 45, 55, 60,65, 70. Also if you have a smart phone you can use a speedo app. I have Speedview on my razr. it is free and was dead on when I tested it agaist my car's speedo. Then you will know if and how much your speedo is off.

[DGXSER]

Ok, I was way off, sorry. That was in 4th gear I was recalling. Been so long since I rode the beast due to wheel rubbing and a miss that I forgot.

[JeremyL]

I would have a buddy pace you with a car, use hand singles for differnt speeds. like 25, 35, 45, 55, 60,65, 70. Also if you have a smart phone you can use a speedo app. I have Speedview on my razr. it is free and was dead on when I tested it agaist my car's speedo. Then you will know if and how much your speedo is off.

I've got an android phone and just downloaded Speedview. Great idea, I never thought of doing that. I will just have to figure out a way to secure the phone to the tank (or ride with it in my hand, without wrecking).

[JeremyL]

You got a cable for a standard. The special cable attaches to the drive on the wheel differently, with a tab and a bolt.

Your speedometer might very well be wrong, jwhughes3 has one thats 15 or 20 MPH slow. When his reads 60 he's doing about 75 or 80

I didn't ever think that a standard and special cable would be different. My bike has the stock,round 160mph speedometer, and I assume it's the original one but I've only had the bike for a year or so. Also, I don't know if it's ever been opened or tampered with before.

What would also be convenient is to find one of those unmanned police radar units they usually setup near construction zones that show your speed to warn you to slow down. But I live in a rural area and we almost never see those around here.

[fredintoon]

- - - Today in a 55mph zone I felt like I was going 55-60 but my speedo reported 45mph. - - -

>
Hi Jeremy,
my experience with XS series speedos is that the odometer readings stay right but the speed reading tends to get slow as they age so yes, your speedo may be wrong.
If yours has been opened by a PO there will be pry marks on the back of the bezel, those speedos are a swine to open & re-seal.
Easiest way to check the speedo's accuracy is to use a GPS, most of those have an MPH readout and will do the odometer check too.

[justme1100]

off by 5mph

I checked my speedo with my GPS and it is telling me it is off (high) by 5mph. Ant suggestions on how to correct? It has never been apart.

[DGXSER]

Suggestion: Realize it is high by 5 MPH and learn to adjust it in your head. Not much else you can really do IMO.

[bikerphil]

Larger front tire, 110/90/19 Shinko will correct the speedometer ratio on the 79 Special. It's a tight fit to the fender but it works fine and looks awesome. Not sure if it will fit an XJ.

[ViperRon]

be careful with using those unmanned police speed signs sometimes they hook up camera calibrated units to them and then you got a ticket.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Jeremy,

As stated, you don't want to go into the speedo case, a real PITA! Do a search, I've read a few posts where folks have spritzed oil or such into the speedo in specific locations to help lubricate the works without getting it onto the glass and such. Sounds like the grease may have gotten aged and stiff/sticky and so the needle can't swing up as far as it's supposed to. One thing I've also learned is that when in 3rd gear, the tach/rpm is almost exactly the same as the speed!

T.C.

[DGXSER]

I had a situation with my odometer where every seond or third tiem it woudl switch tens it would switch the hundreds also. I was getting three to five hundred miles on a tankful!!

I di dopen up the speedo case, it is a PITA. Cleaned it all out, sprayed it out with carb cleaner in there, then sprayed it with WD40 to lubricate it all nicely. Then put it all back together. Should have taken the time to repaint the ring before reinstalling though. It works perfectly now, but I am not certain that would be as effective on the speedo part.

[cywelchjr]

Larger front tire, 110/90/19 Shinko will correct the speedometer ratio on the 79 Special. It's a tight fit to the fender but it works fine and looks awesome. Not sure if it will fit an XJ.

Yeah, but then the odometer is off. If it's that important to have the speedometer right on I'd spend the money at a calibration shop and have them open and calibrate it, they have the technology to make it right on, but it will cost.

[bikerphil]

Cy, my odometer is off by 1/10 a mile every 2 miles, no biggie. I would personally rather have the speed correct.

[natemoen]

My speedo is 2 to at least 5 mph high. I only check up to 80 mph though, and it gets progressively farther off the faster I go.