Speedometer error?

I just recently purchased an ST1300. Based on the research I've done, it seems that all of the speedometers are off by about 7-10%. Also it seems to be a common practice or well known issue on metric bikes.


I am just wondering if anyone has ever forced them to do a recall or a class action lawsuit to have these issues corrected? To me this issue is just like the Volkswagen smog issue, where the manufacturer misleads the consumer.

Anyone care to share their thoughts on this?

I don't believe they're misleading the customer. Perhaps looking out for us unnecessarily. Not quite like the VW emissions issue, which involved a willful attempt to violate federal law (and for which some well healed people need to spend time in prison.)

I think that they're allowed a certain variance, but there are legal advantages to having a speedometer that registers high rather than low. The speedo on my KLR reads a bit high, but the one on my Harley seems to be pretty accurate. If it really bothers you, a Speedo Healer will allow you to set it spot on. Most people just make mental adjustments. I use the speedometer function on my GPS.

We have way too many class action lawsuits. The American Dream has degenerated to being wronged by someone with money.

Ride the motorcycle at five over and enjoy it for the reason you bought it.

Another fix is to transplant a COP speedo in. For the ST1300, they are accurate from 0-50 and two off above that.

You asked for thoughts... here's mine...

Class Action for a speedometer? Geez, don't you have more important things to spend your time on? Way too many of these already due to the increase in 'personal rights' and decrease in 'personal responsibility'.

Just like the VW smog issue? Not even close... that was intent to break the law and then try to hide it. This is just a speedometer that errs on the safe side, and everyone knows it. Try not to blow it out of proportion.

Just ride and subtract the error, or get a GPS that should be good to ?1 mph, or get a speedohealer.

+1 to Paul. Motorcycle speedos have rarely , if ever, been accurate. My VFR and my "new to me" ST are both off by 8%. My '87 KAw ZL1000 is worse. I agree it's crap manufacturers can't make more accurate speedos, but a class action suit? Never happen. I use my gps for the ST and a speedodr for my VFR. Better yet, just ride the darn thing and leave your troubles behind you.

Better check your car while you're at it. A large number of American cars are off, but less than our ST1300's. Durango is 3 MPH off once you reach 20 MPH. My ST is dead on up to about 25....then goes up to between 5-7% off. Toyota Corrolla are spot on ( all 3 we've owned,so far). Been told manufacturors can be fined if they read below actual speed.

I'm obviously in the minority here, but I prefer my instruments to be as accurate as possible. I frequently have this sort of discussion with my girlfriend, who likes to set all her clocks five minutes fast so she won't be late. Commendable sentiment, but when I point out that she has to know that all the clocks are five fast, since she set them, she just shrugs. The conversation usually ends with me asking her why she would want a device that tells her what time it isn't??

I also see no value in a speedo that tells me what speed I'm NOT going, particularly when the speedos in several of my cars are almost spot on, according to my GPS. Seems like whatever the arguments are for accuracy in car speedos should hold true for bikes as well. And our ST's our certainly not the worst offenders; that honor, in my experience, goes to the Europeans, particularly the Italians. Anyhow, my solution has been to purchase a police speedo. Haven't installed it yet, so can't comment on the accuracy, but I already like it better because the increments are in tens, rather than fives, which for me is much more readable. Will certainly report on the accuracy once it's installed..

pyrofitr1368 said:

+1 to Paul. Motorcycle speedos have rarely , if ever, been accurate.

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My 1980 CB900 Custom, which is a mechanical speedo is spot-on according to GPS. .

My Subaru Legacy, (electronic speedo), is off by 1 mph.

Just annoying that an otherwise very well engineered product could have such a poorly engineered speedo (I too use the GPS mostly, but wouldn't it be nice to have a useful speedo? .)

End of rant.....

Speedo off, meh.

The odometer is off less than 2%, at least on my 2005. A class action would work if the owner got less warranty than expected but is 1.8% variance too much?

I had a 1999 Odyssey with a speedo that was about 10% fast. I complained about it up to a regional level and was told "it's a gauge, not an instrument". Apparently there are standards and there are standards and 10% error is acceptable for a gauge but not an instrument.

larryg said:

Just annoying that an otherwise very well engineered product could have such a poorly engineered speedo (I too use the GPS mostly, but wouldn't it be nice to have a useful speedo? .)

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Agreed, in a normal world they would probably be ?1 mph. You can thank manufacturing tolerances, calibration accuracy, the government, lawyers and our litigious society!

Hey check your fuel mileage with a calculator. I did this the other day and was surprised to see 51mpg according to the fill up vs. 45-46mpg on the computer. I reset my trip and mpg each fill up. I will check against calculator again on next fill up to see if the results are the same. This could be a result of speedometer being off I guess. So if we show 100 miles traveled on the bike how far did we really go if the speedometer is off by 7-8%? Would my mpg be more likely 45-46mpg or 51mpg? I am easily confused!

MorrisGray said:

Hey check your fuel mileage with a calculator. I did this the other day and was surprised to see 51mpg according to the fill up vs. 45-46mpg on the computer. I reset my trip and mpg each fill up. I will check against calculator again on next fill up to see if the results are the same. This could be a result of speedometer being off I guess. So if we show 100 miles traveled on the bike how far did we really go if the speedometer is off by 7-8%? Would my mpg be more likely 45-46mpg or 51mpg? I am easily confused!

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The speedometer and odometer are functionally separate. My odo is pretty spot on whereas my speedo is about 7% high.

paulcb said:

The speedometer and odometer are functionally separate.

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They are getting the same signal to compute the values they display. If you go the Speedo Healer route to correct the speed, then your Odometer will show fewer miles than actually traveled. After correcting my speed, I am 4% short on distance. Verified with GPS over a 100 mile run on an interstate (several times).

Kevin_56 said:

They are getting the same signal to compute the values they display. If you go the Speedo Healer route to correct the speed, then your Odometer will show fewer miles than actually traveled. After correcting my speed, I am 4% short on distance. Verified with GPS over a 100 mile run on an interstate (several times).

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Yeah, I didn't state that very well... I meant that they don't have equivalent errors. Thanks for clarifying.

paulcb said:

I meant that they don't have equivalent errors.

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Never have understood why they can not be closer. It is an electronic calculation, not a gear ratio. That is what the Healer does, takes X number of pulses and outputs fewer pulses to correct the error. Unfortunately it changes both readings.

Kevin_56 said:

They are getting the same signal to compute the values they display. If you go the Speedo Healer route to correct the speed, then your Odometer will show fewer miles than actually traveled. After correcting my speed, I am 4% short on distance. Verified with GPS over a 100 mile run on an interstate (several times).

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Exactly. I tinkered with my SpeedoHealer until I got as close as possible for my odo - its now off two or three tenths of a mile in 100 miles as shown by mile markers on the interstate backed up by a gps. At 70 the speedo is reading 2 mph high. But this varies. Roll off the throttle and the speed immediately slows but the speedometer lags a bit.

Your indicated speed is dependent on tire size - and wearing some rubber off or using a slightly different diameter tire will change your indicated speed and distance. The speedo/odo go by revolutions and don't know anything about tire/wheel diameter-circumference. It assumes a factory wheel and recommended MC tire.

Which brings up a question. What do darksiders show on their speedos and odos?

Kevin_56 said:

Never have understood why they can not be closer. It is an electronic calculation, not a gear ratio. That is what the Healer does, takes X number of pulses and outputs fewer pulses to correct the error. Unfortunately it changes both readings.

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Well, for me, it's just gears... I have an ST11. I just think they make the speedo high so they have no chance of ever being low.

I've always attributed it to the American lawsuit culture. There's a DOT requirement as I recall that dictates odometer accuracy, but none for speedo accuracy. Or if there is a speedo spec its very loose. They could easily make the speedo more accurate, but they err on the side of extreme conservatism so that the survivors of someone killed on a motorcycle can't march into the nearest courtroom and blame the fatality on the manufacturer underestimating their speed.

Then they also have to account for different tire sizes, and I've heard rumors that some knuckleheads actually run car tires on their motorcycles.

dwalby said:

I've always attributed it to the American lawsuit culture. There's a DOT requirement as I recall that dictates odometer accuracy, but none for speedo accuracy. Or if there is a speedo spec its very loose. They could easily make the speedo more accurate, but they err on the side of extreme conservatism so that the survivors of someone killed on a motorcycle can't march into the nearest courtroom and blame the fatality on the manufacturer underestimating their speed.

Then they also have to account for different tire sizes, and I've heard rumors that some knuckleheads actually run car tires on their motorcycles.

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You may well be correct, but that still doesn't explain why so many car speedos are almost dead on these days. When I was riding my 1980 XS Eleven, which had one of those ridiculous government-mandated 85 MPH speedos, several people suggested that I get one off of a '79, which went to 160. I did the math, and 7-10% error on the 85 unit is going to be less than on the 160 every time. I kept the original speedo and calculated the higher speeds by the tach. Back then, you could buy a decal that you would apply to your tachometer to indicate a more accurate speed, at least in top gear, and a lot of people went with that. Some things, apparently, never change..

Taller or shorter tires could make it that much off. Not all tires from different manufacture with the same size listed are actually the same . Have run into that to many times.