Need for speed (accuracy)

[Pete68]

I've got a 11 built for a foreign market but sold here in GB.
It's clocks are kmh, over laid with a mph sticker.
Now it does register at the correct speed etc but it so easy at a glance to go say 65, your actually 70 and so on so wish to convert to mph..
To all those out there , do I have to change to cog at the back of the clocks or at the hub.?which of either affects it.
Also reface the clock..
Suppose the easy way is changing the whole block and adjust the mileage accordingly...

 

[dwalby]

I don't think there's any such thing as a gear cog that can be changed to go from km/h to mph while keeping the km/h face numbering. If there were, it would make the odometer wrong, which isn't legal. It would register 1 km for every 1 mile ridden, which wouldn't be bad since you know that's what its doing, but when you sell the bike it would not display the correct distance ridden because the display says km when its really miles. So, if you want it to read in mph, your only option is to put a mph speedo in.

 

[Flexit]

There are adaptors out there for this very purpose. One example shown, but there are others https://www.motorcycleproducts.co.uk/kmh-to-mph-speedo-convertor-speedo-drive/1/011381?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI24KlrcXdhQMVQpBQBh2iwAGJEAQYASABEgJJQfD_BwE

 

[Sunday Rider]

I have a US bike in MPH and have the opposite problem. We have KMH here and they are difficult to see. Also you have to look down a bit to read. I've gotten around the problem with a GPS. It is more accurate than the Honda ST1100 speedometer anyway.

 

[Pete68]

I have a US bike in MPH and have the opposite problem. We have KMH here and they are difficult to see. Also you have to look down a bit to read. I've gotten around the problem with a GPS. It is more accurate than the Honda ST1100 speedometer anyway.

Yep kinda do the same , but I want the real deal ..

 

[Pete68]

I don't think there's any such thing as a gear cog that can be changed to go from km/h to mph while keeping the km/h face numbering. If there were, it would make the odometer wrong, which isn't legal. It would register 1 km for every 1 mile ridden, which wouldn't be bad since you know that's what its doing, but when you sell the bike it would not display the correct distance ridden because the display says km when its really miles. So, if you want it to read in mph, your only option is to put a mph speedo in.

I think so too, full replacement.However I read somewhere about the hub unit is different between a mph and kmh.
My kmh has been adapted to read mph mileage is miles not km from new ..
It does get the question from the unknowing when they see 260mph.
It can go that fast ?

 

[Al st1100]

There are adaptors out there for this very purpose. One example shown, but there are others https://www.motorcycleproducts.co.uk/kmh-to-mph-speedo-convertor-speedo-drive/1/011381?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI24KlrcXdhQMVQpBQBh2iwAGJEAQYASABEgJJQfD_BwE

Didn't see one listed for a ST and notes say used with their cables. GPS the easiest way to go and it's accurate.

 

[STRider]

However I read somewhere about the hub unit is different between a mph and kmh.

That really makes no sense. If I understand your question, you want the odometer on your kilometer-based unit to accurately reflect the miles traveled rather than kilometers? If the ratios in the front wheel hub unit were changed, then the position of the speedometer needle would change as well. The needle's position is the same for any given road speed, whether it's mph, kph, furlongs per fortnight or what have you. It's the markings on the dial that differ and can be done with a sticker as you say you have.

I'm pretty confident that a mechanical speedo as on the ST1100 is set to miles or kilometers at the factory with appropriate gear ratios within it. And I would expect they'd be highly tamper-proof or tamper evident so as to prevent odometer fraud.

I think a quick check of part numbers for the hub sender unit between bikes for different markets would reveal a difference if there was one.

 

[DannoXYZ]

There’s no gears/cogs in speedo that changes needle position. Even with mechanic speedos, cable only spins speed-cup, which drags needle along through magnetism. No physical connection between cable and needle.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I have a US bike in MPH and have the opposite problem.

Yep kinda do the same , but I want the real deal ..

you guys should do a swap.

 

[Erdoc48]

I have a relatively easy and cheap solution- I use a GPS bicycle speedometer mounted high up, so other than a quick scan of the tach and temp needle, I really don’t even look at the speedometer anymore:

Amazon.com

Rechargeable, and I have mine magnetically mounted- charge lasts ~ 8 hrs- can be in kmh or mph, and measures the mileage traveled (odometer).


^^ This is the 94- I use one of the small swiveling ball mounts on eBay and have the same on the 2000 (below, but I have a shelf on that bike). The above speedometer is not a bicycle speedometer of course, but works well (also rechargeable).

 

[Sunday Rider]

Nice brake reservoir cover

 

[DeanR]

Nice brake reservoir cover

I thought the same. Where did they come from?

 

[dwalby]

That really makes no sense. If I understand your question, you want the odometer on your kilometer-based unit to accurately reflect the miles traveled rather than kilometers? If the ratios in the front wheel hub unit were changed, then the position of the speedometer needle would change as well. The needle's position is the same for any given road speed, whether it's mph, kph, furlongs per fortnight or what have you. It's the markings on the dial that differ and can be done with a sticker as you say you have.

I'm pretty confident that a mechanical speedo as on the ST1100 is set to miles or kilometers at the factory with appropriate gear ratios within it. And I would expect they'd be highly tamper-proof or tamper evident so as to prevent odometer fraud.

I think a quick check of part numbers for the hub sender unit between bikes for different markets would reveal a difference if there was one.

I believe all the speedos are the same mechanical unit, the only difference is how the lines and numbers are painted on the speedo face. The cable and gear ratios are the same for the speedo needle, and the needle is in the same place at any given speed for the kmh/mph units, just the number its pointing to is different. The rate at which the odometer dials turn would be different by 1.6x for km or miles traveled, but I suspect that difference is internal to the unit, not in the cable being different.

But, the original premise to change the cable "gearing" would work for him if it wasn't illegal to tamper with the odometer mechanism. He'd have an odometer that measured miles instead of km, and the speedo needle position would change so that it pointed to the correct mph number value even though the scale is printed in km/h. Instead of a 0-155 speedometer he'd have a 0-260 speedo, of which the upper half would never be used.

 

[Erdoc48]

For Honda ST1100 1991-2003 ST 1100 Brake Fluid Reservoir Cap Cover Motorcycle 02 | eBay

For HONDA ST1100 1991-2003. Motorcycle Front Brake Reservoir Cover Cap. Note :We send Red by default. -Position: Front. -Quantity: 2 pieces.

www.ebay.com

Got these via eBay from a seller called SZ Moto-these are the same, different seller.

 

[DannoXYZ]

I believe all the speedos are the same mechanical unit, the only difference is how the lines and numbers are painted on the speedo face. The cable and gear ratios are the same for the speedo needle, and the needle is in the same place at any given speed for the kmh/mph units, just the number its pointing to is different. The rate at which the odometer dials turn would be different by 1.6x for km or miles traveled, but I suspect that difference is internal to the unit, not in the cable being different.

But, the original premise to change the cable "gearing" would work for him if it wasn't illegal to tamper with the odometer mechanism. He'd have an odometer that measured miles instead of km, and the speedo needle position would change so that it pointed to the correct mph number value even though the scale is printed in km/h. Instead of a 0-155 speedometer he'd have a 0-260 speedo, of which the upper half would never be used.

So just install new gauge face with proper set of numbers!

 

[dwalby]

So just install new gauge face with proper set of numbers!

not sure what you mean by "gauge face". There are no separate speedo parts, just the entire speedo unit. Assuming he can find a donor speedo, then a complete speedo swap would be possible, and the odometer would be in miles, which would also help.

 

[DannoXYZ]

not sure what you mean by "gauge face". There are no separate speedo parts, just the entire speedo unit. Assuming he can find a donor speedo, then a complete speedo swap would be possible, and the odometer would be in miles, which would also help.

Speedo wasn't created out of thin air. It is composed of plastic case. With cable ferrule attachment. Speed-cup. Odometer stepper motor, odometer digits, speedometer needle, etc. It can be disassembled in reverse order and re-assembled with different parts.

Can replace the face of speedo with different unit. Pull off needle and undo those 2 little screws on each side of it. Then put back on face with other units.



Or get aftermarket faces.



Or design your own decals to overlay. Basic procedure here:

https://www.planet-9.com/threads/987-gauge-face-replacement-and-cluster-removal-how-to.253718/

How-to video:

Although, yeah, easiest solution is to swap with Sunday Rider's km/h unit.
For cost of shipping, it may be cheaper to just buy another unit: Baboon.eu - ST1100 speedo mph
Or replace speedo guts: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176343685002

 

[STRider]

There’s no gears/cogs in speedo that changes needle position. Even with mechanic speedos, cable only spins speed-cup, which drags needle along through magnetism. No physical connection between cable and needle.

I believe all the speedos are the same mechanical unit, the only difference is how the lines and numbers are painted on the speedo face. The cable and gear ratios are the same for the speedo needle, and the needle is in the same place at any given speed for the kmh/mph units, just the number its pointing to is different. The rate at which the odometer dials turn would be different by 1.6x for km or miles traveled, but I suspect that difference is internal to the unit, not in the cable being different.

This is essentially what I was trying to say, if my words didn't convey that I'll try harder.

Yeah, regardless of the units, the speedo needle is at six o'clock when stopped and wishes it were at 3 o'clock when WFO in top gear. The numbers are just for us wide-eyed passengers to read and scaled for the local unit standard.

But the odometer/trip counter have to be calibrated to the units of the market the bike is sold in. I would wager it's a single gear pair that differs between them. In fact I bet the components are exactly the same but the pair that are engaged would be determined by the market. Like a little two-speed gearbox right there in your dash.

 

[dwalby]

Can replace the face of speedo with different unit. Pull off needle and undo those 2 little screws on each side of it. Then put back on face with other units.

I see, I've never seen the parts up close like that outside of their enclosure, it doesn't appear to be very difficult to remove the face.

But, to swap faces you'd need to remove the current speedo from its enclosure to attach the new face anyway. So while its out, why not just replace it with the entire donor unit and save the parts swap. Unless the donor unit happens to be not working, but has a clean dial, then swapping parts would make sense.

And, as I said before, swapping the face gets you back to mph for speed, but the odometer is still in km, which is a very weird combination.