ST1100 Speedometer Error?

chief645

I wanted to check with some 1100 riders and see what speed you indicate at 3,000 RPM in 5th gear. My speedo is registering about 62mph at 3K. It does not seem like I am going anywhere near this fast. The other day on the interstate I looked down and was doing 85, again it seemed more like 65. My bike is a `91 model, I guess they all had a 2.833 final drive ratio.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

Not sure exactly how fast my spedo says at 3000 rpm, but that sounds about right. Although at indicated 62 mph, I'm actually going around 55 or 56 mph.

The error is 6 to 8 mph (greater at higher speeds) on mine. :06biker:
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

You are right!

You are not going nearly as fast as your speedo says. I think you will find that most 1100 drivers will report about a 7.5 mph error at 65 against a GPS.... 65 indicated is actually 57.5 mph. Enough to keep you out of trouble for a short while.... I haven't checked the error at slower speeds but I am sure it's there.

Do a search on www.my-mc.com for a bicycle speedometer that some have installed as a backup. http://www.my-mc.com/messages/1/68601.html says a Sigma will do the trick. Probably other models as well.

Jerrry
 
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Re: Speedometer Error?

Thanks guys....glad I wasn`t imagining the speed error!!
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

I noticed the same thing this past weekend!
The speedo on my 1300 is about 6 mph high (compared to my GPS) at 70++.
Spot on at very low speeds and only about 1-2 mph off at speeds 45-65.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

St1100 speedo is way optimistic. :confused:
3000 rpm is ~55 mph.
4000 rpm is ~75 mph.
Get a GPS. ;)
Lots of good ones now <$100 :D
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

You think the 1100 is bad. My FIL has a Vulcan. When I'm running an indicated 55 he is complaining saying I'm going 65. We hit some interstate the other day I was holding close to 65 indicated. The top speed on the GPS for the day was 64. I was told he had to do 80 to keep up. He has a CDL so he is very careful about getting performance awards.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

I have bids in on two Tom Tom Riders at Ebay. If I win them both I would let one go to someone on here for what I have in it.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

After I got my ST1100 I rode with a friend to New Orleans and that was my first time on a major highway with it. He said he had his Street Glide set at 70 and I was reading just over 75. Yesterday I was on Hwy 90 going to New Iberia and 3800rpm was giving me 78mph. I've found that going an indicated 60 in a 55 I get passed by other vehicles. That's not suppose to happen!LOL By the way I absolutely despise the standard windshield. I hate wind noise.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

I installed a Speed-o-Healer and got my speedometer to read almost exactly the same as my GPS. Then I installed a car tire and now the speedometer reads a tad lower than my actual speed. That tends to keep tailgaters back a bit. I could easily re adjust the Speed-o-Healer.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

Its an old post, but its worth pointing out that there is a tolerance involved in the production of speedos. They dont all read the same mph at the same speed. What they do, is make sure that no speedo off the production line reads slower than the actual speed.
As a result, a small proportion of speedos produced will be almost spot on. Most will read a little under. A small proportion will read much slower than actual.

You have to be wary of your satnav too. The software does all sorts of tricks behind the scenes. Look at how long it takes to recognise that you are now on a parallel road to the selected route. And notice how it displays your speed in a tunnel. Remember too, that satnavs tell you how fast you have been going, not how fast you are going. And if there are trees, buildings, bridges, lorries around, the signal can be interrupted, and the software kicks in with a best guess.

But on a straight open road, at a steady speed, they are reliable.

We have a couple of measured miles near us. I did a few runs with a pillion and stop watch maintaining steady 40, 50, 60, 70 indicated mph, just to mentally callibrate my speedo.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

Another update data point: on my 01 ABS, by replacing the front tar (stock 120/70/18) with a 130/70/18 'Wing tar, the speedo is now very accurate, tho the odo now reads 3.7% shy. Over 30,000 miles, she's missing ~1,000.

On both my 91's, 81MPH indicated at ~4000 RPM is spot-on 75 (5 miles every 4 minutes.)

<edit, add> Old info, but... a reminder, the 1100 speedo is mechanical, driven off the front wheel. 1300 speedo is 'lectronic, driven from rear wheel. Speed-o Healer won't work on an 1100 so save yur money.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

Carl Custer said:
St1100 speedo is way optimistic. :confused:
3000 rpm is ~55 mph.
4000 rpm is ~75 mph.
Get a GPS. ;)
Lots of good ones now <$100 :D
Click to expand...

Spot on-that's exactly what my 91 reads. I hardly ever look at the speedo anymore with my Garmin mounted on the dash. When Carole goes out with me she is always saying that we are speeding. So I'm guessin that her 03 1100P speedo reads about the same as mine. I tell her that my GPS is more accurate than the speedos.
 
Re: Speedometer Error?

My speedo indicates about 5mph over actual at 60mph but only a mile over at 30. There was a time when I could tell how fast I was going by the whine of the engine, but on the ST, I can't hear the engine at constant highway speeds. Even with the screen completely up, I can't hear the engine unless I open my helmet's face shield. I can hear it when I accelerate, but not at constant speed.
 
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