Glee speedo accuracy issue?

[Petstep]

Did a Police Bikesafe course yesterday (highly recommended btw). Main criticism was going well below speed limit on dual carriageway. Well,  my speedo was saying 69-73 the whole way, as was the other bloke riding with us,  and with the Police bike on my tail I wasn't about to open her up. But he says my speed was closer to 60.it didn't feel that slow,  so I'm wondering if all bike and car speedos are set 10% high to keep you on the right side of the law?

I'm planning to mount a GPS on the bike to calibrate speeds,  but in the meantime does anyone know if this is a general Glee issue,  or does my speedo need fixing?

I never thought I'd hear a traffic cop telling me to go faster! Good news!

[macamx]

About 10% optermistic sounds about right. I have tested and confirmed it on both car and bike. I cruise both at an indicated 80 which is a true 72/73 mph. So it would follow that you are unlikely to encouter a problem with plod unless you are indicating 85+ or of course riding like a knob in a 70 limit. So when you hear people say "every one is doing 90 on the motorway" actyally everyone is doing high 70's.

Geoff.

[Frankenstrom]

I thought the general opinion was that the speedo reads +9 to 10% to actual.

I tend to mentally add 10% to the specified limit and ride to that.... well mostly...  

[mr_diver]

Most manufacturers make the speedo 8% over. Imagine a world when they are all bang on and everyone gets caught doing 30.5mph at speed cameras. Its also for safety reasons. You think you are going faster than you are. Therefore slowing everyone down.

My import kawasaki sherpa is in kph and is bang on correct indicated vs actual.
You can fit a speedo healer to correct the % differance. But it will then make you odomiter record inaccurately as the 8% shows as an add on figure in the ecu/dash. The odomiter does not record 8% high with the speedo.

[Oop North John]

A 16 teeth front sprocket corrects most of the speedo error, and means no more guesstimating if your over the speed limit plus 10%, or actually just under.

[greywolf]

I put a 12oclock labs SpeedoDRD speedometer correction device on mine. It was 7.2% high. Now the speedo is accurate but the odometer reads 4.5% low.
http://www.stromtrooper.com/dl650a-2012 ... DL650.html

[Petstep]

Thanks blokes.

Pretty clear consensus.

I've just ordered a bike phone mount off eBay, and found a GPS speedo app for my phone, so I'll let you know the result in a few days.

[revapi]

I used to work for a jap car maker (Honda), when the speedos are tested they're allowed to read up to 10% over but 0% under.

[Jacko]

Yeah, nothing wrong with your speedo, perfectly normal. I leave mine alone and just subtract the 8% on the fly.

[Holmsey]

If the speed camera doesn't flash your okay  

[Brockett]

My TomTom shows the Glee is doing 30 mph with a speedo reading of 31mph  
So I don't take chances in a 30 or 40 limit because a mobile camera van does NOT allow any leeway.
(I know this because on the speed awareness course I did,  a nice lady was "bounced for 31 MPH in a 30 limit and she showed us the paperwork to prove it. ) Fixed cameras can be different and they may allow a percentage over.

70 on the TomTom  shows as 76 on the speedo. The problem - as in the Cambridge area of the M11 /A14  miles of average speed cameras - when all the canners are sitting in all three lanes with their cruise control set on 69 ( just to be safe) and you end up with a convoy. The lone biker doing a genuine 70 is the odd one out and there can be consequences.

Although every now and then an Audi or BMW-3 will blitz a path and I usually follow through as close to legal limit as is safe. (only time I can tolerate the pushy B*****ds)

[mjc506]

...because a mobile camera van does NOT allow any leeway.
(I know this because on the speed awareness course I did,  a nice lady was "bounced for 31 MPH in a 30 limit and she showed us the paperwork to prove it. )

That's not right, surely? Should be 10% +2mph no matter what/who measures the speed?

EDIT: Nope, can't find anything concrete either way. Appears to be discretionary.

[Hugo Magnus]

I've seen my speedo reach 192 Km/h (abroad, obviously) which equates to 119mph but the satnav only 111 Mph

[Oop North John]

EDIT: Nope, can't find anything concrete either way. Appears to be discretionary.

ACPO "guidelines" IIRC so depending on how empty the councils coffers are ..... I've read that Oxford is particularly keen on keeping its coffers full.

[Pedro41]

Found this on another forum;-This is a quote from Honda UK (sounds about right)

"The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended, allows the use of speedometers that meet the requirements of EC Community Directive 75/443(97/39) or ECE Regulation 39. Both the EC Directive and the ECE Regulation lay down accuracy requirements to be applied at the time of vehicle approval for speedometers. These requirements are that the indicated speed must not be more than 10 per cent of the true speed plus 4 km/h(2.5mph). In production, however, a slightly different tolerance of 5 per cent plus 10 km/h(6.0mph) is applied. The requirements are also that the indicated speed must never be less than the true speed. A vehicle meeting these requirements would not be able to travel at a greater speed than that shown on the speedometer and a driver could not, therefore, inadvertently exceed speed restrictions. Her Majesty's Government have no plans to introduce instrument tests."

If the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 act allows use of speedometers that meet this EU regulation, UK specific regulations can't be any tighter.

[vwee]

Petestep,what phone do you use and what was the gps app and is it any good.using a samsung s4

[Joe Rocket]

I think it's generaly known that speedos overstate. If you know you can ride a bit faster then you've a little in hand without risking a ticket. The IT view is to prove a gps is better than standard equipment, perhaps.

It's not something I've worried about in over 40 years of biking and driving. I've had two speeding fines.........equally one in my car and one on a bike and both because I was silly.  

Joe Rocket.  )

[Petstep]

Petestep,what phone do you use and what was the gps app and is it any good.using a samsung s4

I downloaded digiHUD ( searched for GPS speedo app) on a Samsung Galaxy III. Seems to work well - nice clear BIG readout.

The speedo seems to read consistently 10% off. I.e at true (gps) 50mph, speedo says 55, at 70 speedo says 77 mph. Nice and easy!