Is the speedometer true.

[pocket aces]

I know on my VTX the speedometer would read 8-10% faster than actual speed. Is the Valkyrie the same?

[The emperor has no clothes]

Maybe more like 5% off.

[h13man]

Mine is cable ran and mine seems to be off 2 mph. fast @ 30 mph. and 60mph. According to rpms the the 62 mph. (registered) calculates out to the 131 mph. actual top speed/redline but I haven't been there done that either.
Haven't GPS mine yet to be positive but seems pretty close to the traffic flow so to speak.

[sdv003]

GPS'd mine and the speedo is 4-5% fast.

[Bone]

GPS'd mine and 45 mph up I was getting 2-3 mph higher.
Been cross country 3 times and have never been stopped running 5 mph over the posted speed limit. Have seen several radar traps and must have been inside their allowable speeds.

[John Schmidt]

If you want it exact, get a SpeedoHealer. Hook the output wire from the wheel pickup into the "healer" and that output to your input wire on the speedo at the fairing. Take a ride with a GPS and take note of what the speedo says compared to what the GPS says it should be reading. Then go on the "healer" website and enter those numbers, it will tell you exactly what setting to punch in to make the correction. They have a corrections factor of something like plus/minus 9,999% which will correct anything on the road. That's only if you want it exact. Personally, I'd leave it alone. I've found mine reads 67+fraction when showing 70, close enough. Strangely enough, it doesn't have the same effect on the odometer. Odometers are much more accurate across the board....cars, trucks, etc., than the speedometers.

[Jess from VA]

Maybe more like 5% off.

However any individual bike may check out...... all Japanese bikes imported into the US (or built here) are intended to be off 5% (slower than indicated on the speedo), for decades.

While some thought they were trying to keep us round eyes safer, it has to do with US import penalties (and lawsuits) if they err the other way (even 1%).  Remember back when Harley got the US to limit the size of import cruisers to 700 CCs?

This always reminds me that the NFA mandates shotguns have no shorter than 18" bbls, but everyone's riot guns are 18.5" at the shortest.  Pesky G regulators and draconian penalties.  

To err is human, but to forgive is not Govt policy.  (unless you are a criminal or illegal alien or a voting dead person or you violate the espionage act as sec of state)  (there, now it's political)  LOL

[h13man]

If you want it exact, get a SpeedoHealer. Hook the output wire from the wheel pickup into the "healer" and that output to your input wire on the speedo at the fairing. Take a ride with a GPS and take note of what the speedo says compared to what the GPS says it should be reading. Then go on the "healer" website and enter those numbers, it will tell you exactly what setting to punch in to make the correction. They have a corrections factor of something like plus/minus 9,999% which will correct anything on the road. That's only if you want it exact. Personally, I'd leave it alone. I've found mine reads 67+fraction when showing 70, close enough. Strangely enough, it doesn't have the same effect on the odometer. Odometers are much more accurate across the board....cars, trucks, etc., than the speedometers.

Standards and tourers have the luxury of being cable operated.

[John Schmidt]

If you want it exact, get a SpeedoHealer. Hook the output wire from the wheel pickup into the "healer" and that output to your input wire on the speedo at the fairing. Take a ride with a GPS and take note of what the speedo says compared to what the GPS says it should be reading. Then go on the "healer" website and enter those numbers, it will tell you exactly what setting to punch in to make the correction. They have a corrections factor of something like plus/minus 9,999% which will correct anything on the road. That's only if you want it exact. Personally, I'd leave it alone. I've found mine reads 67+fraction when showing 70, close enough. Strangely enough, it doesn't have the same effect on the odometer. Odometers are much more accurate across the board....cars, trucks, etc., than the speedometers.

Standards and tourers have the luxury of being cable operated.

Yes, well aware of that. However, a few years back the guy that did my leather work brought his Std. to me for some repair and to adapt a VTXC speedo/tach to it. I used an I/S pick up in place of the cable, installed the SpeedoHealer, then set his to read about 3 mph fast. Didn't tell him for a few months, told him I did it for his own protection. His wife said if she knew how, she'd set it to read 10mph fast.  

On my 1200 restoration I tossed the OEM gauges which are cable driven on the speedo, went with a digital replacement. I adapted an I/S pick up to the new gauge, the 1200 uses the same cable drive as the Valkyrie. I just removed the small bolt, remove the cable drive and installed the I/S pick up. Still have to calibrate it but at least don't have those big ugly gauges staring at me. Looks like giant Praying Mantis.

[Moonshot_1]

While I no longer have my Tourer, (son in law has it) the Iowa State Patrol said the speedometer on the Tourer was spot on. Every time. 

[Gavin_Sons]

Indicated 65 mph = 60 mph on mine. Have checked it with several gps and a couple speed apps on my phone.  ??? I just ride and ignore it most of the time

[Anthony]

The brand, and wear of the front tire makes a difference in the odometer and distance travelled.
While on a long trip with 7 std valks, I compared the trip meters at every tank stop:
The metzelers were always the same within 0,5 km, while they were off 7-9 km from the dunlops, and 5 km off from the bike running on an avon.
Anthony

[Kye]

I recently lead a ride on my Aussie (km/h) Valkyrie, and the guys behind me said they thought I was between 5 and 10 km/h over at 100km/h. I was watching my speedo and was sitting as close as possible to bang on 100. Running an almost new Metzeler front.

[doubletee]

I just asked another rider to compare speedo readings on Saturday. Not the most scientific way to test it, but when my speedo read 75-76, his (another Honda) read 69-70.

[Paladin528]

The bike is calibrated with the OEM tire at the OEM recommended inflation.  Changing tires as well as worn tires will affect the speedo.  Motorcycles seem to be affected worse than other vehicles by this.  You can expect as much at 10% difference in readings when changing tires.

[Cracker Jack]

The bike is calibrated with the OEM tire at the OEM recommended inflation.  Changing tires as well as worn tires will affect the speedo.  Motorcycles seem to be affected worse than other vehicles by this.  You can expect as much at 10% difference in readings when changing tires.

The front tires on our Valkyries are roughly 28 inches in diameter. To get a difference of 10% in speedometer readings when changing tires, you would need a 10% difference in tire diameter or about 2.8 inches. I think not.

[Paladin528]

It is the CIRCUMFERENCE that matters.  Change the aspect ratio, width, even the model can be different circumference.  The diameter of the rim has nothing (well almost nothing) to do with it.
I was off by 10% on my shadow a few years back and I went from a Bridgestone to a Metzler.  that change placed my speedo within 2 % of accurate.  A change of 8% (8km/H difference at 100Km/h)

[Steve K (IA)]

Yes, the tires have a lot to do with the speedo readings.  I have E3's on my I/S and at highway speeds comparing to my GPS, it's off 2 mph.  That's not much to worry about to me. 
My Std is typically 5 mph off running Metzlers.

[vanagon40]

My speedometer runs fast on my 2001 Standard (about 5%). But the odometer is actually very accurate (within 1%). GO FIGURE.

[Cracker Jack]

The bike is calibrated with the OEM tire at the OEM recommended inflation.  Changing tires as well as worn tires will affect the speedo.  Motorcycles seem to be affected worse than other vehicles by this.  You can expect as much at 10% difference in readings when changing tires.

The front tires on our Valkyries are roughly 28 inches in diameter. To get a difference of 10% in speedometer readings when changing tires, you would need a 10% difference in tire diameter or about 2.8 inches. I think not.

It is the CIRCUMFERENCE that matters.  Change the aspect ratio, width, even the model can be different circumference.  The diameter of the rim has nothing (well almost nothing) to do with it.
I was off by 10% on my shadow a few years back and I went from a Bridgestone to a Metzler.  that change placed my speedo within 2 % of accurate.  A change of 8% (8km/H difference at 100Km/h)

What I said above is absolutely true. I have rewritten the above statement in terms of wheel circumference instead of wheel diameter which may help you understand. The meaning of the two statements are identical.

"The front tires on our Valkyries are roughly 88" in circumference. To get a difference of 10% in speedometer readings when changing tires, you would need a 10% difference in tire circumference or about 8.8". I think not."

I didn't mention the diameter of the rim.

[Hef]

My standard reads the same as Gavin's. indicated 65 is actually 60. Not a problem for me. Since I know it's 5 mph off, I just compensate for it on the speedo reading. 

[Paladin528]

The bike is calibrated with the OEM tire at the OEM recommended inflation.  Changing tires as well as worn tires will affect the speedo.  Motorcycles seem to be affected worse than other vehicles by this.  You can expect as much at 10% difference in readings when changing tires.

The front tires on our Valkyries are roughly 28 inches in diameter. To get a difference of 10% in speedometer readings when changing tires, you would need a 10% difference in tire diameter or about 2.8 inches. I think not.

It is the CIRCUMFERENCE that matters.  Change the aspect ratio, width, even the model can be different circumference.  The diameter of the rim has nothing (well almost nothing) to do with it.
I was off by 10% on my shadow a few years back and I went from a Bridgestone to a Metzler.  that change placed my speedo within 2 % of accurate.  A change of 8% (8km/H difference at 100Km/h)

What I said above is absolutely true. I have rewritten the above statement in terms of wheel circumference instead of wheel diameter which may help you understand. The meaning of the two statements are identical.

"The front tires on our Valkyries are roughly 88" in circumference. To get a difference of 10% in speedometer readings when changing tires, you would need a 10% difference in tire circumference or about 8.8". I think not."

I didn't mention the diameter of the rim.

What can I tell you...The numbers spoke for themselves,

[Chrisj CMA]

I recently lead a ride on my Aussie (km/h) Valkyrie, and the guys behind me said they thought I was between 5 and 10 km/h over at 100km/h. I was watching my speedo and was sitting as close as possible to bang on 100. Running an almost new Metzeler front.

On group rides, riders in the rear will routinely "feel" they are going faster than the leader.  This is because most riders are not very proficient at maintaining speed so they are invariably in catch up mote quite frequently and probably only focused on their speedometer when they know they are speeding up so they don't get going too fast.