Speedometer correction on '99 800

Hey Everyone,

I am back after a 1 year absence, just bought a clean '99 VFR 800 and have a couple of questions.

It is very simliar to the '98 I sold last year, but I think the speedometer may be a little off. While riding home on the freway, my speedo read 80 mph, but my wife was following in the car and said later I was only going 70 mph (I was wondering why traffic was passing me so easily)

Can anyone give me an approximate range of possible speed error? (ie 5% off, etc). Also any suggestions to correct, or suggestions for buying a digital wireless bicycle speedometer?

Thanks.

 

Re: Speedo correction. There was a thread on this subject "VFR top end speed" or sometning like that I started on Novemebr 15, 2003 under Genreral VFR discussions. I didn't find it for you when I looked. Do older posts get purged from this site? My recollection is the error at 80 MPH was around 8% (6.4 mph) and may vary a little with different model years. Jeff McQueen

 

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for the input. I was estimating error on indicated speed anywhere from 5-8% so your 6.4% recollection fits in there.

I guess I will need to adjust my speed accordingly.

Thanks,

Spencer

 

If you can get access to a GPS, most have a speed indicator that is quite accurate once you are moving more than about 10mph. Using my GPS, I can see that the VFR speedo is off about 5% across the whole range. Don't forget, your wife's car speedo may be off as well But don't feel bad, my BMW R1150GS's speedo is off even worse than the VFR. At 80 indicated, I really am only doing about 70!! Very annoying!

Adios,

 

I just bought a Speedohealer. Haven't had a chance to install it yet but it is supposed to dial the speedo in dead on the money if installed right. I will let you know when I get it working. I found the best price at :

Sport Tour Cycles
(513) 761-0936

Friendly people and great service. The price was $88 plus shipping.

 

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the input.

Redrocket-let me know how your new device works!

-Spencer

 

I figured 7.5% error with a GPS.
Corrected the speedo using one of Ahlman's units:
http://www.jahlmandesign.com/prod01.htm

These are "plug and play." Took only 10 minutes to install with no splicing or cable rerouting. Speedo is now dead on but odometer now reads 7.5% too low. No way to have both accurate since they both run off the same pulse sender on the output shaft. Honda must have designed the speedo error into the bike.

Mark
2000 Yellow

 

My speedo is off also, I checked it with a gps and found it showed 5mph faster than I was traveling at 70mph and 10mph faster than at 100mph. I called my dealer to see if they could be recalibrated and he said no. But another dealer said that a Power Commander may have and adjustment in it to get closer. I tried your link but it didn't work. I was wondering if a smaller rear sprocket might help (41t or 40t). It should since the way it senses speed. I wouldn't mind a wider ratio trans. and lower rpm at crusing speed.

 

Hey Lighter, if your VFR 800 speedo is driven off the countershaft (front) sprocket like my 93 is, changing the sprocket won't help. For example, with stock 16/43 sprockets, at 55 mph my speedo read 4000 rpm. When I changed to a 45T rear, it still read the same, but I was not going that fast. SInce you have an electronic speed, you might try a speedo healer. You can do a google search for it and will find a number of sites. Oh and with the 16/45 combo, my speedo reads 10 mph fast at 65 mph.