Author Topic: somethings not making sense to me  (Read 3158 times)

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Nickolouse

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on: April 15, 2012, 10:22:28 pm
So I was riding my Electra 500 home yesterday on the freeway. I was doing 80+ according to my speedometer but i was actually only going around 65. I was nearly wide open on the throttle. The speedometer reads off the front wheel. I do not believe the wheel or tire are different from stock. I also don't think that the gearing has been changed although i could be wrong. Is there any one thing that could cause both of these problems or is this two problems in one? My Honda rebel 250 is as fast as my 500 Electra at this point in time.  ???
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Blltrdr

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Reply #1 on: April 15, 2012, 10:41:01 pm
So I was riding my Electra 500 home yesterday on the freeway. I was doing 80+ according to my speedometer but i was actually only going around 65. I was nearly wide open on the throttle. The speedometer reads off the front wheel. I do not believe the wheel or tire are different from stock. I also don't think that the gearing has been changed although i could be wrong. Is there any one thing that could cause both of these problems or is this two problems in one? My Honda rebel 250 is as fast as my 500 Electra at this point in time.  ???

The speedometers are junk and can't be trusted. Some Bullet owners use bicycle speedometers to calculate the correct MPH. There is a German speedometer that one member installed on his bike. They cost about $500, but are the real deal.

Your Honda is most likely just as fast if not faster than the Enfield. It is what it is. These bikes are at best equal to a scooter unless you build your motor for performance. How often do you ride on the freeway. I will hop on every once in a while hit the next exit or two or three but keep it mostly on the state routes.
2003 Classic 500 5 spd
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Nickolouse

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Reply #2 on: April 15, 2012, 10:47:00 pm
The speedometers are junk and can't be trusted. Some Bullet owners use bicycle speedometers to calculate the correct MPH. There is a German speedometer that one member installed on his bike. They cost about $500, but are the real deal.

Your Honda is most likely just as fast if not faster than the Enfield. It is what it is. These bikes are at best equal to a scooter unless you build your motor for performance. How often do you ride on the freeway. I will hop on every once in a while hit the next exit or two or three but keep it mostly on the state routes.

I ride on the freeway for just a short while each day about 6 miles it does fine for that but for some trips its very hard to avoid the interstate.
1973 MG Midget
2009 Royal Enfield


AVL Power!

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Reply #3 on: April 15, 2012, 11:16:30 pm
65 mph is pretty low for AVL 500 at almost maxxed out throttle. I hit 70 mph in no time when I decide to rip hard and the speed figures are real. Compared my bike's speed with my friend's car a zillion times. His car gives accurate reading, also checked with speedgun(Thanks to the cops for nailing me). But anything above 70mph.. takes a bit more time. Also, my bike is stock too except the main and pilot jets.

-Sanket


luoma

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Reply #4 on: April 15, 2012, 11:34:39 pm
Don't sweat it too much. No one likes to ride the freeway anyways. The problem isn't a lack of power. REs have enough power and torque to run circles around your 250. Problem is rpm range. If your RE could run up tp 6k or more, you'd be doing the ton. Relax, ride the slow roads and enjoy.


barenekd

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Reply #5 on: April 16, 2012, 08:21:04 pm
By what measure do you think you are going 65? Enfield speedos seem to run from 0-5 mph fast, certainly within the perameters of any other motorcycle speedo, including the Hondas generally 10% off. If your running near full throttle, I'd say you are doing 75-80. My bike easily does 70 at nowhere near full throttle. It doesn't sound to me like your speedo is as far off as you think.
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« Last Edit: April 16, 2012, 08:23:07 pm by barenekd »
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Ice

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Reply #6 on: April 17, 2012, 04:37:50 am
88 indicated is the best mine will do. Its probably more like 80 if I were to clock it with a GPS.


Here is a link to an electrickle speed-o.

http://www.srmclassicbikes.com/news
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Nickolouse

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Reply #7 on: April 17, 2012, 07:24:08 pm
By what measure do you think you are going 65? Enfield speedos seem to run from 0-5 mph fast, certainly within the perameters of any other motorcycle speedo, including the Hondas generally 10% off. If your running near full throttle, I'd say you are doing 75-80. My bike easily does 70 at nowhere near full throttle. It doesn't sound to me like your speedo is as far off as you think.
Bare

i measured by following my dads van for an extended period of time and with a GPS as well as just noticing i can barely get around a semi truck.   :-\
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barenekd

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Reply #8 on: April 17, 2012, 11:01:17 pm
Not being able to get around a semi around here is not a rare thing .Some of those guys haul ass!
Your timing could be retarded, and check out your air filter. Could also be a leaky valve. Just go over the tuneup list and see want you can find. Also look for leaks around the intake manifold and head gasket areas.
As for riding freeways, I do it a lot and I don't have any problem staying up around the speed limit or a bit higher (70). I can go faster than that, but the gas mileage goes to hell!
Bare
« Last Edit: April 17, 2012, 11:05:31 pm by barenekd »
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Arizoni

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Reply #9 on: April 17, 2012, 11:38:53 pm
Same here.

I was driving my Miata on the I-10 in Phoenix today and the big rigs were trucking at 70 mph.  The speed limit was posted at 65.

With the Miata running at 75 it took some time to pass one of those rigs and if one stops and thinks about it I was only doing 5 mph faster than they were.

An average mans walking speed is about 3 1/2 mph so I was only passing them a little faster than I would have been if they were stopped and I was just walking from the rear to the front.

Over the years I noticed that the wind blast off of the front of one of those rigs is almost like a wall of high speed wind that is hard to get thru on a motorcycle, not to mention the way it blows you all over the lane.

I hate passing big rigs even more than I hate following them.
Jim
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Nickolouse

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Reply #10 on: April 18, 2012, 04:36:59 am
Thanks for your input guys! I did discover today a large amount of water in my gas and a fouled plug so I think with those problems solved I will not be using so much throttle to go that speed. My speedometer is way off but that I can deal with(I have owned MG's). Maybe I can even find an aftermarket one that works better.
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2009 Royal Enfield


Arizoni

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Reply #11 on: April 18, 2012, 05:00:42 am
I may be wrong but as I understand it, DOT requires that all speedometers on vehicles in the US of A must be either  right on, or optimistic.
They can never say you are going slower than you actually are.

To meet this requirement most of the speedometers read 0 to 5% above the actual speed that's being traveled.

Some speedometers will read up to 10 percent above the actual speed  so an indicated 70 might only be 63 actual and an indicated 80 might be 72 but at a 5 percent error an indicated 70 would be 66.5 mph and an indicated 80 would be 76 mph.

As for my G5's speedometer it seems to be from 1 to 3 mph higher than I'm going if I'm riding at a speedometer reading of 45 mph, at least according to the radar speed signs that flash your speed on a big black panal.
They have these things sitting alongside the road around here.

To my way of thinking, that's close enough, especially for a old fashioned mechanical device that is relying on tire size, tire inflation and whirling magnets to make it work.  :)
Jim
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1999 Miata 10th Anniversary


Ice

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Reply #12 on: April 18, 2012, 05:54:03 am
 The speedometer on my boy's Trials Bullet is dead on with the 21" wheel on the front.
The odometer must therefore read a bit under.

FWIW
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barenekd

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Reply #13 on: April 18, 2012, 07:12:19 pm
The speedometer and odometer are two different operations. Because one is off doesn't mean the other is. The odo is gear driven off the wheel and, by law, should be accurate so you don't get screwed out of warranty miles. . It is driven a magnet that is moved by the spinning arms. The magnet is attached to the speedo needle. The speedo on the other hand isn't regulated and most bikes I've owned were about 10% off. It can be adjusted by adjusting the spacing between the arms and the magnet  I guess they figure you won't get as many speeding tickets if the speedo reads fast. My RE speedo appears to be pretty accurate, within 1or 2 mph at speeds above 40, but a little slow at lower speeds.
Changing wheel or tire sizes will change the accuracy of both of the gauges, for better or worse.
Bare
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Ice

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Reply #14 on: April 18, 2012, 11:25:11 pm
Agreed.

 The 21" front wheel on my boys '02 Trials Bullet is in effect under driving the speedometer drive gear box unit itself so therefore we assume the odometer portion is under driven.
No matter where you go, there, you are.