Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: BRADEY on September 14, 2010, 02:23:17 pm

Title: Odometer Verification
Post by: BRADEY on September 14, 2010, 02:23:17 pm
Hi guys,

Very recently I compared my commute from home to office and back, between the Odometer of my RE 350 (19" front) and the C500 (18" front). And was surprised to learn that my C500 was showing more KMS as compared to the 350 for the same distance.

On digging in further, I came to know that RE has the same Speedometer cum Odometer unit for its Classic 350 (with 19" front wheel) and the C500 with an 18" here in India.

The difference in reading is approximately 9% higher on the C5. I have had one of the Speedometer replaced under warranty but without any change at all.

Has anbody verified the MPH Unit installed on US & European models for true reading.
If these are having over reading error then probably the gas consumption of C5 is not as good as we have been thinking all along  :D

Cheers.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: The Garbone on September 14, 2010, 02:28:21 pm
LoL..  someone noticed....  Not a big surprise...
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: meilaushi on September 14, 2010, 02:46:40 pm
I just received my G-5 a week or so ago and have been doing about 50 miles a day @ 35-40 mph according to break-in instructions.  To lay out routes, I use my Garmin GPSmap 276's Mapsource program, which I download to the GPS.  Anyway the GPSmap gives pretty accurate MPH figures, and to hit a true 40mph, my speedo on the G-5 has to read 44MPH.  For a true 35 it has to hit around 38-9 on the speedo.  I figure the speedometer is thus about 4MPH off on the high side.  That's about the same as it is on my Iron Barrel ES, only there at 50 on the Speedometer, the GPSmap says I'm doing an exact 45, so at 50 that one's off by 5MPH: i.e. it reads high by 10%.  I should think that a bigger diameter wheel -- less rpms for the same speed -- should lower that percentage given the same construction speedometer.  At least if you go by the RE speedos, one shouldn't get a speeding ticket if the needle's on the speed limit!  ;D
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: 2bikebill on September 14, 2010, 06:57:10 pm
My speedo seems pretty accurate. I asked a friend with a new VW Golf to drive at 60mph for around 5 miles so that I could follow and test my speedo. It showed 60mph, spot on. We could both have dodgy speedos of course - but I don't think so. I'm also aware when following traffic in 30, 40 and 50 mph zones that my speedo shows those speeds. I must've got a goodn.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Andy on September 14, 2010, 07:06:36 pm
I frequently get stuck behind those people who do EXACTLY the posted limit and it looks good.  Also, on a trip I frequently take that's 402 km according to the tripmeter in the car, my odo on the C5 clocked it up almost exactly within a kilometre or two.  

Pretty sure mine is bang on.  But I've always wondered.  The next time I see a radar trap or some constable chats me up, I'm going to just swing 'round and ask them!
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: prof_stack on September 14, 2010, 10:13:29 pm
At a local road where the MPH is shown on the big display (and blinks if you are over the limit), my C5 shows 33mph on the bike when the sign shows 30mph.

just a data point.

How would a 19" front wheel change that?
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Ducati Scotty on September 15, 2010, 12:21:58 am
My C5 seems to read about 5mph faster than the radar signs tell me I'm going.  I would guess the radar signs are more accurate ;)


Scott
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: r80rt on September 15, 2010, 12:31:04 am
I've set a radar sign up, they always show you slightly faster than you are. 3-5 mph. The city I worked for had one.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: gashousegorilla on September 15, 2010, 12:43:07 am
I've set a radar sign up, they always show you slightly faster than you are. 3-5 mph. The city I worked for had one.

 Man , thats sneaky!  But effective I guess.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: jjoe256 on September 15, 2010, 04:19:52 am
I put a Sigma 1606L bike speedometer and checked with both radar and mileposts. It's bang on. The speed variation mentioned in the Meilaushi's post is dead on for my G-5.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: BRADEY on September 15, 2010, 08:35:08 am
Hi

I think I must rephrase my query.

my question was aimed more at the accuracy of the "ODOMETER"  the one that calculates distance, rather than the Speedometer.

Are the odometers on your C5 calculating the correct distance covered by you, as compared to any other vehicle that you may have used to commute the same distance, such as a car equipped with digital ODOMETER or GPS ??

Thanks for a response.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: 2bikebill on September 15, 2010, 08:48:31 am
I'd have thought if the one was accurate then the other ought to be, but now you mention it - interesting thought.....  I'll investigate further.........
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: meilaushi on September 15, 2010, 08:36:03 pm
Hi

I think I must rephrase my query.

my question was aimed more at the accuracy of the "ODOMETER"  the one that calculates distance, rather than the Speedometer.

Are the odometers on your C5 calculating the correct distance covered by you, as compared to any other vehicle that you may have used to commute the same distance, such as a car equipped with digital ODOMETER or GPS ??

Thanks for a response.
Next time I'm out, I'll check the odo against the GPS crumb trail (track) as the GPS gives a final readout on the distance covered by the track.  I'll have to see. Never thought to check that previously.  I was always more interested in the mph reading vs mph real.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Ducati Scotty on September 15, 2010, 10:20:42 pm
Comparing against other vehicles could give you wildly varying results.  Most speeods and odometers on most vehicles are not accurate.  Better to use mile markers on the side of the road as a base or your GPS if you trust it.

Scott
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: BRADEY on September 17, 2010, 07:50:57 am
Hi guys did any one check the correctness of the ODOMETER (distance measuring).
Also is discolouration of exhaust covered for replacement under warranty.....thanks for turning up with your valuable feedback.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: singhg5 on September 17, 2010, 02:44:28 pm
Hi guys did any one check the correctness of the ODOMETER (distance measuring).
Also is discolouration of exhaust covered for replacement under warranty.....thanks for turning up with your valuable feedback.
Discolouraton of exhaust - I doubt if it will be replaced under warranty.  Almost all exhausts have golden or light brown color near the oxygen sensor.  Is your bike's discoloration very bad ?

I will check the odometer readings on my G5 when I go out today and see if it measures distances correctly.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Kevin Mahoney on September 17, 2010, 08:13:28 pm
Generally exhaust chrome isn 't covered by anyone. You will note that most "naked" bikes do not us chrome pipes. There is also a bluing that can occur due to the catalytic converter, Nothing to be done about it either.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Ducati Scotty on September 18, 2010, 12:06:00 am
Many naked bikes use stainless steel.  It discolors too.  And yeah, underneath that heatshield is a rainbow of color over the catalytic converter.  It has to get hot to work well.

Scott
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: BRADEY on September 18, 2010, 09:01:15 am
In my case, the bend pipe is perfect like new, its the upswept exhaust that has turned golden...........................any news on the Odometer verification.

Singhg5, the G5 is probably ok because its got a 19" front. The problem here in India seems to be that RE is probably using the same Speedometer /Odometer for the Classic 350 and 500, and because the 500 has a 18" front wheel, it does more revolution for the same ditance than a 19" resulting in over clocking distance than actual.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: SSR on September 18, 2010, 11:42:48 am
RE is not using same meters for C3 and C5. Booth have different meters.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Andy on September 18, 2010, 12:03:21 pm
That's true - the part numbers are different.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: singhg5 on September 18, 2010, 03:38:12 pm
In my case, the bend pipe is perfect like new, its the upswept exhaust that has turned golden...........................any news on the Odometer verification.

Singhg5, the G5 is probably ok because its got a 19" front. The problem here in India seems to be that RE is probably using the same Speedometer /Odometer for the Classic 350 and 500, and because the 500 has a 18" front wheel, it does more revolution for the same ditance than a 19" resulting in over clocking distance than actual.

This is the first test and it needs to be verified by other riders using other methods and different instruments.  I measured the distance travelled on my car and on my G5.  Car is Toyotal Corolla in very good shape.  Here are the results -

Car odometer = 9.5 miles
G5 odometer = 10.1 miles

So my G5 odometer reading is 6% higher than my car.  Now the question - is my car odometer accurate ?  I don't know yet.  But my car's speedometer is accurate - verified by GPS. 
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: gashousegorilla on September 18, 2010, 03:44:05 pm
 Singh, how bout you and I do a test this afternoon? C-5 - G-5, we can compare our results.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: singhg5 on September 18, 2010, 03:50:05 pm
Singh, how bout you and I do a test this afternoon? C-5 - G-5, we can compare our results.
I am going out this afternoon and will be back late.  How about tomorrow afternoon ?
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: gashousegorilla on September 18, 2010, 03:54:31 pm
I am going out this afternoon and will be back late.  How about tomorrow afternoon ?
My son has a Football game tomarrow :-\ We'll hook up before the leaves are gone ;)
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: singhg5 on September 20, 2010, 03:48:32 am
I measured the distance travelled on my car and on my G5.  Car is Toyotal Corolla in very good shape.  Here are the results -

So my G5 odometer reading is 6% higher than my car.  Now the question - is my car odometer accurate ?  I don't know yet.  But my car's speedometer is accurate - verified by GPS.  

Today I verified my car's odometer with GPS.  The results of two tests confirmed that my car's odometer is pretty accurate and reproducible with respect to GPS.

1.   GPS = 7.1 miles,    car odometer = 7.1 miles

2.  GPS = 5.7 miles,     car odometer = 5.7 miles

These data indicate that my G5's odometer gives a higher reading than actual distance.  I will do a second test to cofirm these results.  I am not sursprised at all with these readings.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: singhg5 on September 20, 2010, 05:53:16 pm
It is confirmed now that the odometer on my G5 displays more miles than actual.  In the second test on G5, the results were as follows  -
 
GPS = 5.7 miles                          G5 odometer =  6.0 miles.

Thus the odometer readings are +5% over the actual miles.  
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: BRADEY on September 21, 2010, 08:49:24 am
Thanks for your findings Singhg5, which confirms what I said.
Indeed RE has found some very novel ways of meeting the 85 MPG fuel consumption targets....... ;D By the way this will also mean that bikes out of US and Europe may be out of warranty earlier than they should going by the ODOMETER, as we do not enjoy a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty ???

Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: r80rt on September 21, 2010, 01:52:23 pm
Both of my BMW's  read 5 mph faster than actual speed. If you do a little research you'll find that most bikes are off a bit, I know my Yamaha, Triumph and Honda were too.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: BRADEY on September 22, 2010, 11:29:55 am
r80rt, thanks for dropping by, may I remind you its not the Speedometer variation we are discussing here, but the Odometer that counts the total miles you have done on your bike.  ;) Would you please check its accuracy viz a viz any digital instrument or odometer of your car or the miles markers on a route you commute. Cheers.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: r80rt on September 22, 2010, 02:15:23 pm
I see what you are talking about now, If I think about it I may to check it out.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: jjoe256 on September 23, 2010, 01:56:35 am
I checked my G-5 odometer today against my Sigma 1606L speedometer dialed in with radar and measured miles. Both are @10% high.
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: Ducati Scotty on September 23, 2010, 09:22:33 pm
I see what you are talking about now, If I think about it I may to check it out.

You of all people should be in tune with counting miles. ;)  Ok maybe that singhg5 guy has you beat but...

Scott :D
Title: Re: Odometer Verification
Post by: r80rt on September 23, 2010, 09:46:03 pm
Well, if it's off by a bit I don't care, it just means that I change my oil a little sooner and I don't have to jump on the brakes every time I see a cop! :D