Calibrating Smiths electronic Speedo

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Just installed electronic tach and Speedo. Tach works well, Speedo seems about 8-9 mph fast at 60 mph. Calibrated both static and using a measured mile, same result. Measured mile indicates 975 wheel turns per mile. Has anyone else had this issue? If I empirically enter a lower number of tire revolutions per mile, will that help correct the Speedo? Thanks for any advice.

Jim
 
I calibrated mine using a GPS app on my iPhone. I taped the phone between the gauges so I could easily see it and zeroed the gps mileage and activated the speedo calibration while stopped. I then rode down the straight road at around 40 MPH and slowed down at 9/10ths/stopped as the GPS hit 1 mile and pushed the speedo cal button.
Seems quite accurate - measured using the same GPS app and also based on the OEM gearing/sprocket/RPM/MPH info in the service manual.

FWIW - I almost removed the E-speedo after installing it, becoming quite frustrated with the calibration, especially since my OEM speedo worked fine! I found it rather difficult, frankly, the button pushing - or my failure to do it properly - caused me to have to re do the measured mile several times before it actually "took." I tried the static method first and got so PO'd doing that that I decided to quit for the day before taking a 3 pound sledge to the e-speedo! ;)

TBH, as far as a recommendation, If the stock gauges work properly, as mine did, I don't see any worthwhile benefit. I bought them primarily for the speedo, with the intent of eliminating the speedo drive gear. I have never have a problem with it but while on the IOM last year, there was a guy in a pub parking lot dissembling the rear wheel of his Commando because the drive gear had become red-hot and seized. I thought...hmmm, might be good to get rid of that! ;) BUT I still have my OEM drive gear because when I bought the gauges, the supplier did not have any of the separate rear wheel sensors so I used what came with the E-Speedo, which plugs into the stock speedo drive gear. So basically, I spent the money on E-gauges to replace perfectly functional stock gauges and STILL have the Speedo drive gear. ;)
 
I calibrated mine using a GPS app on my iPhone. I taped the phone between the gauges so I could easily see it and zeroed the gps mileage and activated the speedo calibration while stopped. I then rode down the straight road at around 40 MPH and slowed down at 9/10ths/stopped as the GPS hit 1 mile and pushed the speedo cal button.
Seems quite accurate - measured using the same GPS app and also based on the OEM gearing/sprocket/RPM/MPH info in the service manual.

FWIW - I almost removed the E-speedo after installing it, becoming quite frustrated with the calibration, especially since my OEM speedo worked fine! I found it rather difficult, frankly, the button pushing - or my failure to do it properly - caused me to have to re do the measured mile several times before it actually "took." I tried the static method first and got so PO'd doing that that I decided to quit for the day before taking a 3 pound sledge to the e-speedo! ;)

TBH, as far as a recommendation, If the stock gauges work properly, as mine did, I don't see any worthwhile benefit. I bought them primarily for the speedo, with the intent of eliminating the speedo drive gear. I have never have a problem with it but while on the IOM last year, there was a guy in a pub parking lot dissembling the rear wheel of his Commando because the drive gear had become red-hot and seized. I thought...hmmm, might be good to get rid of that! ;) BUT I still have my OEM drive gear because when I bought the gauges, the supplier did not have any of the separate rear wheel sensors so I used what came with the E-Speedo, which plugs into the stock speedo drive gear. So basically, I spent the money on E-gauges to replace perfectly functional stock gauges and STILL have the Speedo drive gear. ;)
I calibrated mine using a GPS app on my iPhone. I taped the phone between the gauges so I could easily see it and zeroed the gps mileage and activated the speedo calibration while stopped. I then rode down the straight road at around 40 MPH and slowed down at 9/10ths/stopped as the GPS hit 1 mile and pushed the speedo cal button.
Seems quite accurate - measured using the same GPS app and also based on the OEM gearing/sprocket/RPM/MPH info in the service manual.

FWIW - I almost removed the E-speedo after installing it, becoming quite frustrated with the calibration, especially since my OEM speedo worked fine! I found it rather difficult, frankly, the button pushing - or my failure to do it properly - caused me to have to re do the measured mile several times before it actually "took." I tried the static method first and got so PO'd doing that that I decided to quit for the day before taking a 3 pound sledge to the e-speedo! ;)

TBH, as far as a recommendation, If the stock gauges work properly, as mine did, I don't see any worthwhile benefit. I bought them primarily for the speedo, with the intent of eliminating the speedo drive gear. I have never have a problem with it but while on the IOM last year, there was a guy in a pub parking lot dissembling the rear wheel of his Commando because the drive gear had become red-hot and seized. I thought...hmmm, might be good to get rid of that! ;) BUT I still have my OEM drive gear because when I bought the gauges, the supplier did not have any of the separate rear wheel sensors so I used what came with the E-Speedo, which plugs into the stock speedo drive gear. So basically, I spent the money on E-gauges to replace perfectly functional stock gauges and STILL have the Speedo drive gear. ;)


Me too Mike, hence the current version taking shape in the shed:

Calibrating Smiths electronic Speedo
Calibrating Smiths electronic Speedo
 
Interesting. I’ll have to check mine. Maybe my bike isn’t as fast as I thought ... !
 
Well...if it's a measured mile AND the calibration procedure is done correctly (proper button pushing, which is a PITA), I don't see how it can be wrong. The speedo just takes what you've told it is a measured mile and says "OK, from now on, X wheel revolutions equal one mile."

OTOH, it is a "computer" so who the heck knows how it might react if it got incorrect voltage, spike, etc. ;)
 
Just installed electronic tach and Speedo. Tach works well, Speedo seems about 8-9 mph fast at 60 mph. Calibrated both static and using a measured mile, same result. Measured mile indicates 975 wheel turns per mile. Has anyone else had this issue? If I empirically enter a lower number of tire revolutions per mile, will that help correct the Speedo? Thanks for any advice.

Jim
I have recently fitted one because, although speedo head was working fine, the drive gearbox on the rear wheel was failing and I was fed up with the poor quality replacements.
I have used a sensor at the rear wheel and 2 magnetic bolts (therefore doubling up the calibration numbers). I measured the wheel circumference by sitting on the bike and paddling forward for 3 wheel revolutions. This gave a calculated 795.3 revs per mile with a 100/90x19 Roadrider. An old Avon catalogue gave 795 revs per mile for a 100/90x19 Super Venom AM18. Rather surprised at how close the two figures were! Doubling up for two magnets gave 1591, but set at 1543 so as to read about 3% fast. Supplier had told me that there was no inbuilt error; contrasts with an ETB speedo on my kitcar where ETB state that the 'correct' calibration gives a deliberate slight overreading, and it actually checked out on its SVA/IVA VOSA test.
Road testing indicated that it was reading about 36mph when actual speed was about 30mph, when actual overread should only have been by 1mph. Multiplied calibration figure by 35/30 to give 1800. Road test now indicating only a small overread; checked against readings on a modern VW Polo at 30 and 60 mph (which I think overreads slightly, as most car speedos do) and got the same 30 and 60 mph readings. Was going to ask supplier about this phenomenon (ie why do I have to calibrate at the wrong figure in order to get the right readings?) but haven't bothered because it now works well even if it is for the wrong reason.
On the plus side a) it works well with nice steady readings, b) dispensed with the rear speedo gearbox with its inbuilt unreliability and danger, and c) now have a slightly difficult to read, but easy to set trip odometer which I can easily zero when I refuel.
 
On the static test I also got 795 revs per mile (also with 100/90-19 roadriders. I am using the hall sensor on the rear drive ( which I may regret). Measured mile gave a calibration number of 975. If I use 900 ( half of yours, since I don't have double pick up) I should be close. That will make the odometer off I assume. Will do some on the road experiments today. I don't understand why it is not accurate with the calibration procedure, but hey, it's a Smiths after all. Overall it's a nice upgrade
 
On the static test I also got 795 revs per mile (also with 100/90-19 roadriders. I am using the hall sensor on the rear drive ( which I may regret). Measured mile gave a calibration number of 975. If I use 900 ( half of yours, since I don't have double pick up) I should be close. That will make the odometer off I assume. Will do some on the road experiments today. I don't understand why it is not accurate with the calibration procedure, but hey, it's a Smiths after all. Overall it's a nice upgrade
…...or it may make the odometer accurate.
NB assuming that you allow for the (15:12?) drive ratio.
 
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OK, set conversion number to 1060 and am now within 2 mph of the GPS. Will see how far off the odometer is.....
 
OK, set conversion number to 1060 and am now within 2 mph of the GPS. Will see how far off the odometer is.....
Is the 2mph difference speedo over- or under-reading compared with the GPS?
Looks as though different individual speedos have different error factors!
Please give odometer result when you have it.
Richard
 
If you measure out a mile or Km on a straight section of road using the GPS and then run the bike through that measured distance/set the speedo, are you getting the error?

That's what I did and the GPS and the speedo agree. Since speed/distance are calculated from the same data, I would ASSUME that if the speed is off, the ODO would be off by the same percentage...

OF course, the GPS could be off as well depending on location/reception at any given moment. I have seen the GPS speed reading on our boat show 40 knots while sitting at the slip in the marina and the position vary by 1/4 mile. All without the boat moving more than a few feet with the breeze/tide - simply due to moment-by-moment GPS reception. ;)
 
Nearly all in the UK have used the suggested calibration figure for 18 & 19'' wheels. They then test this against the active road speed warning signs which most villages and towns usually have.

Here in the UK, unlike the US, speeding comes with a fine and points, which can lead to licence being suspended, so far not heard of anyone getting points with the standard calibration figure.

With the advent of 5G, an accurate speedo will be ever more important. I expect the 5G will be used for average speed checks, like the increading sections of roads now around Birmingham and Coventry subject to average speed monitoring.

If using GPS when to measure a mile - walk it first with a GPS, it will be most accurate, the faster you ride it the larger the error. Sampling rate, satellites being utilised all vary and don't get better with your speed, they will stay the same. Ideally ride 5 miles using a GPS, and calculate accordingly, and use this figure, your pool of errors will be the same as riding 1 mile, but divided by 5.
 
"Here in the UK, unlike the US, speeding comes with a fine and points, which can lead to licence being suspended,"

Same is true in the US as far as speeding fine/points/license suspension. I know this from personal experience with all three! ;) The main difference - and it's a big one - is that speed cameras are not used for enforcement in most of the US EXCEPT in a few states where they are used in school zones or other "special," low speed areas. The only common use of cameras is in some states for traffic light violations (running a red light, etc). And even for that, they can only be used to fine for the offense, points cannot be assessed unless an enforcement officer personally issues a ticket.
 
Take a look at the back tyre diameter but don’t take this for granted- work out the circumference of tyre –different circumferences create different speedo readings!

Speedos are allowed to be 10% out either way.
 
Speedos are allowed to be 10% out either way.

I think it used to be plus or minus 10% up to 30 MPH and 0 to 10% fast above 30MPH in the UK for some years, however, it isn't now.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/how-accurate-is-a-car-speedometer/

"The law for car speedometers in the UK

The UK law is based on the EU standard, with some minor changes. A speedo must never show less than the actual speed, and must never show more than 110% of actual speed + 6.25mph.

So if your true speed is 40mph, your speedo could legally be reading up to 50.25mph but never less than 40mph. Or to put it another way, if your speedo is reading 50mph, you won’t be doing more than 50mph but it’s possible you might actually only be travelling at 40mph."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedometer
 
Just returned from nearly 500 mile weekend. Speedo reads 1-2 mph more than GPS indicated speed. Odometer seems pretty darn close, but will update when I have checked accuracy more closely. The instruments worked flawlessly.
 
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