Correcting faulty speedo with SpeedoHealer

[samgab]

Well, my HealTech SpeedoHealer arrived today.

It's great! It's the new V4 type, which is smaller, faster, and more advanced than the previous V3 version.

It's waterproof, and now has a single digit display to show the settings.
Super easy to set up. I did it in about 5 minutes.
I went for a ride at 100kph on the GPS, and noted that at that speed the speedo read 116.
Then I got back, and took off the fuel tank.
under that was the harness from the speed sensor.
I simply unplugged the harness, and plugged each end of the harness into the connectors that came with the SpeedoHealer kit. In my case it was the SH-S01 for most early 2000's Suzuki's. the other end of the cable plugged into the little black box which is the V4 SpeedoHealer. I used the included stick-on velcro patch to attach it to the frame.
Then it's a simple matter to use the website http://www.healtech-electronics.com/ to get instructions for the correct adjustment. In my case it's -13.8%.
Put the petrol tank back on, and went for a ride. Now my speed on the speedo perfectly matches the GPS speed! Cool!
The SpeedoHealer also comes with a little button that shows up your max speed too, which is handy.
I bought it online from http://www.amcmotorcycles.com/ and including the exchange rate from AUD to NZD, and credit card fee, and shipping with insurance; it came to NZD$169.37. Only took a few days to arrive.
Handy, so even if I change to different profile tires, I can easily fix the speedo now.

Also, although my bike's odo shows 20,000Kms, it's really done more like 17,240Kms. From now on the odo increase will be accurate, and I'll have a more realistic idea of my Kms/litre.

[Cajun]

if your speedo is accurate your odometer will be out. there is an even balance stock between these figures. but when you adjust it for speedo, your odometer goes out more

aka use this calulator (http://www.speedohealer.com/eng/sh_calc_2.htm)(i been running version 3 for couple of years now how)
with my gearing
speedo out = +19.1
odom out =+10.2

i have mine set to
correct the speedo (-16),
Optimize for Odo (-9.3),
for Best compromise(-12.8)

Looking at the link above it using my same settings it uses best compromise so makes an even amount change.

But those version 4 look so nice, and alot simple to use, and can also store dual maps, which make live so much easier

[NZsarge]

Nice mate, been toying with idea of one of these myself.... So much to buy..... So little money!

[vifferman]

That's a good price - I was expecting them to be much dearer than that.
I bought one of Jaycar Electronic's "Speedo Corrector" kits instead (about $30). It was very easy to solder up and assemble in an appropriate box. The trickiest bit was working out which wire to connect it to, and where to mount it. I toyed with making some plugs to connect it into the wiring loom, but due to where the appropriate plug was, it was easier to splice into the appropriate wires behind the instrument cluster, and mount it under the fairing. Once it was set, I've only needed to access it once in three years, and that was a few weeks ago when I discovered my estimate of the adjustment needed (-12%) was wrong when checked against GPS. It's now set at 10% and is pretty much spot on (but of course, the odometer is still under-reading by about 4%).

[Phurrball]

@Vifferman ^^^

I saw those in the Jaycar catalogue, and wondered if they worked in such an application.

I might have to compare notes sometime, as my US import has been dropped a tooth at the front AND has a MPH speedo:

Nett result, I only have a guestimate of the speed I'm doing via the speedo (I overreads quite a bit...)

Cheers

[samgab]

if your speedo is accurate your odometer will be out. there is an even balance stock between these figures. but when you adjust it for speedo, your odometer goes out more

aka use this calulator (http://www.speedohealer.com/eng/sh_calc_2.htm)(i been running version 3 for couple of years now how)
with my gearing
speedo out = +19.1
odom out =+10.2

i have mine set to
correct the speedo (-16),
Optimize for Odo (-9.3),
for Best compromise(-12.8)

Looking at the link above it using my same settings it uses best compromise so makes an even amount change.

But those version 4 look so nice, and alot simple to use, and can also store dual maps, which make live so much easier

You sound like you know what you're talking about... I'm skeptical though, as the digital odo is just a calculation based on the speedo, and comes from the same sensor... But I'll test it out. My GPS has a trip meter too, so I'll reset both trip meters, and go for a 10Km ride, and see what I end up with at the end of it. I'll report back on whether the FXR150 has the same problem with odo not matching or not.

[samgab]

You sound like you know what you're talking about... I'm skeptical though, as the digital odo is just a calculation based on the speedo, and comes from the same sensor... But I'll test it out. My GPS has a trip meter too, so I'll reset both trip meters, and go for a 10Km ride, and see what I end up with at the end of it. I'll report back on whether the FXR150 has the same problem with odo not matching or not.

Well, I did a short test with the GPS, and it seems you're right. The GPS said I did 3.2Kms, and the bike odo says I did 2.7Kms. Unfortunately, the traffic is really bad as a result of this Onehunga fire, so I couldn't be bothered doing a longer test, but it's enough to show that the odo is wrong, even though the speedo is right! Gosh!

[wysper]

So in a lot of ways you are better off using a GPS as your speedo then, is that right?

[samgab]

So in a lot of ways you are better off using a GPS as your speedo then, is that right?

Weeell, the GPS is 100% accurate.
There is a delay though in getting the reading so they don't show the momentary speed.
Then there's the risk of it getting stolen or the hassle of taking it everywhere when I leave the bike...
The GPS speed display is harder to read than the big factory display too.

[Cajun]

You sound like you know what you're talking about... I'm skeptical though, as the digital odo is just a calculation based on the speedo, and comes from the same sensor... But I'll test it out. My GPS has a trip meter too, so I'll reset both trip meters, and go for a 10Km ride, and see what I end up with at the end of it. I'll report back on whether the FXR150 has the same problem with odo not matching or not.

yeah i spend a bit of time playing around with mine adjusting it to a gps also.

[samgab]

So that means that they design them to have over-reading speedos. If they designed the speedo and odo to be accurate, they would both match perfectly. EG, if you travelled for 1 hour at exactly 100Kph the odo should read exactly 100Kms, but it doesn't.
It's a sneaky trick.
With a speedo that exaggerates the speed, the bike or car:
Seems quieter at a given speed.
Seems to be more economical than it really is.
Seems to travel faster easier than it really does.
Seems to accelerate faster than it actually does.
Etc.

But they still want the odo to measure distance accurately from factory for service intervals etc, so they mis-match them.

[Jantar]

I found the VStrom speedo to over read by 8% although the odo was perfect. Then I changed the gearing substantially so that the speedo became so bad that out it was useless. I fitted the V3 speedo healer and had to make the setting -17% to bring it to correct. Now the odo under reads by 7%.

[wysper]

Weeell, the GPS is 100% accurate.
There is a delay though in getting the reading so they don't show the momentary speed.
Then there's the risk of it getting stolen or the hassle of taking it everywhere when I leave the bike...
The GPS speed display is harder to read than the big factory display too.

Ahh. I see why you would correct your speedo then.

[Okey Dokey]

I've noticed that my new gsxr overreads compared to my old one. For now I am just making a rough adjustment in my head and nothing else. I don't have a gps unit to get an exact reading, but the old bike always seemed bang on when passing one of those cameras that display your speed, usually seen in town.

It's good to hear that there are ways of fixing the speedo if I ever wanted to. I wonder if manufacturers factor in a little overreading so that they can avoid liability when speeding tickets are given (blaming the speedo for being wrong) Just a thought, and it wouldn't explain a 10-17% error!

[Cajun]

I've noticed that my new gsxr overreads compared to my old one. For now I am just making a rough adjustment in my head and nothing else. I don't have a gps unit to get an exact reading, but the old bike always seemed bang on when passing one of those cameras that display your speed, usually seen in town.

It's good to hear that there are ways of fixing the speedo if I ever wanted to. I wonder if manufacturers factor in a little overreading so that they can avoid liability when speeding tickets are given (blaming the speedo for being wrong) Just a thought, and it wouldn't explain a 10-17% error!

8% is the average for gsxrs (suzukis in general), was 8.2% or something on my 04 gsxr 600

Yes you are right some of reading fast is can't blame speedo for getting a ticket.

[vifferman]

It's very, very common for odometers on vehicles (including bikes) to be almost perfectly accurate, and for speedos to be anywhere from 3 to about 8% 'optomistic'. I believe a lot of this is down to the manufacturers ensuring there can't be a lawsuit if someone gets pinged for speeding and can prove the speedo was inaccurate so tries the "I'm innocent! It was the manufacturer's fault!" tack. It also allows for minor variations due to different tyre brands. OTOH, the odometer needs to be fairly accurate for navigational purposes.
My bike was reading about 6% high when I got it, and I lowered the gearing by 1 tooth on the countershaft sprocket, which worked out to about 6%. I was going to see if I could get a friendly policeman to verify the 'corrected' reading, but never had an opportunity to do so. I ended up riding for nearly 3 years with it over-corrected (reading about 2% lower than it should have been). The speedo on my wife's car (when it works) has an error of only 2% against the GPS, which is pretty amazing.

[Morcs]

I put one on my TL. it was bloody marvellous. Keeps the mileage lower too.
Took ten mins to install.

however, on my RR, the installation will take about 2 hours due to pulling the entire bike apart to get to the plug...

[Okey Dokey]

8% is the average for gsxrs (suzukis in general)

Thanks for that; that is exactly what I seem to have.

[gixxer-king]

i bought the Jaycar kit for my nissan first of all (on the box it says nissan kit) and then fitted one to my celica. Now have one on the tl1000r the gsx1300r and even the gv250. works well and easy to adjust. much cheaper but requires a bit of work. im a tight arse so went that avenue. must say its nice knowing that when speedo reads 100 it means 100 no fluffing around at 90 just so the pigs are happy