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Speedo Calibration 85 vs 140 mph

gs11ezrydr

Forum Mentor
I am wanting to put a new set of gauges on my 82 gs1100ez and my current speedo reads 85 mph max and the set that I am looking at are the 140 mph units.I was wondering if any one would know if I would need a different speedo drive unit down at the front wheel to be accurate and read a true 140mph or what? If so what year and model would I look them up for also? I would appreciate any and all info before I throw down the bucks and get something that I could not use. Thanks :-k
 
Pretty sure the front wheel speedo drive units (for the same size wheels, e.g, 19") are all the same, but the speedo's are known to be inaccurate...

I use a GPS to compare speeds against, then just remember the difference - the speedos usually run a bit faster than reality.
 
Yea still got the 19" wheel and I couldn't find any other optional part numbers for any of the drive units. And as far as accurate I know it's a joke ain't it lol. I'm satisfied with in the general ball park for now. Thanks again ;)
 
And as far as accurate I know it's a joke ain't it lol. I'm satisfied with in the general ball park for now. Thanks again ;)

It's funny, some speedos read quite true, while others, as you have stated, are pretty "optimistic."

Lubing the cable can help a lot...
 
I put a set of '83 GS1100ED gauges on my '82 GS1100EZ, they seem to work well, didn't change out anything else. How accurate? at least as accurate as the '82 85mph gauges.
100_1845_zpsf312d1d8.jpg
 
Hi Guys an Gals, many times iv tested speedos on Fords Toyota Mitsubishi Vauxhall "GM" against the sat nav and always the speedos read higher, no doubt the sat nav was correct, strange to say my GS 1100L was closer than any of the above but still optimistic !!! your guages sure look good, but i cant figure why you have guages to read 140 if the speed limit is 55 ? in the U.S. LOL, just a Suzuki thing.
 
I put a set of '83 GS1100ED gauges on my '82 GS1100EZ, they seem to work well, didn't change out anything else. How accurate? at least as accurate as the '82 85mph gauges.
100_1845_zpsf312d1d8.jpg

Just so you know that is an 82 tach with a 83 speedo. Since I imagine the sweep is the same I'd say there is a little less resolution due to the increased scale
 
Just so you know that is an 82 tach with a 83 speedo. Since I imagine the sweep is the same I'd say there is a little less resolution due to the increased scale

Just so you know, you're absolutely 100% wrong :p
Not quite sure why you think that, but the '82 tach had a 9K redline, the '83 had the 9.5K redline.
Here's a pic of my '82 gauges with the 9K redline tach and the 85mph speedo. I rest my case.
100_1870_zps7779572b.jpg
 
Just so you know, you're absolutely 100% wrong :p
Not quite sure why you think that, but the '82 tach had a 9K redline, the '83 had the 9.5K redline.
Here's a pic of my '82 gauges with the 9K redline tach and the 85mph speedo. I rest my case.
100_1870_zps7779572b.jpg

What do you think I have in the attached photo? None of the 3 look like yours (other than the 9.5K redline). The last set came on my ED.
 
Guys an Gals, thats what i thought, we have a speed limit here of 70, i cant drive it eithor !
 
Hi Guys an Gals, many times iv tested speedos on Fords Toyota Mitsubishi Vauxhall "GM" against the sat nav and always the speedos read higher, no doubt the sat nav was correct, strange to say my GS 1100L was closer than any of the above but still optimistic !!! your guages sure look good, but i cant figure why you have guages to read 140 if the speed limit is 55 ? in the U.S. LOL, just a Suzuki thing.

Update: The further West you go the higher the speed limits. Texas has a couple highways with 85 mph limits, NM has 75 mph limits here and there. zoom zoom zoom....though 75 = 90 no?
 
Would love to find a '83+ speedo unit for my '82, but the prices are through the roof.

Fortunately, my Hayabusa has a speedo with much higher top speed, as it will easily exceed the limit on my 1100E speedo, and do it in first gear. Yeehaw!
 
Hi, 75 and 85mph speed limits, flip,for real ? i thought they were all 55. I was in the US once an we had come down from Denvir through El passo an then headed North East to join route 66, anyway, the traffic where there was any in New Mexico was really steady at about 55, then this evening the whole sky got realy dark with rain clouds and it started to rain "heavy" to the extent visibality got real bad, the whole place was pitch Black with Lightening, everyone speeded up by a considerable amount, trucks especially, i never could understand it ! is this normal ?





Everyone in Ireland has friends in America
but not everyone in America has friends in Ireland


my grannie said it.
 
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Hi, 75 and 85mph speed limits, flip,for real ? i thought they were all 55. I was in the US once an we had come down from Denvir through El passo an then headed North East to join route 66, anyway, the traffic where there was any in New Mexico was really steady at about 55, then this evening the whole sky got realy dark with rain clouds and it started to rain "heavy" to the extent visibality got real bad, the whole place was pitch Black with Lightening, everyone speeded up by a considerable amount, trucks especially, i never could understand it ! is this normal ?





Everyone in Ireland has friends in America
but not everyone in America has friends in Ireland


my grannie said it.


For a while I think in the 80's there was a Federal 55 mph speed limit (gas conservation) . That has long since gone away. Typical interstate speed limits are 65 mph but there are places at 70 mph. Probably bit more (75 mph) but I don't think there are many posted limits at 80 mph.
 
What do you think I have in the attached photo? None of the 3 look like yours (other than the 9.5K redline). The last set came on my ED.

Actually all of the 3 in your photo look like mine exactly, 140mph speedo, 9.5K redline, see my post 7.
Don't confuse it with post 11 which are my '82 gauges, 85mph speedo and 9K redline.
I can't make it any simpler than that, not sure what makes you think I have a '82 tach on my bike, post 9.
 
Actually all of the 3 in your photo look like mine exactly, 140mph speedo, 9.5K redline, see my post 7.
Don't confuse it with post 11 which are my '82 gauges, 85mph speedo and 9K redline.
I can't make it any simpler than that, not sure what makes you think I have a '82 tach on my bike, post 9.

Here is the picture from your post #7 and yet another picture of My 83 gauges.

picture.php


I never realized that Suzuki had a 9K and a 9.5K reline for the 82 tach, but clearly both of your tachs are of the same style as the regardless if they are 9K or 9.5K redline; They are distinctly different to the 83 tach in my picture.

Both 83 gauges (speedo and tach) have the lettering on the outside of the mph/rpm tick marks. On the 82 the numbers are on the inside.
 
I just purchaced a new set of gauges and did not know myself that Suzuki had so many different tach and speedo combinations.My 82 has the 85 speedo and 9k tach.The set I just got (yr.unknown)has the 140 speedo but with a 9k tach also. Is that common? The set i just got was supposed to not have been dissassembled or messed with. Seeing that all of your 140 mph speedos have the 9.5k tachs makes me wonder. Hopefully I got a pretty good deal other than the 9k tach in that they are in almost perfect condition and the mileage was within 300 miles of the other and cost me $152.50 Or was that too high?Bottom line you are saying that regardless of the year, mph,and rpm they all seem to be closley calibrated and accurate and all of the cable gear drive units are the same. :confused: I'm still learning to post pics but if you care to see what i'm talking about the Ebay item # is 171028287712 and the tach looks exactly like my "82"where your pic in post #19 of your "82" has the red triangle but a 9.5k redline or am I making any sense at all lolol.
 
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