speedo (power) limitation on the '82 GS750 (L) US model ????

[Anonymous]

hi everybody,

I've seen yesterday a GS750L '82, "imported from the USA" (with speedometer in miles io Km)

the owner said me that the bike have a US power limitation and the max speed is now 140 km/h (85 miles/hour)

1/ is that thrue ?
2/ what kind of limitation ? carb ? ???

tia

[Philly_Chris]

As far as I understand it, the 85 mph speedo is just for show, the bike can go faster than that, and mine has.

The air screws on the carbs may be hidden and factory set as a pollution control, but can be gotten at and tinkered with. Though I think this has little to do with top end performance.

Anyone more informed can feel free to correct/enlighten me.

Chris
82 GS850GZ

[SqDancerLynn1]

Its limited in that the speedometer only goes to 85mph The bike will go much much faster

[Anonymous]

Its limited in that the speedometer only goes to 85mph The bike will go much much faster

That speedo was from the years that we had a 55 mph speed limit in the USA. Ill bet thet 55 mph is highlighted also
My brothers 1980 kz1300 will do 130 any day of the week and it came with an 85 mph speedo
later model speedos are interchangeable.

[redliner1973]

in 1977, all speedometers on vehicles were mandatorily maxed at 85mph. the reasons for this were:
1. the max speed was 55mph then, and the USDoT felt that 30mph over
that was necessary only for emergeny vehicles.

2. USDoT felt that and 85mph max would stop the desire for 'hot-rodders'
to try and 'top out' a car. they figured that id it only showed 85, that
people wouldnt try it figuring they wouldn't know how fast they were
really going after 85.

this was reversed when the speed limits went back to 70mph. :twisted:

[Bill + Karen]

USDoT felt that and 85mph max would stop the desire for 'hot-rodders'
to try and 'top out' a car. they figured that id it only showed 85, that
people wouldnt try it figuring they wouldn't know how fast they were
really going after 85.

OH and it never stopped any of us from pegging them anyway! Bill

[Anonymous]

Is it ok to ride faster than 85, with your speedometer arm dead against the other end ? will it harm the speedometer ?

[focus frenzy]

Is it ok to ride faster than 85, with your speedometer arm dead against the other end ? will it harm the speedometer ?

hasn't hurt mine yet!

[Hotblack]

Riding past the speedo's limit won't hurt it because there's no physical link between the needle and the cable, it's magnetic. I think the original ones (invented by Tesla) ran in fluid. They didn't have permanent magnets then.

Y'know I believe you're right about the date that speedos were limited, my '79 Skyhawk had an 85 speedo, but the GSs escaped that until '80. Before that they went to 140. I don't think that mandatory limitation lasted all that long, 'till late '80s? I remember the speed limit wasn't lifted until around ten years ago.

[Anonymous]

bouncing needle

The best way I've found to guage top speed is to ask those guys on Harley's & sport bikes what they were doin' when I passed them.

[Anonymous]

Man quit .................ya killin me. I cant wait to run pased some of these crotch rockets huntin a race......

[Anonymous]

we've always called it the ralph nader speedo.

Does anyone know if you can swap a newer non-nader speedo in place of say the nader speedo on a 82 750?

[Anonymous]

Yes......... My 1980 spec. 850 was a US import with the 85mph speedo...I replaced it with a 140mph UK spec and it works fine....