speedometer switch?

[prpldude]

I got a gauge cluster for a gs1100, for the bulbs. But I realized that the speedo goes up to 140mph not 80mph. I hooked it up on my gs850 to see if it would work. It worked but I wasn't sure if it was accurate. Is there anything else that needs to be changed or is the speedometer accurate from one bike to another?

Thanks for the help,
Marc

[KitKat]

im not 100% sure but i would believe that they would only be accurate if they were the exact same wheel/ speedo set up.

A quick way to check is to hold like a small cheap gps or something that clocks speed and see where your at.

But again, im not 100% sure, i just know that if theres a dramatic (or maybe even subtle) wheel size change, then the readings will be off.

[duaneage]

Most GS bikes use the same speedometer drive on the front axle. I would say they are compatible but as you know motorcycle speedometers from that era are not known for accuracy.

Drive 60 mph between two mile markers and see how close to 60 seconds you come. Mine is off by 2, reads a little high. The Yamaha is off by 10%, it reads 10% low at all speeds. I was doing 70 and a few other riders told me I was going almost 80. I checked it with a GPS and sure enough it is 10% under.

Speedometers can be calibrated but it's expensive.

[SqDancerLynn1]

It should work fine,

[rphillips]

Agreed, anything from 750's & up will be the same. Like said, that era speedometers weren't known for accuracy.

[radbrad]

I had to replace the speedometer on my 82 650G, I used one from an 82 650GL. It looked exactly the same, but it turns out it is slightly smaller, just a fraction of an inch smaller. Works fine.

[prpldude]

Great and ty for all the replies.. I tested it out today... The tripometer was right on for mile marker to mile marker... the speedometer started jumping around (this is why I got it for free probably). but when it wasn't jumping it did seem accurate.

It looks ugly on the bike because it is Orange. But it served it's purpose. I hit 100mph and the speedo said so :0) It felt like I had alot of throttle and power left but I didn't want to push my luck.

It would be cool to have a higher mph speedo for when I pass. But I need to keep it under 80 for the most part.