Odometer Accuracy
Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,968
Likes: 34
From: Lockport Township, IL
Odometer Accuracy
This past weekend, my wife and I took a little ride leaving Friday from Crest Hill, IL to Savana on Friday. Saturday we rode past Nashville, through Wyoming from east to west, then again through Wyoming from west to east, and back to Savana. On Sunday we rode from Savana to home in Crest Hill. Before anyone calls BS on this, Savana is a little river town in western IL, Nashville and Wyoming are towns in Iowa between Savana and Anamosa.
Anyway, we both set our trip meters before leaving home. My bike (2004 Ultra) logged 436.7 miles. Wife's bike (2006 Sportster) logged 425.3 miles. That is an 11.4 mile difference on a fairly short trip. Mind you - We both rode our own bikes the whole time and neither of us took and side trips. I can understand slight difference in the odometer reedings, but 11.4 mile difference for such a short trip seems kind of odd. Does anybody know how accurate (or inaccurate) HD's odometers are???
Anyway, we both set our trip meters before leaving home. My bike (2004 Ultra) logged 436.7 miles. Wife's bike (2006 Sportster) logged 425.3 miles. That is an 11.4 mile difference on a fairly short trip. Mind you - We both rode our own bikes the whole time and neither of us took and side trips. I can understand slight difference in the odometer reedings, but 11.4 mile difference for such a short trip seems kind of odd. Does anybody know how accurate (or inaccurate) HD's odometers are???
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 855
Likes: 14
From: thomson, il
shoulda hollered... would have bought you a beer. my odometer v.s. gps is off by about 3 at 75... reads 78. so at an hour.. that's be 3 miles for every 75... devide 436.7 by 75 and multiply by 3 = 17.46 miles.. so i think your bikes are pretty close to average.. and if the tire shows some wear it's going to add up eventually.
Last edited by last12know; Aug 22, 2011 at 09:16 AM. Reason: went the wrong way with the odometer.. is up by 3
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,423
Likes: 0
From: Southern California High Desert, here and there....
For improved speedo and odometer accuracy. Have one on mine, works great.
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd238.htm
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd238.htm
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 855
Likes: 14
From: thomson, il
can't say how many cable cores i've gone thru on my boattail. i just pick up a cable replacement kit (cut to length) for a couple of bucks everyonce in a while just so i can say it works. i'm sure it's off by a mile as well.
Last edited by last12know; Aug 22, 2011 at 10:39 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 11
From: Central Illinois
Are you both still on the factory size/spec tires and have you changed your gearing?
Depending on how the bike measures distance (I assume it counts rotations of the final drive pulley on the transmission and does the math based on OEM gearing and tire size), a change in either one could affect accuracy of your ODO and speedo.
Have you benchmarked either bike against a GPS yet? That is another good way to get a solid reading on accuracy.
Depending on how the bike measures distance (I assume it counts rotations of the final drive pulley on the transmission and does the math based on OEM gearing and tire size), a change in either one could affect accuracy of your ODO and speedo.
Have you benchmarked either bike against a GPS yet? That is another good way to get a solid reading on accuracy.
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Outstanding HDF Member
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From: Florida
I am sending in my paperwork for an Iron Butt ride. I keep both odometer readings and GPS readings.
My odometer reading showed a distance of 1,819 miles, compared to a GPS reading of 1,783. The Harley odometer overstates speed and distance by almost exactly 2%.
BTW. I completed the run in 34 hours 47 minutes.
My odometer reading showed a distance of 1,819 miles, compared to a GPS reading of 1,783. The Harley odometer overstates speed and distance by almost exactly 2%.
BTW. I completed the run in 34 hours 47 minutes.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 11
From: Central Illinois
I am sending in my paperwork for an Iron Butt ride. I keep both odometer readings and GPS readings.
My odometer reading showed a distance of 1,819 miles, compared to a GPS reading of 1,783. The Harley odometer overstates speed and distance by almost exactly 2%.
BTW. I completed the run in 34 hours 47 minutes.
My odometer reading showed a distance of 1,819 miles, compared to a GPS reading of 1,783. The Harley odometer overstates speed and distance by almost exactly 2%.
BTW. I completed the run in 34 hours 47 minutes.
I have seen factory bikes off by at much as 8% before (I bought a Yamaha some years ago that was off by 7.5% from the factory).
Thread Starter
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,968
Likes: 34
From: Lockport Township, IL
Are you both still on the factory size/spec tires and have you changed your gearing?
Depending on how the bike measures distance (I assume it counts rotations of the final drive pulley on the transmission and does the math based on OEM gearing and tire size), a change in either one could affect accuracy of your ODO and speedo.
Have you benchmarked either bike against a GPS yet? That is another good way to get a solid reading on accuracy.
Depending on how the bike measures distance (I assume it counts rotations of the final drive pulley on the transmission and does the math based on OEM gearing and tire size), a change in either one could affect accuracy of your ODO and speedo.
Have you benchmarked either bike against a GPS yet? That is another good way to get a solid reading on accuracy.