Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,256
Likes: 5
From: Concord, CA
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
I didn't mean to go buy a new one.
When you ask your questions, they will understand you. Seems a lot of people only live in their little box and can't see outside.
When you said a custom speedo, they got confused. Why would you replace a working speedo, etc...? They just don't understand.
Tell em yours broke and you bought a used one... they will figure it out.
When you ask your questions, they will understand you. Seems a lot of people only live in their little box and can't see outside.
When you said a custom speedo, they got confused. Why would you replace a working speedo, etc...? They just don't understand.
Tell em yours broke and you bought a used one... they will figure it out.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 829
Likes: 94
From: Fuquay-Varina, NC
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
Quote: Gabhart,
How much difference was there on your speedo's? I assume that you did not have the guage clocked by HD since you said
that you were recording the mileage manually to keep track of it for service reasons. I am surprised that the dealer said not to worry about it, well, its not their azz on the line with the DMV! You can reply by PM if you would rather this information be kept private.
Thanks to everyone for the replies, and the comments!
Peace
Rags
I don't mind at all. I have actually been through 3 guages total on my 07 Ultra. The first one was stock. When I had the first Spun Aluminum gauge installed there was a 1338 mile difference. I requested a second Spun Aluminum gauge because the first one didn't have the 6th gear indicator and the backlight didn't match the tach. The second gauge has a 306 mile difference. The second replacement gauge is much closer to actual because H-D actually "reinstated" the milage. I gave them the exact milage but then I rode the bike 306 miles after that. The dealer is about 150 miles from my home so they shipped it to me instead of having to take another trip to them. Nobody checked and no one seemed to care.
Last thing..the newest (and correct) speedometer actually has a white sticker on it that says "Reinstated Milage".
How much difference was there on your speedo's? I assume that you did not have the guage clocked by HD since you said
that you were recording the mileage manually to keep track of it for service reasons. I am surprised that the dealer said not to worry about it, well, its not their azz on the line with the DMV! You can reply by PM if you would rather this information be kept private.
Thanks to everyone for the replies, and the comments!
Peace
Rags
I don't mind at all. I have actually been through 3 guages total on my 07 Ultra. The first one was stock. When I had the first Spun Aluminum gauge installed there was a 1338 mile difference. I requested a second Spun Aluminum gauge because the first one didn't have the 6th gear indicator and the backlight didn't match the tach. The second gauge has a 306 mile difference. The second replacement gauge is much closer to actual because H-D actually "reinstated" the milage. I gave them the exact milage but then I rode the bike 306 miles after that. The dealer is about 150 miles from my home so they shipped it to me instead of having to take another trip to them. Nobody checked and no one seemed to care.
Last thing..the newest (and correct) speedometer actually has a white sticker on it that says "Reinstated Milage".
Thread Starter
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,101
Likes: 1,013
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
Thanks for the reply. With that small amount of mileage difference, I can understand now
why they said "don't worry about it".
Peace
Rags
why they said "don't worry about it".
Peace
Rags
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Bloomington, IL
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
Did you ever get anywhere with this? I have having the same troubles. All i want is my new gauge installed with the correct milage. My new gauge shows about 3k and my miles are really 10k. I dont want to have that big of a gap
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 7
From: North Georgia
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
For cars, If everything gets done on the up & up (meaning legally), the dealer has to order a new speedo with pre-loaded mileage to match the one being replaced. They are suppose to be within a couple of hundred miles of each other, otherwise a comment gets added to your vehicle's title about odometer replacement thatwill show up on a Carfax search. Your VIN number goes in with the Speedo order. All/any vehicle manufacturersare obligated to report odometer changes. It would be a real mess out there if we could swap out odometers anytime we wanted with no tracking/reporting.
I think the real answer varies state by state for motorcycles. When I went through HD to price-out a new speedo/tach combo, they mentioned that it would get ordered to match a predictable future odometer reading on my existing gauge. They too mentioned needing everything to be within a couple of hundred miles when the swap would ocurred. I never ordered my new gauge.
My current speedo gets condensation under the face glass when it is exposed to prolonged rain-riding. HD will replace it, but will order one with future matching miles. I haven't done that either.
There are plenty of custom speedo companies that let you mail-order for a new gauge. Most of these gauges are not capable of pre-loading an odometer value. What about custom bikes that have no gauges at all; or maybe only a tach. Somehow most states have a way to get them titled. What is to stop someone from running custom gauges and then sticking the stock gauge (showing less miles) back in just before selling the bike?
If I was ever buying a used Harley, I think (personally) I'd have some extra thinking involved with bikes having non-stock gauges. Bottom line (for me) is all on how the seller would present their bike to me. And having a bunch of miles on the clock is better than only having a few when buying a used bike in my book.
I think the real answer varies state by state for motorcycles. When I went through HD to price-out a new speedo/tach combo, they mentioned that it would get ordered to match a predictable future odometer reading on my existing gauge. They too mentioned needing everything to be within a couple of hundred miles when the swap would ocurred. I never ordered my new gauge.
My current speedo gets condensation under the face glass when it is exposed to prolonged rain-riding. HD will replace it, but will order one with future matching miles. I haven't done that either.
There are plenty of custom speedo companies that let you mail-order for a new gauge. Most of these gauges are not capable of pre-loading an odometer value. What about custom bikes that have no gauges at all; or maybe only a tach. Somehow most states have a way to get them titled. What is to stop someone from running custom gauges and then sticking the stock gauge (showing less miles) back in just before selling the bike?
If I was ever buying a used Harley, I think (personally) I'd have some extra thinking involved with bikes having non-stock gauges. Bottom line (for me) is all on how the seller would present their bike to me. And having a bunch of miles on the clock is better than only having a few when buying a used bike in my book.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,200
Likes: 3,089
From: NW AR
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
From a paperwork perspective, take a road trip before your next state inspection and the state will never know the difference. If you sell the bike, tell them it has an extra 3K over what's on the clock.
Why not just add the 3K miles to the new speedo? Is it electronic or mechanical? Either way, you rig up something to trigger it and let it run 100MPH until it says 4K. Mechanical? use a drill on the other end of the cable or piece of coat hanger, etc. Electrical? Lots of ways to go there but more complicated. Look up "pulse generator schematic" and that would probably do it. Or, send it to a speedo shop and tell them what you want it to say.
Personally, I'd go for a ride.
Why not just add the 3K miles to the new speedo? Is it electronic or mechanical? Either way, you rig up something to trigger it and let it run 100MPH until it says 4K. Mechanical? use a drill on the other end of the cable or piece of coat hanger, etc. Electrical? Lots of ways to go there but more complicated. Look up "pulse generator schematic" and that would probably do it. Or, send it to a speedo shop and tell them what you want it to say.
Personally, I'd go for a ride.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,558
Likes: 280
From: Russellville, Arkansas
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
ORIGINAL: Dr.Hess
From a paperwork perspective, take a road trip before your next state inspection and the state will never know the difference. If you sell the bike, tell them it has an extra 3K over what's on the clock.
Why not just add the 3K miles to the new speedo? Is it electronic or mechanical? Either way, you rig up something to trigger it and let it run 100MPH until it says 4K. Mechanical? use a drill on the other end of the cable or piece of coat hanger, etc. Electrical? Lots of ways to go there but more complicated. Look up "pulse generator schematic" and that would probably do it. Or, send it to a speedo shop and tell them what you want it to say.
Personally, I'd go for a ride.
From a paperwork perspective, take a road trip before your next state inspection and the state will never know the difference. If you sell the bike, tell them it has an extra 3K over what's on the clock.
Why not just add the 3K miles to the new speedo? Is it electronic or mechanical? Either way, you rig up something to trigger it and let it run 100MPH until it says 4K. Mechanical? use a drill on the other end of the cable or piece of coat hanger, etc. Electrical? Lots of ways to go there but more complicated. Look up "pulse generator schematic" and that would probably do it. Or, send it to a speedo shop and tell them what you want it to say.
Personally, I'd go for a ride.
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RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
just another thing to complain about here........
It is the customers responsibility to provide to correct mileage when the speedo is ordered, IF you're really concerned about the mileage being exact you'll have to stop riding you're bike until the new speedo is installed. it usually takes 30 days to get a new one...................just ride!
It is the customers responsibility to provide to correct mileage when the speedo is ordered, IF you're really concerned about the mileage being exact you'll have to stop riding you're bike until the new speedo is installed. it usually takes 30 days to get a new one...................just ride!
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 741
Likes: 11
From: West Central WI
RE: Replacing Speedometer Mileage Difference
What year bike, I was under the impression that the mileage was stored in the ecm and when you change out the speedo head it will read what is in the ecm, I had to have an ecm froman 02 reflashed to stock because the vin was missing and a Sert tuner wouldn't work until I took it to a dealer(ecm only, not entire bike)and he reflashed the ecm with the stock cal and bikesvin and the original mileage, this was done on a doner bike and when I plugged it back into the original it read correctly.