bicycle computer speedometer

tractorman414

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Hi

I see there was a thread on this subject in May 2007. I would be interested to gain current views on a digital speedometer/ oddometer suitable for a vincent. Decent size, back light when needed, waterproof. I jumped in the deep end, so to say and bought one for £5, fine to 50 mph and then it records half speed. It may record half distance as well above 50, I only just fitted it, and done a overall slow run.
Its more the oddometer I find useful on Vintage club runs, with route sheet giving, precise mileages. My 5" clock is not bad, but accurate enough and I don't think I am up to re-calibrating it. I also like to keep the Vincent oddometer as a "fuel gauge"

Bernard Jones
 

Bill Thomas

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Hello Bernard, I have had them for years, Think they are very good, First used one because my Special has Wagon wheels !!, But now use them on my other bikes, There are lots of types for sale, the one i use now goes up to 180 mph, So they say !! Have yet to prove it !! The gap on the wheel pick-up, Must be right, You can calibrate it to read what ever you like, ie Fast or Slow, I set mine to be the same as my shadow clock, Which with my tyres is a little fast. Good luck, Bill.
 

ossie

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i was talking to a norton owner at the green hut high beech who spotted my cycle speedo on my shadow,
he said he used them as well. he had upgraded for a wirelss one only to find the electrics on the bike turned it off.
he tested this out by going at about 30mph and turning off the engine and coasting the speedo then started working properly only to die when he started motor up again.
i dont know what ignition system he had.
 

Shadowman

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I had one on my Rapide. I set it to show KPH so when I'm travelling outside the UK I don't need to work out my speed. It also had a handy clock built in. It lasted a couple of years and died after I rode through a nasty thunder storm which also left the 5 inch speedo with half an inch of water in the bottom and my saddle bags half full. For three or four UK pounds I bought another after trying the high tech wireless version which saw the pulses from my magneto and worked better as a rev counter so that one is on my bicycle now. There are so many available and they are all cheap. Some get confused after about 50 mph so if yours does that then just go out and buy a different one. One thing I do to make the setup easier is not to use the magnet which comes with it but use a powerful rare earth magnet which can be much further from the receiver and still be detected. (I just epoxy glued it to the rim)
 

bmetcalf

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I tried a cheap bicycle speedo as a temporary check after I installed a 21" front wheel and it worked fine over 50 mph. As noted here before, the 21" front made my 5" clock very accurate and made my high speed riding claims more ethically challenged, but not impossible.:D
 

vibrac

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What we need from you good people are some proven speedo names Sigma 800 is often mentioned but they seem to be unavailable now (as per most electronic gadget shifters they change the model numbers and the cases just to get more for the same thing)
I don't want to get one and then find it stops at 50mph
also I have lost the reference date for when they became a legal requirement I have an idea for instance that my 1927 Scott does not need one
 

Jim Richardson

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You can find the MOT manual for motorcycles on the DVLA site, with a bit of digging, and there is no mention of a speedo at all, the usual exemptions for indicators etc are there.
I am sure our friendly MOT man mr. Rogers would have an opinion though.
 

vibrac

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Get away from the MOT stuff that is only a check for road worthyness at a point in time (Which is why I wonder people have got so worked up about loosing it)
A speedo is not an MOT requirement, a note if fitted or not fitted is sufficent
BUT It is a legal requirement for reasonable size motorcycles from a certain date (and a lot later date for small mopeds etc)
If made after that date the main question is what electronic bicycle speedos to use?
 

Paul Ennis

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Yes Nulli, 1937 is the date, from September I think.

Another option is a GPS speedo. I bought one several years ago, a Holux GPSport 245. It's not much bigger than a bicycle speedo and it comes with a clip for fixing to handlebars but after I had calibrated my shadow clock with it, it now resides in the tank bag on my Vin. I also use it on the BMW's and my bicycle as it logs all the journey details. If you are really clever (not me) it will plot the route you've travelled on some mapping programme. It has a backlight for night time and is rechargeable, so no need to buy batteries, and it is waterproof. Cost me about 50 quid at the time.


It also records the maximum speed reached........No officer, must have been a glitch in the programme!


Paul
 
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