Speedo seems off...advice for what to check?

[jdb_freeheel]

Hello All,

I am enjoying my "new to me" '05 X9 500 and on an extended ride through the city today I noticed that the speedometer seems fast (yes, I know the top number is in km/h  ). It would appear that it registers somewhere between 5 and 10 mph too fast when cruising in the 20-40mph range (indicates 30-50 mph). 

As a newbie to working on this scooter, can someone give me some advice for parts/systems to look into? Thanks,

Josh

[Dave Milnes]

Where does the needle sit when stationary? It should sit a bit below zero.
If it doesn't drop below, then it's possible that either the stepper motors have lost their 'zeroing' or the needle has been repositioned. They have been known to come off their spindles if given a knock.

[jimc]

The speedos are normally about 10% optimistic - yours sounds a bit more than that, so it could be both a combination of needle positioning and the normal 'inflation'.

Perhaps the best way is to accurately put your own thin tape 'markers' on the dial at the GPS or cycle-computer accurate 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 marks.  This makes it extremely easy to get spot-on the right speed.

If you haven't got a GPS then a 5 quid wired cycle computer from Halfords is the best way to determine speeds.  The wire will need lengthening, but it needs to be cut anyway to fit the unit.