klx250 sprockets
#22
03-30-2012, 01:25 PM
I don't really look at it as what I can maintain, but what is comfortable to maintain. I'm not a fast rider.
Stock, if left alone on the open road, I find that I ride about 45-50 mph actual (50-55 indicated) and really enjoy the ride. But that's too slow for the freeway so I feel like I'm spinning it uselessly to stay up with traffic.
With the 15/39/tall tire, I find that I'm comfortable at 58-64 mph actual (64-70 indicated). Sixth is now a cruising, 'maintaining speed' gear. If you want to accelerate, 5th gear is only 10% away so you should use it. Or 4th. spin it, get it up to your speed, then go back to 6th.
It hasn't changed what the bike 'can maintain' because you just downshift and choose the gear that is appropriate for the more aggressive riding.
Stock, if left alone on the open road, I find that I ride about 45-50 mph actual (50-55 indicated) and really enjoy the ride. But that's too slow for the freeway so I feel like I'm spinning it uselessly to stay up with traffic.
With the 15/39/tall tire, I find that I'm comfortable at 58-64 mph actual (64-70 indicated). Sixth is now a cruising, 'maintaining speed' gear. If you want to accelerate, 5th gear is only 10% away so you should use it. Or 4th. spin it, get it up to your speed, then go back to 6th.
It hasn't changed what the bike 'can maintain' because you just downshift and choose the gear that is appropriate for the more aggressive riding.
#23
03-30-2012, 02:40 PM
I don't really look at it as what I can maintain, but what is comfortable to maintain. I'm not a fast rider.
Stock, if left alone on the open road, I find that I ride about 45-50 mph actual (50-55 indicated) and really enjoy the ride. But that's too slow for the freeway so I feel like I'm spinning it uselessly to stay up with traffic.
With the 15/39/tall tire, I find that I'm comfortable at 58-64 mph actual (64-70 indicated). Sixth is now a cruising, 'maintaining speed' gear. If you want to accelerate, 5th gear is only 10% away so you should use it. Or 4th. spin it, get it up to your speed, then go back to 6th.
It hasn't changed what the bike 'can maintain' because you just downshift and choose the gear that is appropriate for the more aggressive riding.
Stock, if left alone on the open road, I find that I ride about 45-50 mph actual (50-55 indicated) and really enjoy the ride. But that's too slow for the freeway so I feel like I'm spinning it uselessly to stay up with traffic.
With the 15/39/tall tire, I find that I'm comfortable at 58-64 mph actual (64-70 indicated). Sixth is now a cruising, 'maintaining speed' gear. If you want to accelerate, 5th gear is only 10% away so you should use it. Or 4th. spin it, get it up to your speed, then go back to 6th.
It hasn't changed what the bike 'can maintain' because you just downshift and choose the gear that is appropriate for the more aggressive riding.
#24
03-30-2012, 03:01 PM
Thanks and the comfortable speed was what I was getting at.
Where is the speedo gear and can it be calibrated to indicate more closely to actual speed?
Where is the speedo gear and can it be calibrated to indicate more closely to actual speed?
#26
03-30-2012, 05:58 PM
#27
03-30-2012, 11:41 PM
That is a good question. from my understanding, the Odometer is correct but the Speedometer is off exponentially (more as you go faster).
???????? dont no
???????? dont no
#29
03-31-2012, 02:41 PM
Agreed, I was really disappointed. When we had mechanical units, I understand they're not easy to make the odo and speedo present both accurate numbers, but sheesh, on these electronic units, the odo and speedo should be off by the EXACT same percentage.
I was really disappointed with the stock KLX on this front.
The speedometer reported high by a very consistent 10%.
The odometer reported high by a very consistent 4.3%.
The "whys" of this are wide-open to debate so that's not my point of this post but I can see how people would believe they're getting 4.3% higher MPG than they really are (my 81 MPG average posted in the previous post is actual, not "indicated"). And by the same token, people would think the bike is 10% faster than it really is "Hey, I was going 65 mph all day"... no you weren't, you were going 59.
Anyway. I digress.
I ended out using a speedohealer. Works great, but because Kawasaki doesn't have the speedo and odo with the same error, you must decide what's more important to have "accurate", or if you want to split the two errors and have them both off "by less".
For instance:
** If you leave it alone, the speedo is 10% high and the odo is 4.3% high.
** If you make the speedometer accurate, the odo is 5.5% low.
** If you make the odometer accurate, the speedo reports 5.5% high.
** If you split the difference, the odo is 2.8% low, the speedo is 2.8% high.
I chose to make the speedometer accurate because that's the number that I want correct "on the fly" when quickly glancing down at the gauges. When buying gas and entering records, I have the time to use a 1.055 correction factor on the miles traveled to see how far I really traveled.
Hope this helps.
I was really disappointed with the stock KLX on this front.
The speedometer reported high by a very consistent 10%.
The odometer reported high by a very consistent 4.3%.
The "whys" of this are wide-open to debate so that's not my point of this post but I can see how people would believe they're getting 4.3% higher MPG than they really are (my 81 MPG average posted in the previous post is actual, not "indicated"). And by the same token, people would think the bike is 10% faster than it really is "Hey, I was going 65 mph all day"... no you weren't, you were going 59.
Anyway. I digress.
I ended out using a speedohealer. Works great, but because Kawasaki doesn't have the speedo and odo with the same error, you must decide what's more important to have "accurate", or if you want to split the two errors and have them both off "by less".
For instance:
** If you leave it alone, the speedo is 10% high and the odo is 4.3% high.
** If you make the speedometer accurate, the odo is 5.5% low.
** If you make the odometer accurate, the speedo reports 5.5% high.
** If you split the difference, the odo is 2.8% low, the speedo is 2.8% high.
I chose to make the speedometer accurate because that's the number that I want correct "on the fly" when quickly glancing down at the gauges. When buying gas and entering records, I have the time to use a 1.055 correction factor on the miles traveled to see how far I really traveled.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by Watt-man; 03-31-2012 at 02:44 PM.
#30
03-31-2012, 05:03 PM
Agreed, I was really disappointed. When we had mechanical units, I understand they're not easy to make the odo and speedo present both accurate numbers, but sheesh, on these electronic units, the odo and speedo should be off by the EXACT same percentage.
I was really disappointed with the stock KLX on this front.
The speedometer reported high by a very consistent 10%.
The odometer reported high by a very consistent 4.3%.
The "whys" of this are wide-open to debate so that's not my point of this post but I can see how people would believe they're getting 4.3% higher MPG than they really are (my 81 MPG average posted in the previous post is actual, not "indicated"). And by the same token, people would think the bike is 10% faster than it really is "Hey, I was going 65 mph all day"... no you weren't, you were going 59.
Anyway. I digress.
I ended out using a speedohealer. Works great, but because Kawasaki doesn't have the speedo and odo with the same error, you must decide what's more important to have "accurate", or if you want to split the two errors and have them both off "by less".
For instance:
** If you leave it alone, the speedo is 10% high and the odo is 4.3% high.
** If you make the speedometer accurate, the odo is 5.5% low.
** If you make the odometer accurate, the speedo reports 5.5% high.
** If you split the difference, the odo is 2.8% low, the speedo is 2.8% high.
I chose to make the speedometer accurate because that's the number that I want correct "on the fly" when quickly glancing down at the gauges. When buying gas and entering records, I have the time to use a 1.055 correction factor on the miles traveled to see how far I really traveled.
Hope this helps.
I was really disappointed with the stock KLX on this front.
The speedometer reported high by a very consistent 10%.
The odometer reported high by a very consistent 4.3%.
The "whys" of this are wide-open to debate so that's not my point of this post but I can see how people would believe they're getting 4.3% higher MPG than they really are (my 81 MPG average posted in the previous post is actual, not "indicated"). And by the same token, people would think the bike is 10% faster than it really is "Hey, I was going 65 mph all day"... no you weren't, you were going 59.
Anyway. I digress.
I ended out using a speedohealer. Works great, but because Kawasaki doesn't have the speedo and odo with the same error, you must decide what's more important to have "accurate", or if you want to split the two errors and have them both off "by less".
For instance:
** If you leave it alone, the speedo is 10% high and the odo is 4.3% high.
** If you make the speedometer accurate, the odo is 5.5% low.
** If you make the odometer accurate, the speedo reports 5.5% high.
** If you split the difference, the odo is 2.8% low, the speedo is 2.8% high.
I chose to make the speedometer accurate because that's the number that I want correct "on the fly" when quickly glancing down at the gauges. When buying gas and entering records, I have the time to use a 1.055 correction factor on the miles traveled to see how far I really traveled.
Hope this helps.