I'm sorry that I don't fully understand how mechanical speedo's work and the math behind the ratios--figured someone smart on here might be able to nudge me in the right direction. From my reading it appears that each and every bike that BMW produced seems to have slightly different speedos or at least speedo ratios. I'm guessing this may align to the actual gearing ratios of the bikes themselves, and correspondingly how the mechanical cable interacts to inform the speedo. I am curious if that means BMW hard-coded gears into each speedo accordingly, or are they adjustable somehow?
I have an American R60/6, but I hate the look of the gauges (well I like the look of the actual gauges, but hate the design and plasticy look of the gauges and lights in the cluster). I'm doing a pseudo "retro-mod" look to the rest of the bike (all reversible for anyone gasping), having replaced much of the stuff on it that reminds me of the '70s bikes in lieu of earlier looking pieces/parts. The gauges are kind of my last front I'm considering tackling, and have my eye on a /5 Speedo/Tach combo, which I find very appealing visually.
1). I presume the existing speedo / tach cables would connect ok (physically) to the /5 combine gauge...but please correct me if that assumption itself is wrong?
2). I presume that the ratio of the /5 gauge I bought wouldn't necessarily "mate" with the ratio on my bike, and the speed and/or tach would be off, readings-wise?
I'm guessing that because many of the aftermarket speedos are GPS-driven, it is, in fact intended to get around this challenge of mating particularly non-standard ratios?
Smart brains appreciated and thanked in advance. Mine is taxed on this subject.
I have an American R60/6, but I hate the look of the gauges (well I like the look of the actual gauges, but hate the design and plasticy look of the gauges and lights in the cluster). I'm doing a pseudo "retro-mod" look to the rest of the bike (all reversible for anyone gasping), having replaced much of the stuff on it that reminds me of the '70s bikes in lieu of earlier looking pieces/parts. The gauges are kind of my last front I'm considering tackling, and have my eye on a /5 Speedo/Tach combo, which I find very appealing visually.
1). I presume the existing speedo / tach cables would connect ok (physically) to the /5 combine gauge...but please correct me if that assumption itself is wrong?
2). I presume that the ratio of the /5 gauge I bought wouldn't necessarily "mate" with the ratio on my bike, and the speed and/or tach would be off, readings-wise?
I'm guessing that because many of the aftermarket speedos are GPS-driven, it is, in fact intended to get around this challenge of mating particularly non-standard ratios?
Smart brains appreciated and thanked in advance. Mine is taxed on this subject.