Speedometer Error

I have been buying Bike India for a long time; almost since its inception. You are doing a wonderful job. I specifically look forward to the road tests which are always comprehensive and data-driven.

The purpose of this e-mail is to bring to your notice the glaring speedometer error in the road test of the Honda X-Blade in the May 2018 issue.

A difference of about 10 km/h in the actual speed and speedometer-indicated speed, especially in lower gears and at relatively lower speeds, is too much, if you ask me.

It is for the first time that I have seen it and it is all the more surprising considering that the bike in question comes from a major manufacturer like Honda. What could be the issue? I would like to know your thoughts on this.

Arvind Kumar, Bengaluru

Dear Arvind,

It is great to know that you’ve been following our magazine since its inception and we’re glad you like our road tests. The speedometer error recorded by us for the X-Blade isn’t really an outlier. In fact, it is par for the course if you look at the speedo error figures in other road tests as well. Typically, all bikes will have speedo error of eight to 10 per cent as a norm. It is usually an effort on the part of the manufacturer to ensure that even if your speedo needle creeps above the limit, you still aren’t flouting the law.