Need info about speedo reading 0 for court tomorrow
 

I bought a 2001 Honda CBR 600 F4i a few months ago and a couple weeks after purchasing it I got pulled over and got a ticket for speeding. The thing is that the speedometer went out on me while I was driving and just read 0 mph on the digital speedometer. I took out the speed sensor and cleaned it...still had the problem. Later I ended up buying a new chain and sprocket kit with stock gearing and installed it. The speedometer stopped going out on me after that but I wasn't sure why. Later I found out that if you change the sprocket gearing from stock, it can cause the speedometer to malfunction. I checked my old sprocket and saw it was a 43 tooth instead of the stock 46 tooth. I'm taking the chain and sprocket kit receipt to court but I need some proof that the gearing can actually cause a problem with the speedometer. If anyone could give me information supporting that fact or testimonials about it I would really appreciate it.

I think you should just pay the bill and forget about it.

Look at it from the law and courts side, You were on the road with a vehicle that had no functioning speedometer, and you were caught speeding.

Id leave your receipts at home and work on a good way to tell them it started to malfunction while you were riding, and you were trying to get home and get it off the road.

If no other cars were around to judge speed by, maybe you could use that.

Dont make up to big of a story, If you told the cop something else, It could come back on you. If you were riding like a jackass 20+mph over, I think your done.

It did go out on me while I was driving. I had gotten it a week or two before getting pulled over and I was still fixing things on the bike at that time. I just need proof that this is a known issue on these bikes.

Sprocket kits will make the speedometer reading be either high or low.

In your case it would make the reading lower then your actual speed.

No one will believe because you didn't have original sprockets on it caused a zero reading, I would try to fight it saying your speedometer was reading low due to the sprockets and maybe go to this site www.gearingcommander.com and print out the actual speed with the 46 tooth sprocket and the 43 tooth sprocket and show them the difference, Tell them you had no idea it was off since you bought it but you have fixed the problem now. (This will only work if you were going slightly above the limit.)

The speed limit was 40 and the cop said I was doing 50. This was late at night with no traffic on the road to judge speed by and I had just gotten off a bridge so I think it is understandable that I was doing 10 over. My mistake for passing a dunkin donuts. The idea about saying the speedometer was reading higher because of the sprocket is a good strategy. I'll give that a shot since my real reason probably wont be believable like you said. Thanks!

Gearing Commander: Motorcycle Speed, RPM, Chain & Sprockets Calculator

It is widely accepted and is mathematical fact so doesn't really need proof, it's not far off having to prove that the sky is blue. Either way, have a look through the different sections of that site for the tutorial stuff and if you find your bike and plug your gearing in, you can compare the speed you were going to the speed you had indicating.


Anyway, my view:
If you don't understand the effects of changes you make to your bike then don't do them. "Sorry officer, I didn't realise that stabbing holes in my tyres would make me crash into a group of school kids".

Nonetheless, I hate the government so good luck.

unfortunatly in the eyes of the court there is nothing understandable about speeding. and the dunkin donoughts will definatly not get you anywhere either.

you really need a lawyer if you want to really fight the ticket. Changing sprockets does not cause your speedo to read "0" but is should be off a tad. You have a shot like the guy said above if you say you "thought" you were doing 40-45 in a 40, while the actual speed with the old sprocket (vs the stock one) would be ~50.

dont bs too much. they will see through it. they hear it all day every day.

The speedometer reading zero is NOT a known issue. The only known issue is you
were riding when you KNEW you couldn't determine how fast you were going.

If your tach was not affected by the speedo issue you could have used it (coupled
with knowing what gear you were in) to determine your speed.
Since you didn't DO that, you shouldn't have been too surprised at the results.
No sympathy here.

CRB Forums is a STRONG advocate for the safe and legal riding of motorcycles.

One of the things that ensures that, is properly maintaining your bike and equipment.
Live and learn.

I'd pay the ticket in advance and avoid incurring the additional court costs of a futile
effort to avoid the consequences of your actions.

Hope you make the right decision, Ern

Id like to see how highering a lawyer goes, Something tells me It would be more money then the ticket haha!

If It were me, Id walk in there (if you really plan on going to court over it) and tell them straight up "The speedometer broke as I was riding, It worked everyday befor that, I was having a bad day Due to a family emergency and was unaware of my speed" Then have a good back story for all the questions that are going to come your way. I would totally drop the sprocket thing, Do you think a judge, or even a police officer, knows anything about # of sprocket teeth vs speed? All they know is the law, hell they call mufflers silencers and assume since its loud that its got 2000hp and is always speeding! And you wont be able to educate them to the point of careing, because there are countless bikes out there with sprocket changes that dont get pulled over.

Really depends on what you actually told the cop though, they will take his word over yours. Good luck with it. Might want to think about how many tickets youve had in the past, hopefully not alot!

possibly depending on the state if the officer doesn't show up to the trial then they can't prosecute, but some states consider it not being a crime
so they don't need a district attorney or the officer to be there etc etc. if its not a crime then why are you in court right?
its actually not even a law, its a act that was supposedly agreed by the people blah blah blah.
there may be some sort of lawyer type that will get a plea of adjudication withheld or withheld judgement and possibly a reduced ticket, more than likely it wont be.
you pay the fines and the court cost and of course the whatever the simple attorney ask for, and no points on license.
of course only if you have a fairly decent driving record.