My odometer is in KMs...?!

[lolliver]

Hi all,

Just went for a little blat to Bristol and back while the weather was k, and noticed that my trip meter is measuring in KMs not miles. Does this mean that the bike's mileage is not 42,000 miles, but 42,000 KM? ('98 FZS600)

Apologies for sounding thick, but I'm a bit thick 

[AdieR]

Has your bike got a speedo overlay, or warning signs in foreign lingo (which could point to the bike being an import)?

Don't know about the earlier bikes, but the later ones can be switched between km / miles.

[lolliver]

It does have a speedo overlay yeah, a strange vinyl with bubbles underneath. I'd heard that you could switch modes on newer models but my model only has one button (which I believe means that you can't change from KM to M)

Mostly I was just curious if it's done a lot less miles than I originally thought 

[limax2]

The good news is that everything points to the bike having only done 26,100 miles. 

[Major Rant]

You've probably got a Left Hand Drive Fazer ! 
The "country of origin" (the country after it left Japan  ) is identified by a 3 digit code after the model number on the sticker under the seat.
Mine is French, or possibly Belgian (code 060) - sticker says "5DM7 - 060"
 
http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,34.msg66.html#msg66
 
Provides an incomplete list of countries: basically if it doesn't say "-070" then it just ain't British! 
 

[lolliver]

Yep, just checked and mine has a code of 100 (Netherlands). So I guess it's done a lot less miles than I imagined..

Which means that the bike was an absolute bargain 

Thanks for the link to the thread, that's interesting!

[Major Rant]

It may not be reading KMs... it all depends on where your speedo appears to max out......
 
Mine reads true miles and true miles per hour
It has a 'widget' in the sensor line (sits in the connector box under the tank) that knocks out 3 pulses out of every 8 - so it receives 5 pulses out of every 8 so it reads "30" when its doing
48KPH (30MPH). This works fine except that at low speeds you can't tell if you're doing 28MPH or 35MPH (and that can make the difference between "NIP" and "no NIP") and the speedo suggests you can do 250MPH. This impresses 9 year-old Schumacher wannabees but means the top half of the dial is never used..
 
So - if your overlay covers the entire dial and it maxes out at 175 - then you're probably seeing KM on the ODO readout.
If it has a "MPH" sticker over the "KPH" logo and it maxes out at 250 then you're probably seeing true miles.
 
 

[darrsi]

If it's a Netherlands import it should be KPH.

[lolliver]

So - if your overlay covers the entire dial and it maxes out at 175 - then you're probably seeing KM on the ODO readout.

You've just hit the nail on the head there. Still, I'm gunna keep this until it can't go anymore; so the amount of miles/KMs it's done is a moot point at the minute =)