Hitchcocks Forum

Hey guys been reading ripe orates on the euro4 B5 2017 and a lot of them give top speed at 75 to 85 mph where do they get these from l am lucky to do 74 on mine is this normal or have l got a pup cheers all

The one I hired in Portugal did 80, but it wasn't happy about it and I didn't do it for long out of mechanical sympathy (even on a rental vehicle).

1) never believe "road test" speeds and 2) never believe speedo "speeds" !

REgards, Mark

I've wondered about this too, but in the end, I don't care about the speed I travel at. My 2003 built 500 Bullet rolls along happily at about 50 - 60 mph.

I see no reason to push it any harder... I'd rather enjoy the ride than worry about how fast I can get where I'm going.

Had that been a priority, I would have bought a Japanese racing machine.

'1) never believe "road test" speeds and 2) never believe speedo "speeds" !' Really, Mark M, are we to assume you are suggesting the late, great Bob Currie [and two piece riding suit, boots and gauntlets, sitting up] might have been exaggerating??? Regards, Paul.

I still haven't worked out if the round numbers on my kid-on smiths speedo speedo come at the line or the triangle. So I'm either doing the speed I think I am or 5mph slower. Doesn't seem to matter.



From the point of view of the OP. It's worth remembering that every bullet of the same model will do the same road speed at the same rev speed. That's pure maths and gear ratios, it has to be the same (barring a knackered clutch). So if you are revving it as high as you are happy to in top. It is doing the same speed as every other one of the same model. Some people may be happier to rev them higher than others. It's also worth noting that someone doing a review of one isn't keeping it for a period of years, nor are they having to service it, nor have they just paid several thousand pounds for it so they may be freeer with the right hand than others.



The only speed I can be properly sure of on my 350 bullet is it will do 64mph at the point where you change up into 4th as the valves start bouncing in 3rd. It takes 19.56 seconds to get there. That is with the mirrors and rear subframe removed. I have a drag race timing card to prove it.

My 2008 500 efi will show 80 mph (and maybe even a teeny eeny weeny bit more) on the speedo, on the flat given a long enough straight and minimal headwind. On the rare occasion I've had a stanav fitted that showed 68mph when the speedo was reading 70mph (quite a small difference compared to my Africa Twin which is a good 4 - 5 mph fast at 70) so extrapolating that out then yes a 'true' 75mph+ is possible. I will say though that, even with a one tooth larger front sprocket, the thing feels fit to burst at 75/80mph and not really comfortable at anything over 65mph with 50/55mph being a good crusing speed.

That’s about it from my experience too – a putative 80mph top. But at that the bike feels very unhappy – not only the motor but the whole machine feels on the edge. Most seem to agree that a comfortable speed for rider and machine is 50-55mph – I've found the same. They weren't built for speed!