Hey all,
So, my bike started life in the USA and has a speedo and odo that read in miles. I've gotten tired of constantly doing the conversions in my head and I want to change it over to read in kilometers.
I've found a couple of places online where I can buy replacement gauge faces so I could swap out the MPH speedo numbers for KPH. This is great, but it would leave me with an odometer that still reads in miles.
Is there an internal gear that could be swapped out to change the rate the odometer spins? Or am I stuck with getting a new/used metric speedo unit and doing a full swap?
Any insight would be great.
Thanks
Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
- Swagonmaster
- Posts: 471
- Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2017 3:30 pm
- Location: Stokesdale, NC
- Motorcycle: 1990 gl1500 SE
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
If there is a shop that repairs gauges in your area check with them although the bill could be as much as a replacement Speedo. Still would be worth the call.
Try to learn from the mistakes of others..... you won't live long enough to make them all yourself!
- MikeB
- Posts: 3805
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
191K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
28K Miles - Contact:
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
I think your best bet would to be find a motorcycle salvage yard in Canada and search for a replacement speedometer.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
- Snowmoer
- Posts: 263
- Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:23 pm
- Location: Cedar City UT
- Motorcycle: 2012 GL 1800
1977 GL 1000
2012 KLR 650
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
Check the parts fiche for the US and Canada models and see if the drive gear on the front wheel is the same part number. The gear change may be in that part.
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
Maybe make a POST in various Canadian bike forums to exchange Gauges.
Someone must have an English bike and want's Metric.
Someone must have an English bike and want's Metric.

- WingNoob
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2020 5:56 pm
- Location: GTA, Canada
- Motorcycle: 1997 GL1500SE
2007 KLR650
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
Thanks for the replies.
Unfortunately looks like my only option if I want to fully convert to KMs is a speedo swap. I'll put out some feelers to get an idea of pricing.
Cheers
Unfortunately looks like my only option if I want to fully convert to KMs is a speedo swap. I'll put out some feelers to get an idea of pricing.
Cheers
- WingNoob
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2020 5:56 pm
- Location: GTA, Canada
- Motorcycle: 1997 GL1500SE
2007 KLR650
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
Yeah, I'd found something similar but it still leaves the odometer reading in miles. I was hoping there would be a simple gear swap to change the odometer to read in KM, but no luck. I can either do the face swap ($50ish) and live with the fact that my odometer is in miles, or get a new(used) metric speedo unit ($$$).FM-USA wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 10:54 am MAYBE???
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SPEEDO-OVERLAY ... 3768199598
- MikeB
- Posts: 3805
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
191K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
28K Miles - Contact:
Re: Changing speedo and odo from Miles to KM
Aren't the speedometers already marked with Kph? My Speedometer has both markings, though the Kph is a lot smaller.
Looking at the markings of the Metric faces and SAE faces, they look to be the same. When the speedometer needle points to 100 Kph, it is indicating 62 Mph isn't it?
So, I have a feeling that to make the Odometer reflect Kph rather than Mph, Honda chaged the gearing in the Speedo head for the Odometer only. The speedometer needle will most likely still read in the same quadrant regardless of Kph or Mph. Just replaceing the face will make the Kph marking larger and more readable but it will be MUCH more difficult to do the changeover. I have not seen how you go about removing the speedometer needles and then reinstall then without doing damage to that sensitive meter movement.
Looking at the markings of the Metric faces and SAE faces, they look to be the same. When the speedometer needle points to 100 Kph, it is indicating 62 Mph isn't it?
So, I have a feeling that to make the Odometer reflect Kph rather than Mph, Honda chaged the gearing in the Speedo head for the Odometer only. The speedometer needle will most likely still read in the same quadrant regardless of Kph or Mph. Just replaceing the face will make the Kph marking larger and more readable but it will be MUCH more difficult to do the changeover. I have not seen how you go about removing the speedometer needles and then reinstall then without doing damage to that sensitive meter movement.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA