ABS or not ABS

[Drax]

That is the question!

I've decided to move up to a litre bike & the bike I've decided on is a Yamaha FZ1 Fazer - (yes I've done the test ride sketch so I know I REALLY want it!)

I'm healthily nervous of a litre bike not so much on how fast it can go, but the stopping capabilities when caught out at speed. i.e Grabbing a handful!

I'm not buying new (certainly not at Yamaha prices ) but the FZ1 comes in both ABS & non ABS versions so I'd like your opinions /experiences please if you've:

Had/Got//Want/Couldn't do without - or don't notice any difference on ABS bikes please.

I look forward as always to the BCF replies

[The Shaggy D.A.]

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=236692
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[Drax]

[Ribenapigeon]

I bought my XJ6N with ABS for two reasons, safety and when it comes to selling on the bike in a couple of years it will retain more value as by then mostly all new bikes will have ABS as standard.

[G]

Given good weather and good tyres, you should be flipping yourself over the front.

If you try and brake mid corner, you will probably come a'cropper, but I'm not sure ABS will help that either.

The advantage I see for ABS is for commuting in adverse conditions and the like - where you may be forced in to being in close quarters with other vehicles, who's drivers may be half-asleep.

At that point ABS may be very useful; in situations where it's quite hard to judge the grip available.

[Fowlersrs]

Ive been behind an RSVR with ABS when a twat in a landy with a horse box pulled out infront of him and when he went from about 110 to 60 in seconds I firmly believe the ABS stopped him going down the road, he did say his ass cheeks went very firm lol

[Troy92]

What's the price difference? Also watched this earlier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ_UkAFW6cA&list=HL1374868845&feature=mh_lolz
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99' Hornet

[G]

Video a good example that ABS is a good option if the fingers on your right hand only work in an on/off capacity .

[Polarbear]

In a test with a Triumph Tiger Explorer they actually stopped quicker not using ABS than using ABS, but these were seriously experienced people who test ride bikes for a living.

It's there to save you if you grab a handful of brake in the wet, so why not have it.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Nemo]

How many times have you come off while braking, on a bike without abs?

I know I don't need it, but thats just me.
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Previously owned: Kawasaki KH125, Suzuki GP125, Suzuki GX 125, Honda CB125 TDC '83, Honda ntv 600, Kawasaki ER5, Kawasaki ZZR600, Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille
Now own: Ducati 848 evo

[Skudd]

When I had the option of the same bike with or without ABS I chose ABS. On the whole in normal riding ABS doesn't matter, it does matter in the extreme. there has only been once or twice when the ABS has kicked in when I thought that I could have braked better on my own, but 99% of the time, for me, ABS has been a saviour.
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Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Drax]

Looks like a 50 / 50 split between opinions.

Personally, after reading everyones replies & the other BCF thread, I'm still unsure whether its of benefit or not i.e upright & only in a straight line.

I think that when I see the bike I like having ABS will be a bonus but not a deal breaker.

Thanks for all your replies.

[Rogerborg]

[Skyblue]

Can't give you advice about what is best! but went out for a ride today & did quite a few emergency stops just to test myself & scared myself in how long it took for me to stop.I'm going to keep testing myself until I get better & I don't have ABS

[ElliotReidMD]

My bike has ABS, the first vehicle I've owned to have it, but it wasn't the reason i bought the bike, it just happened to be a feature. I don't think it's kicked in since I've had it but I suppose it's nice to know it's there in case I do fuck up my breaking.
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Current Bike: Kawasaki Versys

[G]

[barrkel]

ABS is definitely worth it if you ride in the wet, especially in towns and cities. That's where grip is most variable in the wet.

Both my bikes have ABS; the VFR was chosen in part because of the excellent experience with the SH300.

Never felt it kick in much on the VFR yet, maybe a couple of times when I was checking out how fast it could stop on a clear clean dry road. ABS generally stops your rear coming up too, so less chance of flipping if you go overboard. Also, it doesn't pulse like the SH.

I ride the SH in London every day in all but icy weather and it has kicked in maybe 200 times, mostly from me deliberately trying to lock the rear and using the ABS pulsing to gauge grip. Maybe 20 times because I was going too fast to brake "safely" but I sped in anyway because I knew how good the ABS was, and it performed as expected. And it has saved 2 crashes for sure, one from a crazy cyclist in the wet, one from a car switching lanes at a red light queue in the wet - though I was going a bit too fast in both situations. I've had the experience of the whole scooter drifting sideways as both front and rear intermittently lost traction, but still staying in control.

And that's what I mostly use ABS for; a way to increase the performance envelope of the bike in the wet, in the city.

Wish I also had traction control, I've crashed too many times from the rear spinning out in the wet around corners. Now, I can ride without crashing like that, but only by underestimating how much grip is available and being very smooth rolling on so I can back off when I feel twitching, but I'd like more tech to help me out. Man+machine outperforms man alone.

PS: also read this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21469024
Short summary: people riding bikes with ABS are underrepresented in fatal crash statistics. My conclusion: ABS encourages you to go faster, but the added safety margin of the ABS is larger than the added encouragement to take risks, so it's a net win.
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[lihp]

[pdg]

[Enduro Numpty]

My FJR has ABS. It may or may not be a good thing. I've never felt it come on in good conditions no matter how hard I brake. Felt it once in the wet when I was braking very gently and put it down to oil/diesel on the road. Only other time was last summer in Croatia where they had went months without rain and the roads were seriously greasy, again I was taking it easy and braking gently. My view is that ABS possibly gives you a bit more feedback under certain conditions than not having it. That said, I don't believe for a second that it would make the slightest difference if you're braking too hard and too deep into a turn. I think you'd bin it just the same.

I have incidentally binned it a few times on none ABS brakes, though thankfully not for a good few years. Found my limit too many times and now try not to get too close to it