A.B.S on a bike?

[wristjob]

following another thread where someone suggested that they had searched for a specific bike without abs.
why or why not?

my experience ranges from,
bikes without abs with good brakes,
bikes without abs with crap brakes,
to the one bike ive owned that has really good brakes which has abs
but you wouldnt know if you just rode about,the only clue it gives is under hard braking when the back wheel is off the floor you can feel it take the rear brake peddle away a bit.
no modulation through the front brake lever,it just stops.
now i can uderstand if you were to say"the abs on bike x is crap/primative/intrusive so i would only have that bike in non abs form"
or "i would only ever buy a bike with abs because its safer"
i dont think it would be a deal breaker either way with my one experience.
what is your opinion?

[bamt]

One worry about ABS-equipped bikes (especially some decade-old BMWs) is that ABS failures can leave you with no brakes, expensive repairs (ABS modulator the best part of two grand) or both. On a car the ABS is supposed to fail safe (i.e. if the ABS fails then normal braking works). Some bike systems apparently don't do that...

[wristjob]

wow is that actually true?
i mean the total failure as im happy to believe bmw would give you massive bills without blinking.
i cant imagine any maker getting away with brakes that could fail completely getting away in the current no win no fee culture

[bamt]

No direct experience here, but plenty of comments on the web if you browse around.
e.g. R1200 GS ABS failure

Piston failure on ABS pump ... ABS2 R1150Gs

It's on the internet, so it must be true

[wristjob]

scary stuff indeed

[Rogerborg]

[Copycat73]

it came fitted as standard to the ZZR14 & MT-09 ...
never felt either activate .. the light functions as it should and passed the MOT..

I think .. I`m not aware of its existence .. one way or another..
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[Kickstart]

[MCN]

[barrkel]

It ought to be very easy to make sure your ABS fails safe; remove the ABS fuse and see how the brakes react. I've never had a problem with Honda systems, which use Bosch ABS units.

If you ride for pleasure, ABS gives you an extra edge in an emergency that probably won't happen. If you commute though, you're significantly more likely to take advantage of ABS on a wet day, i.e. ride a little bit faster, knowing that ABS can help if you happen to brake a little bit too hard or something unanticipated happens.

So I could take or leave ABS on a bike I use on weekends or touring, but I definitely want ABS on a commuter.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
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[Rogerborg]

[ScaredyCat]

I don't have abs, but I do have moobs .. I should probably go on a diet

Is that fail hard enough for you
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Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[MCN.]

I would be slower with ABS. I can slide the front on the public road.

[Jayy]

Never ridden a bike with ABS before (and stopped HARD) until getting the Panigale. Compared to the R1, it has two modes, stop fast and stop really fast.

Luckily though, I can turn it on and off with the electronics. Noticed from a certain marker on a course, I can stop MUCH later on the Panigale from where I used to pull the brakes on the R1.

Coupled with big fuck off brembo brakes / discs, I like it.

[barrkel]

[Shaft]

[daifuco]

As a new rider, I will take whatever gives me a little bit of confidence on wet

[Kris]

On the second hand market it's just another thing to go wrong and can be an expensive fix.

I've been reading up on the servo assisted ABS K1300r/s Beemers as a do-it-all work bike but the advice seems to be buy new and replace every 2-3 years (seriously!) or get a used bike with FDSH and a warranty.

From what I've seen the modern Japanese manufacturers (Honda et al) seem to have more reliable systems. I'm still not convinced of the need myself.
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[Rogerborg]

[RhynoCZ]

I was reading this MV Agusta F3/F4 review a while back, and the tester said that the ABS worked great but only on the perfect surface. That when he went over some bumps on the road in front of a corner, the ABS thought he's getting into a skid and released the brake pressure. That there got me thinking. Many times on the road, there is rough tar full of bumps but I can effectively use my brakes on it. If something reduced my braking power at certain point, in front of a corner for instance, I'd be too long on brakes and maybe wouldn't even get around the bent at all.

Yes, I'm talking about way to fast on a road way to small, exceeding the speed limit etc., etc. But sometimes you just want to give the bike a bit more revs to have fun. That shouldn't really mean you should crash because of a ''faulty?'' ABS. Also, sometimes during intense braking the rear wheel gets light, or even in the air, would the ABS also think I am going to die an release the brake pressure on the front brake?
As I understand the system, it reads the revs of both wheels, and if the speed does not match (there sure is a range of revs), it thinks you're about to block one of the wheels, it'll release the brake pressure. In a heavy car, where all 4 wheels are firmly on the tar 95% of the time it sure works great, but on a light sport bike?

Anyway, I heard only good reviews on the latest ABS technology in motorcycles from Japan and Europe, so I would buy one if I had to decide. I'd want to try the system properly first, though. The last thing you want is any surprises in a life threatening situation.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[grr666]

I was looking at a 100 year old R1100 the other day. (1997)
I fancy it as a pillion bike but don't want a big repair bill for ABS Brembos if they are known for going wrong.
Bugger. Back to the drawing board.
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[Rogerborg]

[RhynoCZ]

Well, he wouldn't have finished the review if he died, would he?

The idea behind this, was rather reasonable. Wheels bumping independently on the tar at different speeds, the front wheel slowing down quicker than the rear one.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Rogerborg]

Hmm, yes, I belatedly get your point. I'll give it a try. If you don't hear from me, assume that you're right.
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[Vracktal]

The biggest problem I have with the ABS on my BMW is
a) they're known to fail on occasion, mine is 2007 reg so there's no servo assist to bugger you, but it's still an expensive fix.
b) you can't change the brake fluid yourself, you need a garage to plug their special computer into the bike to cycle the ABS pump and get all the air out after you refill.
c) won't let you do burnouts.
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
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