How much better is ABS than non-ABS?

[ST.George]

 

Any thoughts on the real value of ABS? Is it worth the extra money? Has it saved anyone without doubt?

Is it best in wet weather?

 

[Brock]

ABS would be great in those instances where you grab the brakes in the wet, and have instant lock up. It takes a lot of practice to be able to be able to let go of the brakes when the aim is to stop.

[saaz]

I don't have ABS on my ST1100P but if I was getting another bike it would be on my preferred list (ie not a deal breaker but a strong preference)

I think ABS is great for street riding, as even when it is not wet you can hit oil etc, and no amount of training will prepare you for that.  I have dropped my previous bike on a really slow corner in the wet doing a turn, as it just let go.  On the ST11 the later ABS bikes (96 on ) had far better brakes than the standard model.

In my car the ABS will kick in slightly in all sorts on conditions, like bumps coming to a stop, on some of the wheels, even in the dry

You can practice all you like in perfect conditions, but once you hit the vagaries of the road ABS is good.  You should always ride as if you did not have ABS though..it is amazing how much traction you do have if if you push it though.

[Whizz]

ABS is one of those things that does you no good whatever ...until it saves your life. It only really works well when all else has failed and your skill level simply can't keep you upright. So far I've never had to use it (crossed-fingers and toes!) but I am REALLY happy to know it's there if the wheels fall off my world!

[terrydj]

Its on my ST1100 but has never worked. I know because I have pulled the globes out that tells you
Have no idea what help it would give. I have hit the brakes like most heaps of times and me thinks when you suddenly start to slow down the main thing is balance cause you kind of get screwed up.
Also I reckon that the new fangled gear does stop you from learning a heap of the skills needed for riding a bike??????
Also reckon if ABS and all the other gear is so good why don't the best riders in the world have it on their bikes??????????
Every second counts and if it worked they would have it. Ahhhhhhhhhh but he thinks, why do most test riders disengage the ABS and stuff when they test bikes????????
Maybe because it removes a lot of the feel from the bike????????

[saaz]

For offroad use most testers seem to prefer turning off the ABS, but with the latest ABS systems it seems for average riders the ABS does not ruin dirt ability.  For racing ABS does not seem to have advantages, but then again the top riders use traction control. ABS for me might be a preference, but not a deal breaker, since I have never had a bike with ABS.

[BigTed]

My brother has just had a session around a training track here in Perth as part of a VW promo - they provided new Golf GTIs for them to have fun with, under qualified instruction.

Interestingly, their instructor said that the modern ABS is so good that in an emergency you should just stand on the pedal and drive into the ground - the ABS will almost certainly stop the car faster than any ordinary human can.

A few caveats here though: he's talking about a new GTI. I'm not sure how "modern" the ST1300 ABS system is, and how the performance of even a "modern" bike's ABS compares to that of a car.

I don't think comparison against the likes of Casey are relevant - he's not going to have an ABS 'cos it would add a few grams, and he's hardly "ordinary" anyway.

[alans1100]

I suppose in almost 6 and a half years and 134,000kms the ABS may have activated twice. I say maybe as it's one of the more advanced systems where you won't feel the system pulsating when the ABS is doing it's job

The first time a car failed to give way at 1am when I was on the way home from work. I was in the centre lane of a 3 lane 80 kmh arterial road and as I approached the intersection a car did a LH turn into the center lane rather than the LH lane. I'd only had the bike a month and was still getting used to it.

The next time was a wild life event. Christmas 2007 on my way back to Port Hedland with about 400kms to go I decided to do the distance rather set up camp and do it the next day. I rarely rode at night up there with bulls etc crossing the roads with out warning and so it was my turn this night. I just caught a dark brown movement in the middle of the road; a bull or cow just cleared the road as I came to a stop.

The thing with ABS on a bike it's only good on straight line verticle/near verticle braking and out side of that it's all but useless. Braking distances with ABS activated will vary depending on road condtions and no two bits of road are the same. ABS may or may not prevent an accident as there are to many variables to consider in any given situation.

It's comforting to know the ABS is there but ride as if it isn't. Unlike some bike ABS systems I can't turn mine off but then the bike is designed to cruise at 180kph plus Autobahn speeds so maybe that's why.

Apart from the ABS I've got CBS (combined brakes) and TS (Traction Control) but that's another story.....lol

[terrydj]

I have just remembered I have them Combined Brakes as well????
Bloody impossible to Bleed

[alphafang]

I pulled all the electrical side of the ABS from my 1100, had problems with it from day one, actually lost all the brakes at one point. I know theory says "can't happen" bull s**t I have witnesses and physical evidence..LOL. The CBS still works even with the fuses pulled on a 99 st1100, because the CBS system is mechanical not electronic. That for me is good enough, better braking control no nose diving causing the back end to lighten up and skip out. I don't miss the ABS at all, and I hope I never do. I do load the suspension up first then release then apply the brakes again in an emergency situation, took some self training to get my head round that. I have been on training courses and on the same bike with ABS my braking distance is no more than theirs. I'm sure that even using my method, in the wet, the ABS may have the edge, but I have slowed down and widened the gap because I ride to the conditions....that's the important bit.

[West Aussie Glen]

ABS really comes into its own when extreme braking is required and you just have to jump on the brakes. As per Robs comment about his brothers car training it allows you to apply the brakes as hard as possible and in this sort of situation you don't release them until the situation is completely under control. Yes probably on a bike there are questions about the effectiveness of ABS if not completely upright and travelling in a straight line but for me, my last emergency stop was when a car simply drove across a main rd in front of me, being two up it was just jump on the brakes and hold your breath. Unless you are very very well trained you simply don't have the time to think which brake is about to or has locked up, release it and then reapply it, let alone the inclination to release a brake. Just watch the V8 supercars and see how many drivers still mange to flat spot tyres.