ABS - Gimmick or great

Thinking of getting one of the Bandits with ABS. Is it worth getting an ABS bike? Just for the ABS?

Got abs on car but only works in snow. Which is no good on a bike. Don't ride in snow.

Here's a vid showing a comparison:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJIEDE1gGgw

I've got an ABS bike, I'm not sure if it's going to save me but it's nice to know if I do grab a load it's not going to lock (as long as you're vertical, ABS no likey being leant over but then you're shafted if you need to stop in a corner on any bike).

It's been set off a couple of times on gravel patches and mud, is a little disconcerting as it feels like the brakes just failed.

Another vid, without:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr1is_ZOJyY

and with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLXyHNgXauo

Ages ago there was this comparison showing that an expert could stop as well on standard brakes under an emergency. But I'm sure even experts have 'Holy ****!' moments when it could be of use. Who knows until you may or may not have used it is the answer IMO.

I'm certain it has saved me once from an incident due to my complete inattention....looking in a shop window (at myself, of course ) and not seeing a car stop ahead of me. I managed to stop fine, in a straight line and upright. Trouble is its so good Ive no idea if it kicked in or whether I'm just a riding god . Lets assume the former.

I dont think though I would definitely not buy another bike if it didnt have it.

THING IS THO, that its becoming more and more common. So I'd maybe think well bikes without it might be less sought after in say three years, except maybe by those who are die-hard no interference with my riding skills types.

Its been around a while on BMs and the camp is split. But there things are confused by horror stories / rumours of failure. But the BM system is complex with servos and linkage and stuff. And its works on a huge range of bikes. Even KTM are putting ABS on now. When in doubt I sometimes think what would Honda do, on a bike like the VFR.

But surely the REAL issue here is your considering a Bandit

[the_lone_wolf]

abs on a bike it probably reassuring to have if you ever go ham fisted and lock up the wheel, but the quickest way to stop any vehicle is to stay just below the point where the tyres break loose, and the whole point of ABS on a car is that you can retain steering control when it happens, which you can't do on a bike because if you brake hard *and* lean/turn you're screwed. if you lock up a wheel whilst upright but release and reapply fairly sharply then you should be ok, the second video posted shows the wheel locking up briefly before he released and reapplied, and he didn't have any problems staying up - but the second stop looked smoother without a doubt

[fizzwheel]

In the car I found it useful for those "oh sh*t" moments, I'm sure on a bike it would be useful to in the same circumstances.

However in the car it would interfere with what I was doing and what I wanted to do. Especially when I was driving enthusiastically.

I've never ridden a bike with ABS fitted and TBH I'm not sure I want to. I like the idea of just having a raw bike, one that doesnt have electro gubbins on it. I like the idea of it just being me and the throttle and brakes and it all being manual. I know I know I'd stop better in an emergency with ABS but in my mind then I'm relying on the ABS to get me out of trouble, when it would be better for me to pay more attention and not get into trouble in the first place.

I know people who drive faster and harder because they are in a car with ABS / Traction control, because they feel that if they get in a mess the car will sort it out for them and I think thats a dangerous mindset to get into.

I like the ABS on the CBF. But then Im no riding god and never going to be that good that braking on a non-abs bike is going to stop me in the same distance. I for one have more confidence in the braking on the CBF than Ive ever had on the SV or any other bike.

I dont think you do get into the mindset that Fizz suggests [I havent and never presume that anythings going to save me other than my head from not getting me into trouble in the first place]. I dont think confidence in the brakes is translating into me taking risks or relying on it. I just think, for me, it gives me a little more confidence for the moment I may need it that I can stop a lot more quickly without locking the wheels up.

I know Honda are selling so many CBFs with ABS now theyre going to stop the non-ABS version. So clearly there is a definite choice of riders here opting for the ABS.

Only thing I can suggest is ride the ABS/non-ABS versions and see how you like heavy braking on them.

Originally Posted by The Basket

Got abs on car but only works in snow. Which is no good on a bike. Don't ride in snow.

You're not trying hard enough!

And actually, unless you have a superduper new merc or volvo, Snow and ice are the only things ABS cant deal with!

[TSM]

Originally Posted by injury_ian

You're not trying hard enough!

And actually, unless you have a superduper new merc or volvo, Snow and ice are the only things ABS cant deal with!

Yep, snow and ice with ABS you actualy increase your stopping distance, with snow you want to lock up as it will cause you to dig the wheels into the snow and you will slow down, ice is much the same but you are screwed either way.

[embee]

Don't worry about the "purist" ideas of not having ABS/traction control/stability etc etc, the fact is that the vast majority of us out there are not highly skilled drivers/riders, and these systems (done properly, which I'd suggets practically all modern systems are, even though some early systems were flawed) will help you keep control in extremis.

If you regularly do track driving, or do skid-pan training etc, you can develop the skills and feeling for "at the limit" driving, but if you just drive normally on public roads in traffic you just don't get the practice, and that emergency moment isn't the time to start learning.

ABS won't in theory affect anything up to the point where the wheel is on the point of locking up. That's not to say that some systems might not give a very nice feel to the brakes, but that's a different issue.

Remember that modern vehicles, brakes/suspension/tyres, will offer fairly prodigious amounts of braking grip before locking up unless the road is slippery etc, so driving normally and sensibly you might well never have the ABS operate, especially if you make allowances for the road conditions anyway.

Bear in mind that ABS on a bike still won't stop you dropping it if you brake hard in a corner, if you exceed the grip capability of the tyre due to the combination of cornering force plus braking force it will let go even though it hasn't locked up. Yes I know braking in a corner is a no-no and causes all sorts of problems, just saying.........

Go for ABS if it's on offer.