ABS equipped bikes

Ive got the offer of a bike which Im looking for at the moment, a Kawasaki Versys which comes with or without ABS. The used one Ive seen ticks almost all the boxes but doesnt come with ABS, which is something Ive considered following my accident. The bike is an 08 plate with 3800 miles on the clock, new they are available in the same spec for £4499 but this one is up for £3800 without haggling. Its also got a topbox & rack which would be good for touring and a better screen.

I can get an ABS equipped model new for £4799.

I wasnt looking to spend more than £4k on one as I wanted to be left with plenty of money to get away on it, spend on bits I wanted etc but used ABS models (in the colour im after) seem to be very thin on the ground. Ive been looking over the last few months and Ive hardly seen any come up. Theres one locally (ex-demo) which is £4k but its got 6k miles on.

Does anyone swear by ABS bikes and would only touch a bike with ABS in the future? Ive not had one before but after having the back end lock up on me, I wonder whether ABS would have assisted me in that situation.

I don't think I'd like to have ABS on a bike, maybe on the front wheel, but most front end slips occur when cornering and usually the front brake isn't involved. I wouldn't like my rear wheel to never lock. If anything, I'd be happy to go for something like the ducati traction control; can switch it on and off. I guess it's up to you, but I'd go for the cheaper option and not bother with the ABS.

An ABS bike may be better for resale but otherwise is arguable. My Bandit 1250GT has it as standard and so far have not needed it. (first bike I've had with it) My MT-03 does not and is not a problem for me. It is handy to have ... just in case I guess during those panic brake manouvers.

[SoulKiss]

I have ABS on my Z750

No real problems with it - apart from making the bike 4 kg heavier and taking up all the underseat space

Never had it in 17 years of biking so wouldn`t really know , but one thing I am sure of , never had a front end Braking incident so it wouldn`t be a tick box for me in the sale of a bike to myself ...... if it matters to you mate then go for it , whatever gives you more confidance and makes you feel safer , you`ll be a happier rider , I like the Versys and it was the SV that swayed me in the end though .

[northwind]

I'd love it, myself, I can see why people are opposed, for various good reasons, but I do so much of my riding at daft hours in winter on horrible road surfaces, ABS would be a huge asset. It doesn't take that much to get caught out, I lost the front end in a car park just the other week braking for a car pulling out of a space- not a big grab as most front-end locks are, I just tried to use regular wet tarmac braking with a colder tyre than usual, and it went straight out from under me, bang.

The other thing it does is stop underbraking, which is just as dangerous as overbraking- very few people use all of the brakes in the wet, I certainly don't, so if the poo does hit the propellor they don't slow as fast as they could. ABS consistently stops you faster than you will yourself in the wet,as shown by almost every independant test, even in a planned stop- and the real bonus comes when it's not a planned stop, and you're dawdling home at 6pm on christmas eve thinking about pudding.

[Luckypants]

I have ABS on the Viffer. Used once when a van slammed on in front of me on M-way. It works, but would not be on my 'must have list' for a bike.

I'd go for ABS. Hopefully you won't ever use it, but it might just save your life. I've got it on my FZ1 and have only felt it cut in once. I don't think i would have died if i didn't have abs, but i would defo have have crashed.

[Sid Squid]

Get the ABS.

I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want it.
I remember when ABS was very first fitted to road bikes, (and in those days it wasn't as capable as modern systems are), some bike mags took the bike and tested it against a non ABS model, on their test track they managed occasionally to outbrake the ABS bike with the non ABS bike, thereby completely missing the point. Their test was conducted in a repeatable circumstance, knowing where and when they were to brake having practised several times in advance, exactly the situation ABS isn't intended for - it's not a performance enhancer, it's for the oh ****! moments where even the very best can get caught out - when you snap the brake 'cos you were surprised, a situtation that occurs daily up and down the country. Modern systems are better than the early ones anyway and don't affect brake use, ABS doesn't control braking for you it only ever does anything when you might lock a wheel, I really can't see that there is any downside.
I'd get the ABS bike, and I'd still practise the skills needed to not use it.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Get the ABS.

I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want it.
I remember when ABS was very first fitted to road bikes, (and in those days it wasn't as capable as modern systems are), some bike mags took the bike and tested it against a non ABS model, on their test track they managed occasionally to outbrake the ABS bike with the non ABS bike, thereby completely missing the point. Their test was conducted in a repeatable circumstance, knowing where and when they were to brake having practised several times in advance, exactly the situation ABS isn't intended for - it's not a performance enhancer, it's for the oh ****! moments where even the very best can get caught out - when you snap the brake 'cos you were surprised, a situtation that occurs daily up and down the country. Modern systems are better than the early ones anyway and don't affect brake use, ABS doesn't control braking for you it only ever does anything when you might lock a wheel, I really can't see that there is any downside.
I'd get the ABS bike, and I'd still practise the skills needed to not use it.

Which is one of the arguments I listened to when I was considering ABS or not.

The other one was when Grinch had just started commuting into London and had a pedestrian step out from in front of a bus on him, he locked it and dropped it.

ABS is going to help STOP that from happening.

As Mr Squid says you still need the skills, and ABS helps teach you them - when you lock the rear, instead of sliding, the ABS releases the brake, which while not actually stopping you, is not any worse than the slide, it also "kicks" back through the pedal to let you know what you have done - so you know you did wrong, and can continue to try and not have it happen at all.