In Praise of ABS

[enigmatic biker]

My wife (2010 Silverwing ABS) and I took a day trip on US 2 to Leavenworth, WA yesterday. We were cruising right along between 60-65 when cresting a hill, I noticed a semi with a double trailer approaching the highway from a dirt road about 400 yards away. You guessed it, he never stopped. When he started to cross the hiway we were on top of him maybe 100 yards away. I uttered an expletive, which got my wife's attention over the two-way. I jumped on the brakes, both as hard as I could squeeze or stand on em. As the ABS's were pulsing, I was calculating how much room I had left based on my rate of deceleration trying to decide whether I needed to lay her down or hope this ABS deal was the real thing. Guess they are the real deal. Not once did the wheels/tires lock up, and I came to a complete and controled stop 3 feet from the passengers door of the tractor. As I thrust my middle finger in the air, I saw his face and read his lips and it looked something like "OH FUDGE" or close to it. Anyway, I'll never buy a bike without ABS. I'm glad I ponied up the extra $1000 last year. My wife, who was far enough behind me that she had plenty of time to slow down, is certain they saved my life or at the very least serious injury.
If you are thinking about buying an NT or any other bike, pay the extra for the ABS. I know they work as advertised.

 

[charlie b]

I know I've already activated mine twice. One of the main reasons I got the NT.

 

[ARKNT]

My Nt is without ABS. In my many years of riding there are a couple memorable times ABS would have been really great to have.
What surprizes me is it seems that quite a few NT'ers have actuated their ABS. I would have guessed it was just a handfull.

Question. Who out there with ABS has been on the road and activated their ABS because of road conditions or traffic problems? Not just testing/training.

Brad

 

[charlie b]

Mine was because of sand at the bottom of a hill first time. Second time was an oil patch at an intersection.

Part of my problem is two bikes. The Guzzi is older and takes quite a bit of pressure to activate the brakes, ie, takes all fingers for an emergency stop. The NT only needs one finger, maybe two. So, after riding the Guzzi I tend to use too much brake on the NT.

 

[dnktng]

Wish I had abs. Here is an interesting comparison of abs vs cbs on dry & wet conditions showing braking distance improvements.

http://www.msf-usa.org/imsc/proceedings/a-green-comparisonofstoppingdistance.pdf

 

[Phil Tarman]

Question. Who out there with ABS has been on the road and activated their ABS because of road conditions or traffic problems? Not just testing/training.

I've activated mine once, for maybe two pulses. It had just stopped raining and the streets were very wet in Marshalltown, IA, when a woman ran a red light in front of me. I grabbed (I know you're supposed to squeeze, but I grabbed!+) and slowed down way faster than I think I could have done safely on the wet road.

 

[JQL]

I bought the ABS version due to lockups (one of which resulted in a high side) on my previous bike.

Since I've had it, its activated (I think) 3 times.

• Oil just before a Red Light
• Lane Splitting at about 20mph in the snow and a woman changed lanes without looking or indicating (a real "brown trouser" moment ). My Stebel Nautilus certainly got her attention and she swerved back into her lane. Had she not done so, I would have hit her even with the brakes full on and ABS chattering away.
• Very heavy braking in the wet

I reckon I would have had no problems with the Red Light one but the others would have been "offs".

 

[RedLdr1]

I don't care how much you practice, how good your braking technique is, or if you have road craft skills that are beyond the local clairvoyant's belief...something can, read will, eventually happen that will negate at least one of those "advantages". And when it does no one here is going to "beat" the computer at stopping their NT.

ABS can, and does, make up for rider skill level as with ABS I can't lock my brakes! And it takes no conscious effort by the rider, unlike with standard non-ABS brakes, to avoid wheel lockup. That alone can make all the difference in accident avoidance.

ABS is just one more tool that helps to keep riders safe... It isn't perfect, it can be a disadvantage in some environments occasionally, but it is a reliable tool that can save your butt in an emergency. I don't care if someone doesn't buy it, that is their choice just as is what they wear when riding. But don't come around claiming it isn't needed or you can beat it...unless you can prove it.

You can argue against the technology as a purist, just like those that were against tubeless tires, turn signals, disc brakes, or even a front brake in their day...but don't claim you can beat it.

BTW those who don't want it will be out of luck soon as it will be standard on all new street bikes in the next few years. I guess the jury is already out on that verdict...

 

[Chucksklrst]

+1 the the above post. I have ABS on my ST1300 and My Wee. Could not find an ABS model when I bought my NT, so it is a standard. Something that I am fully aware of when I Go Ride it. I have even looked into trading my Fast Silver 2010 on a Very Slow Black 2011 ABS model, but I would loose too much money in the transaction and taxes/reg. I will wait a couple of years and see what Honda has out there in 2013.

 

[JQL]

I do not have ABS but believe it can be wonderful in rain, etc. However it cannot make up for lack of rider attention/skill/road skills.

Used a panic stop in the past year...probably some error in your riding/traffic technique, my take.

John Grinsel

I suggest you get ABS then, after a suitable time with it (say 5,000 miles), decide whether the second part of your statement needs revising.

 

[enigmatic biker]

John...You are a sweet person (irony) to suggest that a semi ignoring my right of way and pulling in front of me and my wife is somehow a result of my inattention is absurd, and I take complete umbrage at your comment.

 

[Phil Tarman]

No offense intended but I have to comment on this. It is never better to "lay her down". If you do you will still hit whatever is in front of you because your body has less traction than the tires on your bike provided the tires aren't locked. You will either hit the other vehicle with your body or slide under it and neither one is something you will enjoy. Every MPH you can scrub off by braking before impact lessens the impact energy. Then the bike will absorb more energy by crumpling the front wheel and forks before the remaining energy is transmitted to you. I worked in EMS for 26 years and never saw an accident where the rider put the bike down and was better off for it. John

Other John (stormrider51),

Thanks for saying this. I have only been riding for 13 years and about 220,000 miles, but I cannot believe how many riders talk about "laying her down" to get out of a bad situation. The only case of "layin' her down" I personally have been near was in 2002 near Montrose during a Concours Owners Group Rally. On Colorado 93, a great road with some occasional drop-off that go waaaayyyyy down, one of our members decided he wasn't going to make a curve and laid his Concours down. He said he was doing about 60 when he did it and the bike slid for 150 feet before hitting the guardrail hard enough to break a front wheel. He slid about 170 feet and just barely missed the guardrail. He was wearing a 'Stitch which was severely abraded, but had no injuries. Several of us came up on him and the group he was riding with. When we saw that he was OK and that his group was with him, we went on. His group stayed with him until he got a friend in Montrose to rent a U-Haul to come get the bike, then he convinced them to continue on their ride. They did that (I don't think I would have), and that was the last we heard from the rider until the next week. He was so embarrassed, that he had his friend check him out of the hotel and took off for Indiana and home.

 

[karl]

John...You are a sweet person (irony) to suggest that a semi ignoring my right of way and pulling in front of me and my wife is somehow a result of my inattention is absurd, and I take complete umbrage at your comment.

You may be upset with his comment but"laying it down" is not a good choice in 99.999 of the time. Glad you are still with us and unhurt.

 

[enigmatic biker]

My comment was directed at John Grinsel. Of course, what I really said was edited because I did take umbrage at being told I was somehow lacking in "rider attention/skill/rider skills." Apparently, my anger at being publically insulted crossed a line that the insult did not.
I agree...the idea of laying the bike down is a last resort. However, doing a side impact with a tractor/trailer that has a bed height at almost exactly neck level is not a very desireable option either. There was a point where I seriously was not sure I could stop my bike, so I guess one would have to actually be there to judge my actions accurately. For all "one" of you who offered your congrats/empathy for me escaping a very close call, thank you.

 

[karl]

It is a poor resort at any time. Despite what our Advocate believes. You are better off riding your bike.
Mr Grinsel can be a bit crusty. He calls it as he sees it.

Again, glad you are OK

 

[Phil Tarman]

enigmatic biker,

I hadn't replied until now because I hadn't seen your post. But I'm glad that you survived and I agree with your impulse to feel insulted by jg's judgment. He can be an insulting soul.

Keep riding and stay safe.

 

[Chuck 500]

Enigmatic,

Glad you made it through the incident. Sounds like it was harrowing to say the least. You are a lucky man an at least two counts. You got your bike stopped in time to ride another day, and you have your "sweetie" to ride with you.

Don't let John G. get to you. He seems a cantankerous old goat but in a perverse way, I will miss him when he leaves.

As always, keep the shiny side up,

Chuck

 

[karl]

Allow me to share an experience similar to Enigmatic bikers. I was riding alone on a gorgeous sunny day around Quabbin reservoir. More than halfway thru the loop going south on Rt. 202 traveling right at the speed limit 55 mph. All is well in the world.
A north bound pickup truck with a utility body on it decides to turn left in front of me to enter a parking lot to my right. Can't go right the direction of the pickups travel. Northbound lane is full of traffic what followed took seconds but felt like a lifetime then.
Pointed the bike to what I hoped would be a gap between the northbound traffic and the tail of the pickup and had both front and rear brakes applied as hard as I could and and was clicking through the box with my left foot. Looked in the mirror to see what was going to hit me from behind that wasn't stopping as fast as I was, nothing, thank you. The tires are Yoweling I feel nothing like the pulse through the pedal but can hear that the brakes are at there max.
The pickup didn't stop in the middle of the road like it happens so often, I am clear the bike is stopped still have my feet on the pegs and decide I can stop downshifting now.
Don't trust myself to release the clutch to ride to the side of the road. released the brakes and walked it to the side popped it into neutral and vented at the pickup driver and rode away. Had a real need to stop and use a restroom at this point.
ABS simply keeps your wheels from locking up and sliding. This allows you to keep riding while you are braking without locking up and taking a header. In a straight line in the dry most of use only a fraction of the available braking force. Like going past 20 deg of lean threshold braking (maximum effort) is something you need to learn how to do well.
http://www.sportrider.com/riding_tips/146_0909_traction_circle_riding_skills/index.html
I waited to get the ABS model when I bought my NT. I think the Red ones look better but I am happy with my choice. I marked mine paid in full after this incident.

Most of the roads I ride on don't have run off areas and corner workers Med help on standby so anything that will keep me going is a +. It has taken me a while to be able to write about this comfortably. It made me question my sanity. There are things you simply can not control in life. I hope the choices I make are ones I can live with. Enjoy your ride. Getting this out was therapeutic.

 

[enigmatic biker]

Thank you all. I appreciate it. What started as a post designed to give first hand testimony about the capabilities and wonder of ABS for those who routinely ask if the cost is worth it, went south in a hurry. I was not upset at any one in the forums comments the wisdom of laying down the bike. I think everyone of us here harbors no secret desire to do that, so, for me, I would automatically assume that if one of my 2-wheeled brothers/sisters felt compelled to do so, it would be a last resort. In my case, it was one of those thoughts that flashed through my brain in a millisecond, without the advantage of slow motion. replay, or pragmatic review. I'm glad i didn't have to do it because the idea of my bike sliding down the road and getting all banged up and scratched is to greusome to bear. On another note...
John (Stormrider 51) I think changing your signature is a good idea. A few more degrees of seperation wouldn't hurt.

Thanks all...Len (enigmatic biker) hmmmm come to think of it...Maybe I need to change mine also?

 

[hondaaddict]

I like the idea of using technology to increase safety. But there are times when too much technology makes user complacent and lazy to learn basic riding skills or you forget them. If you just squeeze the lever as hard as you can every time, then you're screwed when that one time you're on a bike w/o ABS or the bike's ABS fails. If you are reliant too much on technology, removal or break down of technology means you're doomed. My BMW had ABS, and I slammed on the brake to avoid a car that jumped out from behind a row of cars. The BMW's ABS kicked in...but in didn't stop fast like I was expected. It keeps releasing pressure somehow. What should've taken 15 feet to stop, took 30 instead. My heart almost jumped out of my chest, because I thought my brakes failed. Instead, it was the ABS that failed, eventhough the ABS passes the standard startup check. ABS may be great when it works, but what do you do when you bike gets older? Buy a new bike every few years? The dealer said the ABS is not serviceable, and replacement cost is about $3000. Yikes! I thought about the peace officer who died in a Toyota with bad accelerator pedal. There's no doubt in my mind that he has gotten so used to automatic-everything that he didn't know to act to stop the engine, put the tranny in neutral or untangle the pedal. He just freaked out. Too much automatic technology makes us dumber. I'm also afraid we raise the standard of safety too much. ABS is pretty standard on all cars. But not everyone wants or needs it. We were shopping for a simple car for grandma to run short errands, and we were surprised how expensive cars are, even the cheapest Korean imports, because they're loaded with safety features. You can't find a barebone car no more. I see the same way going for motorcycle. $5000 for a 230cc dual sport. It's becoming more difficult for beginners to get into the motorcycle lifestyle. It's going from being a cheap transportation to becoming just a hobby for the rich.