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Breakout ABS removal

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  #11  
Old 04-17-2015, 02:44 AM
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Originally Posted by wavesnwheels
Did I say that - No, but thanks for the insult!

Well thanks for that insight

And you know this from your own extensive experience I'm guessing?

I think you'll find they did it because they are trying to open their market up and if they want to get people off BMW's and Honda's they have to add the things that these customers expect, I'm not sure about this but I would also imagine there is some euro law that requires it.

Well done at least you had a choice

I can only assume that you ride like a ***** then or have absolutely no feeling for what your bike is doing. Mind you if you've only done 6800 miles in two years your hardly a regular rider and with that not really qualified to tell me what to do.


I was hoping not to get into an argument about how good or bad ABS is but seeing as you feel you know everything about it I will tell you that I have had several situations where the ABS has cut in and if circumstances had been different could have been very dangerous for me.

Whilst coming up to the end of a road I started braking a safe distance from the junction and noticed there was an excessive amount of sand on the road, the ABS cut in and I had no brakes at all. I wasn't able to stop in time and ended up going across the road. Fortunately there were no vehicles in sight and I got away with it. Without ABS I do think I would have had a better chance of stopping.

There are also quite a few dirt roads where I live and the ABS doesn't like those either, from years of riding motocross bikes I can tell you that locking up the wheels and skidding to a stop is much quicker than waiting for the ABS on dirt.

I would also like to add that I have had many bikes and still have bikes other than my Harley and none are fitted with ABS, I've never felt the need for it and have never wanted it. My opinion my bikes my decision. Harley have sold the Breakout without ABS so they obviously think it's safe to do so.

To be honest I never mentioned safety, urban legends or Harley wishing to charge me more, I simply asked for some helpful info as to removing the system.

When I'm braking I would like to concentrate on lever pressure, road surface and whats going on around me, I don't want some electronics butting in and distracting me from what I'm doing.

You are a fan of ABS, paid extra for it and wish to justify that by ranting on my thread. I would appreciate it if you would keep your ill informed opinion to your self, or at the very least have the courtesy to ask me what my reasons are before doing so.
Well said......
 
  #12  
Old 04-17-2015, 05:06 PM
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Yeah!
 
  #13  
Old 04-17-2015, 06:25 PM
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I personally prefer to be in control of my situation.....long before ABS was around we all had our share of spills and thrills.....we adapted to what we had as brakes and handling on our rides . you need to learn how to feel your bike and the way it reacts to road conditions ...that's what makes you a better rider..... if you ride like a tit and crash ....well ....deal with it .....ABS won't make a bit of a difference .
 
  #14  
Old 04-18-2015, 06:32 AM
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IMO ABS is just a crutch for people with limited riding skills...If it is so great in every situation, why do some bikes have a switch so you can turn it off?
 
  #15  
Old 04-18-2015, 08:29 AM
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Originally Posted by wavesnwheels
I can only assume that you ride like a ***** then or have absolutely no feeling for what your bike is doing.
It's called anticipation. Everyone has a different riding style, and I prefer to stay alive and in one piece for a few more years.

Mind you if you've only done 6800 miles in two years your hardly a regular rider and with that not really qualified to tell me what to do.
We have a thing here across the pond called Winter, and another thing called work. Both combine to limit riding time here. As for being a regular rider... I got my scoot license over 30 years ago.

Whilst coming up to the end of a road I started braking a safe distance from the junction and noticed there was an excessive amount of sand on the road, the ABS cut in and I had no brakes at all. I wasn't able to stop in time and ended up going across the road. Fortunately there were no vehicles in sight and I got away with it. Without ABS I do think I would have had a better chance of stopping.
The ABS did what it was supposed to do - keep you upright in a bad situation. When ABS in cars first came out there were lots of tests to prove that it really did stop quicker. Skidding creates a liquid barrier between the road and the tire, extending the distance to a stop. On sandy roads, the sand acts like ball bearings between the road & tire. Skidding would have most likely caused an even longer stop, provided you were still upright. On ice is pretty much the same.

There are also quite a few dirt roads where I live and the ABS doesn't like those either, from years of riding motocross bikes I can tell you that locking up the wheels and skidding to a stop is much quicker than waiting for the ABS on dirt.
You're 100% right on dirt. When you skid in dirt, the treads dig into the dirt, increasing your stopping power. That can't happen on pavement because it's technically a solid surface, and anything like sand acts like a liquid to the tires.

I would also like to add that I have had many bikes and still have bikes other than my Harley and none are fitted with ABS, I've never felt the need for it and have never wanted it. My opinion my bikes my decision. Harley have sold the Breakout without ABS so they obviously think it's safe to do so.
None of my previous bikes had ABS either.

You are a fan of ABS, paid extra for it and wish to justify that by ranting on my thread. I would appreciate it if you would keep your ill informed opinion to your self, or at the very least have the courtesy to ask me what my reasons are before doing so.
Wow, I'm an ABS Fanboi. Hmm, I need to justify paying extra for ABS? Ill-informed?...naw, just the facts. But yes, I should have questioned your reasons before your reasoning.
 
  #16  
Old 04-18-2015, 10:04 AM
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Furry.....perhaps you should just be happy driving your car .... and probably wear a helmet while doing so ......you can never be too safe you know . As for the rest of us......we will take our chances as they come .
 
  #17  
Old 04-18-2015, 04:31 PM
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Man I must really be bad then cause my 2006 jeep doesn't have abs and I prefer that! (Break sys Easyer for me to service).
 

Last edited by the blob; 04-18-2015 at 04:35 PM.
  #18  
Old 04-18-2015, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by FurryOne
We have a thing here across the pond called Winter, and another thing called work. Both combine to limit riding time here. As for being a regular rider... I got my scoot license over 30 years ago.
I had to quote this first because it made me laugh out loud - You know your talking to an Englishman, it's winter here all the ****ing time ... I have a job too.

It's called anticipation. Everyone has a different riding style, and I prefer to stay alive and in one piece for a few more years.
I agree with you that everyone has a different riding style. Mine and where I ride doesn't allow me the luxury of much anticipation, I can come round a corner or over the brow of a hill and there's a tractor doing 15mph. If I was to anticipate or expect that at every corner or over every brow each journey would take weeks. So instead my style is more seat of my pants. I use my experience to know the capabilities of my bike and myself, and take into consideration the conditions at the time, all the while my brain is munching away imagining all possible scenarios. (I will admit here that it would be impossible to perceive all scenarios but life is short and I don't want to slow down)

Have you ever read the article comparing motorcycling to meditation - Concentrating on a single thought - Meditation allows the rest of your brain to run free and process thoughts from your conscious and therefore resolve any issues and calm your mind. Whilst riding and concentrating on a single thought it enables your subconscious brain (the bit that isn't ****ed up with crap from the world) to instinctively make decisions on what is happening without any input from your conscious mind. I'm not sure my subconscious mind knows what ABS is.

This is probably sounds like nonsense to some but as our riding styles are all different how we do it is also different.

The ABS did what it was supposed to do - keep you upright in a bad situation. When ABS in cars first came out there were lots of tests to prove that it really did stop quicker. Skidding creates a liquid barrier between the road and the tire, extending the distance to a stop. On sandy roads, the sand acts like ball bearings between the road & tire. Skidding would have most likely caused an even longer stop, provided you were still upright. On ice is pretty much the same.
I'm not disputing the fact the ABS did it's job, I just don't like or agree with it and think I could have done a better job. On this occasion it's job was to deprive me of my brakes, MY brakes. When anything comes out with money behind it there are always tests to show how good it is... it's called marketing.

You're 100% right on dirt. When you skid in dirt, the treads dig into the dirt, increasing your stopping power. That can't happen on pavement because it's technically a solid surface, and anything like sand acts like a liquid to the tires.
Glad we agree on something

None of my previous bikes had ABS either.
What bothers me about the world today in our health and safety society is that perceived danger is something to be scared of. It's not, it's a good thing, danger heightens our senses and makes us more aware than we know, this puts us in a state that keeps us alive. After 30 years of riding bikes with no ABS your still here, don't allow some electronics on your bike to rob you of something that is part of what makes riding a bike great. Feeling alive.

I get your point of view furry, it's just very different from mine.
 
  #19  
Old 04-18-2015, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by wavesnwheels
I had to quote this first because it made me laugh out loud - You know your talking to an Englishman, it's winter here all the ****ing time ... I have a job too.
Ah, that English weather! We average 120" of snow every year. We've applied for an export license to England, but never heard back. My miles should start climbing now that I've retired.

I agree with you that everyone has a different riding style. Mine and where I ride doesn't allow me the luxury of much anticipation, I can come round a corner or over the brow of a hill and there's a tractor doing 15mph. If I was to anticipate or expect that at every corner or over every brow each journey would take weeks. So instead my style is more seat of my pants.
Not to mention that you drive on the wrong side. But seriously, with the width of some of the country roads you have there it's amazing to me that more people don't get run over.

Have you ever read the article comparing motorcycling to meditation - Concentrating on a single thought - Meditation allows the rest of your brain to run free and process thoughts from your conscious and therefore resolve any issues and calm your mind.
I think this equates to any task where it becomes second nature - as long as the "task" doesn't require your mind to overly concentrate, it goes off to complete or concentrate on other tasks or tangents.

I'm not disputing the fact the ABS did it's job, I just don't like or agree with it and think I could have done a better job. On this occasion it's job was to deprive me of my brakes, MY brakes.
I think when you really analyze what happened, it comes down to the lesser of two evils. It was probably already too late for a good outcome, and the ABS computer chose to keep you upright rather than let you lock up and probably go through the intersection on your back. Yeah, it sucks either way, and you feel helpless, but while you'd be making decisions/reactions at around 1-2 per second, the ABS was making them for you at around 50 times/second.

When anything comes out with money behind it there are always tests to show how good it is... it's called marketing.
While that's true for some rather questionable products, ABS isn't one of them. Harley doesn't make it's own ABS system - most likely it's a collaboration using the expertise of a vendor like Delphi or Bendix or Bosch, who actually integrates it for Harley.

Glad we agree on something
Bollocks! (did I get that right?... too much "Ashes to Ashes")

What bothers me about the world today in our health and safety society is that perceived danger is something to be scared of. It's not, it's a good thing, danger heightens our senses and makes us more aware than we know, this puts us in a state that keeps us alive. After 30 years of riding bikes with no ABS your still here, don't allow some electronics on your bike to rob you of something that is part of what makes riding a bike great. Feeling alive.
I never took the chances when I was 30 that I take today, but I think it's due to Toxoplasmosis.
 
  #20  
Old 04-18-2015, 07:45 PM
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My buddy and I put a 7* rake triple tree, new fork lowers and a 23" front wheel on his '14 SG which left only one caliper/ rotor on the front.

The ABS interruption is VERY noticeable, under normal braking conditions.

He also wants to remove his system.

Hes gonna unplug it and ride without it before we get too crazy.

If he decides its gotta go, we figure we'll remove it, call spiegler for custom lines, add spacers in place of the sensors, and possibly replace the ECM with an ECM off of a non-ABS SG. Maybe one that was crashed or being parted out. Not sure about that part yet.

Of course, this will require a new dyno tune but he knows it'll cost some $.

Hardest part I can figure is pulling the ABS's wiring harness from the bike.
 


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