Going to run into strong opinions on both sides of this.

For me, I’ve been riding street 32 years, commuting daily, and never had ABS nor did I ever need it. My 2018 Heritage and my 2017 BMW R nine T are my first bikes with it and in 13,000 miles (combined so far) I’ve never encountered it.

I appreciate my bike doing only what I tell it, when I tell it, without an overriding system deciding better. Just what I’m used to and how I ride. Making the decisions on our bikes and being “in control” is a big part of the ride experience for some of us. Add into that picture that ABS sometimes fails (yes extremely rarely) and causes worse situations than if it weren’t present. I’m sure the vast numbers of people it’s helped is enormous compared to the few it’s hurt, but I can understand not wanting to add another variable outside my control to a vital system on my bike. Especially one that has never been part of my reality or interest as a rider. Close calls I had when I was younger taught me invaluable lessons I might not have learned if ABS has stepped in and took over.

Why do I have it on my bikes? It came with automatically and I’d never choose anything about owning or riding a bike based on ABS pro or not. I’d like to believe if the worst case scenario ever came up it would magically save my ***, but I absolutely never assume and that’s how I like it. In the meantime I’ll take care of my own well-being as best possible by trusting what I’ve proven to myself.

To each their own.

With ABS your bike still does what you tell it... when you tell it (and on many bikes you can turn it off in case you need to, ie off-roading a GS)

It’s just that in a normal wheel-locking skid situation, ABS stops that lock-up happening and (potentially) any resulting spills.

I can’t understand why anyone would NOT want that. I’ve had a mix of bikes over the last 20 years and would choose ABS every time. Knowing how many times I’ve laid rubber when braking on my non-ABS bikes, I’m fully aware of how many times it must have helped me without me knowing.

I get your notion of learning to ride without safely assistance to become a better rider but having the learnt experience I already have, I’ll take the extra help/piece of mind

Absolutely agree, ‘each to their own’ but it does seem that being dismissive of ABS (perhaps without having lived with it?) is a slightly odd standpoint.

Ok, so this is directed towards Harley’s ABS specifically?

(I must admit I ride so slowly/calmly on my Harley compared to other bikes that I’ll probably never trouble the ABS to try it out!)