ABS modular failure. (SAFETY WARNING)

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that have ABS on their bike

I have an 09 FLTHC W/ ABS. Started bike up, ABS ICON lit up and then a few seconds later it went out..(all normal) but as I was riding I had to stop really quick and locked up the rear tire, slid about twenty feet and brought the bike to a stop. I thought that was really strange as when the ABS kicks in it pulsates, this did not happen.

I got home and pulled the codes(had a feeling something was wrong??) and all referenced failure dealing with ABS codes, so I brought the bike in to service to check out the reason..I was told that the ABS modular was not working/failed and that I needed a new one. $700+ parts/labor.

Bottom line is don't always trust your gauges/icons to be accurate. Not sure why it failed but I'm pissed that on start up it looked normal and seemed to be working properly. For me, I consider this to be a huge safety issue.

Mike

 

My light doesn't go out until afer i start moving.

 

My does the same, I was just trying to explain that it all seemed normal until I needed it to work.

 

Did they say what kind of failure, or what may have caused it?
Had the Brake fluid ever been changed? I think the manual says every two years.

 

You would think that with the codes stored and the ABS inop you would have had a warning lamp.When you start your bike and that ABS icon comes on and then cycles off,it means the system is in operating order.Your failure is why I have steered clear of a ABS system on a motorcycle.I am sure the newer models have a better fail safe in them,but still very expensive to repair.

 

Wiring harness on left's side at neck...the main harness that goes up into the fairing will kink off the abs wiring and it will break the wires...unless the module went bad but lots have had the wire break

 

I would get a second opinion on the module being bad.

 

Make sure the wires going to your sensors are OK.

 

Curious how fast were you going when the tire locked up? I don't think ABS does any good from 25 mph or less, so it may have been a normal occurrence, you weren't specific but guessing here the codes you may have got were sensing a wheel lock up, which is what happened.
ABS is designed that if it becomes inoperative, you still have conventional braking system. I would have a concern in the techs ability to correctly diagnose something as complex as ABS. In todays generation of shop mechanics they are not diagnosticians, they are parts changers and in the retail world you the customer get to pay the bill whether they got it right or not! That sux.

 

Be grateful for the malfunction you had, at least you had brakes. There have been many reports of ABS failing so that there is a hydraulic lock between the control (pedal or lever) and the ABS module resulting NO brakes.

This is NOT criticism, just a statement of a fact of life: you have become dependent on ABS and have lost the muscle discipline to properly brake as if you have no ABS. These two factors (no brakes and loss of braking skill) keep me terrified of ABS. I am 70 years old and didn't get this far by being complacent. As a career pilot I got to use lots of automation earning my livelihood, the main learning outcome is that I used the automation but never trusted it, one must pay attention for the first hint of malfunction. If I kill MYSELF by braking improperly, at least I did it, it won't be done by some subtle electronic malfunction.

ABS may save you 100 times but one malfunction can kill you. Sorry for the expense you must now have to get your bike back to normal.