Hi all,

Thanks for all the comments. I did get out and try to lock up rear wheel. I can feel and hear the ABS cycling. I'm not sure about anything that happen that afternoon but the rear won't lock up now. ..
goldie

 

I have an '87 BMW, and a 2000 Ford F-350; both have ABS. I have panic stopped each of them once. In both cases, I locked the tires for a little bit before the ABS system kicked in. ABS worked in both cases, as both were in blind corners and I was able to steer around the crashes that happened in front of me.

Think about how ABS works - the system senses a locked wheel and releases braking force to that wheel; this will take a little time. Although 25' is a bit longer than I would expect.

I hope your partners recover quickly.

 

Just a few thoughts...

I actually think that you have the correct answer.
At 55 mph you're traveling about 81 feet per second. 25 feet would be a bit more than a quarter of a second.
As for the "proper" way to apply brakes, it should be any way at all. In a panic/instinctual emergency stop you won't be thinking "slowly apply the brakes" you will be grabbing brakes for your life.
And testing your ABS brakes, sure test them. Just know that nothing you can do, with knowledge beforehand, will equal what you, or they, do in a real emergency.

 

I would still go by the dealer and discuss it with the Service Manager.

 

I agree that this is what happenes to the vast majority of people, in the vast majority of cases. That is why ABS was developed and has become so popular....

I will submit, however, that the proper way to brake IS NOT "any way at all" or "grabbing brakes for your life". Just because it happens that way in the majority of cases, it doesn't make it the right way, only the "most frequent" way.

I believe the proper way to brake, in any rapid stop situation, is "threshold braking". It is not instinctual. So like any neuro-muscular response, you need to train & practice the technique. With training and practice, it can become your reaction to an emergency, panic-stop situation....

I have been trained-in and practice threshold braking. It has become my automatic response to any rapid braking scenario in a car, truck, or bike.... I have to concentrate, to be able to just "jam on" the brakes, if I want to test the ABS on any of my vehicles.

I believe it's sad, that skill is being replaced by nanny devices on our vehicles. I understand that most people don't have, won't want, and prefer the tech over learning a skill. I can see how nanny devices may protect us from some of those who care not about developing their skills. But for me, I chose to rely on me for my safety, not an electro-mechanical device.

And to all the ABS zealots, I'm not knocking ABS. Quite the contrary, I believe it to be a great addition to proper threshold braking. You can't always pick the surface you need to stop rapidly on. While I have heard the arguments that ABS is "faster/better" than threshold braking. I would submit that in a complete panic stop situation that may be true, but to what degree? Most threshold braking situations are not panic stops, just fast stops. No need to turn those into "panic stop" situations, because you haven't the skill to react and stop without using ABS. I believe that to train people to just "jam on" the brakes, and rely on a nanny device, rather than develop a skill, is a step backwards...

Of course, I could be wrong, JMHO....

 

just because you have abs, it doesn't negate the need to brake properly. I don't know of anyone who is training people to just 'jam on the brakes' since they have abs. I would submit that if your abs kicks in, you made a mistake. and that's the beauty of it. if you make a mistake, you don't pay for it with your flesh and blood.

 

Leaving a skid mark from YOUR bike, that alone tells me ur ABS is likely not working.

When u start ur bike EACH TIME, your ABS light should be blinking slowly. Mine is an amber like color with black font "ABS". IF it is blinking, it is GOOD TO GO. As you ride off, the blinking will stop.

THEN once every 2 weeks or so, in a safe area with no one around, I will hit the FRONT brake HARD to make sure I hear and feel the clicking noise that comes from working ABS brakes.

Then I will do the same thing with the rear.

ABS was designed NOT to stop u faster but to STOP u from locking up the brakes. <-- Bcs u said u left a skid mark, THAT made me think ur ABS is not working.

Just coincidentally, manually braking without ABS u can technically stop a LITTLE bit faster. MOST riders can't do that. Professionals can. So in essence, ABS is typically the fastest way to stop your bike in the shortest amt of time. SLAM them on as much as u like.......no worries. Not so with non-ABS braking.

BuzzCap7

 

I agree with you totally.... perhaps I should have used the word "condon", "support", or "accept", instead of the word "train". Although, I have read of people claiming (possible misunderstanding by them or me) they were trained to just jam on the brakes and let ABS do it's thing, because you can't stop as fast as the ABS can stop you (referring to threshold braking). Something I don't agree with.

I was just wanted to offer a different viewpoint to the post...... "As for the "proper" way to apply brakes, it should be any way at all. In a panic/instinctual emergency stop you won't be thinking "slowly apply the brakes" you will be grabbing brakes for your life."

 

Since you quoted me perhaps I should clarify. I was responding to a comment that made it seem like the ABS brakes wouldn't work if they were not gradually applied. My comment was more meant that the brakes themselves should work properly no matter the technique, or lack of, that the user has.
Obviously more training and practice would be advantageous and reduce the need for truly panic stops.

 

I really like that part.

If I might add, how many incidents would have been avoided if one were to train and practice more? (Rhetorically said.)

BuzzCap7