ABS Brakes
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,989
Likes: 11
From: Right Coast
ABS Brakes
I'm sure its been discussed in the past but a recent thread got me to thinking. I tend to hit the rear brake 1st in an emergency situation and have skidded more than once. I've been riding since the early 70's so I am old school and its damn hard to break, anyways....
Are the Brembo's truely a safer setup?
Are they hard to get used to?
Any other issues with ABS?
Let me hear your thoughts and opinions.
I'm not a youngin anymore so safety has got to be a top priority.
Thanks
Are the Brembo's truely a safer setup?
Are they hard to get used to?
Any other issues with ABS?
Let me hear your thoughts and opinions.
I'm not a youngin anymore so safety has got to be a top priority.
Thanks
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 285
From: Edmond Oklahoma
My story is like yours, I tend to hit the rear heavy in an emergency. I think I learned it back in the dirtbike days. That was my main motivation to trade my 02 RKC for a SG. I've only had the bike three days and 150 miles, but I tested the ABS once on a quick changing stop light and it felt great. Nothing to get use to really. They do pulse during the braking, but I like that so I know that they are kicked in. My only concern is maintenance, I like to do my own work and I can't do that with these brakes. But, I do have piece of mind now.
Interesting, I could have got a lot of good deals on non ABS bikes. One dealer told me the non ABS bikes are selling a lot slower this year. In fact only 20 percent of 09 had ABS when they first came out. He said Harley is putting ABS on 80 pecent of their toruing bikes now.
Beary
Interesting, I could have got a lot of good deals on non ABS bikes. One dealer told me the non ABS bikes are selling a lot slower this year. In fact only 20 percent of 09 had ABS when they first came out. He said Harley is putting ABS on 80 pecent of their toruing bikes now.
Beary
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,830
Likes: 8
From: Retired and living in the mountains of NE PA
I'm sure its been discussed in the past but a recent thread got me to thinking. I tend to hit the rear brake 1st in an emergency situation and have skidded more than once. I've been riding since the early 70's so I am old school and its damn hard to break, anyways....
In answer to your questions:
Yes, Brembos are superior brakes, whether you have ABS or not.
There's really nothing to get used to with ABS brakes on your motorcycle any more than there was any getting used to them on your car. You'd never even know you have ABS unless you braked hard enough to activate them.
ABS isn't "new technology" and there are no issues with it that I'm aware of. I do know that statistics show that among those police departments that switched to ABS-equipped bikes, there was a 60% overall decrease in accidents.
Last edited by XTrooper3936; Mar 16, 2009 at 05:54 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 899
Likes: 2
From:
XTrooper said it well.
One suggestion to change your braking habit is to consciously pull your front brake first every time you slow down and/or are stopping. Don't touch the back brake until you are under 10 mph to finish a stop. That way you start making grabbing the front brake first the dominate habit - and it will start to kick in in emergency situations.
Brembo are great brakes and ABS is a great feature, saved my bacon at least once - once is all it takes.
One suggestion to change your braking habit is to consciously pull your front brake first every time you slow down and/or are stopping. Don't touch the back brake until you are under 10 mph to finish a stop. That way you start making grabbing the front brake first the dominate habit - and it will start to kick in in emergency situations.
Brembo are great brakes and ABS is a great feature, saved my bacon at least once - once is all it takes.
Harley has a great DVD showing the ABS in the works. I just watched it last week while I was in Pennysalvania for some Harley Tech. training. They have a coupl've Ultra's (1 with ABS and 1 without) that are outfitted with some outrigger type of deals to keep the bikes from tipping. They ride them through some wet pavement and lay on the brakes, the one with ABS stays under control while the one W/O loses all control of sterring when the front brake locks up and would surely go down if it wasn't for the outriggers. None of my 5 bikes has ABS on it as of yet, but I ride an average of 3-4 differn't bikes a day (on test rides) and I can say that my next new bike with definately have ABS. I can't wait untill Harley has it on all models. The only downfall I know of about the whole system is that if you have to open the lines for anything, you HAVE to use the digital tech II software from Harley to bleed the module. You can bleed the calipers the same way as other brakes, but you also need to bleed the module and it takes a computer and the software to do it.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,390
Likes: 2
From: Naples, Florida
Here is my story, I was riding with a bunch of guys from the club. We were pulling out of a 7-11 and i could hear them getting on the throttle. I pulled out and also got on the throttle, I looked over my shoulder to make sure the car that was coming was still in the outside lane. I looked forward to see the other bikes stopping at the red light. I grabbed a fist full of front brake and damn near bent the rear break peddle. I felt the ABS kick in and I stopped just short, heart pounding out of my chest. Besides the other lesson I learned from the incident, I also learned how much I like ABS. My 05' would have locked up.
Question though, why pull front break first? I realize you get something lie 70% of your stopping power from your front break, but I always thought you hit the rear and then the front.
Question though, why pull front break first? I realize you get something lie 70% of your stopping power from your front break, but I always thought you hit the rear and then the front.
Last edited by Lawdawg; Mar 16, 2009 at 07:27 PM.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,830
Likes: 8
From: Retired and living in the mountains of NE PA
Here is my story, I was riding with a bunch of guys from the club. We were pulling out of a 7-11 and i could hear them getting on the throttle. I pulled out and also got on the throttle, I looked over my shoulder to make sure the car that was coming was still in the outside lane. I looked forward to see the other bikes stopping at the red light. I grabbed a fist full of front brake and damn near bent the rear break peddle. I felt the ABS kick in and I stopped just short, heart pounding out of my chest. Besides the other lesson I learned from the incident, I also learned how much I like ABS. My 05' would have locked up.
Question though, why pull front break first? I realize you get something lie 70% of your stopping power from your front break, but I always thought you hit the rear and then the front.
Question though, why pull front break first? I realize you get something lie 70% of your stopping power from your front break, but I always thought you hit the rear and then the front.
Also, if you're on a non-ABS bike, it's MUCH safer to lock up your front tire (just release brake and reapply) then it is to lock up your rear brake. If you lock up your rear tire at speed, you'll have to ride out the skid.
Last edited by XTrooper3936; Mar 16, 2009 at 07:40 PM.
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Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 855
Likes: 1
From: Puyallup, WA
ABS works great (at least for me). I had 2 occasions just last year where ABS saved my ****. Both at intersections one person ran a stop sign and the other didn't see me and pulled out in front of me. Luckily I kinda saw them both coming just in time but I don't know if I would have been able to stop w/o the ABS. I know there are those that will say an "experienced" rider can come to a controled stop faster without ABS. While i'm not an experienced rider (relative to some of you long timers), and i'm a big supporter of proper technique and practice, nothing can prepare you for the feeling you get when your seconds from becoming a hood ornament or a bumper sticker. Having ABS prevented me from both those outcomes.
