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I like it. I will admit that the first time I activated the system, it startled me a little. The pulsing of the pedal was more noticeable than I expected, and the sound was similar to that of engaging 1st gear from neutral.
picking up a RK soon with one on it.....good to get some feedback stories..thanks...
Congrats on the New Scoot. I have seen on here, where some folks have had a problem with the ABS indicator light. When you crank up the bike the indicator will start flashing. After you have rolled forward 20 to 30 feet it will go off. If you don't roll far enough to cancel the indicator before stopping, it will stay on until you turn the ignition off and restart and roll forward the required distance. This has happened to me a few times, but I knew what was up, cleared it, and went on.
I personally consider it a requirment for any bike I own. You never know it is there until you need it. Since the latest software version, seems like most of the strange things have went away. I have only ever activated it once, and that was on the interstate, felt the pulsating on the front pedal.
I suggest you find an empty parking lot and experiance the sensation of the pulsation at least once, that way you know what it feels like.
As far as the people that say they can stop faster, I beg to differ. Sure, in a controlled enviroment an experianced rider may stop faster without ABS. However, it is the panic, or emergency situation, such as rain, that that split second may make the difference in walking away or not.
There are those who ABS, and those who don't ABS. I've been extremely pleased with the ABS performance on my 08 FLHR. Since this is my first bike in 24 years and first HD I can't remember what bad braking is all about. No problems with mine such as ABS indicator blinking light staying on, ABS not working, no controlled braking, etc. Best money spent so far when I ordered this bike in 2007! Well, the Heritage style handlebars has made the ride a lot more comfortable....... Just changed out front pads last week @ 26,000 miles. Still had life in them but that time. Remember, you can't buy a bike without ABS then add it later. It's now or never for your ride.
Last edited by wagsrk08; Sep 12, 2010 at 05:56 AM.
here in nyc there are camara lights all over the place,so here I'm cruzing down the bvld traffic light turns yellow cager in front of me (i guess in fear of getting a ticket) slams on his brakes.I'm unable to go around him so I grabbed both brakes and for a moment there it look very scary but that ABS sure did its job.Stopped inches away from his rear bumper. So that said ABS is a yes for me.
That was one of the options I got on my scoot. I skipped the security system and put that money in the ABS. Like 2wheel said it's there when you need it.
I got it because it was on the bike I wanted and I was impulsive. Never had it and didn't think I needed it. I have had it kick in a few of times. I don't know if it kept me upright or not but I know the front wheel didn't lock when I came over a hill on a slick street and hit a wet spot while braking hard for a car that pulled in front of me, the ABS front and rear pulsed and did exactly what it was supposed to. No wreck!
Can you ride safely without it, definitely. But if you're imperfect like me, you will screw up every once and a while (or more). Those are the times you need all the help you can get.
I like it. Someone suggested above to at least practice once to get it to activate. I think you should go to a parking lot and practice emergency stops over and over with it and get it to activate a few times. There is a difference in braking technique for emergency stops between a non abs and abs bike imo, except keeping it upright and straight. I used to be very concious of locking my brakes in an emergency stop. ABS will help overcome a non-pro riders natural instinct when confronted to a panic stop to just grab the front and push on the rear as hard as possible, which results in an out of control skid. Practicing panic stops in a controlled enviroment and an actual real life situation are very different, and peoples natural intinct tend to take over. Regardless, controlled practice is the only way to prepare for it. BTW, the first time ABS kicked in on me, I let up (which is wrong!) cause it felt wierd and gave a lot of feedback. You need to use it to get used to it or you may incorrectly apply the brakes in a real situation!
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