If I ever buy a new bike I would want it.

 

Had ABS on my 2011 my 2013 will also. While I will not say it is a must or a deal breaker. I want it on mine.

 

My new bike is working just fine without ABS. Stops great. It's been proven that stop distances can actually be longer with ABS than without in some situations. People shouldn't expect ABS to produce a miracle even though sometimes it seems like it does. No, you don't want a skid from full lockup, but on the other hand wheel lockup doesn't necessarily guarantee a wreck nor is it something that can't be overcome by letoff and reapplication of the brakes. One never knows exactly what situation they will encounter. There could be times where a little bit of wheel lockup would be okay, not cause a wreck, and help you stop quicker than ABS will, i.e. proper braking technique.

If it were on the bike you want, I'd say great. However, I wouldn't let it be a deal breaker. If you're looking at a great deal on the bike you want, go for it. If it's not particularly a great deal, then decide whether or not you want ABS and shop around accordingly.

Good luck!!!

 

I have ABS on my 12 SG and love it. It has saved me twice now. I have been trained in threshold braking. I have used it several times at work and on bikes. ABS is the same except it takes out human hesitation. I agree it is not always needed, but the two times I needed it, it made a big diferrence.

Imagine someone pulling out in front of you while you are going 35-45 mph, then stopping abruptly in front of you. almost as if they were trying to get you to rear end them... Could I have stopped with out ABS? Probably, but I tell you it was a great peace of mind when it activated and stopped me in plenty of time. I was amazed on how well it worked. faster then I could have use manual threshold braking.

I also was unsure of buying a bike with ABS.. Now, I will not have one with out it.

JMAO through.. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm gonna call around and see if I can find one with ABS.
Not saying I wont buy that one I was looking at, but Im gonna check around.

 

Can you convert your front brakes to a single rotor with ABS? I like the looks of the single rotor when upgrading the front wheel, but didn't know if dual rotors were needed for the ABS. Thanks

 

ABS is not a good idea where I live. Unless you are on a totally flat and smooth surface ABS can actually get you killed. If you don't understand this statement you have never had ABS on a bike or car.

 

Statistically one is 37% less likely to be killed on a motorcycle with abs. The number of insurance claims on abs bikes is 22% less. This is from a couple if different google searches. I can't understand how abs could ever underperform a non abs system.

 

As crazy as the above statement sounds, imo he is correct. At least as far as Moco ABS is concerned. Mine kicks in at low speeds over bumps and I've rolled a stop sign because of it. Go ahead and criticize my skills but I've been on a lot of different bikes over many many years.


I believe you. But, I'm betting the report is for ABS in general - not Harleys in particular. The way ABS under performs is if you brake on an irregular surface, it can activate and you effectively have no brakes. My buddy still has a limp (from over a year ago) from rear ending a car when this happened on his abs equipped Ultra. His claim is that he was in stop and go traffic. The car in front of him jammed on the brakes. He jammed on his and nothing happened - just rode into the back of the car. Apparently there were some debris (sand and pea gravel from road construction) on the road and the abs kicked in. Again, he's been riding Harleys for decades and is a skilled rider. Maybe he didn't account for conditions, but in his scenario, he claims that the conditions changed too fast to react to. He further claims that had he not had abs, he would have been fine. Conjecture, but still a story to be considered.

This post gives me hope. I'm doing the suspension upgrade this winter. I've heard it cures the issues I have described. If it does, I'm an ABS man all the way. The way it is now, I would rather not have it.

As always YMMV

 

I wont argue those stats at all. But where I am at the roads are mostly in terrible condition. If you go hard on the brakes while going over an uneven surface your stopping distance with ABS will actually increase. I have already gone straight thru intersections that had stop signs because of this. As you go over the bumps the brakes release and apply, sometimes not fast enough to catch the road.