1150GS ABS or Not

[Ca_smith78]

Please can anyone advise on the merits of ABS? I have seen a good 1150GS for sale WITHOUT GS and am unsure how good/bad this is? Any details will be greatfully received!

PS the bike ends on Ebay tonight!

 

[John Armstrong]

ABS is really like insurance you don't need it until you need it! I have got used to it and it's nice to know it's there especially in the wet. You don't say if the bike is post 2002 when the servo brakes were introduced. The wisdom ( if that's not a contradiction) of most journalists is you need the ABS because the servo is rather abrupt.

 

[steveh]

ultimately safer

Please can anyone advise on the merits of ABS? I have seen a good 1150GS for sale WITHOUT GS and am unsure how good/bad this is? Any details will be greatfully received!

PS the bike ends on Ebay tonight!

however more complicated then the basic system and more expensive when buying new to the tune of roughly 800 quid which I imagine will be shown in used values too. Only you can make the saftey call however I'm sure lots of better infirmed people on here can provide an insight into the feel of the system and relaibility etc.

 

[Ca_smith78]

Thanks for the info, the bike is 2000, and am worried that when I come to sell it, it may lose more value than one with ABS. Sometimes people prefer not having an expensive gadget?????? (or am I way off the mark!!!????)

 

[Gas'd Off]

My 2p is that only people who have not ridden a bike with ABS say it is unescessary. Magazine road testers are always harping on that they can stop quicker NON ABS. Rollocks can you! Maybe on a grippy race track but no way on wet overbanding and drain covers. Once you have got it working on purpose in the wet you`ll never want a bike without it again! As far as resale goes ABS wins hands down

 

[Geoff2]

I have ridden an R1100RT with abs and I now have an R1150GS without abs. The difference nothing. A bike with ABS will NOT stop any quicker than a bike without abs. It just keeps you in control under heavy braking by letting the wheels turn instead of locking them up and letting you still steer the bike. It is interesting, with cars, that when conditions are worse, eg ice and snow, they advise you to turn off the abs. Not sure if it will add to the value of the bike, it may be regarded as something else expensive to go wrong, and they do go wrong. Over to you

 

[steveh]

surely the point of the question is....

Please can anyone advise on the merits of ABS? I have seen a good 1150GS for sale WITHOUT GS and am unsure how good/bad this is? Any details will be greatfully received!

PS the bike ends on Ebay tonight!

if this 1150 on ebay is a bargain would a model without abs put you off buying it...........thats a no in my case as long as its priced right. I think I can ride safely without it however if there was not such a big difference in cost (almost 1k new) then yes I would have it.

 

[jimbo]

Abs started on expensive cars, now nearly all cars have it, and the debate is basically over.
ABS started on just a few bikes - err B*Ws? Now more and more bikes are getting it.
I think 10 years and the deabte will be over for bikes too. All but the budget offerings will have it...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

1100/1150 GS's

Had them all - ABS II without Servo, ABS Evo without Servo,ABS Evo with Servo and now my latest version of the GS.............the heaviest GS of all, the ADV, without ABS whatsoever and it's great....plenty of feel and with braided hoses......stops really well - wet or dry...........at least you can tell when your sliding with either the front wheel or back wheel

Had some scares with front wheel slides on the ADV (as Howie and 2 Wheel Humvee can testify), but the bike has always stayed upright - BUT had some more scarier moments with ABS.

Best GS's have been the the ones without ABS and the bike with ABS Evo, as brakes were about the same for feel and feedback

Worst was Servo Evo ABS - total pile of crap............worst braking system ever invented on a bike

 

[Le singe]

Test rode the 1100GS with and without ABS, bought the one without,I personally didn't like the way the ABS removed 'feel' from rhe front wheel when braking hard.

 

[StooL]

I have a 2000 GS with ABS and had never had to use it in anger until a couple of nights ago. A car heading toward me turned right through the stationary lane of traffic on my right, crossing my path . I was in the left lane turning left into the same side road that this car was heading for. The road was wet and there was a sunken manhole in the middle of the road. I had to brake while leant over and alter my line to avoid the car. I still don't know how I didn't end up over this guys bonnet but the ABS did kick in, I did slow down and manage to avoid the car and was able to carry on my merry way with my slightly increased heart rate. I can't say for certain that things would have been different if I didn't have ABS but I suspect if I hadn't hit the car I may well have slid off anyway. I therefore recommend it if you can get it, however I have covered nearly 30,000 mostly commuting miles on my bike and this is the first instance that I believe it has helped me. It's certainly not the be all and end all and is no substitute for observant riding and proper brake control. I feel I would rate it pretty low on my priority list for a second hand buy if I didn't commute on my bike all year in all weathers.

 

[Andy Hird]

Go for one with ABS, you won't regret it, and it does increase second hand value a little bit, but more importantly desirability.

 

[cbritton]

If it hasn't got servos I wouldn't worry about ABS. With servos I think ABS is a must as they are so sharp. Servos brakes with ABS give fantastic stopping power.

Cheers, Colin.

 

[Deadskin]

Test rode the 1100GS with and without ABS, bought the one without,I personally didn't like the way the ABS removed 'feel' from rhe front wheel when braking hard.

The only time ABS is activated is when one or both wheels lock up,

there's no feel it's either on or off

 

[Le singe]

Don't think I wrote that clearly enough! That's right, the front wheel locks up, a device takes over,I cannot anticipate exactly when the device will kick-in,that to me is lack of feel.
On non-ABS I can feel wheen the front wheel is losing grip when braking hard,plus in the dry I can hear when it is on the limit!
I worry that having ABS will erode this feel and subconsciously I will start to rely on it more and more.
A very personal choice,but it's mine.