Le singe,
"Just re-read the post about the BM outbraking the R1,GSXR1000 etc,doesn't quite conform to the laws of physics,however,they are journos so we've got to believe them"
.. it can because the telelever means the front end isn't being pushed because the 'forks' don't dive, the telelever shock takes 98% of the movement, meaning the tyre has to do less; plus the brakes are power and ABS assisted, and the bike is additionally helped slow down by the heavy turning engine and power zapping gear/shaft arrangement - so not only is the rider applying braking pressure faster (pas), but also with optimum power and confidence (abs/power-train) - fancy locking up a Gixer thou at a ton during max braking testing - no, doesn't fill me with any confidence either.
"As I asked before,if the BM system is really that good,why haven't race bikes got it?"
... because ABS works fantastically on 'road' bikes. i.e. in a straight line / emergency type situation. By contrast racers have to have lighter kit (abs is a heavy addition to a 'race' bike) and be able to partially brake right up to the apex of a bend as necessary - and non-pas/abs undoubtedly provides better fingertip feedback to those riding gods - which neither of us are, but if were, then BMW wouldn't need to invent and refine ABS for bikes natch
"It's not just a case of predicted stopping, but also the quickness excess speed can be lost, if a BM is quicker than the thou's at this, have the journos been feeding us rubbish about the thou's one-finger braking being enough?"
... Mick Doohan used four fingers for the front brake, and he wasn't that bad a rider as I understand it (ahem!) It's not the number of fingers that you use but the speed, control and pressure applied. If Mr journo can lock the front with one finger well woopee, I'm seriously unimpressed. Have you braked 'really' hard on a modern sports bike? I have on track days and what happens is the back wheel physically begins to lift off the ground and it begins to hop skip and jump about the place, which doesn't have you stopping particularly quickly (you just crap yourself as the hairpin approaches too fast); whereas the lardy arse GS is nice and planted giving full grip front 'and rear'. However, this weight bias doesn't help a 'race' bike steer, particularly under heavy braking.
There's always too many dependencies and influencing factors when it comes to bikes geometric variances and their affects on the bikes ability to brake and turn under control. Racers and road riders have much differing requirements to some extent, so it's probably innapropriatte to compare the two. We hear that superbikes are tuned production bikes, but the reality is we're talking a ten grand bike with a quarter of a million pounds of 'tuning' thrown at it. Production sports bikes are great, within their brief, and if you want your bike to act like a ZX10R, then buy one - they're cheaper than a 12GS.
The bottom line is that most of us will brake faster, most of the time, under most conditions on an ABS fitted bike. Even quicker than on a sports bike without it fitted ;-D Add the panic of braking for a child that's just run out from between two parked cars in the slashing rain on a dark winters late afternoon and there's simply no comparison of benefit to both rider and others.
Anyway if anyone disagrees, then fair play, it's just my personal 'view'; maybe it'll be worth waiting untl BMW produce a non ABS version, but then again if they thought that would be better than an ABS version then perhaps they'd of brought that out first and then applied a premium to the 'fools that want to pay extra' for it? Personally I'm not convinced BMW will begin to sell non ABS versions, I mean - what's the point? Food for thought!
