ABS - why not?

I've never had a bike with ABS! Whenever I find a GSA it will be with it!

My R1 doesn't have it but all other sports bikes have it! I asked the yamaha dealer about it and they said most of our customers didn't want it (I think there fibbing) not having ABS makes me try to read the road much better especially in the wet as them brakes are powerful.
 
Mr Anderson said:
I've never had a bike with ABS! Whenever I find a GSA it will be with it!

My R1 doesn't have it but all other sports bikes have it! I asked the yamaha dealer about it and they said most of our customers didn't want it (I think there fibbing) not having ABS makes me try to read the road much better especially in the wet as them brakes are powerful.
Click to expand...

That's a strange statement - buy what you want

But abs isn't a saviour for poor riding as Sarge says
 
The servo assisted ABS on my K1200S was crude, with little feel from the brakes and, as Bilco said earlier, it released the brakes too soon. It also failed at 4000 miles, but was still under warranty.

It was my first bike with ABS, but it did save my bacon at least once, so it more than paid for itself. When I bought my R1200GS, ABS was a no brainer. The non-servo ABS is much more refined and not noticeable in everyday use.

No matter how good a rider you think you are, there will be one time when your years of experience, skill and/or training will fail you in an emergency situation. ABS and TCS are both safety nets which may save you when the time comes.
 
Steve GROVER of MOTOSCOT now says he repairs ABS units, £480 for servos, £320 for ABS 2 I believe!
 
GORILA said:
Steve GROVER of MOTOSCOT now says he repairs ABS units, £480 for servos, £320 for ABS 2 I believe!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, at last somebody to sort the 1200 ABS if it fails, without having to sell a kidney!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Disconnect those pesky halogen headlights!
Eat more carrots or use The Force :)

Sent from my GT-I8190 using Tapatalk
 
The rear ABS on my 08 GSA regularly comes on. Ive seen it as a feature of the bike that is at least exercising the modulator system. Its not about riding too fast its (I presume) the back end unloading under normal braking. Add some rain and the back wheel can be near the limit and the rear ABS may well be cutting in early.

BUT for me its not about ABS on the rear brake. If I'm clumsy (easy with MX boots), a momentary lockup on the back wheel is no big deal. HOWEVER no need to discuss the front !!! :eek !!! Ive done a few quick rides with deliberately quick stops and as far as I know only felt the ABS when REALLY going for it to see if I can get it to pulse. There was no drama except I realised just how much load the bike puts on your arms under hard braking. Having brakes THAT powerful without ABS makes no sense to me.

Ive already mentioned TCS and that is definitely a plus. I find it all too easy to drive that bit too hard out of a bend which can cause the TCS to back off the power. Maybe it comes on early. Maybe Im clumsy, but I'm glad to have it though I would probably not have chosen TCS as a cost option.
 
When I bought my first GS I wasn't aware that they were available without ABS.

My first 2005 R1200GS had ABS. If the rider BEHIND me had ABS (or been a little more awake, or even a little less keen) then that GS would not have been written off.

I replaced that GS with another 2005 R1200GS, but a different colour. This one too has ABS. I wouldn't buy one without it.
 
I won't attempt to patronize the OP by implying he would somehow rely on it to make up for a riding skills deficiency.

I've got the non-servo system on mine and it works brilliantly both for the combined braking and ABS when you need it (you need it). My unit went faulty (only a couple of months before a big trip so no chance to attempt self-repair) so I had to have it replaced at ££££. I found out that this job can only be done by a dealer using a new unit. You can de-ABS a bike fitted with the earlier servo system but not the later non-servo one.
 
The only time I've activated the ABS is shortly after getting the bike and forgetting that the rear is activated with the front and me applying additional rear with the pedal.

After 3 years and 30,000miles on the bike I'd still prefer to rely on BMW's electronics than my ham-fistedness in an emergency.
 
[QUOTE You can de-ABS a bike fitted with the earlier servo system but not the later non-servo one.[/QUOTE]

Yes you can, we've just done it, but you have to think your way round it!
 
Arkwright said:
[QUOTE You can de-ABS a bike fitted with the earlier servo system but not the later non-servo one.
Click to expand...

I think you'd have to be insane to not have ABS when it is available.

Certainly in normal riding you can kid yourself that it's rarely kicked in (or only when you've pushed it out of curiosity) but the day you have a child run out in front of you and you have no option but to grab everything as hard as you can, you will find yourself very VERY grateful that it is there.

Early ABS ( and ABS 2) was pretty ghastly, so I have some sympathy with 1100/1150 owners but the kit fitted to my C1 and my 2013 Triple Black GSA is superb. The experts pretty well all agree ABS is good, and so do I.

(Incoming.......)
 
Mad_Accountant said:
I think you'd have to be insane to not have ABS when it is available.

Certainly in normal riding you can kid yourself that it's rarely kicked in (or only when you've pushed it out of curiosity) but the day you have a child run out in front of you and you have no option but to grab everything as hard as you can, you will find yourself very VERY grateful that it is there.

Early ABS ( and ABS 2) was pretty ghastly, so I have some sympathy with 1100/1150 owners but the kit fitted to my C1 and my 2013 Triple Black GSA is superb. The experts pretty well all agree ABS is good, and so do I.

(Incoming.......)
Click to expand...

Whether ABS is any good or not is purely subjective, my point is that it is notoriously unreliable and is often removed when it fails as it it regarded by the owners as an uneconomic repair. It also has the problem of linked brakes which can cause premature wear on rear pads.

Those of us that ride Airheads on a regular basis of course never think about ABS, which is why I haven't got it and never want it.................in fact I don't own (and never have) a vehicle that has ABS, it's just something else to go wrong, I put Aircon in the same bracket! (founder member of the Luddites Club of course!)
 
Arkwright said:
Whether ABS is any good or not is purely subjective, my point is that it is notoriously unreliable and is often removed when it fails as it it regarded by the owners as an uneconomic repair. It also has the problem of linked brakes which can cause premature wear on rear pads.

Those of us that ride Airheads on a regular basis of course never think about ABS, which is why I haven't got it and never want it.................in fact I don't own (and never have) a vehicle that has ABS, it's just something else to go wrong, I put Aircon in the same bracket! (founder member of the Luddites Club of course!)
Click to expand...

At he risk of protracting an argument that is, as you say, purely subjective......

"notoriously unreliable " IS SUSPECT.
The wear on the rear pads would surely be what would be expected if that rider wasn't over-relying on front end braking :nenau

My current GSA does NOT have ABS, my previous one had the oft-maligned Servo ABS.

I do know that the previous one DID save me and my pillion (admittedly 100% my fault for being in the situation that it had to be there to do so, but that fact remains)
I also know that I'm conscious of NOT having it when I'm out now, especially on these winter slippery greasy roads.

Either way, it doesn't bother me......If the bike I have now had come with ABS, I'd still have got it, then I'd have removed it for zero cost if it had played up.


I do suspect though that back in 2004 when I got that first ABS equipped bike, I was probably riding at 80% twattishness, feeling that I had that 20% covered by comparative youth and ABS, whearas now, I only ride at 50% twattishness, knowing that I hurt SO much more and having another 100k miles on a bike under my belt.



Conclusion....Inconclusive :blast
 
"notoriously unreliable " IS SUSPECT.

I refer you to post no. 11 unfortunately!
 
BigDan said:
Thanks everyone for the views and advice. Seems like the safest thing I can do is buy a 2008+ bike WITH ABS! More saving for me to do... hah.

Cheers,
Dan
Click to expand...

2007 bikes don't have the servo. I just bought a 2007 in preference to a 2008+ as I don't like the gold forks and metal flashes on the tank.
 
Had my 2005 with abs from new never had a problem,will you have an abs problem maybe yes or maybe no, this also replies to you car if it has abs. Will you die yes so maybe you can worry about that instead it will take you mind off the abs :)
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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