So might have had the ABS kick in......

[essjay]

Heading to work on the 1100GS and the road was wet. Coming up to a set of lights and for the first time in a very long time, the red light didn't register in my head until I was nearly at it. So pulled the front brakes, the bike started to slow down quite rapidly but then lurched forward and started to slow again. Scared the shite out of me. It felt like the brakes had been disengaged for a second (but probably not that long).

Now I'm not saying that my skills are better then the bikes ability to decect a wheel locking up, but there was no way the front wheel felt like it was close to it. I'm going to give the bike the credit though as perhaps it was just about to.

I have to say that I honestly don't know if the ABS is good or not. I've always been 100% in favour of ABS but after that lurch forward I'm thinking that it will lengthen my stopping distance by a fair bit. I've test ridden a 1200GS before and deliberately hit the brakes to test the ABS and it felt completely different - nearly like a pulsing, as if it let the brakes out just enough to get the wheel going again whereas this felt like a complete loss of brakes for a second.

Or maybe it wasn't even the ABS but something else ?

 

[Fanum]

That was the ABS kicking in, for sure.

The system doesn't detect when the wheels are ABOUT to lock up, it's not that smart.*
It detects the difference in rotation speed from the back wheel to the front, so only if they had been different enough to trigger the 'brain' would the abs have kicked in (in other words, they had locked up, or at least had momentarily been at different enough speeds to trigger) ....and yes, it can be scary, as you describe.

It wasn't necessarily cause by the wet though, or the we alone....even a small piece of gravel under the front wheel at the moment of breaking can let the tyre slip and trigger the system....its easy enough to play with that on a dry road in the right conditions to feel it happen.

As for the debate about whether abs is a good thing or a bad thing, its been done many many times and in the end its down to the individual...the facts are that you can brake faster in the right conditions without ABS than with, and i'm sure that some people have had rear-enders when their abs came in and extended their braking time.

I'm, equally sure that more people have been saved by it than hurt, so as always, its a compromise.



*edit..on the 11xx anyway...I dont know what system the 12's have, it may be more intelligent

 

[essjay]

As for the debate about whether abs is a good thing or a bad thing, its been done many many times and in the end its down to the individual...the facts are that you can brake faster in the right conditions without ABS than with, and i'm sure that some people have had rear-enders when their abs came in and extended their braking time.

I'm, equally sure that more people have been saved by it than hurt, so as always, its a compromise.

Oh, I agree with you there - I'm sure that it's saved many many accidents and possibly caused a few rear-enders. I think overall I'm probably happier that it's there and if there is a next time I'll know whats happening.

I think the feeling of momentary loss of brakes terrified me for a second. Perhaps if I'd engaged the back brakes as well, they would have taken over when the front ABS kicked in.

 

[Stewart H]

I had never owned a bike with ABS until I got my 1100, I did have it trigger at relatively low speed once as I pulled off the road onto wet grass, quite strange as it does momentarily let the brakes off, I decided to find myself a bit of wet road and give the system a proper test, Its a leap of faith to grab a big handful of front brake on a shitty wet road, try it

Stewart

 

[Borderline]

Don't think I'd dare - bit like bungy jumping I suppose - faith in the technology and all that. Still don't think I'd dare - not much give in tarmac!