To ABS or not ? 800GS

[marcusfordus]

Do I really need the ABS option of the comfort package on my upcoming purchase, or should I save £500 and order it without. I would then just order the trip computer, heated grips and a centre stand ?

Does having ABS also mean you cannot bleed your own brakes unless you have the electronic diagnostic tool that opens up the unit (just like on my VW and my current Triumph) ? That wouldn't be much use stuck in the middle of nowhere-back of beyond and wanting to bleed the brakes !


Another financial point, should I order asap just in case we get that dreaded VAT rise the new Govt. have been considering in next weeks budget ?

 

[Blobby]

IMHO ABS is an a no-brainer must-have bit of added-safety kit that you should have if the majority of your time will be spent riding on road. Others will argue against but simple fact is, ABS will spot traction trouble quicker than you can and sort it out. If you have a panic situation and hit the brakes really hard it will stop them locking and potentially keep you upright.

Of the three options you suggest getting instead of ABS, heated grips would be the only one I would really miss, but I would give them up for ABS. For me SAFETY has to be top of the list every time.

Enjoy your new bike

 

[Ross Dean]

IMO ABS is a must - I had an 800 for about a year and covered over 8000 miles on it. I felt the ABS kick in only once in fast stop ... but it was essential in the situation (a sudden stop by cars in front and very little space - I stomped the breaks very (too) hard!). It can be switched off for rough road use. Then again, I used the heated grips loads of times - equally vital. The only one I would ditch is the trip computer but it is part of a package ... anyone would think that BMW were trying to make money

No idea about bleeding the breaks but slamming into something large and solid in the back of beyond is also a bummer.

 

[GunZenBomZ]

Add ABS, easier to sell it on.

 

[v8legend]

I've got ABS on mine, and it's never kicked in. And I'm not exactly light on the brakes. Doesn't mean I don't want it though.

There have been a few well documented issues on the 800S/ST, but these don't seem to affect the GS. You really don't notice that it's there.

The braking system is not pressurised, so I can't see any problems with bleeding the brakes.

As Paddy said, it's one of the first things potential owners look for when buying a used BMW.

 

[Greger]

ABS - definately, must have and as they say above can be turned off for off road and adds resale value.

As for bleeding, carry on as normal as far as I know.

 

[pedro]

yes

I'm sure as your sliding down the road at 60 looking at your bike sliding along the road beside you, there will be time to pause and consider hmmm.... £500 for ABS, wasn't too bad a deal afterall, maybe should have got it...
Saved me once and that was 4 bikes ago, always had it fitted since.

 

[Shagley]

ABS

I have ABS on mine but in all honesty I did not get much of an option.
Never had a bike with ABS so am happy I have it. At least if you have ABS you can switch it off, if you dont want it. If you dont have it you cant exactly switch it ON so I would suggest adding it in

 

[marcusfordus]

All yes

No one has said no to it !

It was the financial side of things I was looking at. I had a budget of what I could spend over what my current bike was on it's trade-in value.

The good news for me is someone has made on offer on my bike (overnight on ebay) of £700 more than it's trade price.

I is a happy man



ABS, ABS, ABS..............

 

[Mr Fish]

Having used the ABS twice in anger. Once a pedestrian stepped out infront of me and the worst was a car which after making eye contact then decided to turn right across me, in the wet on an off camber slight bend. I stopped 3 feet from the bonnet as the car had panicked slammed all on and blocked the whole road. When I came to a stop the rear wheel was a good 2 feet off the ground. Without ABS I WOULD have dropped it and crashed into the side of the car.

Another vote for ABS

 

[(RIP) Ewan]

ABS

A lot of people, myself included, would only want a bike with ABS nowadays, so if you come to sell your bike without you will reduce both it's value (you pay more now, but others will pay more when you sell it on) and the number of potential buyers. Since you can switch it off easily, very few people would only want a bike without.

Good news about you sale, enjoy the F800!

 

[argee]

I specced mine from new without ABS as I found it was a pain in the arse on the managements 1150 Rockster, plus I boought tthe GS800 to slow myself down...

I seem to remember an expert on road safety once saying on telly that if you really wanted to improve safety you would do away with road markings etc and put a big spike in the middle of steering wheels.....

My alternative tuppence.

 

[rdj001]

Have had a few Beemers with it and a few without it. Current 800GS does not have it.

Obviously it is a god-send in those hopefully rare occasions when you need it although it is not the be all and end all. I certainly wouldn't take more chances just because I have it.

Off-road it is a pain but simple enough to switch off.

Have never knowingly suffered at trade-in time cos the bike didn't have it.

 

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

it saved my neck once last year.
Cant see me having a bike without now.

 

[marcusfordus]

New one

Thanks Guy's you made my mind up this morning.
On getting home from work I called up Pidcocks and placed my order (just like ordering a takeaway)

30 Year GS800 with the comfort package and trip computer.

This is where it got intresting, I jogged their memory on my trade-in value last week and the price to pay.......
I then told them I was going to be paying CASH and wanted a better deal ...... which I got.

20 minutes later I gets a call back, The spec you ordered wont be coming until the end of July would you be intrested in the one we have here and now but also comes with the LED indicators for £90 extra.

No way am I paying for £90 indicators, a deal was struck on £45 which is acceptable




7 months ago I was about to hand over the readies for a Bumble-bee, but didn't and walked away from the showroom. Fate played a hand there and has now brought me back for a even better looking bike 2nd time around.

yeah baby

 

[Blobby]

What a brill outcome. Congrats. LED indicators while they may seem a bit boring are in fact another damn good safety feature, although lower priority compared to ABS. Fact is they are highly visable and that reduces chances of a vehicle driving into the back of you. You will love the 800GS.

 

[GUNNER1]

I read somewhere that ABS does not reduce stopping distance, in fact it increases it, it only stops your wheels locking so you can steer round the obstacle.

 

[Mr Fish]

Gunner ...I agree on the 1% of emergencies when you know it is coming, it is dry and you've been practising threshold braking. Absolutely, you will stop slightly quicker.

However in the wet on a commute in traffic off camber in November when you panic and grab a handful having not practised threshold braking for a few weeks on wet leaves you will stop A LOT quicker with ABS.....

Real world ABS wins, on track it is crap, but of course you can turn it off.

 

[jtw000]

In my opinon ABS on this bike is more likely to kill you than save you. It kicks back every time you go over a pothole or blip the throttle over a bump. It's kicked back hard on crappy london roads when I've needed to brake in a hurry thanks to an idiot driver and made stopping a chore. I ended up switching it off out of preference unless it was raining. Having said that, in rain I tend to ride slower and more carefully. I would save your money

 

[marcusfordus]

Pick-up not lock-up

I'll be able to tell you what I think of the bike when I pick it up tomorrow. ABS on....ABS off....ABS on....ABS off

And it is going to be a pick-up as I can't get a lift down to fetch it so I'm in the car with the bike trailer