To ABS or Not ABS

[bikerider007]

That is the question, Now when i went into a bm dealer in london a couple of years ago the sales bloke he "wouldn't sell me a gs" without ABS. i am now looking at gs's again but alot more seriously this time i have found one without abs,
now i know that the crash bars are an extra but what else as the dealer is not a BM dealer he said the recall/s have been done .
he's is a pic
2005
13000 miles
£6000
i would say not bad condition just a little scruffy as i went to see it today.
What do you reckon
cheers

 

[bikerider007]

stop press!!! 33000miles DOH

 

[g.s.john]

the first time you have to do a panic stop the ABS pays for it's self with interest,ask my laundry girl

 

[Mutley]

Why would you not want ABS?

Most GSs are sold with it and it would help sell the bike on later as well. If you are a GP god and testing your braking on a known and even surface you may out perform it. In the dark and wet on a road you have never ridden before it will save your life. You can always switch it off when you go off road*. As GS John says ....








* ah! I see you are looking at 1200s with cast wheels. You aren't going off road are you?

 

[jonnie comet]

Re ABS....

I have had a massive change of heart on this subject.

I had a 2002 R1150GS, with the servo ABS, and really hated it. So much so, that when I bought a new R1200GS, I spec' ed it without ABS. I have been riding for 40ish years, and decided that it was a complication that I had never needed.

The 1200 came and went without issue, and I then bought a Honda, with ABS.....No choice, all UK 'Transalps' come with ABS.

The ABS on the Honda is in a completely different league to the ABS that was fitted to my 1150. To be fair to BMW, I'm sure that the ABS used on new BMWs is also in a different league to that used on the older 'bikes.

Without going into too much detail, I recently had a 'mega incident' on a wet M62. No time to think, my reflexes hit the brakes big time....

Every scrap of 'biking instinct' in my body said that I was going down.......not a good idea ....wet M62....Summer Saturday traffic etc.....But I didn't.....

I am 100% convinced that the ABS saved my life. It was that 'one incident' that people talk about.

ABS....Do it.......

 

[pedro]

me too

ABS saved me once, and that was three bikes ago. It's now always added to the spec list.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Some of my bikes have ABS (2) and some of my bikes don't have ABS (2)

I never base which bike keys I take from the drawer and stick in which bike's ignition as to whether its got ABS or not

Not bothered whether the bike has ABS or not and if I found a good bike without ABS..................it wouldn't put me off buying it

 

[Corporal Punishment]

I love that "click shlick" noise it makes when you drive off for the first time. Very re-assuring.

 

[ExploringRTW]

I've shared in the wet "road-no-time-for-evasive-action-hit-the-brakes-shouldn't-be-able-to stop-but-did" too......and I was scared by just how good the ABS was on my old 1100 GS Anniversary. I also had occasion to call upon them in the dry.

I understand Johnny Boxer's point of view of not letting his choice of bike to ride being determined by it having ABS fitted or not, but if he'd survived a near serious RTA in the wet with ABS I think he would be grateful that he'd chosen the ABS bike that day.

Regards,

Mike

 

[Sgt Bilco]

No ABS on mine and I don't recall a single moment in 50k miles where I figured I'd have benefited to be honest and I'm not a slow plodding rider.

I had it on my 1150ADV and on my 1100 and will be taking it off my 1100 because it's given me nothing but trouble.

It's personal taste and choice and non ABS would never put me off buying a bike.

I personally think it's bad salesmanship to say "I wouldn't sell a GS without ABS" because the non ABS brakes are very powerfull and have good feel.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I understand Johnny Boxer's point of view of not letting his choice of bike to ride being determined by it having ABS fitted or not, but if he'd survived a near serious RTA in the wet with ABS I think he would be grateful that he'd chosen the ABS bike that day.

Regards,

Mike

I did survive an almost certain RTA on my Adv WITHOUT ABS, in Germany in July 2005

Wet road, diesel.............'A' Road intersection

Braking for the stop line and the front locked and started to go down...........

Split second reaction to let go of the brakes and haul the bike up again, so that I could re-apply the brakes again for a 2nd attempt to brake before the rapidly approaching stop line

Stop line approached too fast and I had no braking distance, so I accelerated (seeing a grass verge on the other side of the A road and some gravel) & shot across the main A road and nearly into the path of a Merc estate, who had thoughtfully braked to avoid me

I coasted onto the grass on the other side of the A Road and rode down the verge, now that I was in control and seeing the road was clear I rejoined the direction of travel that I wanted an pulled alongside the driver's window of the Merc, who was now going south, in the same direction as myself.

We were both doing 20mph now on a clear A road, side by side and chatting.....he smiled and knew I was lucky........fecking lucky

We shook hands through the open window and I accelerated past him

For sure that was my lucky day

Heart pounding.......... I continued to my destination.............with GS'ers Humvee and Howie following, having seen the incident

ABS wouldn't have saved me that day...............the brakes would have let go too........ leaving me with no braking distance to stop before the rapidly approaching stop line................good job I had the quick reactions to let go of the brakes and re-apply

If I had braked harder, I would have gone down and slid under the Merc estate

Many years of offroad riding helps in these situations

If in doubt............... I always take to the grass/gravel

I've had plenty of other moments.......wet or dry on bikes with ABS and without ABS

Having makes you feel safer...................but you're not safer in the real world.

Sometimes you are, sometimes you're not.............................we all feck up

I think ABS increases the danger sometimes be increasing your braking distance, making sure you will hit the object you're braking to avoid

For novice riders........ ABS is a failsafe, meaning that they can 'slam-on' without locking the wheels and going down

 

[ExploringRTW]

I'm not sure we're helping you much Bikerider007 I'm sorry to say. All I can say is that in the incident I was in there was no way I could have braked as efficiently as the ABS did...and I too have a lot of riding experience. Johnny's obviously had an equally valid but different experience. As Cilla used to say, 'the choice is yours !'

I would add though I'm not sure in normal (read:not diesel) riding circumstances where there is evidence for ABS extending the braking distance. I think it's generally accepted that unless you are an incredible rider ABS will always bring you to stop faster than without as it effectively provides perpetually cadence braking which the normal person cannot hope to emulate.
Regards,

Mike

 

[HondaMan]

I bought a 1200gsa without ABS and don't regret it for a minute. I picked it up privately for a very good price so it was a no brainer for me. If I was buying new and could afford it, I would probably spec the ABS though just for that one occasion when you may need it. I know that not much help to you.....

I enjoy the peace of mind knowing there isn't anything complicated to go wrong but then on the flip side, the previous 1200 I owned had servo assisted with ABS and was never a minutes trouble. Again.....not much help, sorry

 

[britbike]

ABS?

ABS? I've only just got used to discs - I ride old brits and tend to favour a brick (anchor) in my pocket attached to a length of string for those extra scary moments - If I squeeze too hard on the front brake a fountain of brake fluid shoots forth out of the breather in the master cylinder and the front brake fades completely and I trap my thumb between the brake lever and the handlebarthis then leaves the rear brake as my back up! apparantly it's a twin shoe in a drum - all I know is when I press the back brake a funny red light comes on at the back of the bike - doesn't seem to slow me down much though!

 

[Trullion]

Wot's a disc? My'54 Tiger 100 has half-width SLS drum brakes front and rear. I find praying helps........

Re ABS it's very much a personal thing. I have an 1100RS with it and an 850GS without. I ride both in exactly the same way (I like to 'press on' a bit). The ABS has never cut in on the 1100 (other than when I deliberately tested it). Half the time the ABS isn't working anyway on account of the low battery charge fault. I accept that it can be a life saver, but riding bikes is risky anyway. I wouldn't turn a good bike down just because it doesn't have ABS; I would hazard a guess that most bikes don't.

Make your own mind up.

 

[fuddy]

That is the question, Now when i went into a bm dealer in london a couple of years ago the sales bloke he "wouldn't sell me a gs" without ABS. i am now looking at gs's again but alot more seriously this time i have found one without abs,
now i know that the crash bars are an extra but what else as the dealer is not a BM dealer he said the recall/s have been done .
he's is a pic
2005
13000 miles
£6000
i would say not bad condition just a little scruffy as i went to see it today.
What do you reckon
cheers

I had a look at that bike the other day in watton.
Ive seen alot better ones on this site for less money.
Ive been riding for thirty years now and never had abs on my bikes.

 

[Bem]

That is the question, Now when i went into a bm dealer in london a couple of years ago the sales bloke he "wouldn't sell me a gs" without ABS. i am now looking at gs's again but alot more seriously this time i have found one without abs,
now i know that the crash bars are an extra but what else as the dealer is not a BM dealer he said the recall/s have been done .
he's is a pic
2005
13000 miles
£6000
i would say not bad condition just a little scruffy as i went to see it today.
What do you reckon
cheers

As above, you should be able to get "better" for less ie full spec, lower miles, similar price. I would suggest you look at a Motorrad supplied bike because you will get the 12 month warranty with it.
And yes, my vote is for ABS.

 

[Micky]

"Here we go... here we go... here we go... "

Whatever you're happy with then go with it, but my sixpenneth...

45 years on two wheels, ridden to the moon and back... in all the accidents I ever had then I can say hand on heart that ABS would not have saved me. Getting my brain in to shape might have done, but not ABS

Ice and snow in the Eifel mountains a couple of years ago and the only bike out of four to go down was .... wait for it .... equipped with ABS.

Police advanced this and that, class one, instructor, royal escort

We would ride different patrol bike, some with ABS and some without. You never thought for a moment, when you jumped on a bike "now is this bike ABS equipped?" and ride any differently! Any accidents were shared equally between ABS and none ABS machines

I would never buy a bike with ABS thank you.... but each of course to their own

 

[Mr K]

As Micky says: Here we go..

I'm at the opposite end of the arguement though - Countless years on bikes - been an instructor up to license standard.. and yet ABS has saved my bacon on a few occassions.

In normal service it sits silently in the background, but when you didn't clock the diesel that caused the front end to fold momentarily or when you crested the rise to be greeted by a cow shit coated braking zone it is comforting, financialy and personally to know you will stop in the shortest possible distance..

I'm a human - I wouldn't buy a non-ABS bike anymore.

 

[AdamA]

I did survive an almost certain RTA on my Adv WITHOUT ABS, in Germany in July 2005

ABS can't save you from bad riding.

It can save you from applying a little too much brake than you should have tho, and lets face it to err is human, so ABS is a good thing IMO, if it works and you don't know it's there until it does, just like the setup on my current GSA.