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ABS NO brakes down a rocky hill

7K views 45 replies 27 participants last post by  Don_T 
#1 ·
just had my first bad experience with the ABS on my G with an intresting result . Coming down a rocky / gravely track an the bike started to pick up speed and I could feel the ABS trying to do its thing an fail miserably. As I picked up speed I would bounce more and speed up more and so on and so forth then in a moment of shear brilliance or panic Im not sure witch I hit the kill switch to try to get some compression lock from the back wheel and this seemed to not only slow me down but it felt like it settled the front brake as well .It may have been just in my moment of panic that it just felt like the front brake was working or did the kill switch turn off the ABS. ( NEXT MOD ,ABS SWITCH ) .:jawdrop:
 
#5 ·
Well of course most people would tell him it's his fault. It most certainly can't be the all powerful ABS and its super brain screwing up. I am sure it saved him from a most certain death by allowing him to maintain control and avoiding a wheel washing out while flying down that hill at excessive speed. One can't even imagine how ABS contributed to this situation in the least.


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#3 · (Edited)
I havn't had problems, but if the ABS cuts in under those conditions I let the brakes off and punch them again. The difference for me between ABS and non-ABS is that with ABS the risk of a front wheel washout is vastly reduced and I'm hitting the front brake a lot harder.

FWIW. You can fit a switch to cut the power to the ABS - I certainly would if I'd had that problem, it was on my todo list when I got the L2, but after some stress testing decided *I* didn't need it. Pretty obviously, your milage does vary :).

(Check the Eastern Beaver web site)

Pete
 
#4 ·
I always wondered if the wheel popping up in the air over rocks would cause problems. The sensor detects a wheel spinning at speed, then you get on the brakes at the same time the wheel hits a bump, so the brakes bring that wheel speed to nearly zero instantly, at which point the ABS releases that brake since it is sensing what a skid would look like to a dumb sensor, the wheel lands with little-to-no braking going on, then the sensor detects wheel spin again and applies the brake, you hit another bump, the sensor detects the equivalent of a skid and releases the brake, repeat ad nauseum.

The bumpier the terrain, the worse it would be....which is near disaster on a steep downhill full of loose rocks. On my Non-ABS KLR, there were many times in the desert I'd have full or nearly full lock front and rear on steep, rocky downhills, and I'd still be picking up speed because it was just so darn steep. It's a bad feeling. That must have been how you felt if the ABS kept letting off the brakes when you just wanted them to grab.

I may have to look into EB's cut-off switch after all.
 
#7 ·
I hit the kill switch to try to get some compression lock from the back wheel and this seemed to not only slow me down but it felt like it settled the front brake as well
ABS has its place.

A rock-strewn downgrade is not it.

I had a similar experience on my brand new 2007.

Unfortunately, I did not have the presence of mind to hit the kill switch.

I was unharmed, my bike suffered only flesh wounds.

On unfamiliar terrain, I remove the fuses, I believe that also works on the 2012's.

ABS is as deadly as seatbelts.
 
#8 ·
If your going off road, just put the bike on centre stand and spin the wheels independantly. I'm pretty sure that stops the ABS.
 
#13 ·
:confused: :confused:

I doubt it......

Calling Greywolf to the page, I've never heard of doing this before and have my doubts it would work.

Pull the relay switch under the seat for dirt days, or fit the switch mod available as an after market kit.
 
#9 · (Edited)
You want to have fun? Get into a truck with abs and drive down a road where you have ice on one side of the road and the other is almost dry.
When you hit the brakes the abs goes off and because two wheels are on ice and the other two are on dry pavement. You end up going faster than you were going.
This did happen to me, good thing the N&S road was dry or I would of needed a new truck.
Also I watched a fellow glee rider follow me down a steep long rocky road.
When it was all over he told me that high speed rock hopping with a new bike is not fun.:yikes:
If you are doing this type of riding get the switch! :thumbup:
I don't think that I have seen a dirt bike with abs yet.
 
#15 ·
I had something like that happen on my GS with my wife on back. We were slow (a few MPH) rolling downhill on a rocky/bumpy gravel road. I couldn't get the bike to stay at a slow speed due to the ABS.

I realized pretty quickly what was happening and just switched off the key. Problem solved, but I think things could have got scary otherwise.

BTW, that was the only issue I every had with ABS and overall I liked it.
 
#16 ·
I've never really found a situation where the ABS is trying to kill me yet. I have done some knarly rocky down hills too. I have pulled the fuse before but since it's an option, why pull it? Then it's just dead weight.
 
#17 · (Edited)
The Kill Switch idea can also be used in another situation...a hillclimb where you aren't going to make it. And it's better than trying to turn off the key.

Hit the kill switch as your forward momentum stops, but, don't touch the front brake (it doesn't do any good anyway at this point) and DO NOT pull in the clutch. The dead engine will lock the back tire for you and hold you still, or, have you slowly going backward down the hill. Again, don't touch the front brake...it will only skid. When you get settled, and ready to get off the hill, turn the front wheel as much as possible one way or the other, and FEATHER the clutch (with a dead engine, mind you!) to allow the back wheel to roll just a bit. Do it over and over, and your bike will slowly get sideways, at which point you can then point the front wheel downhill (it usually is sliding that way by now anyway), and now the bike is able to be ridden back down.
 
#18 ·
The Kill Switch idea can also be used in another situation...a hillclimb where you aren't going to make it. And it's better than trying to turn off the key.

Hit the kill switch as your forward momentum stops, but, don't touch the front brake (it doesn't do any good anyway at this point) and DO NOT pull in the clutch. The dead engine will lock the back tire for you and hold you still, or, have you slowly going backward down the hill. Again, don't touch the front brake...it will only skid. When you get settled, and ready to get off the hill, turn the front wheel as much as possible one way or the other, and FEATHER the clutch to allow the back wheel to roll just a bit. Do it over and over, and your bike will slowly get sideways, at which point you can then point the front wheel downhill (it usually is sliding that way by now anyway), and now the bike is able to be ridden back down.
Great suggestion. Added to my mental library of how to deal with oh-shiiiit moments.
Thanks.
 
#21 ·
I've never really found a situation where the ABS is trying to kill me yet. I have done some knarly rocky down hills too.
It depends how loose the surface is. Downhill on loose stuff is not what our ABS is programmed to handle.
 
#22 ·
The 2012 Glee is my first ABS equipped machine after nearly 25yrs of riding many other bikes on and off road. On the pavement, I've been very satisfied so far with the ABS function. Have activated the front and rear intentionaly to feel it's effects. Pretty cool! After reading other similar threads and watching some demo videos, I opted for the EB cutoff harness and switch(I was ordering more stuff from them anyhow.). I doubt it will be disabled very often but when I find myself on loose and hilly terrain, I'll probably opt to switch it off and rely on "old-school" braking methods. It's worked for me all these years so far.

Options are nice, especially on a machine as versatile as the Strom.
 
#31 ·
If spinning the rear wheel works:

On pavement, I'll turn on the ignition switch and lean it over on the kickstand like I'm going to pivot it around (I don't have a centerstand), and kick the rear tire with my foot to spin it. Probably have to hold my tongue just right....

In the dirt, a "burnout" would be simple and easy.
 
#32 ·
Question is on pavement, why would you want to turn it off - unless you hate ABS anyway, in which case the next question is:

on pavement, it's easier to unplug the fuse - instead pivot on your side stand ....

would someone confirm this method works for vstrom - i know it works for ST but not sure for vstrom
 
#38 ·
Did you stop and turn the bike off, then spin the wheel while the ABS is still on after start-up?

If the ABS light has gone off already then it doesn't care if you do big wheelies or long burn-outs, I've tried both.

But I haven't tried doing them immediately, while the ABS is still on after start-up (before you get up to 8kph?).
 
#39 ·
I was on the bike this morning and tried to turn off the ABS by turning the key on tilt the bike over and gave the back wheel a spin and it didn't work ? Then turned the key off and on again and tried the wheel spin in the dirt idear and that didn't work ether . I tried both ways a couple of times and as soon as I moved off the ABS light went out !
 
#42 ·
Going down could remove an expensive part. It is significantly easier to pull a fuse.
 
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