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ABS - how does it feel?

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abs brakes
8K views 28 replies 20 participants last post by  PeteW 
#1 ·
Trying to decided between an ABS bike and non-ABS (650 Strom, in either case).

When braking and *not engaging* ABS, how do the brakes feel? Are they the same as a non-ABS Strom?

I'd hate to get the bike and find that the brakes feel odd, just because it has ABS.
 
#2 ·
If the ABS is not engaged, the brakes feel just like the standard bike. I've had both.
 
#18 ·
No need to be sorry even when you have some time on the board some of this group get their feathers ruffled. It was a perfectly legit question from a new to ABS on a motorcycle rider.
 
#11 ·
I'm not ruffled..I just answered your question in the simplest terms I could.
If your bike ever activates the ABS brake system you will be a very happy camper...most likely it will save you a high side. The rest of the time you won't know it's there unless you ride in the dirt where it can be a nuisance and you might want to disable it.
 
#13 ·
I took my 2011 out for a ride today and did some braking tests. The pavement wasn't really wet, just slightly damp, and I was travelling around 35-40 mph. That's my favorite speed to practice locking one brake at a time so that I remember how to deal with that in an emergency.

i found both front and rear brakes performed very well. The rear brake did not feel wooden to me today and the front brake had pretty good power. Neither one would lock, of course, and I could feel a very very slight pulsing coming from somewhere.

I don't think the ABS models will benefit from premium brake pads as much as the non-ABS bikes do. It will be interesting to see how the brakes on my 2011 feel after they are well broken in. I have less than 100 miles on it right now.

Mike Brown
Vancouver, WA
 
#14 ·
Kent since you are a new member please let me be the first to give you a proper welcome.

One noticeable thing you may feel that is different than how ABS functions on a car or truck is having the ABS activate over bumps when you may only be gently braking. You'll notice this when the front wheel gets very light or temporarily loses the contact patch altogether on surffaces such as washboard bumps. It's a different scenario than the classic flat-out emergency stop so you may be surprised to feel the brake lever pulsate ever so slightly under your fingers, and wonder why it's doing that until you get used to it. It's not a big deal, just unique to ABS dynamics in the 2-wheel world.
 
#15 ·
[...]
One noticeable thing you may feel that is different than how ABS functions on a car or truck is having the ABS activate over bumps when you may only be gently braking. [...] It's not a big deal, just unique to ABS dynamics in the 2-wheel world.
This is not unique to motorcycles. Cars do it as well, you just never noticed.

Most cars have better suspension than the strom, and the tire might not lose as much traction over a bump (the car's weight also contributes to this), but I've had the ABS engage on many cars while braking over bumps.

Maybe the reason you don't feel it in your car is because its ABS system is slow (8 or less pulses per second for some of the most ancient/cheap ones), and the wheel regains traction somewhere between the first and second pulse, or possibly also because the ABS hasn't had time to react yet (some of them take over a second to do their thing).
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
Kent,

what stoopy said is correct... although i must say newer (and strom hasnt got the latest ABS hardware) like Super Tenere deals with the front wheel getting light over the bump scenario a lot better.

The suspension chanllenge for motorbikes is always that the ratio of unsuspended mass (wheels, brakes etc) to suspended mass is so much higher than that of cars and other vehicles.

no ABS activation- no different - all the theories about braking still hold true - progressive squeeze to max braking traction, better pads (EBC HH) for better feel etc....

once ABS activated - keep the braking pressure on - the computer is doing its release and activate, dont try to do what the computer does - this is different from non-abs brake you because you would have to do yourself that in a non-abs bike.

Still always learn to be able to brake to the max without locking, as abs activation in front will introduce some load changes on the front wheel - it's not ideal if you are on any lean angle - but better than the front wash out under u.

and for times u are riding aggressively in the dirt (u would have to be a very capable dirt rider to ride the strom that way) and find ABS a hinderance, just piull the fuse or fabricate a switch for it.
 
#19 ·
It feels better than crashing.:thumbup:

As others have said, you will not detect you even have it UNTIL you cause it to activate, then you'll feel the rapid pulsation. I have only had my rear activate once, when panic braking to avoid a herd (flock?covey?bevy?group?crowd?murder?swarm?school?) of peacocks in the road on a right curve. It worked.
 
#20 ·
It feels better than crashing.:thumbup:
Well, that's the reason I'm interested.
Commuting across the Bay Bridge in fog, rain and stop & go traffic make me want it.

I understand that people don't. That's fine with me too.

As others have said, you will not detect you even have it UNTIL you cause it to activate, then you'll feel the rapid pulsation.
That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

Thanks!
 
#22 ·
Agreed...no difference until lock up...then it's the standard rapid modulation that you'd feel with your car. I know it's asked and answered already, but have had this ABS wee for 3 years + and never noticed anything until that lockup point.

Now, change to steel braided brake lines, that I might feel
 
#23 · (Edited)
abs activation

My abs activates on small bumps at times when slowing down....then it scares the ship out of my and almost causes a wreck. The bike lunges forward when losing traction....not clear to me weather abs is good for anything but wet pavement. Otherwise it seems unpredictable....which is scary.
 
#24 ·
My abs activates on small bumps at times when slowing down....then it scares the ship out of my and almost causes a wreck. The bike lunges forward when losing traction....not clear to me weather abs is good for anything but wet pavement. Otherwise it seems unpredictable....which is scary.
Sounds as if you have something wrong with your ABS. It should not do that.
 
#25 ·
If the tire gets airborne off the bump tops, it will activate the ABS because the wheel has no traction in the air. Go over the bumpy place until you get used to it. Just keep the brakes applied. The usual problem is the scared rider lets off the brake and goes farther than intended. All it takes is some practice keeping the brakes applied while the lever is vibrating.
 
#28 ·
The 2012 ABS computer reacts a lot faster - it feels almost a non-issue during my test rides - i deliberately induce the activation by braking over very bumpy roads. On my own K8, it feels a bit unnerving when it activates over big bumps because it induces certain amount of unwanted load transfer when activation happens over bump.
 
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