[me3]

I did some testing of the ABS on dirt.
Summary - it works - I love it.

‪VStrom ABS Testing on Dirt Roads‬‏ - YouTube

Paul

 

[ockerstrom]

And add in the fact that, if you need to, you can still steer around an obstacle while hard on the brakes.

I love my ABS and it has allowed me to stop safely on both gravel and wet roads in "urgent" situations on a couple of occasions since I bought the bike.

Thanks for taking the time to do the video showing the results achieved by a "real" rider. :thumbup:

 

[Stoopy]

Did you test on anything but straight and level? I thought the scenario of biggest concern was on steep downhill grades approaching a drop-off where ABS tends to keep the wheels turning but you are trying to lock up the brakes before going over the edge...at least that's what I recall someone fighting with before...

 

[Stromin'Nroman]

I think there are two important elements in the videos: Knobbies and roads. I know that with Trailwing tires on the loose, rocky, damp downgrade of what once may have been a road, ABS is a liability. I speak from experience, it's like going down hill on frozen grease.

I leave the ABS on for familiar gravel or dirt roads. I tend to stay on "roads", paved or not and avoid things described by words like "trail", "single track" or "meadow".

 

[waynestronach]

where ABS tends to keep the wheels turning but you are trying to lock up the brakes before going over the edge

I assume you mean stop the wheels turning? With locked wheels on a steep slope you will speed up, not stop moving - try it sometime on a dirt bike, you need to keep the wheels from locking up to have good braking.

One of the problems with the videos showing people going out of control on steep downhills with ABS, is that they don't show the same rider on the same bike trying the same downhill without ABS. They may well go faster and more out of control without ABS.

 

[greywolf]

A loose, steep downhill is trouble either way but locking a wheel so energy can be lost to plowing the rear is better than wheels that can't be locked at all. Riders with standard brakes on such ground do not pump both brakes, they often lock the rears.

 

[johnnail]

A loose, steep downhill is trouble either way but locking a wheel so energy can be lost to plowing the rear is better than wheels that can't be locked at all. Riders with standard brakes on such ground do not pump both brakes, they often lock the rears.

Exactly so. Many riders use the rear brake to start a sliding turn

 

[BigMan73]

Nice video.
Wish I could see more of these braking videos from experienced riders.

 

[waynestronach]

A loose, steep downhill is trouble either way but locking a wheel so energy can be lost to plowing the rear is better than wheels that can't be locked at all. Riders with standard brakes on such ground do not pump both brakes, they often lock the rears.

With my DRZ-400 and on steep slippery downhills, wheels that were turning were generally better than wheels that weren't. While sometimes the rear may have locked, it was due to lack of skill rather than the converse. When the rear is locked it doesn't dig in, it tends to slide and try and overtake the front. This is never good on steep hills.

 

[AceRider]

I always believed that for most strom riders, especially for those not coming a strong dirtbike background (i am one), ABS is a help rather than a hinderance on loose surface. Remember this is adventure riding not dirt riding - with a heavy pig, fully loaded, do u want to practice sliding the rear going into corner or or a steep downhill, trying use the lock wheel to dig in.

If your skills are good enough to do all those move, you will be switching off ABS anyway.

very true about that certain video showing the BMW being out of control on a down hill run. He let off the brake (and i think clutch in) without engine braking for so long, he was speeding down the hill at a speed i doubt many can stop ABS or not - at least he kept it upright and ride out of it. If you watch the video - the rear brake light was NOT on until half way down the hill.

 

[PeteW]

Did you test on anything but straight and level? I thought the scenario of biggest concern was on steep downhill grades approaching a drop-off where ABS tends to keep the wheels turning but you are trying to lock up the brakes before going over the edge...at least that's what I recall someone fighting with before...

You can crash quite easily on the steep rutted downhill covered in gravel or find that your brakes are absolutely useless without ABS as well (Why I spent $$ on suspension, not better brakes or more power).

I agree with Ace, for most of the riding I'd do on a DL, I'd leave the ABS on if I had it.

I would fit a switch however , there were a few places I've been where ABS *might* be a problem.

Pete