I saw you in both videos, them side by side videos. Don't forget to read the comments. Some of them are as dumb as the jet-black spiders I catch crawling in my bed (grandma said a smart spider would avoid capture).

 

The absolute shortest stopping distance is always achieved with threshold braking. That's true on any vehicle. However, perfect threshold braking is easier said than done.

ABS does increase stopping distance (slightly) if it's activated. However, anytime it's activated it means you would have had a locked wheel skid. Dealing with a skid on a motorcycle requires training, practice, and a cool reaction. ABS "reacts" to a skid in microseconds, and in a way a human cannot.

Now, it's still important to learn and practice proper braking. If you can brake properly and never activate ABS, that's ideal. But even if you've started to braking properly and either apply improperly, or misjudge the surface; ABS works best when proper braking has been initiated.

Some guys are letting ABS replace good braking skills, and that's a dangerous habit.

Please remember that every time ABS activates, it indicates the rider has made a braking error. The nice thing is that - because ABS corrects for the error - the rider gets a chance to think about it. Please make sure you accept the opportunity ABS provides, and use it as a reminder to improve.

If anyone is interested, last year I added a section just on ABS, to my "Motor Lessons" booklet. It covers the ins and outs of ABS in more detail. Of course it's free. I do not sell the booklet, or anything else. I don't even keep people's email addresses. If you want it, please email me at:

motorlessons@hotmail.com

and I'll send the PDF right back to you.

Harris
Denver, CO

www.youtube.com/conedown

 

^I'm interested in seeing how someone who was trying to stop on the wet would do without ABS, not just pull on the brakes as hard as they could.

 

Wow those leathers made my *** look big

 

Hell, ABS has only been on motorcycle - in a big way - for about 10 or 12 years. You can see exactly how people did stopping on wet surfaces. Generally pretty poorly.

That's a great example of why ABS is worth every penny. Even those of us unfortunate enough to go through motor school during a rainy spell, and thus who've had a lot of practice braking on wet pavement; would be the first to say water affects different surfaces differently, and on the street you don't get any practice runs to get the feel for it.

Another time that ABS is a huge benefit is when there's a surface change. Let's say for example, Susie cell phone is rolling along in the mini-van on an emergency mission to get Tyler and Madison their juice boxes. Naturally, she can't delay that left turn into the path of your motor. So, you've got it going on, and are threshold braking, without ABS activation. Then you go from the regular asphalt across the painted crosswalk. The coefficient of friction is cut by 1/3. Without ABS, you're instantly in a front wheel lock-up. With ABS, everything's hunky-dory. Again, this technically is a braking error, just as is locking a wheel/activating ABS on a wet surface. However, it's an error just about everyone is going to make when that Dodge Caravan is filling more and more of your field of view.

Harris
Denver, CO

www.youtube.com/conedown

 

Glad you're allright! I wish I had ABS. THe brakes on my 07 are so much better than anything I had before, I still lock the back wheel about 20% of the time when practicing panic stopping. I just can't get it though my head that I don't have to stand on it anymore....

 

For free? What, are you rich and don't need extra cash? If you're not rich then you might be currently looking at a missed business opportunity: turn the PDF into an ebook and sell it on Kindle or through Clickbank. If you need an agent I'm ready lol.

 

I have ABS on my 2012 Street Glide, I had it on my Ultra Classic, and had a very close call. When I decided to get another Bike, I started looking for 2012 Street Glide, the Dark Purple with Flames, I found three, two of them without ABS, and finally I found one with. I did not even consider buying the ones without ABS. To me it is a no brainier decision point!

 

Nah, I just don't want karma to run over my dogma.

I'm hardly rich when it comes to money, but if I can give a little back for all that the motorcycling world has done for me...

Every so often I'll get an email from someone telling me about a situation where something in the booklet made a difference for them between a crash and not. Donald Trump doesn't feel any richer than I do when that happens .

It's free. Always has been and always will be.

Harris
Denver, CO

www.youtube.com/conedown

 

Yeah so you say. (just kiddin) Seriously if you want another $$$ idea that includes altruism and good karma then you might consider giving one-on-one riding lessons to new riders starting out. To check out the competition >go to the Los Angeles and San Francisco Craigslist >go to the search box located over on the left side of the page >type 'motorcycle course' in the field and you'll see how other private instructors advertise their school.
Thank you for your service to the community

craigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites/