I would never buy a bike without it. I am looking for my first HD (new or used) and the first question I ask or look for is if it has ABS. If it does not I walk away from that bike. ABS is a must without question.

 

I'm at a bit of a loss here ,
how bad are some of you guys at riding that you feel ABS is the be all and end all of bike technology ?,
good brakes will save lives but ABS will only help a bike with **** brakes feel better , it may be a little safer as well , but Harley should really be putting dual disc front brakes with braided hoses and descent quality callipers on all there models before they dupe you guys into buying this fantastic invention called ABS , that only really compensates for poor quality parts and rider incompetence in most cases .

 

So you say ABS, "may be safer"? Either it's better, or it isn't, period.

It's better and that's why it's good thing to have.

 

Might have only one disk with one miserly caliper on the front on my bones, but sure have succeeded in locking up the front a couple of times already.

Nothing like having a troupe of monkeys decide to cross the road right in front of you ...

 

what I'm saying is that ABS cannot compensate for poor brakes , sort the brakes first then if need be add ABS after ,
you can't polish a turd

 

I dont think people are saying they rely on the ABS, just that its a nice option to have.
but i do agree with you... bike that weighs this much should have better brakes.
I understand why a goldwing that weighs almost 1000 lbs should have abs

I feel like this is gonna get ugly

 

When I bought my lo, the dealer said they would put security on without the ABS package, so it's definitely do-able.

I tend to think ABS on a bike is overkill. Learn how to break in a controlled manner and give enough space in front of you to prevent lock-ups in panic stops and you'll never need it. Save that 1k for a stage 1.

I do like the security on my bike, but I live in a city and I don't have a garage for my bike. If I was able to keep it off the street or lived outside of the city, I probably wouldn't bother with the security either. The keyless start is pretty slick though!

 

I think I am at a bit of a loss by your comments. I don't disagree with the need for good brake components and dual discs... but those items go towards braking POWER. ABS does NOT contribute (nor detract from) braking power. It contributes to braking CONTROL. They seem to be two seperate issues to me.


The thing that really amazes me is the irrational, emotional responses. So many people have the attitude "people been riding bikes for a hundred years without ABS... we don't need it!" Sounds like the words of a Luddite!! People also been riding for a hundred years without fuel injection, dyno tuning, advanced compound tires, synthetic oil, etc. Does that mean we don't need these things either? By these guys opinions, motorcycle technology should have stayed stagnant. I guess they think we should all be riding the early motorcycles which were nothing more than a bicycle with a motor attached. Those kind of comments make no sense at all.

ABS is a wonderful invention. But I have seen insurance industry reports that suggest that ABS does NOTHING to reduce accident rates. While it does provide safer panic stopping for the experienced rider, the person who isn't very familiar with ABS gets into a panic situation, hits the brakes hard and the feels the "buzz" of the ABS activating. Not recognizing this as a properly functioning ABS system, they panic and release the brakes... thereby allowing the accident to occur that they were in a panic to avoid.

So, my opinion.... ABS is great. But, if you are going to have it, you really need to train yourself on how to use it. Go to an empty parking lot... preferably when it is wet. Practice some panic stops. Experience the ABS "buzz" so you don't feel it for the first time as you are trying to avoid that cager who just turned left in front of you. Once you are practiced up... then ABS is a tremendous benefit.

 

thats the poor quality components i mentioned ,if you have none braided hoses on the bones , the brake hose is expanding as you apply pressure on the brake lever , then when it stops expanding you get a full brake application instead of a gradual or progressive one ,
maybe that little calliper isn't up to the job and works so hard to slow such a big bike down it locks on , a multi pot calliper or a couple of 2 or 3 pots would help that ,
it could also be poor tire quality or a mix of all three ,
you will always be able to lock a back wheel up as the weight transfers forward under braking making the back end light and prone to the odd skid but it should never be bad enough to get out of control ,
have a ride a fat bob , its still not perfect but the improvement is very noticeable compared the soft tails

 

Makes sense.

I dig it and I polish my turds.

J