I see what you did there

 

@aboatguy

Thank you for the update Glad it went well.

If you not going to do anything with the old HCU I'd be interested in it.
I have been hoping to find one I could tear apart to see about the insides.

WP

 

So how can you tell if your bike has ABS or not? I'm picking up an 08 Ultra and I'm curious if it has ABS or not. This will be my first Harley (but not my first motorcycle by far) so I'm just learning about them at a deeper level than I've had experience with. I do all of my own work on all my bikes so this is something I'd like to learn about.

 

There should be electrical wires running to the front axle along the brake lines for the speed sensor.

 

I did notice that there was a wire zip tied to the left side brake caliper hose when my buddy and I replaced the pads. We figured it was for some kind of a wheel speed sensor but didn't put two and two together. Didn't follow it though to see where it went. Thought I don't think it went down to the axle. Is there anything else there that would require an electrical connection?

 

Might be for the front fender tip light

 

Ah yes, I didn't think about that. It did look like it went up and under the fender so I'll bet that's what it's for. I didn't see any other wires so I'm guessing I'm lucky and this bike doesn't have ABS.

 

Look at the left side brake caliper and if it has wires zip tied to the brake hose that lead to a sensor at the axle, it has ABS.

Despite the issues with H-D ABS, I wouldn't have another motorcycle without it. It can save your life.

 

ABS Lamp See Figure 7. On ABS equipped models, the amber ABS indicator lamp begins to flash at key ON to indicate that the system is operational. It continues to flash until motorcycle speed exceeds 3 mph (5 km/h). Continuous illumination of the lamp will only occur when ABS detects that the system is malfunctioning. In the diagnostic mode, the lamp will also illuminate to indicate the presence of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). See a Harley-Davidson dealer for service.

 

It can also kill you with a mid ride failure. There is something I like better if I fail to do things properly rather than a surprise, unannounced failure doing me in. I can make sure I have adequate interval for easy braking, but NO ONE plans on a BRAKE FAILURE. How much ADDED INTERVAL does one need for that?