Hello friends,

I have a new 08 Ultra Classic that I purchased last summer and when I was in the market for a new bike I was hell bend on sticking with what I know and that meant staying away from the ABS feature that HD is now offering... I am now having second thoughts... Should I be having these thoughts or did I do the right thing? Can someone share with me any personal Pros And Personal Cons of both with and without ABS.


Thanks A Bunch

 

This exact topic has been discussed a number of times in this forum. If you do a search you'll find plenty of threads, the last one not more than 2 months back.

IMHO, yes, ABS is worth every penny. There's the peace of mind you get knowing it's there to help in the event you need it, the re-sale of an ABS-equipped bike will be higher than a non-ABS bike, you may get a reduction in your insurance rates with ABS, etc.

I had to wait 2-1/2 months to get my Ultra because I insisted on ABS. I'm glad I did.

 

Get the ABS, do a search like Raaze mentioned, plenty of info on this out there.

 

Personally, I have it and knock on wood, have never had to use it.

Pro's: I guess it may help save our asses someday

Cons: Makes putting different bars on a little more challenging.

You'll get many different yay's and nay's here. But buy what you want and what makes you feel best. I go everywhere with my wife on the back, so it was a no brainer for me. I protect my copilot as much as I can.

 

There are those of us old schoolers that do not want the assist of ABS.Riding aggressively and having ABS would not work for me.

 

GET IT, you will die a fiery death without it. Without ABS your bike will instantly hit the ground anytime you try and stop. ABS will save your life everyday, it is a must have I think they should outlaw non ABS bikes because they are quite simply death traps!

 

A quick read of my service manual says that after doing a brake fluid flush on an ABS system you need to do something with the computer to verify a good system. Sounds like a fluid change is now a dealer only process.

 

If I read the op correctly, you already have a new bike. Enjoy the bike and don't worry about it. If you ride safe, the chances of needing it are not very great. If you decide ABS is a good idea, get it on your next bike. Remember, it can't save you from the laws of physics though so you still have to ride safe. My next bike will have ABS, but my current doesn't have it and I just ride accordingly.

 

okay...y'all are gonna think I am nuts but:

04/25/08...major accident nearly took my life due to a bundle of silt fencing on the highway, that I hit, doing 65mph (no helmet). 11 days in the hospital, blah blah...I'm still here for a reason!

Fast-forward to Sturgis 08:
Drove my truck up to Sturgis because I had already sent my deposit and I didn't want to miss out on hooking up with my "Sturgis Family."

While in Sturgis, I did a demo ride on the '09 Ultra' because I knew that I was going to ride again. While on my demo ride, I intentionally did a series of ABS tests.

First test: I was getting off I-90 at x60, while at 65mph, I literally MASHED on the rear brake pedal til the bike was at about 30mph. Came to a complete stop.

Results: The bike was EXTREMELY solid/stable. There was the 'abs pulsing' in the pedal, but the bike was solid and completely vertical.

Second Test: Got the bike moving again, and at about 35mph and did a FRONT BRAKE only ABS test. Brought bike to a complete stop.

Results: Handlebars had a very slight (<1" of movement) wiggle, felt the ABS pulse on the front brake and again, the bike was completely upright and solid/stable.

Final Test: On I-90Bus, heading back towards the convention center, I got the bike up to approximately 45mph, did a combined Front/Rear brake ABS Test.

Results: The bike was EXTREMELY solid/stable. There was the 'abs pulsing' in the pedal/brake lever, but the bike was solid and completely vertical.

All that said, I will say that ABS is going to be on my new bike and I would highly recommend ABS to anyone. While it may not have allowed me to stop my bike completely (during my accident), it may have allowed me to slow down sufficiently to where I could swerve to miss the bundle of silt fencing.

Hope this helps!

 

Just one mishap on Rt 66 made me a believer. An ABS equipped bike can stop SHORT.