I'm 65 years old and been rideing motor bikes sence I was about 10. I have never had a bike with ABS till my 2010 EGC. The bike was already equiped with it. It also has never work right sence I have had the bike. The ABS light sometime stays on and sometimes goes out lke its suppose too. I have taken it to two different stealers a dozen or more times and it still doesn't work right. So, I just pulled the fuse. I'm not going to tell you I'm the best rider out here, but I have never had an aciedent because I didn't have ABS. I'm not saying I haven't had my share of spills, but ABS wouldn't have changed the outcome. Just saying

 

The video that came with my "11 FLHRC repeats "Straight line braking".
Sorry to hear about this issue about "in the turn braking".
Sounds like more work needs done. Thanks for posting this.
Glad you are OK.

 

Then it sounds like you shouldn't do it. Doesn't matter what type or size of bike you're riding, the principle is the same. The OP's riding credentials are not at issue here, the issue is the road and the ABS system. And to be blunt, he's right. I was a huge supporter of Harley's ABS system for the 2 years and 47,000 miles I had my Limited. 99% of the time, it does exactly what it's supposed to do, and for 99% of the riders out there, it's hugely beneficial. With all that said, as the proud owner and rider of a BMW R12RT with ABS, the Harley system pales in comparison with regards to feel, finesse, and application.

For regular riding (commuting or whatever), I think the Harley ABS is worthwhile, and I think it's foolish to disable it. For the type of riding the OP was doing, and a lot of what I did, the ABS can be a liability at times. A switchable system would be nice, but the Mothership certainly isn't going to offer it.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard, "you can't brake or downshift in a corner, you'll crash".

 

The safest way for most riders to ride on the street is to do all hard braking prior to entering into a corner using both brakes then accelerating through the corner. Letting off the throttle, pulling in the clutch, or hitting the brakes all have the same effect. They stand the bike up and straighten out the turn.. This is taught to riders in safety courses because it is the safest way to ride for the vast majority of riders. HD ABS works pretty well for this.

Spend some time watching a motogp or superbike rider in a race and you will see 1 to 2 fingers always on the front brake lever. The rider feathers brakes in corners often. Your not braking hard just scrubbing a little speed to change your trajectory. The rider who brakes the latest and accelerates the hardest will make the pass in the corner. The same techniques can used on our bikes and there are many who enjoy riding their HD's to its limits. Granted that limit is much slower than a sportbike but its still fun. In these situations HD ABS will kick in causing a loss of braking effectiveness. I'm not saying this technique should be used the average rider but to say someone doesn't know how to ride if they're using their brakes in the corners is just silly.

 

Upgrading your front and rear suspension will help a lot...

 

I'll 2nd a few of the comments placing the blame on the suspension. I'm surprised at how bad the stock suspension is on the touring bikes...it's not all that plush, but doesn't handle larger bumps either. On smooth roads I'm happy with the ABS performance... on rougher roads (where car ABS still works fine) the bike doesn't do as good of a job, because the tire isn't being kept in good contact with the road.

Now you guys have me thinking of wiring up the ABS power circuit to the accessory switch in the nacelle.

 

that sounds like a good mod

 

have had harley abs on a few bikes and hate the thumping pounding of the brake pedal, and if need be, being able to lock up the rear wheel and slide out of the way of a car or truck, instead of being plastered into it if its impossible to stop in time. can deal with or without it.

 

Not sure why anyone would want to ride a touring bike "aggressively", I thought the whole point was to chill out and enjoy the scenery, but each to their own.

What this thread highlights - yet again - is the poor state of the stock suspension on these bikes. Is it really too much to ask HD put decent quality shocks on these bikes considering their price point? Perhaps they should stick a few hundred quid on the price and give the customers the quality components stock, but frankly, they should have got that when they paid top dollar/pounds for a new bike.

There's no good reason why people who've just parted with 20 grand for a motorcycle finding themselves on the Ohlins website within weeks looking for an upgrade. The bike should be at the top of its game OUT THE DOOR.

 

Preach on brother! I have said the same thing all along. Experienced riders dont need ABS and most of us dont want it.