04-24-2015, 11:41 AM
This is interesting. My 2012 CBR250R has Combined ABS.
The front caliper has three pistons, whereas the non-ABS bike has two pistons. There is also more pad area on the ABS model. There are two hoses going to the front ABS caliper. One hose is connected to the front lever and operates the outer two pistons. The second hose is connected to the rear pedal through a delay valve and operates the center piston.
Some CBR250R riders who track their bikes in 250-class racing rely 100% on the front lever only for their braking. They report the ABS model being out-braked by the non-ABS models and the Ninja 250s.
Here's the reason, IMO: Honda engineers started with the supposition that for street riding, maximum straightline braking performance occurs with simultaneous use of the front lever and rear pedal. Maximum kinetic energy dissipated as heat on two rotors. Proper front lever technique calls for "brush and bury," that is, "brush" the front brakes to load and set the front forks, then "bury" the lever to squeeze the disk for all it's worth.
With Combined ABS, if the rider (let's presume, newer and less experienced) "grabs a handful of front brake" in a panic...they are not really able to apply the full measure of "bury" force. So in effect they are "brushing" and loading the suspension with front lever. If they also apply rear pedal pressure, then after a delay through the valve, the rear pedal will apply pressure to the center piston of the front caliper. At this point we have the "bury" condition fully in effect. The new rider subsequently stops his/her ride at the maximum rate despite their imperfect braking skills.
It is noteworthy that the current-generations CBR300R with ABS no longer has Combined ABS and the second hose is gone from the front caliper. So Honda has apparently reconsidered their philosophy.
Some people despise Combined ABS. For me personally, it's a matter of understanding the system in place on the bike and using it appropriately. When I need to stop quickly with my Combined ABS, I use front lever and rear pedal. This is something I practice as well. Something I rarely do anymore, but did occasionally when I was learning to ride, is to apply some light rear pedal when I felt I was a little hot going into a corner. With C-ABS, this also gave me light pressure on the front brake (after a brief delay that I would say is 0.25 sec), which keeps the front suspension set correctly and results in safer mid-corner braking while leaned over.
The front caliper has three pistons, whereas the non-ABS bike has two pistons. There is also more pad area on the ABS model. There are two hoses going to the front ABS caliper. One hose is connected to the front lever and operates the outer two pistons. The second hose is connected to the rear pedal through a delay valve and operates the center piston.
Some CBR250R riders who track their bikes in 250-class racing rely 100% on the front lever only for their braking. They report the ABS model being out-braked by the non-ABS models and the Ninja 250s.
Here's the reason, IMO: Honda engineers started with the supposition that for street riding, maximum straightline braking performance occurs with simultaneous use of the front lever and rear pedal. Maximum kinetic energy dissipated as heat on two rotors. Proper front lever technique calls for "brush and bury," that is, "brush" the front brakes to load and set the front forks, then "bury" the lever to squeeze the disk for all it's worth.
With Combined ABS, if the rider (let's presume, newer and less experienced) "grabs a handful of front brake" in a panic...they are not really able to apply the full measure of "bury" force. So in effect they are "brushing" and loading the suspension with front lever. If they also apply rear pedal pressure, then after a delay through the valve, the rear pedal will apply pressure to the center piston of the front caliper. At this point we have the "bury" condition fully in effect. The new rider subsequently stops his/her ride at the maximum rate despite their imperfect braking skills.
It is noteworthy that the current-generations CBR300R with ABS no longer has Combined ABS and the second hose is gone from the front caliper. So Honda has apparently reconsidered their philosophy.
Some people despise Combined ABS. For me personally, it's a matter of understanding the system in place on the bike and using it appropriately. When I need to stop quickly with my Combined ABS, I use front lever and rear pedal. This is something I practice as well. Something I rarely do anymore, but did occasionally when I was learning to ride, is to apply some light rear pedal when I felt I was a little hot going into a corner. With C-ABS, this also gave me light pressure on the front brake (after a brief delay that I would say is 0.25 sec), which keeps the front suspension set correctly and results in safer mid-corner braking while leaned over.