Three in three. RIP.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I have ABS ... "Always Be Sliding" on my bike.

OK, I will give you kudos for that one. Have not heard it before.

Ahh.. Another ABS discussion. LOL My only disagreement with The Ferret is that he gives too much credit to the skilled rider. I read a comparison test (or saw a youtube video) a couple of years ago where a professional rider tested an ABS bike and a non-ABS bike in wet and dry conditions. If I recall, the rider stopped the non-ABS bike faster than the ABS bike 2 of 6 times on dry pavement, but 0 out of 6 times on wet pavement. I forget the starting speed, but it wasn't 60...probably more like 25mph. One could argue that the longer the distance on dry pavement, the better the odds that the expert rider on a non-ABS bike will stop faster. In the end, though, darn few of us have the skill or the reflexes to bring a non-ABS bike to a controlled stop faster than an ABS bike.

Well yea, we are not disagreeing at all Sea. That's what the word "MAY" was in there for, and the caveat at the bottom about the wet roads etc being all bets off. The skilled rider "may" be able to stop quicker without ABS, then again he may not, even in perfect conditions. There is a razor thin line between maximum stopping power and skidding. Razor thin. Most cannot walk that line. I have, and I have also failed at it. No guarantees. ABS fattens up that line considerably for us mere mortals. I have it on my DLX.

So much also depends on the quality of the ABS. Many kick in way too soon. I think the new ZX-10R - with cornering ABS and a six-axis IMU - has one of the best available, as far as providing great feel and modulation it is very close to "expert" level. Don't know about the new R1 but suspect it's pretty good, too. For sure the yeoman's motorcycle is not gonna get that kind of software and hardware. My BMW F800GS has decent ABS but it just kicks in much sooner than it should on dry pavement. Pretty coarse specifications, cheap ECU, etcetera.

As far as too much credit to the skilled rider, the thing about any rider regardless of skill is the rider can have an off day; the ABS in theory is always on the job.