What Has Happened To Motorcyclists?

[triumph david]

The dollar bill is about a lot of "all the new stuff".

 

[Red Merle]

If “a good rider” can hold both brakes, at the point just before lock up (with or without ABS) AND STILL react instantaneously at the point of lock up, independently pulsing front and rear brakes at more than the ABS rate of 15 pulses a second and stop pulsing the relevant brake the instant it is no longer necessary, then I’d accept that statement.

 

[brooke]

Am home this morning with the Afib and the snow storm which should turn to rain around supper time , temperature heading to plus 8 c / 50 f tomorrow, so have some time to spew some jibberish . Seriously , we really need the rain and the Hillsboro hasn’t froze over yet . Looks like this will be the first year the River has never frozen but don’t get me wrong I’m blaming it on climate change , just couldn’t bring myself to upsetting anyone.
Like all the electronics on the bikes it’s just one of the things we have to live with . I don’t think I need all that stuff but I enjoy the ABS and the heated grips . When I bought the ‘11 tiger abs was an 800 $ option on a 13,000 $ bike , a big hunk of change to my thinking . When I installed the steel brake lines on the ‘ 84 CXE the rear brake was way to strong and gave me a bad scare twice before I caught on . I think we old racers ride a bit to fast especially when we find some twisties so we need all the help we can get . An ADV bike has a huge difference in F/R contact patch size and that the situation also .
Whether a motorcycle or a car the gizmos are all the rage and there is good reason for it . The basic machine is at very high level but has to improve every year so why not do it with sensors , switches and wire which are not doubt much cheaper than bigger forks , brakes and motors . Still yearn for a mid seventies motocrosser though , just a kill switch ..the 75 tnt RV sled had a kill switch and a tether cord .
That was the start of the whole mess !

 

[Twin Pots]

If “a good rider” can hold both brakes, at the point just before lock up (with or without ABS) AND STILL react instantaneously at the point of lock up, independently pulsing front and rear brakes at more than the ABS rate of 15 pulses a second and stop pulsing the relevant brake the instant it is no longer necessary, then I’d accept that statement.

Not sure why a rider needs to copy the ABS operating system of pulses. Constant controlled infinitely adjustable pressure will give the best braking performance. ABS operates similar to a thermostat where it is either on or off, good but not perfect. ABS was invented to give even the worst driver the capability of stopping quickly and safely. Like pretty much everything these days it seems it has to be designed or legislated to cover the least capable. Great in theory but ends up costing everyone else. I have been riding bikes since I was 5 years old, the FJR is the first bike for me that has ABS. Somehow I survived fifty odd years with normal brakes and have never had an on road accident, few spills off road buts that's to be expected and where you learn to ride properly. I think we all know where this technology will eventually take us and fun riding won't play a part. It is not a coincidence that the things we generally consider fun usually carry an element of risk and danger, motorcycles fall under this category. If you want safety you will not find it riding a bike.
Do race bikes use ABS? I actually don't know but if they don't it begs the question why not if they work better than any human.

 

[RockyDS]

I have had ABS on a couple of bikes and never seen the ABS light come on unless I was trying to make it come on. I think folk who learned to ride without rider aids, learned to ride within the capability of their machinery.

ABS and other driver aids are for people who haven't learned that or don't want to.

Roads are busy dangerous places though and it's not all about what you can do but also what the other other idiots do, so maybe ABS will save some lives.

 

[Red Merle]

Not sure why a rider needs to copy the ABS operating system of pulses. Constant controlled infinitely adjustable pressure will give the best braking performance. ABS operates similar to a thermostat where it is either on or off, good but not perfect. ABS was invented to give even the worst driver the capability of stopping quickly and safely. Like pretty much everything these days it seems it has to be designed or legislated to cover the least capable. Great in theory but ends up costing everyone else. I have been riding bikes since I was 5 years old, the FJR is the first bike for me that has ABS. Somehow I survived fifty odd years with normal brakes and have never had an on road accident, few spills off road buts that's to be expected and where you learn to ride properly. I think we all know where this technology will eventually take us and fun riding won't play a part. It is not a coincidence that the things we generally consider fun usually carry an element of risk and danger, motorcycles fall under this category. If you want safety you will not find it riding a bike.
Do race bikes use ABS? I actually don't know but if they don't it begs the question why not if they work better than any human.

To gain maximum braking, a rider needs to hold both front and rear brakes to the point just before locking. There’s nothing about ABS that stops either you or I from practicing that skill.
Where ABS then comes into its own is if there’s a moment change in road surface, like oil contamination or overbanding, which may push one or both tyres beyond the limit of adhesion. It is physically impossible for any rider, no matter how skilled, to react to regain adhesion as quickly as ABS will.
Alternatively, take an example like I had in 2013, on a nice dry and day on the M25. The bike was relatively new to me at the time, so I was still finding its limits. I was in the left hand lane at 70, when a car in the middle land slammed its brakes on and swerved to go through the bit of road that I was on to cross the solid chevrons and leave via that exit. The bike was two up, with luggage.
The braking the bike gave me that day was like nothing I’ve experienced on a bike before, without a hint of lock up. In fact, with ABS, the new skill is learning to overcome a learned skill to not brake too hard! I’m particularly keen on cars that have emergency brake assist that overcome even that hesitation by observing how much time elapses between taking your foot off the accelerator and hitting the brake. If it fits under a certain threshold, the braking system takes control and automatically gives you everything! The first time I experienced it was when a cat ran out in front of the car and it gave me stopping power similar to hitting an unlit builder’s skip!