ABS Bikes:

April 11, 2013

Anti-lock brakes on bikes? At first I kind of shrugged the idea off thinking it was another way to raise or even justify prices. I have ABS on my car, no big deal, but I can feel the vibration. Maybe I'm old, I'm definitely old school: big engine, loud pipes, good tires, brakes are on the list - more for crap getting in my way, but I really can't imagine that vibration going over well while I'm on two wheels.

Whelp, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute, I should give ABS on bikes a chance:

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute:

Fewer crashes:

New studies of crashes, insurance claims, and test track performances all suggest anti-lock brakes aren't just a good idea, but a great one.

The chance of a crash being fatal is 37 percent lower for motorcycles equipped with optional ABS than for those same models without ABS.

Collision insurance claims for motorcycles with ABS are filed 23 percent less frequently than for motorcycles without it.

Shorter stopping distances:

Newbies and experienced riders both stop more quickly with antilock brakes. Stopping distances improve on both wet and dry surfaces.

ABS adds to motorcycle braking:

Every rider knows stopping a motorcycle isn't as simple as stopping a car. Most bikes have separate brake controls for the front and rear wheels, and either wheel can lock up during hard braking. In a car, a lockup might result in a skid, on a motorcycle; it could mean dumping your ride.

No matter how skilled a rider you are, you can't always out maneuver bad karma or bad drivers. We all know the road surfaces can spontaneously suck and quickly become unexpectedly sandy or more slippery than they look.

There is one more argument for ABS on motorcycles, not because they love us or might lose sleep if we don’t have ABS on our bikes but the majority of insurance companies save a ton of money when we avoid the need to make use of our insurance policies. Out of the goodness of their hearts, they’ll give around 15% discounts if you have ABS on your bike.

Okay, well, being one to not like, not knowing everything, I called a pal to ask his opinion and he invited me over to try his new ride that just so happened to have ABS. Of course I’ve ridden a lot of different bikes, I’ve been riding for years, and I understand, perhaps all the behavior of a motorcycle: braking, maneuvering, and the dangers of going too fast and I have to admit having the anti-lock braking system is amazing. Perhaps the new definition of a super bike should be a bike with ABS because a bike with ABS is a different animal, should be appreciated by all, and should prove to less experienced riders to be the way around the hard way of learning to ride.