Thinking - maybe irrationally

I put my Moto Guzzi V7 down on the way home from work on Friday. Not a big deal. Heavy traffic on the freeway. I looked over my left shoulder to change lanes and when I looked back the car in front of me was in the middle of a panic stop. I jumped on the brakes and locked up the rear wheel. I was sliding all over the place, but managed to avoid hitting anything. I ended up dropping the bike on the right side, but I was pretty much stopped when it happened. I need to replace one of my bar end mirrors and I have a couple real small scratches on my Agostini's.

So it's got me thinking. If I'm going to continue to commute on the freeway, ABS would be real nice. The V7 is great on side streets and back roads, but maybe not the best on the freeway. I came off a Street Triple R when I bought the V7. Great bike with good brakes and the new ones have ABS. The Shiver can be had with ABS as well. Both bikes are in the 400 lb. range and both are right around $10K.

What think you? Should I just blow off my little accident and continue with the V7 or should I be pro-active and try to avoid future problems? Honestly, something is always going on with my commute. Lots of idiots out there. I could just take side streets and add 10-15 minutes to my ride, but that's lots of stop lights and not much fun either.

Help me straighten out my head here.

The V7 is a beautiful bike. I ride a kawasaki w650, also sans abs. If I could change one thing, it would be to add abs. Unforntunately, there is no bike with abs I'd rather own. In your case, it sounds like you've identified other bikes you'd like to have, which also have abs. I say go for it.

The new honda cb 1100 is a nice modern retro with excellent brakes ( dual 4piston, floating rotors) with ABS option. I nearly bought the V7 but the Lack of abs and the arrival of the new honda altered my plans. I couldn't be happier. Also there are some pretty nice farkles available from Japanese web based suppliers.

Kevin

2013 Honda CB1100

OMG, no. Less power and 150 lbs more than the Triumph or the Aprilia.

Yeah if that's your criteria sounds like the Triumph is your bike. How did you end up with a V7 in the first place?

Light bike, enough power and shaft drive, I guess. I loved the light STR and the V7 was just about as nimble. Needed a change, probably.

Sorry, i just cannot pass up a chance to put down ABS. I would keep the Guzzi, and practice your technique and reaction times. If you take your eyes off one thing to look at something else, it will be whatever you took your eyes off of that will get you most of the time. 20 years ago I had a bad habit of locking the rear wheel. I never actually went down, but came close several times. I decided I needed to break that habit, so I started practicing, every time I went for a ride. I have not locked up my brakes in almost 20 years. I have had everything imaginable shoved in my face, and always either managed to avoid it or stop in time. I do not want a computer riding my bike for me.

The reason I bought the 13' STR is that the Shiver does not have ABS in the states. Some have stickers but "NO" ABS. It seems the EU gets ABS.

Practice makes makes perfect, I'm not perfect...even though I practice. I'll take ABS.

Not sure how one could "bash" ABS unless of course the "VCR" is flashing 12:00 am....

Unlike JerryH I think that ABS is a good back-up safety feature. However JerryH makes a good point in that locking the rear wheel is a telltale for operator error. Most (80% plus) of your bikes braking power is on the front wheel & in a real panic stop just use the front brake if modulating the rear overloads your personal RAM.

Have you spent time experimenting with full force braking on your Guzzi? Using both brakes, rear only & front only? Tried the difference between slamming on the anchors & squeezing real firmly? You should do spend some time to understand what is possible with your bike. Just find a flat clean parking lot & you will be surprised that its actually possible to howl the front without crashing. The other thing would be some professional training in braking technique. If you are in the habit of favouring the rear brake then braking distances can be measured in days & ABC will not make any difference at all in shortening braking distances. OTOH if you are confident in using the front to full effect then ABS may help if one day the world throws you a curveball in a panic stop.

An advanced riding course will be cheaper than a new bike.

Always remember to "look forward before you look back" and you'll cut way down on incidents like this one.
You may also want to read Hough's books. He has many chapters on this stuff.

The computer can't ride it for you, but it sure can help you stop it faster.

I'll take the proven benefits of ABS.

Thanks,





Charlie

The whole thing is a bit of a mystery to me. I usually have to remind myself to use the rear brake. In a panic situation, I tend to grab everything I've got. If I take the time to think about it, its too late anyway. I've always thought ABS to be a bit of a farkle on a bike - now I think otherwise.

For the past 2 years I've had my first bike with ABS after 30 years of street riding without it. No f*ckin way am I going back to not having it.

Lots of professional racers can stop a bike better without it, but I'm not a professional and the ability to keep the bike from sliding in a panic stop has been priceless to me.

Street is around 400 lbs. wet. The Shiver is "not", it comes in at about 449 lbs wet!

Things I do that are dumb: ride too fast, ride like a dick in traffic.

Possible mitigating device: Honda CB500F ABS

Just so you know you're not the only one who thinks along these lines.

I still say ABS is not a replacement for skill, and riding a bike properly, using YOUR skill, is what makes it so much fun. YOU are in total control of the machine. They are already working on some kind of a sensor for cars that applies the brakes automatically if it detects something ahead and you are not slowing down fast enough. Brain dead smart phone users behind the wheel of a 3 ton SUV might need something like that, but would you want it on a bike? Riding a motorcycle is not just transportation. It is a sport. And the more dampers you put on it, the less fun it becomes. People are just getting to used to having computers do everything for them. At some point, computers will be living our whole lives for us. Think that's funny? Science fiction has a way of becoming reality. It has happened over and over again. Why do I feel like suddenly running out and buying an Enfield?

Apparently JerryH has cat like reflexes. Does anybody ever complain about abs in cars?

If you don't have good reflexes, you are definitely going to be in trouble on a bike. That's what it is all about. And you should not have to think about what to do in an emergency situation, your response should be automatic, developed from years of experience.

Cars are used by unskilled morons as transportation, and they need all the help they can get. Nobody rides a motorcycle because they have to. Cars are safer and more practical all the way around. If you are comparing motorcycles to cars, they should be compared to race cars, not family sedans and minivans. Motorcycles are not supposed to resort to artificial control devices to over ride rider inputs. If you are not willing to accept the risk that goes with riding, you probably shouldn't be riding. The risk is actually pretty small if your skills are good enough. Of course nobody's skills are perfect, but they should be good, and get better every time you ride.

We are talking about "threshold braking" here. Panic full on lock as in the OP's original thought. Yes, many things you can do to avoid that predicament which come with skill and experience or just paying attention. Fact of the matter is we are human, and being so, get caught out once in awhile. It works tits in situation like that, in the dry and even more so in the wet! No one ever says "F... It" I'm going to ride over my head and let the ABS take over. In many years of track days and spirited rides in the twisties I have never activated the ABS except a few times at the rear when it got light from "squeezing" really hard (not stabbing).

Comforting to know it's in my quiver...