ABS

[harraseeket]

this is the first bike i have had with ABS. i have read that some of the early motorcycle versions of ABS were iffy. so - i was wondering does the abs on the tracer ( since so few, maybe fj 09 ) allow the rider to fully whack the brake lever ( front in particular , but also rear ) in the rain ( or dry ) without sending you skidding down the road ? i figure before i try it i would see if anybody else had tried full squeeze and lived to tell the tale.

[duhs10]

The ABS seems to work as expected in my experience on my '15 FJ-09... I haven't been in an emergency braking situation yet on the FJ but I've tested it on gravel just to see what it feels like.
 
Also, ABS systems on motorcycles have been around for quite a while at this point. I wouldn't consider a FJ/Tracer as an early adopter of ABS.
 
Maybe somebody else has more experience in an emergency braking situation on the street.
 
 

[betoney]

I have done some emergency-type braking, both intentional and unintentional, on dry and wet pavement. I have never had the front ABS activate, the rear seems to activate relatively easy as the weight shifts forward.
 

[dedsxy47]

I have done some emergency-type braking, both intentional and unintentional, on dry and wet pavement. I have never had the front ABS activate, the rear seems to activate relatively easy as the weight shifts forward.

75mph on loose dry and wet gravel roads, stock Dunlops with over 7500 miles on them, full, to the lever braking front and rear.  Stops like you would not imagine, especially for a street bike.  Front bumps a little here and there, but otherwise, predictable enough for the girls we go with.  Would like to see how something like a 1290 Adventure or a GSA 1200 compare, although they carry about 200 more lbs helping to drive those tires in ground better. Who knows, maybe in the future I will find out........

[acesand8s]

I hope it works as intended should I ever need it to, but haven't TESTED it.
 
Had a buddy buy one of the first Harley touring models to come with ABS back in 2007. He said "watch this" and proceeded to get a good 40mph rolling start in our dealer service lot. He then stood on the back and front brake and sure enough the ABS kicked in and that 900lb Harley stuttered and scampered to a stop like I've never seen before. All without a slide, skid, or hiccup.
 
If a Harley from 10+ years ago can stop like that, then I feel confident the FJ will stop even better under an ABS condition.

[harraseeket]

I am thinking mostly about on dry roads, cager doesn't see me and pulls right in front, panic and adrenaline pull lever all the way, no subtlety , just fear. obviously nothing to lose at that point, but it would be nice to know in back of mind if ABS can cope with amateur braking ability, or inability as may be the case.

[wordsmith]

I am thinking mostly about on dry roads, cager doesn't see me and pulls right in front, panic and adrenaline pull lever all the way, no subtlety , just fear. obviously nothing to lose at that point, but it would be nice to know in back of mind if ABS can cope with amateur braking ability, or inability as may be the case.

Yes it can!   Just try to keep the bike upright!   A bit of less-panicky practice can also be helpful in giving a touch of back-of-the-mind confidence too.

[estell]

I have experienced the ABS intervene on both wheels at different times. In the case of the front, I grabbed a handful of brake lever in a panic on a wet road when a car stopped in front of me. I did not use a disciplined squeeze of the brake that would have transferred weight to the front tire. I felt the brake lever pulse and the bike came to a stop, upright, with no drama. I like ABS.

[koth442]

The rear ABS drives me bonkers. Makes the bike nearly unrideable in dirt or gravel. I've had the front ABS kick in on pavement when I had to dodge a billy goat. Yes you read that right.

[BBB]

I’ve deliberately provoked the front ABS to kick in, just so I could feel it working. I did this in the dry and straight and it felt alarming due to the fork dive, but does what it should.
 
The rear ABS is very easy to kick in and it happens often for me at quite slow speeds on damp roads.

[harraseeket]

thanks, it's good to hear from people who have that situation. ABS is one of the biggest reasons i moved up from my 2012
 
versys ver 2. Indeed, billy goats are thin on the ground here in maine, but a friend riding behind almost rear ended me last year when i had to slam on brakes to avoid a  turkey trying to commit suicide. two weeks ago in washington county near the canadian border we had to come to a full stop in the middle of the road while a black bear squared off against us, trying to figure out what we were, i think. never seen a motorcycle before i guess.

[nsmiller]

Make sure you change your brake fluid every two years per the manual, and when you do activate the ABS system. Otherwise un-serviced ABS units can lock-up over time from corrosion due to moisture in the brake fluid.

[harraseeket]

thanks for the heads up on that. i might not have made that connection and willingly admit that while i have bike dealer serviced every fall i don't really check to see if they have followed up with everything by the book.

[superfist]

ABS has worked as expected for me as well. I feel the rear go off on occasion and the sensation is never anything more than "yep, that's rear ABS telling me it's doing something."
 
I've only ever managed to activate the front once, when a car pulled out in front of me. You can also brake surprisingly hard without activating the front ABS. With a soft initial squeeze and a ramp up in squeeze as weight transfers to the front, the rear will get light and wiggle a little. If the front wheel isn't skidding and the rear wheel is still in contact with the ground (IE: spinning the same speed as the front), the ABS won't go off.
 
+1 for changing and bleeding the brake system at the proper service intervals. Dealer just did mine complimentary as part of the 16k mile service because it's been two years since I purchased. It's supposed to be on a two year interval or when the brake fluid fails the test strip. I was surprised the bite that the brakes had after a fluid service and won't delay that one again.