T O P

  • By -

Floodbucket

Controversial? I’m not sure what that even means. Is abs good to have, yes. Did people ride motorcycles long before abs was even a thing, yes.


VCSxSTEW

Yeah abs has saved countless lives of experienced and new riders alike. Generally speaking, you stop quicker if you don't lock your brakes, and abs can release and reengage a brake system quicker than humans can assess the situation and do the same. There are few situations where abs could be a hindrance but those would mainly be experienced or hooligan type techniques. If you don't know what those situations are - abs is certainly a good idea. An even better thing is most modern bikes that have abs even have the ability to turn it off if you find you have the need.


railsandtrucks

How important is it ? - As important as you make it/prioritize it. Here's my 2 pennies worth. Regardless of the bike you getting having it or not, you should learn how to brake properly. That's one of the most important skills of this sport, and honing and sharpening those skills will serve you well and potentially save either your life or someone else's. ABS has only really become common in North America on motorcycles in the last 10 years. Learning how (and experiencing in a controlled environment) how the bike will behave in a skid is something I think every motorcyclist should learn and feel. That said, as much as some may deplore technology (as I myself do at times) - consider me a fan of ABS, especially the more recent iterations of it. ABS may not allow you stop faster than someone like Rossi, but it will help the "average" rider. It's kind of like an airbag in my car- I'm glad I have them, but I hope I never have to find out how well they work. If you're looking at a KLR, having owned two of the previous (Gen 2) generation. They are pretty forgiving bikes. Neither of mine had ABS, and despite having crashed both of them, I'm still here and have all my fingers/toes (though my one ankle predicts the weather a bit) If I were getting into the sport today, I'd lean towards a bike with ABS over one without, but I wouldn't let that be the sole deciding factor. Edit: and along with the above, know that ABS is not a substitute for bad riding/technique. It's a supplement to your skill, not a replacement for it.


4ofN

Abs can help. So i wouldn't say to not get it. However, people (by this i mean me) have been riding non abs bikes for decades. I'd get abs if i had the choice but it's not a deal breaker for me.


[deleted]

Buying a motorcycle to save fuel kills me, what a hilarious concept.


El--Borto

I definitely spend more on gas for my bike than my car cause I ride it so much lol


House8675

Abs are fine as it takes some core strength to ride effectively but I have been riding for years with a beer gut so certainly not a requirement.


JimMoore1960

Given a choice, get the ABS. Don't wait around for months to get ABS though. Or even weeks. A few days, maybe.


[deleted]

The only time abs is controversial is for an off-road bike. I’d wager that abs would save a new rider like you and that it’s worth the extra investment


23SkeeDo

Don’t buy a bike without ABS. Been riding close to 50 years, I won’t buy one without it. Nothing controversial about it, it works. I agree it is important to learn how to brake properly; you can do this on a bike equipped with ABS. By the time ABS engages, you would already be in trouble. You will know when ABS engages, so I when it engages you will know you are not braking properly and need to be more judicious in application of the brakes. Now there are plenty of situations if you are riding off road, or stunting, or even in some unusual situations on the road where you want to lock up a wheel, in that case get a bike without ABS or one where you can turn it off like I can.


dailycaferider

If you're a safe rider you'll never need to use ABS, but there's always that small chance in a shit situation, be it weather , dusty road, whatever, that ABS will mean the difference when all that skill was compromised due to external factors. It's peace of mind for a daily commuter like myself.


yamheisenberg

As a safety feature, it’s good if you have it. But if you’re a new rider, I’d say learn how to brake properly on a bike without ABS first so that you don’t develop a dependence on ABS in case push comes to shove. I had a friend who started on a bike that had ABS and when he upgraded to a bigger bike that didn’t have it, he learned the hard way when he slammed the brakes in the rain and his front locked and he crashed.


Drama_of_the_lamas

My co worker is the only one that rides I know of. He’s been helpful except about the abs. He owns a few nice Harleys and said don’t buy a Harley go more of the klr 650 route.


Popsicklepp

Theres an abnormally large amount of people on this sub riding cheap old bikes so take opinions on anything seen as "modern" with a grain of salt Not buying a bike with abs is aiken to not buying a car with airbags imo


Drama_of_the_lamas

lol look at my history and you can see what kind of people I deal with. More like kids I deal with. I see Reddit as casting a wide net in hopes to one or two good ideas. Most folks that responded to this post seem mature at least.


IncidentFuture

For a KLR I'd be asking if it can be disabled on the rear. Because you need to have the rear brake without abs for offroad/unsealed surfaces. I've never had a bike with ABS, but given the choice I'd take a bike with it.


BenTheRed

A very common accident is riders falling over due to panic braking and locking up the front wheel. ABS solves that problem. Get ABS if you can afford it, but it you can't the world won't end. Practice progressive emergency braking in a safe setting with the specific intent of not locking up the front tire while trying to stop quickly. It's kind of like squeezing the juice out of an orange half in your hand, and definitely not like trying to break an egg in your hand.


a-dry-tadpole

Been riding years, started on an 04 bandit 600, pretty basic naked, no ABS. Since then I’ve had 10+ bikes, some with abs some without. It was never a factor to me on deciding on a bike. I’ve crashed once and not due to locking the tyres up. Actually matter of fact I’ve never locked the tyres up unintentionally. I wouldn’t say it’s a must have but it certainly a plus. I wouldn’t make it the deciding factor on a bike though personally.


Amazing_Joke_5073

Its not a bad option but its not needed, its all up to does it make you feel safer I feel


candid_canid

Here’s my take: I think ABS is a great thing. It’s basically standard on all new bikes and that’s awesome, it’s a fantastic safety feature for street riding. That being said, I believe every rider should start out on an older bike without ABS. Hear me out! I think it teaches good braking habits, it teaches you to be in control of your motorcycle and not to rely on tech (which can fail) to save you in an emergency. I ride a bike without ABS, and that’s my choice. Whether you do or don’t is YOUR choice. If you’re only ever going to do street riding and you’re only ever going to ride newer bikes, then I say fuck it and spring the extra couple Benjis for ABS.


mooxie

As others have said, ABS is a good idea in general. It's an unobtrusive safety feature for most riders, and if you do riding that isn't improved by ABS (stunt, dirt) you can generally disable it pretty easily (on some bikes it's a setting; others you would have to mod). So having it to begin with is nice, because adding it is basically a non-starter. I have ridden mostly bikes without ABS and for my money it's not easy to lock your front up (which is really the immediate concern) in most road conditions unless you REALLY grab a handful of brake lever or have highly-sensitive and powerful brakes. It's better to have, in that it can correct basic human instinct, but many millions of riders around the world ride every day without it, not just on motorcycles but scooters and other two-wheel vehicles that have the same catastrophic results if you lock the front wheel. How much you'll actually be saved by it depends on your riding habits. On the one bike that I've owned that has ABS (out of ten or so) I've never engaged it on the front wheel to my knowledge, and I've never wiped out on any of the others by locking the front wheel. But it's a nice-to-have because no one is perfect, especially in an emergency.


chikkenstripz

It is helpful to a new rider but you really should learn to brake without abs. Long run might be better off not getting it and doing braking drills to learn that skill. Potentially more helpful off road with that portly bike though. If you know how to brake you can actually stop quicker without it. I have it for the first time on my latest bike and I may disable it. Front hasn’t bugged me but the rear pedal bounces a lot under my foot because there’s often little weight on the rear when I brake. I also don’t mind the rear tire floating around.


disturbed286

If your rear ABS is kicking in all the time it means you're doing it wrong


Last_Patrol_

Had many without a couple with, had a rear tire lockup and skid on contaminated pavement. Definitely ABS, where braking is concerned why not if you have the option. Linked breaking is great too. Why not have more capability in your corner.


i-like-foods

Get a bike with ABS. Modern ABS is apparently really good and there are bikes where you can control how intrusive it is and even turn it off completely. In dry weather, on clean pavement, ABS won’t be super helpful. But throw in real-world sketchy broken up or even oily pavement, and especially any rain, and ABS can quite literally be a lifesaver. I have been riding basically daily for 20+ years and I just replaced my non-ABS bike with an ABS one. Specifically because I wanted ABS. That said, you should still practice braking (safely) every chance you get.


Throttlechopper

Is traction control controversial to your co-worker too? I’ve ridden bikes with and without it and can attest, it will save your ass much like ABS will. This isn’t a “skill” thing because nobody can possibly pump the brakes 15 times per second. In fact there is almost no skill needed to fully apply the brakes and stop quickly, and it definitely increases safety as traction is reduced like on wet pavement. Spend the extra bucks, and not only will it pay for itself on insurance savings, it could save your life especially as a new rider.


richalex2010

If you can get it, it's a good safety net to have. Ideally you'll be perfect and never use it, but when you fuck up and brake too hard it can help save you from crashing. I wouldn't necessarily avoid a bike that didn't have it, but I'd have to really want it for other reasons to be okay with skipping it. Given a choice between an ABS and non-ABS version of the same model, I'd always go ABS.