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How sensitive is the ABS?


Katie

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No, I don't mean does it get upset if you call it names, more like, how easily can you trigger it and what does it feel like?

 

In 12000 miles I haven't felt the ABS kick in once, despite some fairly interesting moments. Admittedly I've never had the front wheel lock but I've also never felt the typical 'shudder' that goes with ABS. The (ABS) light is on but I'm not sure anyone is at home?

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I did a quick test on a gravel road and I wonder if the brake handle shakes on the vfr, same thing with the reat brake pedal.

Skickat från min E5823 via Tapatalk

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3 hours ago, Katie said:

No, I don't mean does it get upset if you call it names, more like, how easily can you trigger it and what does it feel like?

 

In 12000 miles I haven't felt the ABS kick in once, despite some fairly interesting moments. Admittedly I've never had the front wheel lock but I've also never felt the typical 'shudder' that goes with ABS. The (ABS) light is on but I'm not sure anyone is at home?

 

Here's a good video review/explanation of Honda's ABS, albeit on the Fireblade.  It's almost 10 years old but I think it's still applicable.  According to the reviewer (at about the 1:30 mark) the brakes go into a computer controlled brake by wire function in an emergency braking situation and since there is no longer a physical connection between the "leevuh" and the caliper you won't feel any pulsing through the "leevuh" :tongue:   At the 6:15 mark another reviewer says you don't even know it has ABS because it operates so smoothly.  (Ignore all the stuff they say about combined braking cuz our 8th gen doesn't have combined brakes).

 

Now when you say the ABS light is on, are you talking about the normal function test light up upon startup which goes out when you start moving?  Or are you saying you see it go on in a situation where you suspect you might have activated ABS?  If the latter, than I think that means you did indeed activate the ABS but you just didn't feel it activate - which I guess is a good thing.  Or maybe it means the system is malfunctioning?  Or it could be both?  I'll have to check my owner's manual when I get home.

 

 

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I feel my rear ABS kick in all the time when I downshift aggressively while braking. Feels similar to a car's ABS. It's no big deal. If you want to feel it, just jam on your rear brake. 

I don't think the light comes on when it activates. If it's on while you are moving, there is a malfunction. 

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Have only had it come on once that I noticed it emergency brake on a sandy part of road. Only felt something at lower speed just before coming to a halt. That may have been because of surface  but deffo heard chirping. 

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Ok, I wasn't too clear. The light only comes in as it should, the test function before pulling away, not when I'm riding.

 

Greg, if the system is the same as the Fireblade in the video that would explain a lot, thanks for the find. I have actively (as well as unexpectedly!) tried to engage the ABS and not felt any difference so I guess that is the case. All previous ABS bike experiences were of the 'shuddering brake lever' type so I thought something was wrong!

 

Thanks fellas :)

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I rode in some very wet roads in Colorado recently and never felt a thing , but I never touch front brakes in a twisty . And did a gravel road with no ABS that I could tell. If it works it works very well. I've only felt rear as others when down shifting and braking.

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The front ABS feels different than the rear. The rear is really noticeable when it engages. The front is pretty tough to get to engage unless you're in the wet or on loose surface. For me the front engaging (in the dry) has only happened on bumpy braking surfaces at the track or when I've had to panic brake in the twisties/with poor surface. To me I felt the road bumping more than I felt the front ABS doing its thing.

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The front ABS rotor is bigger than the back, therefore more sensitive 

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I'm still riding on the OEM Dunlop D222 Vaseline hoops and it's the wet season here atm so it's easy to activate the ABS for me.

 

You don't get the pulsing thru the front lever, but you can notice the front tyre squirming I guess is the best way to describe it. The rear feels differently. Again I don't notice any pulsing thru the pedal, but you can feel some kind of pulsing thru the tyre and up thru the bike.

Again, hard to describe. But the ABS on this bike works very differently to my previous bike, the ER-6n which had heavy coarse pulsing thru both the lever & pedal when the ABS activated.

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Ok, the bike went through its 16k service yesterday and the brakes are fine. The pads were nearly down to the metal but the ABS was working ok :wink:

New radiator grill and fork protectors fitted at the same time so the bike is ready to hit the commute next week...

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I tested the ABS out on my brand new bike (tires not fully scrubbed in)

 

the rear is very easy to set off but that's because rear wheels are easy to skid.

the front wheel is a little smoother no feedback through the lever itself you'll feel it through the bars but it just feels like you're riding over a rope.

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