ABS - worthwhile, but not a panacea
So we better tell carproducers/bikes/trucks etc. that they dont need to make abs - its the same brakedistance on dry road; thats way it was banned in formula one ;-)
What a useless piece of sh** ey?
That is not what I suggested at all, Kim.
I know it is a common fallacy that ABS reduces braking distances. Simply put, it does not.
ABS is an aid that stops wheels from locking up, which is more likely in a panic situation on slippery roads. Because of that, riders of all abilities are able to use their brakes to better effect under most on road conditions.
Once a wheel locks up on any vehicle:
1 - The brakes are no longer effective at slowing the vehicle down because the wheels no longer have traction. It takes longer to skid to a halt than to come to a halt under controlled braking.
2 - It becomes more difficult for a rider/driver to control the vehicle.
For the average Joe or Jill on the road ABS must be of great benefit, especially in less than ideal conditions. Seeing it available at reasonable cost on the CBR250R is a big step forward, which I hope other manufacturers follow.
That being said, ABS is a back up. Ideally, it should never be put to test. In reality, it will be, and it will save life and limb, and damage to precious bike and other property.
For day to day riding the C (combined) aspect of Honda's C-ABS will be the most beneficial aspect, in that it is less critical to coordinate front and rear braking.
ABS is not a panacea. It should not be seen as a substitute for proper roadcraft; reading the traffic, and adjusting to road conditions. Mike (CBR250) in his post describes two situations where ABS may have resulted in a better outcome. However as he describes them, the situations could have been avoided.
In the yellow light crash, the guy should have been slowing down to stop for the yellow light, not speeding to get through, then deciding to stop because he saw a cop.
Where I have lived for the past 8 years, in Phuket that is a tricky one, because drivers habitually run yellow and even red lights. No one bothers to stop because they see a cop, who will do nothing. In traffic you risk getting rear ended if you do stop. My solution is to keep a close eye on my rear view mirrors, and adjust my position on the road to minimise the risk.
For guy that got cut off by the car, it is a bit more difficult, especially in a place where you expect traffic to be quite disciplined. It sounds like the motorcyclist was not at fault.....
but..... you do need to be well aware of road conditions, what is going on around you, and anticipate what people might do.
Again here in Phuket, getting cut off is a several times a ride occurrence. Traffic is completely indisciplined, but I have come to learn some patterns of behaviour and take a lot more into account when anticipating than I would in more road code abiding places.
So far, so good; I have not had a moving accident here, but my motorcycle has been struck while stationary a couple of times. My formative years of using a motorcycle on farms to muster livestock, including mobs of a hundred or more stroppy 4 year old bulls, probably did more for my survival on Phuket roads than anything!
But back to the ABS. It is not the be all and end all, and it will not make a bike stop quicker. It will increase the chances of all levels of rider maintaining control of their bike, especially under less than ideal conditions.
I feel ABS is well worthwhile.