Re: ABS

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Robert Jenkins" <robert.jenkins@xxxxxxx>


> On Jan 12, 2005, at 9:52 PM, Steve Makohin wrote:
>
>> Ain't that sort o' like buying a $700 helmet because you know how
>> important a brain bucket is, dropping it on your driveway, an'
>> figurin' that you'll go without rather than replace it because you've
>> never had a spill in almost 40 years of riding?
>>
>> -Steve Makohin
>
> No. ABS does not offer the level of protection that a good helmet does.

You are introducing a different topic, and that is the *type* of protection
that is offered by each device. You are comparing ABS's effectiveness in
preventing wheel lockup that may result in a loss of vehicular control which
could result in an injury, versus the effectiveness of a helmet in reducing or
eliminating head trauma during a motorcycle incident that is already in
progress. They offer substantially different types of "protection", so it's
difficult to equate the "levels" of protection offered that is offered by each
device.

To get back to what I wrote, I'm simply illustrating a parallel as follows:

  (1) Starting out with a good safety device (ABS; helmet)

  (2) Having that device's effectiveness negated or compromised
      (ABB brain gets fried; helmet sustains a non-trivial
      impact)

  (3) The cost to remedy the situation being non-trivial ($$ for
      a replacement ABS brain; $ for a helmet)

  (4) The rider deciding to do without (lose the benefit of ABS;
      lose the benefit of riding with a helmet) in order to
      save some money.

  (5) In both cases, the rider's decision is a case of "cost"
      versus "risk" trade-off. The rider believes that the risks
      are not substantial enough to justify the cost of the remedy.

The two situations aren't *exactly* the same, obviously, but the parallels are
strikingly similar. Point #5 is where you and I differ -- We differ in our
opinions as to whether the cost of reparing defective ABS is justified in the
degree of risk reduction that is offered by functioning ABS.




> ABS is nice but after riding seven months on a bike without ABS, I can
> not say I miss it.

I recently returned from visiting a buddy in Florida. It looks like those
helmetless riders don't miss their lids, either. Keep in mind that the degree
to which a rider misses a safety device during its absence in no way affects
the effectiveness of that device when it is used correctly.

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada

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