Re: ABS

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Rene and list,

From: <rene-didier@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Just to stick in my two cents, and to clarify a few statements you made...

> ...For the average rider ( not the top 1%) stopping distances will be
> shorter with ABS...
[...]

The qualifier here is that Braking Gods (those rare riders who are very 
adept and practiced at threshold braking, the likes of a Nick Hayden), can 
obtain shorter stopping distances under the following conditions:
   o Known performance limits of motorcycle and track
   o Good (or better than good) traction is available
   o High state of readiness

Tests have shown that Joe Average on an ABS-equipped street bike can stop in 
a shorter distance on a rain-slicked road than compared to a Brake God on 
the same bike (but non-ABS) under identical conditions. This alays held 
true, even after the Brake God was given multiple runs to try to shorten the 
stopping distance. This demonstrates the removal of only one of the three 
criteria I listed above. I stress that someone who is astoundingly good at 
braking *cannot* outperform ABS in conditions where traction is 
significantly compromised on the street. This includes the "Top 1 
Percenters".



>...[On] the R1100S, the front and rear break is controlled by the
> front break lever. No need, in this case, for the break pedal to
> be pushed...

In the 2001 model year, BMW introduced semi-linked, servo-controlled (AKA 
"Whizzy") brakes on the R1100S (my current bike). The hand lever applies 
both front and rear brakes (proportioned correctly), while the foot pedal 
applies only the rear brake. On the 2000 model year (my previous bike) and 
earlier, the R1100's brakes were not linked (the hand lever controlled only 
the front brake while the foot pedal applies only the rear brake).

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

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