We've all heard the stories about someone claiming to deliberately have 'laid the bike down' to avoid an accident, right?
Complete and utter BS. Bike went down because the rider panicked and locked up the brakes. Period. Sliding on asphalt towards an immovable object is not the preferred way to avoid hitting said object. Keeping the bike upright, under maximum braking is.
ABS is a life saver. I have been riding BMW's with ABS since 1994. My current street bike is an 03 K 1200 GT.
Up until I got my S 1000 RR, I have ridden the K bike exclusively while coaching track days for the local BMW dealer.
Sometimes the guys brought their crotch rockets, such as 1000 Gixxers to these events. Blew past me on the straights. I could out-brake every single one of them at the end. I can brake harder on that BMW than I ever did on my Yamaha R1 track bike. The amount of confidence, peace of mind offered by ABS is just amazing.
The S1000 RR ABS is leap years better than anything I have ever had the pleasure of riding. Keep in mind that the four individual settings affect not just the ABS, but also the power delivery, Traction control and Wheelie control.
With simple push-button activation, the S 1000 RR rider may scroll through these four settings:
"Rain" Mode
"Sport" Mode for aggressive street riding
"Race" Mode for track days with DOT tires or very aggressive canyon carving
"Slick" Mode : full blown racetrack set-up
Most of us on this forum will never use the "Rain" mode. The Traction Control and ABS is way too intrusive for the kind of riding we would like to think we are doing, but, it's a perfect setting for a novice. Not that I would let a novice anywhere near MY S 1000 RR. LOL
"Sport" mode - perfect for the average street ride. Gobs of power, pop all the wheelies you want, brake hard, have fun. Still too intrusive for me.
"Race" mode - just what I ( can't speak for you) want for aggressive canyon carving. I braked hard enough to chirp the front tire, (not what I would normally do, but wanted to find out if it was possible), then the weight transfer just plants the front tire. Amazing!
Never lacking for power, either. Just perfect.
"Slick" mode - pure race. Keep it on the track. This mode truly unleashes the massive potential of the bike, but still keeps a minimally intrusive safety net under you.
Read on (this is an excerpt from the technical literature published by BMW, with my comments in ITALICS) :
The BMW Motorrad Race ABS is an all new development that again is considerably lighter than the previous partially integral systems. Featuring a controller of only 1.5 kg and weighing it at only 2.5 kg in total, it is the ideal solution for installation in supersports motorcycles. Besides its low weight, the system is characterised above all by a regulation that has been improved even further.
Ok, that's German English: Here's what I think they are trying to say: BMW RACE ABS is a lightweight, fully integrated ABS, with corresponding Engine management and Traction control systems weighing a mere 5.5 lbs, and has a more advanced management system. Just my guess...)
This was made possible not only by the outstanding tuning, but also by the use of four pressure sensors in total that, in conjunction with highly complex rear wheel lift detection, can now differentiate better than before between a bump in the road and a locked up rear wheel.
Here's what I think they mean: Previous, less advanced ABS systems can be tricked into pulsing when a ripple in the road suddenly unloads the tire while braking. I know that feeling. My 2003 K 1200 GT does that to me all the time. Feels like you suddenly lost the brakes for a very long split second. This feeling is exacerbated by a rather slow pulse frequency.
Pressing the hand brake lever (over here we just grab the front brake) activates the two-rotor disc brake on the front wheel, whereas only a light braking force is applied to the rear wheel. The foot brake lever activates solely the rear wheel brake. In the riding modes "Race" and "Slick", the rear wheel lift detection does not intervene in the rider's braking manoeuvres (guess that means we don't really need it anyway?). In addition, the "Slick" mode allows particularly experienced riders to perform so called braking drifts (In American English we call that backing it into the corner) without having to dispense with the benefits of a front wheel ABS. (VERY COOL!)
A fourth pressure sensor in the front wheel circuit allows regulation of the front wheel brake pressure that is more refined and sensitive than the predecessor BMW integral ABS II. This is because the actual pressure values can be compared directly in the control and wheel circuit. (Inquisitive minds are going to want to know exactly how it does that?) This also means that the restriction orifices are no longer needed, resulting in the optimal pressure point and the perfect dosability. ( I have no clue what this means, but I know it works!)For special requirements, Race ABS can be deactivated separately.
Although the new system, like every other ABS, cannot redefine the constraints posed by the laws of physics, the new Race ABS provides the rider with invaluable support and an enormous boost to safety.
AMEN!