Video: Honda Fireblade ABS v non-ABS

I get the message 'Could not load the video' on this page. However, you can actually view the original vidoe by linking to YouTube from the URL here, below (or by cutting & pasting it into your web browser). With the redoubtable Michael Neeves & MCN tester Bruce Dunn, plus Reece a super stock racer, and John an ordinary MCN reader, it makes for a good story imo. The best stopping distance from 70mph was achieved with ABS at 42 metres in steady rain with very wet track conditions. Result.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6kO6ltk3a0

 When ABS was first available on mass produced cars I seem to recall it being marketed on the main feature that it restored the ability to steer when braking strongly. Remember the Ford Granada Scorpio swerving around the tractor on the advert? Would a bike have this advantage? Without wanting to be too anoraky I'd say not, on a bike you are more directly connected to the front wheel and not through a fairly complicated ( in comparison ) mix of servos, racks and pinions that take most of the effort out of moving spinning wheels over tarmac. Other than at low speed you don't really move the bars on a motorcycle much to steer at all, you weight them through much subtler pushing and pulling in combination with body weight transfer and pressure on the footpegs. I'd challenge that it would be difficult if not impossible to turn a bike quickly, suddenly and in safety at all let  in the same way as a car. 

That just leaves the anti-lock part, in 17 years I've only ever properly locked the front on the road once and my brain sorted the problem almost before I realised it had happened. I'm not gifted I just listed to my instructor and have the ability to remember. At the point where sphincter twitched and I felt the front lock and tuck the hard wire between right hand and backside activated and I let go of the brakes before remembering I still needed to stop and repeating the process until an ungracious, upright stop occurred. Easy 

Also, what happens if laying the bike down is suddenly the priority in an emergency? Both times I've done it I've found a big handful of brake followed by leaning out of harms way and low siding to be more instinctive than just jumping off after being certain I've scrubbed off enough speed or not. It's possible that the accident I had where I just missed T-boning the Sprinter van at a junction would have resulted in me hitting it as well as the bike. You can keep your ABS I'm off to learn from Bruce Anstey instead........

 Great video but, what happens if there is an electronic problem with the system? Does it switch back to manual mechanical ABS mode? Does it let some of the brakes off before it cuts out because it knows the mere mortal riding will probably lunch themselves otherwise? I can't help think that while it is obviously a great achievement it's benefits will be negated by most riders most of the time and it won't necessarily stop you if you're riding 40mph too quickly towards something .

Dunno about anyone else but if I'm out and about and it's wet my mind automatically switches into rain mode where the right hand rarely twists more than 1/2 a turn and always does it slowly either backwards or forwards, when depressing or releasing any of the assorted levers or pedals everything is automatically done slower and smoother with a realisation that quickly grabbing will probably result in pain.  I find the idea of a fail safe system a bit disconcerting on a bike because I'm not sure it guarantees safety. For sure it help in a lot of situations but the system will only be as good as the operator