Abs???

[ponch]

After having a bike with ABS, I wouldn't want one without it.

[cactusjack]

If you can buy a bike with ABS, then do it. You'll thank yourself later. I went from a 2007 (no ABS) to a 2011 HD Ultra Limited (with ABS). I'll never own another bike without it.


If my nomad had ABS, I'd probably still be riding it today. Unfortunately, I had a mishap and totaled it in 2011. I am firmly convinced ABS would have kept me from eating the asphalt at 45 MPH.

[andyvh1959]

Rather than rely only on ABS being a major choice for buying a bike, put more money into training. The MSF BRC is ONLY a beginner class, just enough info to get your license (I know this as a 25+ year MSF Rider Coach). The BRC is only the beginning of your riding and learning career. I have been riding for 45+ years and I am still learning and improving.

I strongly suggest you invest yourself into another rider course, like the MSF ARC (Advanced Rider Course), or any of the many advanced rider courses offered on closed track courses all over the country. Note, this does NOT have to be a racing class, but better still a rider course that focuses on cornering, braking, evasive skills and building situational awareness skills. Once you have built your skills sets, then adding ABS to the mix really makes you a more complete rider. Relying on ABS with only a BRC background really only keeps you at the BRC level of a rider.

I have seen many so called "experienced" riders of many years, with only marginal braking skills and capabilities. Sure, ABS "may" help those riders, but it is a band-aid aspect of really becoming an effective rider. Keep in mind too, that with the exception of very few high performance bikes with lean sensitive ABS systems (like KTM, BMW and a few others) all ABS systems are only bike stability systems that are only effective for straight up, straight line braking. Don't assume the ABS system on any Vulcan gives you the option to apply hard braking while leaned over or dramatically steering around an obstacle like can be done with a car. The basic function of any ABS system requires two things before ABS control engages: the brake on wheel has to applied hard, AND the wheel-tire HAS to actually begin sliding at 10% to 20% slower speed than the actual bike speed. When those both happen, THEN the ABS control takes over. But until then ABS does nothing but monitor wheel speed. This I learned when working with Bosch ABS engineers on heavy truck ABS systems. The same basic control principles apply to all ABS systems.

[MAS Tequila]

Andy is correct about the ABS.

Most people confuse ABS with linked brakes.

The linked brakes apply pressure to both front and rear once a certain amount of measured pressure is reached.

The linked system, in my experience, squats the bike down instead of allowing it to nose dive.

This significantly helps with stability once you've mastered it.

[mbarr10]

I have to say the linked brakes do take some getting used to. But the squat is nice, takes a lot of weight off the front without the nosedive.

[OldSchool]

ABS is becoming pretty much an industry standard for all manufacturers. Why ? Because ABS works. It makes the rider safer than he was before. Call it a band-aid if you must, but in my opinion any item that will truly keep a rider safer is worth having. NO-ONE can argue the point that in straight line wet stopping. A rider is safer than without it. That in itself would be well worth owning it. I have seen people walking around spewing ATGATT like it was one of the ten commandments and then argue that you don't really need ABS brakes. Don't have it now but if another cruiser in my future, she'll be having ABS.

[recumbentbob]

I have ABS, had the bike since Feb, 2014. I ride in all sorts of weather and the ABS has never activated, but it's there if I need it.
I think I need to go to an empty parking lot and try them out just to see what it feels like.

[andyvh1959]

I agree, ABS is a valuable control capability on most cycles. But it is still better that any rider learns strong riding skills to which ABS is an aid rather than compensating for poor capabilities. The biggest part of learning the skills, especially situational awareness, is it helps you from riding into situations that require systems to save your butt.

The comments above about linked brakes are an example. We teach effective use of BOTH brakes to minimize fork dive and get the bike to just squat into the stop. I recently did a class where a student (on a big cruiser) asked "should I apply the rear brake first and then the front brake?" as an example of what some riders get as input from other experienced riders. I advise both brakes at the same time, progressively more on the front and less on the rear. The rear brake is mostly for tracking, dive reduction and chassis stability, the front does most of the work. I always use highway speed to clarify this. At 60mph you are traveling 88 feet per second. If your process is to apply the rear first and then the front you delay applying the front brake by up to 1/2 second. No big deal right? Until you consider that 1/2 second delay could be up to 44 feet longer stopping distance. Even at 1/4 second that could add 22 feet of stopping distance, well more than the length of most cars.

On big heavy bikes linked brakes are a real advantage and can significantly reduce the drama of effective high effort braking. Good braking skills means little or no drama. Unfortunately, the Vulcan 1500, 1600 don't feature any linked brakes or ABS. The 1700 features ABS, not sure about linked brakes. Even on a bike with linked brakes the rider needs to know how the bike reacts especially if trail braking is a skill to apply.

I also teach riders on ABS equipped bikes to actually and purposely activate the ABS to get familiar to how it feels, how it performs, how the RIDER performs. But also, if the ABS pump(s) are never activated those ABS circuits never circulate the brake fluid through them. Again, people think the ABS is always active during riding, but it is dormant until an ABS event is engaged. If the ABS is not purposely activated by the rider, the ABS pump does nothing, the ABS circuits are not moving fluid. The only active part of ABS during general riding is the wheel speed monitoring side, which is all electronic in function.

[mike07nad]

Greetings - Interesting conversation - As a Matter of Point. A K-ACT Voyager HAS Linked braking as well as ABS. A certain percentage is applied to the rear when the two front brakes are activated. Also, when just the rear brake is activated a certain percentage is applied to the left brake not both front brakes.

I've got over 120,000 Voyager miles which includes about 30,000 on an 2009 Non-ABS Voyager. I've had the ABS activate maybe twice, latest was last week riding in the rain when we something happened where 2 tractor trailers came to an abrupt stop right in front of us (I think they may have come together) Both the wife on her Spyder and I on my Voyager slammed the brakes at 55 MPH and I felt the ABS kick in. It squirreled for a split second then just slowed down to a near stop so I could navigate off the road to the right. We both instinctively bailed right so we were not sitting dead stopped in the middle of the road where traffic behind us was not stopped. (That is an example of Situational Awareness)

I agree with your comment on Getting a used 15/1600 or a 900 to just learn on for a year then bumping up to the Voyager. But all that said - If the original poster has already decided to purchase a Voyager I would recommend the one equipped with K-ACT (ABS and Linked).

To the original poster - it sounds like you are attempting to make informed/sound decisions. Listen to the the "Been there done that crowd" and ride safe - Wear protective gear. NO SHORTS and FLIP FLOPS (I have a bug about that!)

Ride Safe - Have fun.

Originally Posted by andyvh1959

I agree, ABS is a valuable control capability on most cycles. But it is still better that any rider learns strong riding skills to which ABS is an aid rather than compensating for poor capabilities. The biggest part of learning the skills, especially situational awareness, is it helps you from riding into situations that require systems to save your butt.

The comments above about linked brakes are an example. We teach effective use of BOTH brakes to minimize fork dive and get the bike to just squat into the stop. I recently did a class where a student (on a big cruiser) asked "should I apply the rear brake first and then the front brake?" as an example of what some riders get as input from other experienced riders. I advise both brakes at the same time, progressively more on the front and less on the rear. The rear brake is mostly for tracking, dive reduction and chassis stability, the front does most of the work. I always use highway speed to clarify this. At 60mph you are traveling 88 feet per second. If your process is to apply the rear first and then the front you delay applying the front brake by up to 1/2 second. No big deal right? Until you consider that 1/2 second delay could be up to 44 feet longer stopping distance. Even at 1/4 second that could add 22 feet of stopping distance, well more than the length of most cars.

On big heavy bikes linked brakes are a real advantage and can significantly reduce the drama of effective high effort braking. Good braking skills means little or no drama. Unfortunately, the Vulcan 1500, 1600 don't feature any linked brakes or ABS. The 1700 features ABS, not sure about linked brakes. Even on a bike with linked brakes the rider needs to know how the bike reacts especially if trail braking is a skill to apply.

I also teach riders on ABS equipped bikes to actually and purposely activate the ABS to get familiar to how it feels, how it performs, how the RIDER performs. But also, if the ABS pump(s) are never activated those ABS circuits never circulate the brake fluid through them. Again, people think the ABS is always active during riding, but it is dormant until an ABS event is engaged. If the ABS is not purposely activated by the rider, the ABS pump does nothing, the ABS circuits are not moving fluid. The only active part of ABS during general riding is the wheel speed monitoring side, which is all electronic in function.

[andyvh1959]

Shorts and flip flops,...HA! Few weeks back saw a guy on full dress Harley, newer one, riding in shorts and Crocs with white socks. Looked like a total doofus. Nothing "cool" about his Harley look. Now I also think the big cruiser crowd that goes through the effort of wearing boots, chaps/leather jeans, leather vest but no jacket or upper body protection, and especially no helmet are no less a doofus in my book. Clearly more concerned about the "look" than the prep for potential injury. Quite often too, these are the most vocal about their riding rights. Often too, these are the ones with the weakest riding capabilities and weak situational awareness, and loudest pipes.

My riding moto "no suprises." Huge part of that is to not ride myself into my own issues.