Been reading in a few articles about an ABS model coming out soon, but haven't found any info elaboration on what they talking about when they say ABS. Naturally thinking one would assume they are talking about Anti Lock Brake system, but that can't be right.. could it? ABS brakes on a production line chopper? Hmmm... Anyone heard anything on this "ABS" model Honda Fury? Wha th hell is they talking about??
ABS model....?
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MOTORCYCLE.COM says...
"Honda’s market research says customers want anti-lock brakes, so beginning this fall an ABS Fury will be available at a $1,000 premium. The system also includes Honda’s Combined Braking System of linked brakes, but the crossover happens solely through the rear-brake pedal; the hand lever applies only the front brake."
In an four wheeled vehicle locking your brakes/wheels often results in a loss of steering control which is at it's worst while turning. ABS maintains steering control keeping you out of the ditch or oncoming traffic. ABS does take a little greater distance to stop because of the repeated momentary release of the brakes required to maintain rotation and directional control on the impending locking wheels.
Locking either brake/wheel on a motorcycle can easily drop the bike and rider to the ground compounding the damages.
ABS and linked brakes on the Fury (or any motorcycle) will be hard to beat by the average rider without ABS/LB in a panic stop. The best part is it takes the guesswork out how hard to apply which brake since the electronic control lets one pedal apply maximum braking force* to both wheels simultaneously. *A locked wheel and melting rubber has less braking force taking longer to stop in addition to loss of directional control.
Don't forget that cruisers and choppers lend themselves to a more relaxed style of riding which for many reasons makes the rider and motorcycle more vulnerable to larger vehicles operated by drivers who like all of us see other larger vehicles more easily than those less than 3 feet wide.
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If you want to find out about how the technology works try looking up the cbr1000rr or 600rr. I have read a few articles about it(I think one of the most in-depth was in Roadracing World). It adds a little bit of weight but is latest greatest in technology aside from traction control. If you are going to be riding alot in the rain/wet conditions or as the above stated a "lax" rider they will probably be worth the money.
wow thats a great idea.. ohh ohh i know!! how bout they design a bike with a cover from the elements, so we can ride in ANY weather condition comfortably, of course that would yield the need of windshield wipers for hard rains, don't forget the defrost and heater unit to keep the windshield clear considering the bike will have a closed cabin on it.. wait, we already have those.. they're called CARS!!
I understand and respect the idea of the abs system on a bike, but the article said it "takes the guesswork out of braking hard".. hell if they keep going they gonna take not only the guess work, but the fun out of riding!! i got a buddy who has a VTX 1300 retro. paid good money putting a windshield on it and loves it. then paid good money to install speakers and a mount for an ipod. and not to mention the 6 disc cd changers on the goldwings and harley ultra classic.. i thought that the motorcycle's open-ness and basics in traditional conforts as apposed to your GMC Yukon is one of the main reasons that makes riding motorcycles more fun. now my cousin can't take a road trip (or even a ride through town) with me on his ultra classic without fiddling with the radio for 20 min. or loading cd's in the changer before we roll.. can we say "spoiled"? But thats just my opinion.. what do i know, right? haha
I understand and respect the idea of the abs system on a bike, but the article said it "takes the guesswork out of braking hard".. hell if they keep going they gonna take not only the guess work, but the fun out of riding!! i got a buddy who has a VTX 1300 retro. paid good money putting a windshield on it and loves it. then paid good money to install speakers and a mount for an ipod. and not to mention the 6 disc cd changers on the goldwings and harley ultra classic.. i thought that the motorcycle's open-ness and basics in traditional conforts as apposed to your GMC Yukon is one of the main reasons that makes riding motorcycles more fun. now my cousin can't take a road trip (or even a ride through town) with me on his ultra classic without fiddling with the radio for 20 min. or loading cd's in the changer before we roll.. can we say "spoiled"? But thats just my opinion.. what do i know, right? haha
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For me, the last few years I have been riding on the track with hardly any road time. Riding on the track has absolutely improved my overall riding and would encourage anyone who has the means to experience a track day.
I would think that riders who want the added insurance or don't have the confidence will be the target group for a cruiser type bike with ABS. We are spoiled for sure, we have fuel injection, tons of R&D on the chasis, and bikes that basically ride like Cadillacs from the dealerships.
I would think that riders who want the added insurance or don't have the confidence will be the target group for a cruiser type bike with ABS. We are spoiled for sure, we have fuel injection, tons of R&D on the chasis, and bikes that basically ride like Cadillacs from the dealerships.
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I think we all agree with The Sphinx or we wouldn't be drawn to the FURY! Keep in mind that ABS/LB is the perfect complement to the chopper style because it's virtually invisible and the ABS part only comes into play just before you are in over your head so to speak. 99% of your riding experience should be no different with or without ABS.
Although the $1000 premium is a chunk of change, so are most insurance policies and they repeat every year! Any one unfortunate enough to experience that 1% would likely be an instant convert and quite possibly save more than the $1K premium.
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yep. Gone are the bad old days when one of the big questions before beginning a day's ride was 'will it start' ?
Now I guess we're getting the complementary question answered for us:
'will it stop' ?
Good times.
I wanna share 2 incidents with ya'll just to put the whole brake issue in perspective. 2 years ago i had a dear friend and fellow rider get killed on his homeade trike when a car pulled out in front of him from behind a blind spot. He didn't even have time to touch his brakes. Hit the car broadside at highway speed (approx. 60 mph). sadly he died from internal injury before they could get him to the hospital.
2nd incident was with a 1200 sporster and the rear end of a car. my buddy was behind this car traveling about 50. car suddenly locked the brakes up (still don't know why) but he didn't have brake lights. by the time my buddy realized the car slammed on the brakes, he didn't have time to stop (he was prolly looking off too, but still) he realized that one way or another he was gonna hit the car, so, instead of hitting it full out he decided to make good use of the bikes crash bars and he locked the back tire up (on purpose mind you), locked his legs to the bike, layed it down and slid in. well, the moved worked for what it was worth. no damage done to bike except scraches to the crash bar and broke on of the rear turn signals. my buddy and the bike slid a good ways and they came to rest partially under the car instead of plastered to the rear of it which he woulda been if he had of kept the bike up on its wheels. he walked away with a good case of road rash and a bruised ego, thats it. he is an experienced rider who to this day questions his decision to lay the bike down. he thinks still that he made the right decision cuz slamming into it dead on woulda prolly hurt more. that being said, what if that sportie had ABS and he couldn't lock her up to do his babe ruth slide into the car? would he have hit dead on possibly hurting himself a lot worse than road rash? point is, i think there is some situations where anti lock braking could be harmful. and in the case of my buddy who got killed, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. he never had time to hit the brakes..
"Marvelous" Marvin Cutrer--Labor day 2007. RIP Marvo!!!
2nd incident was with a 1200 sporster and the rear end of a car. my buddy was behind this car traveling about 50. car suddenly locked the brakes up (still don't know why) but he didn't have brake lights. by the time my buddy realized the car slammed on the brakes, he didn't have time to stop (he was prolly looking off too, but still) he realized that one way or another he was gonna hit the car, so, instead of hitting it full out he decided to make good use of the bikes crash bars and he locked the back tire up (on purpose mind you), locked his legs to the bike, layed it down and slid in. well, the moved worked for what it was worth. no damage done to bike except scraches to the crash bar and broke on of the rear turn signals. my buddy and the bike slid a good ways and they came to rest partially under the car instead of plastered to the rear of it which he woulda been if he had of kept the bike up on its wheels. he walked away with a good case of road rash and a bruised ego, thats it. he is an experienced rider who to this day questions his decision to lay the bike down. he thinks still that he made the right decision cuz slamming into it dead on woulda prolly hurt more. that being said, what if that sportie had ABS and he couldn't lock her up to do his babe ruth slide into the car? would he have hit dead on possibly hurting himself a lot worse than road rash? point is, i think there is some situations where anti lock braking could be harmful. and in the case of my buddy who got killed, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. he never had time to hit the brakes..
"Marvelous" Marvin Cutrer--Labor day 2007. RIP Marvo!!!
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One other thing to mention, the ABS Fury will only come in the color black according to the Honda info I have read.
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I think Sphinx makes a good point. Also, minimum controlled braking distances are slightly greater with ABS although probably shorter than most cars.
In 40 years of riding I have never laid a street bike down but I have slid a bit on a few occasions (braking in corners and on loose surfaces) where ABS should have prevented it. I am not a skilled enough rider to lay my bike down in a deliberate slide nor would I likely have the presence of mind to do so especially since I have never had or will have crash bars.
You can't pick which accident you may be involved in so on the ABS choice you either filp a coin or take stock of your vulnerabilities, strengths and typical behavior patterns.
You have to choose your poison. Just sayin' is all.
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This is interesting.
"All-new, electronically controlled Combined ABS distributes brake force over both wheels, helping to maintain braking confidence in less than ideal conditions. Electronic measurement of rider input on each brake lever permits application of only the front or rear brake in some cases, while the system combines both brakes in others."
Sounds like having your cake and eating it too although I'm guessing that you give up individual control to ABS in any extreme situation. This option is priced at $1000 for both the CBR1000/600RR and the Fury.
I'm also wondering if the Fury may not have the individual control feature when using the "rear" brake pedal since it is described in some articles as operating both front and rear brakes in that version of Honda's Combined ABS. More info should be available after the Fury ABS expected release in the fall of this year.
In an article by Adrian Blake/TWISTGRIP he writes about the CBR~RR:
Just to stir up the rumor mill Mr. Blake also writes:
From the Honda CBR1000RR webpage:
"All-new, electronically controlled Combined ABS distributes brake force over both wheels, helping to maintain braking confidence in less than ideal conditions. Electronic measurement of rider input on each brake lever permits application of only the front or rear brake in some cases, while the system combines both brakes in others."
Sounds like having your cake and eating it too although I'm guessing that you give up individual control to ABS in any extreme situation. This option is priced at $1000 for both the CBR1000/600RR and the Fury.
I'm also wondering if the Fury may not have the individual control feature when using the "rear" brake pedal since it is described in some articles as operating both front and rear brakes in that version of Honda's Combined ABS. More info should be available after the Fury ABS expected release in the fall of this year.
In an article by Adrian Blake/TWISTGRIP he writes about the CBR~RR:
"Our test riding took us from Daytona to Savannah, Ga. where we spent a full day at Roebling Road Raceway. We were there to find out what all the fuss was about Honda’s new C-ABS-equipped CBR600RR and CBR1000RR.
Without getting into the technicalities, C-ABS is essentially a system that joins linked braking with ABS and is computer-controlled (it does failsafe to a normal braking system, Milner assured us). The unit weighs 10 kg and Honda charges a $1,000 premium for it.
The real proof of its effectiveness was in the testing. When we reached 100 km/h on the track’s front straight, we were instructed to grab a handful of front brake, then repeat the same approach using only the rear brake, and finally, jump on both front and rear brakes on a wet track surface.
The result? Every rider stopped safely and quickly in every instance. Everyone was blown away by the smooth, stable, stop-on-a-dime performance without forward pitch. Honda scores another home run."
Without getting into the technicalities, C-ABS is essentially a system that joins linked braking with ABS and is computer-controlled (it does failsafe to a normal braking system, Milner assured us). The unit weighs 10 kg and Honda charges a $1,000 premium for it.
The real proof of its effectiveness was in the testing. When we reached 100 km/h on the track’s front straight, we were instructed to grab a handful of front brake, then repeat the same approach using only the rear brake, and finally, jump on both front and rear brakes on a wet track surface.
The result? Every rider stopped safely and quickly in every instance. Everyone was blown away by the smooth, stable, stop-on-a-dime performance without forward pitch. Honda scores another home run."
Just to stir up the rumor mill Mr. Blake also writes:
"Honda has otherwise beautifully realized what it set out to do: craft a superb production chopper for the average rider. It’s only the first in a series of new cruisers, Honda’s Milner promises, with more to be launched in the spring or early summer 2010."
My local Honda dealer took my deposit for the ABS model and placed an allocation order on the 29th of August, with an expected delivery date of December, although he "thinks" it will probably come a bit sooner. I have seen several demonstrations of ABS equipped bikes on wet pavement (most noteably by BMW) and decided this was the best option for the money! I like the idea of a back to basics ride (currently own a Gold Wing that has about every accessory) and decided that on my Fury, if it don't make it go quicker or stop faster, it ain't going on the bike.
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Were you able to get any literature/info/specs on your pending ABS Fury?
Just the standard brochure on the Fury. ABS linked brakes with rear applied, independent with front applied. Black only. My dealer will notify me as soon as it goes into production (supposed to be this month), should be getting a low serial number!
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Sounds like a long few months for you. When it arrives you'll be prepared for any knid of weather!
You mentioned ABS "linked" brakes which is Honda's older design. Are they not using "combined" ABS on this model?
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Put me on that list too 'cause if it's doable I'd rather buy a blue Fury than repaint a black one!
If Honda doesn't supply a kit the answer will lie in the parts catalogues. The ABS supplements are not at Helm yet so I doubt that the PowerSports outlet has the info either.
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I had a Honda CBR1100XX with Honda's linked brakes no ABS. Worked great on a sportbike. I am sure if Honda is putting them on a bike they are great. But they can keep them. I rarely go fast enough on my Fury to need the extra braking. While true you can run into anything at 30 MPH and kill yourself. I would rather be able to lock the rear if I need it and drift it for the same reason as the previous poster's friend that had to lay it down.
As it was explained to me.......when the rear brake is applied on the ABS Fury it is linked to the front brake, but when the front brake only is applied, it is independent.
The ABS function (for me) is a huge improvement over stock on wet pavement or in gravel. Everyone I have talked to who owns a bike with ABS has given me personal examples where they feel the ABS has helped them. I hope I never "need" the function, but feel a little more confident knowing it is there if I do...
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