• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Over 20% fewer fatal crashes on ABS equipped motorcycles

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Interesting study. I know some folks who resisted ABS on cars when then came out. I know some bikers who think they are better than the computerized brain that powers ABS systems. Me, I trust the ABS and it is one of several reasons I bought my bike. For me it is a deal breaker on a modern bike if it is not equipped with ABS.

Full article at the link. Article contains a link to the actual study.



Motorcycle ABS: Turns Out It Works

No, really

Motorcycle ABS: Turns Out It Works
A new study published in August of 2021 confirms it: your motorcycle’s ABS is better than you are.​
Lots of riders still hold out, firm in the belief that they’re better than some computer when it comes to operating their machine. Antilock Brake Systems have gotten good, lately, though – better than expert riders.​
The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released this most recent study by Eric R. Teoh, their Director of Statistical Services. This study follows up on a couple of past studies reinforcing that ABS on motorcycles is a win, overall.​
. . .​
ABS can also give a rider more confidence to practice threshold braking, knowing that really reefing on the stoppers isn’t going to result in a crash.​
Motorcycle-ABS-Study-Counts-Table.jpg

Take a Look At Those Numbers​

But don’t take my word for it: read the study for yourself. The meat of it is only 13 pages long.​
If you just want to skip to the numbers, table 2 details specific makes and models of motorcycles, ABS vs non-ABS, and observed fatal crash involvements.​
Table 4 calls out some of the “known risk factors” that can affect the estimates found in the study. These include age, speeding, blood-alcohol level, the presence of a helmet, and whether the crash involved only a single-vehicle.​
The science straight from the study states “the results of the current study reinforce previous findings that ABS is highly effective in reducing motorcyclists’ fatal crash risk. The fatal crash rate was 22% lower for ABS-equipped motorcycles than for the same models without ABS.”
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Excerpt from the actual study referencing several sources, here is the actual study link --> https://www.iihs.org/api/datastoredocument/bibliography/2236


In terms of studies comparing crash rates of motorcycles with/without ABS, one found that the rate of fatal crashes was about 31% lower for motorcycles with ABS compared with the same motorcycles without ABS (Teoh, 2013). This was similar to an earlier result showing a 37% benefit (Teoh, 2011).
ABS has been shown to reduce the rate of collision insurance claims by about 21% (Basch et al., 2015; Highway Loss Data Institute [HLDI], 2009, 2013), with a stronger effect during the first month of the insurance policy (HLDI, 2012). Importantly, Basch et al. (2015) showed that the effect of ABS did not vary by riders’ automobile claim rates (a measure of risky driving). Moreover, although the effect was small, riders with higher automobile claim rates were more likely to have ABS on their motorcycle, refuting the notion that the observed benefits of ABS are due simply to safer riders being more likely to purchase the ABS option.
Using certain crash types assumed less relevant to ABS as a comparison group, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied motorcycle ABS (NHTSA, 2010), but did not find a statistically significant effect. A similar method was used by Rizzi et al. (2009, 2015) using head-on crashes as the comparison group. The 2009 study estimated ABS to be associated with a 41% reduction in injury crashes and a 54% reduction in fatal crashes.
The 2015 study estimated benefits for injury crashes ranging from 24 to 34% in three European countries; severe/fatal crashes were reduced by 34 to 42%. Rizzi et al. (2016b) investigated crashes of ABS and non-ABS motorcycles and found sliding crashes to be far less common among those equipped with ABS, and that none of the ABS-equipped motorcycles’ sliding crashes involved braking. This study also estimated a 52% reduction in fatal crashes associated with ABS. Another Rizzi et al. study (2016a) showed that ABS not only reduces the likelihood of crashes but also reduces their average severity.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
ABS works great. My only issue is when the ABS light comes on for no reason. No one seems capable of fixing it.


Most biker's do their own work. Which is why many shun the technology they cannot repair.
Last night. in the 2002 Minivan, at 70 MPH with me not using the brake for miles, it just came on.
I'm looking forward to the mechanic's comments.
 

PGBC

Well-known member
My street legal bikes with ABS are great.

My dirt bikes, they are not ABS equipped, and I wouldn't want them to. Sometimes i want to be able to lock up the rear tire offroad.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
My street legal bikes with ABS are great.

My dirt bikes, they are not ABS equipped, and I wouldn't want them to. Sometimes i want to be able to lock up the rear tire offroad.
I agree. Skid turns on dirt/gravel make sense.

Locking up brakes on asphalt is too often fatal.
 

Entropy

New member
Overall I'm in favour of ABS, but I like the option of being able to deactivate the system. In 2005 a brought the just launched BMW GS 1200 and it came with ABS. It was very advanced for the time and it might have been the only bike at the time that was available with ABS. As the bike was also intended for off road and ABS was considered inappropriate for this application, you had the option to switch it off. What I discovered was that the ABS was VERY CONCERVATIVE, that being that the braking force was diminished long before I would have without the ABS. BOTTOM LINE is that the ABS INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES NOTICABLY on asphalt. For general riding I kept the ABS engaged, but if I rode in maximum attack mode the ABS was always off. For the general public with varied experience and abilities it makes sense to include ABS and to default to on, but given that an experienced rider can get more performance without ABS, I think it should be able to be disengaged. On my current bike it cannot be switched off and many time when trail braking with the rear brake into corners, the ABS kicks in too early (undulation in the road surface) and releases braking pressure. Losing breaking performance "unexpectedly" when going at speed through a corner is very disconcerting and dangerous. I guess it goes to your outlook and perspective on life, but I trust my own rear brake modulating abilities above the electronics on my bike. (My current bikes ABS is latest generation 2 channel and hence it's not out dated tech). Like with my GS I would use ABS most of the time if it was switchable, but I would like the opportunity to switch it off when attacking corners with verve or wanting to minimise stopping distances. I guess you could consider these track applications, but I still think it should be optional. Perhaps if the electronics move up a level I would re-evaluate my stance.

I guess not only with ABS, but with all things in life, as an informed adult, I believe I should be able to chose what I use and do as long as I cause no harm to others. FREEDOM of CHOICE and PERSONAL SOVEREIGNTY is KING in my books.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Both my bikes have ABS (one has cornering ABS which is cool but really feels weird when it activates) and it can be de-activated as needed. I generally don't do any sort of crazy driving or track riding other than maybe going too fast in a straight line. I just leave the ABS activated all the time and am confident it is generally "safer" to have it on then not.
 
Top