Should I Get ABS?
Should you get an anti-lock braking system, or ABS, on your motorcycle? The short answer -- yes. An ABS does exactly what the name implies: prevent your wheels from locking and skidding the tire, which is ultimately a huge advantage for your safety. All street bikes should definitely utilize ABS, but as far as motorcycles are concerned….it’s probably still a good idea to have it on the streets of Beaverton and beyond.
How Does an ABS Work?
Just to be clear, ABS shouldn’t substitute cautious riding -- it’s a system that is there to help in situations where you need to stop on a dime for your safety. Whether it’s a busy street in Portland or a small residential area, ABS won’t make you any safer if the motorcycle isn’t being operated responsibly. ABS might not be used frequently, but it’s a feature that can give you peace of mind in scary situations.
As far as technology goes, ABS uses a small metallic ring gear attached to the hub of the motorcycle wheel along with a magnetic sensor to generate an electrical signal. The produced signal is sent to the ABS unit to determine via frequency whether the motorcycle is slowing down, speeding up or staying steady.
The ABS will know when the wheel is about to lock based on a dramatic change in frequency of the signal pulses and when the number of pulses approaches zero. The ABS will then decrease the pressure to the brake system, allowing the wheels to spin and then reapply the braking force. If a locking situation is detected afterward, the ABS will run the process again.
Use of ABS on a Motorcycle
With two kinds of motorcycle braking systems -- conventional and combined -- some motorcyclists may not feel that ABS is necessary. Especially considering how much more expensive motorcycles with ABS are, some may opt to risk riding without one for the sake of keeping money in the pocket.
At the end of the day though, ABS is a safety measure that may hurt your wallet a little bit more, but is designed to prevent you from getting hurt. If you’re willing to spend on a motorcycle, spending a little bit more for the sake of your safety is worth considering.
Check out our motorcycle inventory today and feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding ABS, safety or motorcycles in general.