I engaged front ABS quite a few times on track after straights; I didn't even realized that I am braking hard and it didn't felt that I am braking hard, but the ABS still engaged. Is the ABS on 2017 RC 390 conservative, so it turns on before the wheel locks up? I am removing ABS, so I wanted to make sure if I was really locking the wheel or the ABS was premature.
ABS and the track don't work well together. Its very conservative.
Andy
Member
I stalled on removing ABS for road riding but then I realised I’ve never had an ABS bike in 30 years of riding so what’s the point. So I’ve got rid, the only time it has operated was on track going into Hairpin at Cadwell, that confirmed my desire to get rid of ABS.
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I understand the operating principles of ABS, but I do not understand what people mean when they say it is too conservative. To me that would suggest that it releases brake pressure well before a lockup occurs. But I cannot understand by what mechanism that would happen. During heavy front braking, is the rear wheel coming off the ground and speeding up, causing the computer to perceive excessive slowing of the front wheel? If not that, then what is it that is leading the ABS computer to conclude that a lockup is imminent?
Related question: Do some people just not like what ABS does? That would be different from saying it doesn't work well; more like saying they'd rather have a lock-up and reduced traction than reduced braking to preserve traction. The few times I've experienced ABS on a bike it has been scary to feel braking loss approaching a turn; but in retrospect it would have been even worse to have locked the front brake and lost directional control in the turn (in addition to losing some braking performance).
Related question: Do some people just not like what ABS does? That would be different from saying it doesn't work well; more like saying they'd rather have a lock-up and reduced traction than reduced braking to preserve traction. The few times I've experienced ABS on a bike it has been scary to feel braking loss approaching a turn; but in retrospect it would have been even worse to have locked the front brake and lost directional control in the turn (in addition to losing some braking performance).
Andy
Member
Thing is on track your going to brake a lot later, it could be on the verge of lock up but ABS cuts in. If it cuts in when braking later then its going to affect performance.
On the road it makes sense where road surfaces are crappy and I'd recommend it for new riders but without it you can learn more about surfaces and conditions like a lot of us did as youngsters.
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On the road it makes sense where road surfaces are crappy and I'd recommend it for new riders but without it you can learn more about surfaces and conditions like a lot of us did as youngsters.
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Respectfully, Andy, it seems as if you are saying you don't like ABS on the track because you don't like what it does - namely to reduce braking force in order to maintain traction.
I can understand that position even though it is not mine. And, yes, I can understand how one might learn more about surface properties by suffering consequences, though I might argue that one could also learn - possibly less painfully - by noticing when ABS is activating.
Disliking what ABS does is very different (at least to me) than saying the RC390's ABS is 'too conservative.' That said, I realize I may still be missing your point, so I apologize if I am driving you to pound your keyboard now.
To be clear, I am a novice track rider with much to learn. But I learn best by truly understanding things I'm told. And I do have high mechanical and physical aptitude. I tend to trust those with more experience, but I need to understand the reasoning behind what I'm told, so I can discern between 'how things work' and 'how some people prefer to ride.'
If there is some inherent and irreparable flaw in the RC390's ABS, I want to understand it. If it's more that some track riders prefer ABS and others don't, then that is also very good to know; but it is different.
Thanks for the good conversation here. I ask these things not to be argumentative but to learn from others so I don't have to learn everything in harder, more painful, ways.
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