Got to experience cornering ABS today

[LoneRanger]

This afternoon coming home from work, the last road going home with which my street intersects has several turns and is one of those roads that winds through outlying areas of the county outside of town in a bedroom community. Speed limit 35 but no one obeys, the norm is 45 with 50 and above not uncommon cars and bikes both. Of course, driveways all along it. I'm leaning moderate through one of the curves and not going that fast about 40 maybe. An older Jeep grand cherokee noses out of it's drive past some landscaping shrubs at the mail box. It's one of those "Don't you do it!" moments we riders have from time to time in. He does it. Can't say he or she due to window tint but they pull out into my path in the curve and goose it going same direction as me but, but not enough that I can avoid the need for significant braking to not kiss their rear bumper. It wasn't a hard chop but a pretty firm application. A very brief momentary dip of the front, very quick less than a half second probably I really can't say as the event was very fluid and unfolded rapidly. Totally maintained my line, but it wasn't a panic braking just more brake than you are ever comfortable with in a moderate lean. I do think that without cornering ABS it might have uprighted enough to maybe leave the roadway although there was a nice level big yard there to go into had that been the case (acre plus lots most of the places in that area)

Don't really want to experience it again, but I guess cornering abs is for real. Can really say it turned it into a non-event.

 

[sciphi]

Good on you for having the situational awareness to use that safety feature in time to prevent an accident.

 

[AZjeff]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Good on you for having the situational awareness to use that safety feature in time to prevent an accident.


Confused. The bike has ABS and he grabbed the brakes in a corner and it worked automatically and he held his line. Unless I don't get it. Is there a separate cornering ABS button you have to push?

 

[LoneRanger]

The cornering ABS feature is seamless with the ABS system. A Bosch lean angle sensor is employed which provides data to the ABS system that allows modulation of the ABS relative to how much lean there is vs speed, etc. The same Bosch sensor is used to activate LED cornering lights nestled in the outboard edges of the headlight assembly when going through curves. They don't do a whole lot though, a bit of a disappointment, just don't throw much more light into the curve.

 

[andyd]

Slow your donor cycle down. Next, could be a kid dashing out in front of you.

 

[Ausfahrt]

I am a big fan of ABS especially on bikes. Glad that you're OK and that a potentially dangerous occurrence became a non-event.

Gotta love technology!

 

[KernelK]

So you are basing your assumption that the ABS came into play because the bike did not stand up under braking? Did you feel a lessening or momentary interruption of braking force, as I believe that is how ABS braking works in avoiding wheel lockup?

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Slow your donor cycle down. Next, could be a kid dashing out in front of you.


40 in a 35, yeah I was just ripping through there. How about drivers do a better job of looking before pulling out in front of mc's being ridden only 5 above... mc's with dual LED headlights bright as an arc welder bead in a reflective housing I might add. How you can miss seeing that coming, I don't know.

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted By: KernelK
So you are basing your assumption that the ABS came into play because the bike did not stand up under braking? Did you feel a lessening or momentary interruption of braking force, as I believe that is how ABS braking works in avoiding wheel lockup?


As I mentioned in the post-- momentary dip of the front. Should have added that it was removed even though my pressure on the braking levers was not reduced.

 

[Mik]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Slow your donor cycle down. Next, could be a kid dashing out in front of you.


You should direct your criticism at the bonehead who darted out of the yard without looking, or alternatively at everyone driving along said roadway at post-legal speeds (including those in cars and trucks, Heaven forbid)...

Back to the OP, I hope you gave the moron (Jeep driver) a piece of your mind at the first convenient place for putting your safety in peril.....

 

[Mik]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Originally Posted By: andyd
Slow your donor cycle down. Next, could be a kid dashing out in front of you.


40 in a 35, yeah I was just ripping through there. How about drivers do a better job of looking before pulling out in front of mc's being ridden only 5 above... mc's with dual LED headlights bright as an arc welder bead in a reflective housing I might add. How you can miss seeing that coming, I don't know.


Bingo!!!! Typical "blame the victim" cager response......

 

[KernelK]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Originally Posted By: KernelK
So you are basing your assumption that the ABS came into play because the bike did not stand up under braking? Did you feel a lessening or momentary interruption of braking force, as I believe that is how ABS braking works in avoiding wheel lockup?


As I mentioned in the post-- momentary dip of the front. Should have added that it was removed even though my pressure on the braking levers was not reduced.


Your experience runs counter to the Multistrada cornering ABS videos on Youtube where enough braking force is applied in a corner to fully compress the front forks. The forks remain nearly fully compressed until the motorcycle comes to a stop although there is no locking of the front wheel.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Slow your donor cycle down. Next, could be a kid dashing out in front of you.


It's common knowledge (to Motorcyclists anyway) that almost all bikes (Harley's being the one exception I'm aware of) have speedometers which are optimistic by 5 to as much as 10%.

So an indicated 40 mph, could really be closer to an actual 36 mph, depending how new the tire is, the manufacturers calibration factor, etc. Being leaned over in a corner, will also raise the mph number shown on the speedo, versus the bike being verticle running in a straight line.

 

[Jarlaxle]

10% optimistic is the usual. My Burg and my wife's Hyosung Comet read 10% fast. Her PC is also fast, though only by 3-4%. The ONLY bikes I have seen with accurate speedometers are police Harleys. (Even the non-certified H-D's read fast, at least a little.)

 

[bulwnkl]

Honda's NCX is typically within 1-3%.

Interesting report about the ABS; thanks! I vividly recall the time I needed to grab a handful in the middle of a tight corner on a previous bike (oncoming over the line in my lane). Even as an experienced rider, I was surprised how hard it tried to stand up. Different bikes (different steering geometries?) seem to be different with respect to how hard they try to stand up and go straight.