used ABS brakes on Triumph this morning...

[lucydad]

All,

Yeah, took Mary Anne out to the coast this morning.  Fueled up, then onto SW freeway frontage road from stop.  Light went green, and I checked to left and turns...eased thru the corner....saw something in my left peripheral vision....did a full emergency stop in a gentle turn.

Sure enough, some guy in a black Dodge blew thru the light, maybe doing 70-80.  I would have been little mushy red Triumph metal and plastic bits if I had not hit the brakes, and the ABS kicked in.  No skid, just a really, really fast stop.  Big sticky tires did their stuff.

Puckered, relaxed, breathed and went on and did rest of ride.  Glad I was not on the V7R. 

Full moon?  Sheesh.  f*** me to tears.  Or maybe f*** you and the horse you rode in on cager.

Rest of day good, except now Grandpa Larry is going incontinent.  But that was to messy to discuss.  One week to go and we get our normal lives back.  I suspect he will be in a care facility in less than 6 months, he is fading fast.

Poodle walk time.

Stay safe out there.

[Kentktk]

You don`t need ABS until you need it and you did. Coming home safe and uninjured is always a good thing.

[oldbike54]

                                                                                     WHEW !

  Dusty

[lucian]

The main reason I chose a custom 14 over a Harley, abs is a must on a two up ride I figure ,Glad you're here to share the tale. May the next red light that jerk runs be in to a lawyer driving a dump truck.

[fatbob]

What model Trumpet?

Oh and good riding! 

[trippah]

Part of your old company's retirement program?   Glad your OK, sorry to ear about grandpa.

[lucydad]

All,

2015 STRX triple 675, thanks for good wishes guys.

When I have close encounters of the lethal kind while riding, I always do a post-event evaluation. 

1) what really happened and why
2) what can I do differently to avoid a repeat?

So this morning riding the V7R back from church, I went thru the exact same intersection.  Same drill:  gas the bike up, and ride south on University, enter on the frontage road at University to 59-SW.  Sunday has less traffic than a Saturday though, there is no repeating exact conditions, but they were very close.

Ok:  yes it is a complex, busy intersection.  Lights are clear from my entry point, clear lanes.  Entering cars from east to west and turn onto freeway have arrows, dual lane.  They had stopped.  I definitely had a green light:  the traffic to north of me had a red.  It was our street's turn to move straight, or turn right.

No doubt the black Dodge blew thru the red light.  Speed was way past limit of 50, at least 70 mph.  He likely ignored the light, or did not see it.

So yep that was the situation.

What I did right:  cautious entry into intersection and I looked twice, full left head turn.  My peripheral vision at age 61 is still excellent:  caught the visual.  My reaction time and reflexes are still excellent:  smooth but firm brake grab, straighten up, off throttle, and both feet down fast.  Execution was perfect. No panic.  Triumph ABS definitely made a difference, no doubt in my mind.

What could I do to reduce risk:  always remember intersections are high threat.  Expect the unexpected.  Lately random U-turners on prohibited intersections are becoming more common:  don't get into their path.  Beware the red-light screamer:  always wait a second to enter, and look again.

What else?  Sell-trade the 2012 V7R and buy a Guzzi with ABS brakes.  That may very well happen sometime mid-2016 after our finances shake out after our retirement house build, move and settle in.  Yep, I got the Triumph ABS partly after a nasty cager driving experience where my BMW 330i ABS brakes saved me from a very lethal freeway situation (merging into me high speed, reckless traffic stream).  BMW ABS did its work:  emergency braking without loss of control.

That's what I learned.  Might look seriously at the Audace or even a Cali custom, or a newer small block.  Not sure. 

[Randown]

When yer abs kicked in what did you do? Keep the brakes mashed or let up for a split & reapply? I guess either way is OK, I can't help but interpret the feedback as wheel lock-up - then muscle memory re-cycles the offending lever, a dirt bike habit.

[sib]

There really are good reasons for the (European) requirement ABS beginning with 2016 models.  These days no one seems to complain about ABS on passenger cars, we just all got used to them.  Yes, I know, nanny state and all that macho posing.  I supposed some folks also complained about front brakes when they were first required.  Personally, I like to ride well enough that I want to continue riding.  Whatever contributes to that goal is OK with me.

[Buddy Shagmore]

Agreed that ABS is the way to go. It's linked brakes that I won't buy into. Glad you lived to tell.

[Nic in Western NYS]

Very glad you're OK LucyDad.  Any injury to you would have been felt by a lot of us.  Go ABS!

[lucydad]

Randown,

I grew up on dirt bikes from age 12, so yep I did the gradual mash hard, then let up.  That's how you avoid slide outs.  But I definitely felt the ABS kick in, it is very noticeable, just like on a car................ ..  dash dash dash dot dot dot braking as it kicks in.  Front wheel almost squealed. 

Serious about a new Guzzi now.  Europeans are on right track, no doubt.  Saw even the new Scout has ABS in USA. 

It is great technology.

[decotriumph]

ABS is one of the things that prompted my decision to trade my HD Road King for my '14 Stelvio. I had a couple of close calls on the HD where ABS would have been helpful. I hope I never really need it, but I'd rather have it, just in case.

[azguzzirep]

Randown,

 so yep I did the gradual mash hard, then let up.  That's how you avoid slide outs.  B 

Serious about a new Guzzi now.  Europeans are on right track, no doubt.  Saw even the new Scout has ABS in USA. 

It is great technology.

I wish my old EV had that. It prolly wouldn't have had it's rear end pass us by as it laid us on the ground.

I practiced stopping on a bike with abs. A bit of chatter, and your stopped. Prettty cool.

Tom

[tiger_one]

I think the Super Tenere and now the KTM 1190 has the best ABS I have ever ridden!  They work as well offroad as on pavement, and both are linked.  Great stuff when done right.

Don't try the R1150GS offroad and expect the ABS to work.  Early BMWs gave ABS a bad name.

[MGPilot]

ABS was reasonably important in my purchase decision for the V7. In several years of riding, only noticed it twice on my BMW R1200RT -- glad it was there both times. Glad you avoided the truck....and stayed upright while doing it.

[tonUPRacer]

glad you're OK and thanks for those reminders, especially that one or two second pause and double check on entering an intersection.

[rdbandkab]

I was wishing for ABS on my 02 Futura yesterday.   We were riding in some rain when we came up over a rise to find traffic stopped dead on the other side...   There was just enough space to get her stopped without issue (and with me informing my co-pilot to "HOLD ON - HOLD ON - HOLD ON - HOLD ON".  It wasn't panic mode, but could have been with any more speed, any more rain, or even one more car at the back of the line of stopped traffic.   
Yea good tires!

**MG sighting also.  Rt 40 outside of Uniontown, PA (or rt 18 - can't remember now).  Looked to be someone on a Breva 1100..

[Kentktk]

ABS does require a different thought process, which is just grab and squeeze hard. It could be very difficult to unlearn the braking habits from years of non-ABS braking. It is a must that when an ABS bike is bought to go out and practice emergency stops by fully braking to ABS initiation and keeping the brakes on. If a person doesn't it's a guarantee they will plow into whatever ABS could have prevented.

[Randown]

ABS does require a different thought process, which is just grab and squeeze hard. It could be very difficult to unlearn the braking habits from years of non-ABS braking. It is a must that when an ABS bike is bought to go out and practice emergency stops by fully braking to ABS initiation and keeping the brakes on. If a person doesn't it's a guarantee they will plow into whatever ABS could have prevented.

What if you ride dirt bikes without ABS? Generally the recycle process stays on the brakes but lets up enough to get the wheel spinning & may take only 100 milliseconds. Ha ha, you're not guaranteed to plow into anything.