FZ6 N with or without ABS

[dhmtb77]

Greetings,

I'm planning to order a 2008 FZ6 N from my local Yamaha dealer. The bikes they have brought into Hong Kong are all without ABS and he says it's due to the extra $$$ for the ABS. When ordering my bike I have the option to order one with ABS.

Please let me know your opinions on ABS. Should I spend the extra $$$?

Also with the ABS option does the braking system work the same as the BMW K1200R where the front brake activates the rear at the same time? The rear brake can also be activated on it's own using the regular foot brake.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[thulst]

Hi Mark,

In the Netherlands you can only order the FZ6 with ABS. I did some training last year to feel the difference between a bike with and without ABS.
If you are good at breaking the bike will sooner come to a hold than with. But, whenever you need ABS there is always the panic reaction that comes first. Without ABS there is a great chance breaking too hard and that the wheel will block. You can imagine what will happen next.
With ABS you still have the panic reaction of course. But with the confidence ABS gives you up front it is less than normal. Second point is that with ABS your wheel will not block. You are able to keep your bike under control.

The way you break with or without ABS is different.
Without ABS you build up force while breaking. With ABS you pull the lever as firm as possible and keep it there. When you do it is possible that you rear wheel will lift. Loosen the grip a little and after the wheel hits the road again start breaking again.

For there is no questioning whether to buy a bike with or without ABS.? For me this will always be with ABS. In the year I have the bike right now I needed it 2 or 3 times and prevented me from injury or worse.

Ton.

 

[bluenova]

My personal opinion...

1. I don't think the FZ6 is heavy enough to warrant having ABS
2. You should know how hard you can brake on your bike (or car) in different conditions, yes it will take a bit of time to get the experience, but you should have it be a competent driver.

 

[Cloggy]

I too have the ABS, I use the bike among other things for commuting, which means I ride in all weathers.

I think if you are a "fair weather" rider that ABS is not totally necessary (I know a few people who will not ride if there is the slightest chance of rain), but if you are planning to ride in all weathers it's a must (IMO).

As Ton said you have to be careful breaking without ABS (do it in the correct way), with ABS it's simple, just pull/press on the brakes (obviously shortly letting go if the back end leaves the ground).

I was on a ride a couple of months ago with some colleagues, it was pouring with rain, anyway whilst riding through a city we all had to brake quite quickly, anyway one guy locked up the brakes (knee-jerk reaction) he slid, and with the camber of the road he slid from left to right in between two other bikes (just managing missing them by mm's) luckily He managed to keep his bike upright and came to a stop against the curb.

If you choose to go without ABS then I suggest reading other threads about braking on this forum, as it is important that it's done in the right way.

As an added bonus my wife was all for me getting a safer bike :thumbup:

 

[dako81]

For normal street riding, ABS can be the difference between putting the bike down and keeping it up for the average rider. If you are above average, you may be able to control your bike just as well, but, human instinct and error could potentially still have you accidentally grab the brakes and lock them.

No, the braking system on the FZ-6 is not linked. The front brakes are separate from the rear brakes completely.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have ridden 1000s of KM and have never had the need for ABS.

Steve

 

[Wavex]

I have ridden 1000s of KM and have never had the need for ABS.

Steve

I don`t get your point... my friend wore a helmet for tens of thousands of miles and never needed it... does his personal experience mean we should not wear a helmet?

If the $$ is not a problem, there is no reason not to get it... ABS is great.

 

[GConn]

People always seem to mention this point and I can't understand it...ABS does not prevent an experienced rider from achieving the best possible breaking distance. If the experienced rider doesn't lock the wheel, then ABS or no ABS there is no difference. If the experienced rider panics and hits the breaks as hard as possible, the ABS can save the day. Saved me at least 3 times in the city.

My point: ABS is there only when you have already messed up.

Plus the ABS system is unbelievably helpful on wet roads. I would get the ABS version

EDIT:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zv3Sacl7JQ"]YouTube - ABS vs. No ABS[/ame]

 

[dako81]

I have ridden 1000s of KM and have never had the need for ABS.

Steve

Wavex said it well:

I don`t get your point... my friend wore a helmet for tens of thousands of miles and never needed it... does his personal experience mean we should not wear a helmet?

I had a rider coach for my MSF Basic Rider Course who has ridden well over 100,000 miles on motorcycles in just the past 5 years. He was riding one of his bikes last year and locked the rear tire in a traffic backup on the highway and laid the bike down. It was not raining and the pavement didn't have oil on it. The bike didn't have ABS and he was a very experienced rider. He just made a mistake. Since then he said he's stuck to his BMW which is 1.5 years old and has 35k miles on it, and ABS.

That is enough for me to have pretty much decided that my next bike will have ABS. Maybe if the '09's over here have it available I'll look into getting one.

Oh and plus if I don't want ABS I can just take the fuses out.

 

[dhmtb77]

Thanks for all the input. My gut told me to go for the ABS and the feedback on this thread has confirmed it for me.

I'm amazed at the You Tube clip.

Cheers,
Mark