ABS vs. non-ABS Brake Performance Study

The following 2003 excerpt was published when many bikes were still without an ABS option. The meters per second squared figures they refer to are a measurement of stopping power over distance - more is clearly better. Once you get past the clunky Europeanized English grammar you will learn a good bit about this superior braking technology.

As a 2007 Suzuki DL650A (ABS) owner with touring aspirations aplenty, I appreciate this feature more than any other aspect of my bike. It will make a believer of ABS out of you, so read and appreciate this study - it may save your life someday! It already has done so for others... enjoy.

The Human and ABS
ABSOLUTION

Can ABS systems relieve the motorcyclist when doing braking errors, or even solve eventual braking problems themselves just as well? A comprehensive analysis.
by Waldemar Schwarz
From MOTORRAD 10/2003

The Top test of the Yamaha FJR 1300 with ABS (MOTORRAD 6/2003) drove them onto the barricades. Ultimative late- and megabreakers cemented their prejudices. An active discussion around the allegedly small value of 8,4 m/s² swapped over into the motorcycle on-line forum. Allegedly, because test professionals create values around 10 m/s² under ideal conditions, which approaches the physical limit, depending upon type of motorcycle. Volker Deutschmann assumed a technical mega flop, and , oh misery, he had ordered a FJR 1300 ABS blindly without test drive. His only hope: It may perhaps not at the ABS's fault, but at the tires, which were supposed to be suitable for low outside temperatures only. Or the full moon might have been the culprit. Bernd J. comments: "I cannot imagine that Yamaha designed really such a muck ... the values with ABS are accurately those, which every normal motorcyclist can achieve at any time."

Latter statement gets rightfully relative through other contributions: "With all justified criticism, the actual braking distance is still shorter, than what a normal driver without ABS gets out. Or he is landing on his beart, owing to an overbreaked front wheel. Interesting it would be, as how the breaking results with and without ABS not only for the professional breaker is. Would it be different also for the average rider?" Just the question, which MOTORRAD now finally is out to clarify - not at least in order to eliminate questionable "wisdom" once for all.

"Motorcyclist of the Year", a sumptuous fundus top driver list
Important preliminary work had already been carried out by the MOTORRAD ACTION TEAM in connection with the search for the "Motorcyclist of the Year 2002". During the prequalification rounds of the braking competition several hundred participants had to pro stop from an initial speed of 70 km/h within shortest distance possible. A measuring instrument noted accurately the process of the delay, as well as the force. From this sumptuous fundus the MOTORRAD team could get a comprehensive picture.

Exemplary the results of two mixed groups were analyzed, which are good for a nice surprise: The average braking results of 19 drivers from the first group amounts to 6.2 m/s². To make it clear: This is a value, which is regarded completely tidy looked at by itself. Under the default assumption however that this exercise shall address ambitioned motorradcyclists, who do estimate their driving abilities as rather high, it appears this value is only average. And besides, it is far from the level which was achived by the FJR 1300 with ABS.

Even more remarkable: The engaged sport driver parliamentary group with Yamaha R 1, Honda Fireblade and co. did not turn out by any means as a superior brake species, but braked with 6,1 m/s² on the average even still slightly more badly than the remainder of the motorcycle world. Absolute front runner is R 1150 GS rider Aaron T. He created - owing to ABS system – an average value of 7,9 m/s². Certainly without exhausting however the potencial of the ABS system completely.

The second group with 26 riders braked amazingly better than the first, with an average delay of 6,8 m/s². But with some analysis the difference is cleared up fast: Six BMW boxers and F 650 GS riders with ABS do drive the average of the group up. Measured isolated, they did get results from 7,2 to 8.1 m/s² - clearly over their competitors. Only a lonely Yamaha TDM 900 rider can mix together with them. With 8,1 m/s² he is in the top group of the ABS guys.

If one looks closer into the details of the braking process, the measurements prove clear as glass: Even above the average experienced motorcyclists do not exhaust the potenzial of their brakes appropiately. Because they do serious mistakes. As the normal rider uses in case of emergency far less than 50 per cent of the possibilities of the stoppers (italics ours), experienced twowheelers do likewise lose time and thus valuable meters when stopping. The reason: About the speed the speedometer informs, but with slowing down the pilot must alone rely on his feeling. And this often deceives. Individuals sure achieved during the process of their braking values of up to 10,0 m/s², but their hesitant structure of applying brake pressure destroys a good total delay. Over half of the pilots start to brake with extremely small brake pressure, and increase it continuously up to the end of the braking. An instinktive behavior, which is understandable from fear of malicious overbraking, thus already at the beginning of the braking enormously long distances are given away.

However, an ABS can manage the fast application of brake pressure safely (italics ours). A fact, which is proven by the large extent good results from the riders with ABS system. These result are from the hard grasp into the brake, so already after two to three tenths of seconds they reach about 80 per cent of their maximum delay. But not only at the beginning of the braking process without ABS valuable meters are given away, but also in the further process. Many riders increase the brake pressure continuously, forget however far before tire blocking their own courage and loosen the brake briefly, in order to then start the same braking game again.

With most participants from our search for the "Motorcyclist of the Year" indeed we noticed several overlaying weaknesses. Out of altogether 45 drivers, 25 develop the brake pressure too slowly, 16 of them loosens the brake out of fear for overbraking - completely unnecessarily far before the tires blocking. Real world result: Out of 45 routinier brakers in the whole only eight earn truly this titel, with 3 from them originating from the ABS camp. And this is the result, even the drivers had time and opportunity for exercising braking. An opportunity, which we did not give during the next scene of crime.

Rooky meets Routinier: "Good braking with ABS"
Five motorcyclists (box starting from page 65) with completely different ambitions and backgrounds first show on the highway, what the level of braking skills in real motorcycle life is like. All skills are represented: The rookie Mirjam Mueller, the normal drivers Daniel Alves de Jesus and Manuel Fuchs, as well the experienced sportracer Oliver Noske, and last but not least the seasoned routinier and milemuncher Volker Deutschmann - exactly the one, who had kicked off the discussion about the ABS of the Yamaha FJR 1300 A in the motorcycle on-line forum.

The first exercise: Each rider rides a round course of 35 kilometers in the Swabian-Frankish forest, which consists a mix of badly visible bends, fast straights, and from far visible in mountain and valley bedded changing twisties. Everything, what usually the motorcyclist heart desires. Each pilot must complete the course without route knowledge or other leading motorcycles, exactly as during a tour in the real life. Available was a choice of ABS motorcycles of completely different shades of character, choice depending upon personal gusto. The choice was in between the BMW F 650 GS, the sporttourers Honda VFR 800, and Ducati ST 4S, up to the powertourer Yamaha FJR 1300 A. Rookie Mirjam preferred the BMWS F 650, Daniel and Manuel grabs the VFR, Ducati-998 owner Oliver naturally the Ducati ST 4S, and FJR owner Volker, how could it be different, the Yamaha. The machines are equipped with DATA Recording, which notes the speed process and the delays accurately.

The result: The average braking results of all participants are in between 2 to 3 m/s². Whereby it should be reminded, that we are not talking here about full stops until standstill. With the peak values the test field was pretty close centered around 4,2 to 4.4 m/s². As a proven top braker Volker was outed. His values were tendentious more high. Once he even peaked with 6,4 m/s². Asked for the reason, he immediately replies with the explanation: "I wanted to try out whether the ABS comes into action." He would have to activate the stoppers however far more violently.

This chance is offered a short time later to the candidates. From the Swabian-Frankish forest our way leads straight onto the racecourse Hockenheim. On closed terrain each driver can not only get a sense of his own capabilities, but also of the ABS, and safely explore the borders of physics. The tasks: To complete a full stop at everyones personal limit from an initial speed of 100 km/h without net and ABS. The drivers do not know whether the ABS is activated or not. Again data recording notes each delay, additionally distance and speed measurements supports the individual results.

And this now is completely different: The bandwith is between 5,5 and 7,0 m/s², and is accurately in the range, which the "Motorcyclist of the Year" group had achived. Again Volker brakes the others out with no mercy. He needs some time in order to develop a high delay, increases then however to the limit of the FJR without ABS: 9,5 m/s². If he would not have lost so many meters at the beginning of the braking process, he would have come to an absolute top result. But still, a respectable 7.9 m/s² in average is a good achivement. Nevertheless, it misses the maximum of the FJR with ABS clearly.

Next: Exercising is what makes the master. Now the five shall push their own limits futher, and learn confidence in the different ABS systems. After numerous brakings Mirjam improves with the BMW into areas of over 8 m/s², and remarks for still higher delays her hand strength is not sufficient. We believe however it rather being a psychological barrier. Daniel uses the real potencial of the VFR ABS. The same applies to Manuel. Oliver with confidence in the electronic aids gets 10 m/s². A range, within which the Ducati slowly begins to lift the rear wheel, but the ABS still does not regulate! Volker overcomes with a trick the ABS limitations of the FJR, with individual braking pulses by proportional building up of brake pressure he creates 9,5 m/s². For the rehabilitation of the others it should be noted, that this routinier tested different ABS systems in the past already. Thus, he knew how to get most out of it. With normal ABS action we got a typical 8.5 m/s² for the Yamaha.

After the experiences with the three other motorcycle models during the test runs all five drivers came to the same result: The ABS of the VFR is among the tested systems unquestionable the first choice. It does not confront a driver with any sort of problems. Even critical Volker Deutschmann agrees, as the other participants, that ABS means an enormous increase of rider safety. The potencial of an ABS system is skyhigh over that of each normal driver. The difference is so high, that even after a lot of practicing they can not make full use of the motorbikes braking potential with no ABS.

Four of the five candidates nevertheless now have learned reaching delays, which they would only dream about at the beginning of the test. The dimensions, the knowledge, of what is really feasible have enormously shifted up. After intensive exercise. But ABS is better - and can still do more. It can care for all the little insecurities of our daily lives, as there are slippery patches from road repair works, suddenly emerging obstacles, or just a suddenly wet road within your brake zone.

Such conditions – as MOTORRAD already had proven with numerous previous tests – can only be safely mastered with the assistance of ABS. Each ABS offers a strong safety plus, which pays in case of emergency the investment of 500 to 1000 Euro completely back, not talking about health matters.