while tackling the Canary Wharf route I had a few brief front wheel lock-up's. The road was covered in grime, and just a little bit of rain had fallen. So enough rain to make it slippy, but not enough to wash the crap off the road.

But the over-landing beast, that the DL1000 is, is supposed to have ABS. It has the sticker on the body-work at least. So how come the front is locking up? I wasn't braking heavily, just normal. It's the first bike I've had with ABS, so maybe it's working and I just don't know what it feels like. What should it feel like when the ABS takes control away from you?

Dougie,
No idea because I have never owned or even ridden with ABS; but take it onto a wet grass covered field and lock the brakes up - you will find out how the ABS works; seriously, that is what my mate did when he first got ABS - anything upto 60 MPH and then throw the brakes on as hard as you feel is comfortable.

Don't do this in parkland where the kids are watching, you know how they learn by copying!!

Dave

__________________
Dave

The ABS system in my car will let the front wheels lock up momentarily on really slippery stuff (grass, mud) so I think that the brakes don't release completely when the ABS does it's job. On any surface with a bit of grip you won't notice it at all.
Anyone with more tech experience?

Regards

Nigel in NZ

__________________
The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

Suzuki´s ABS is on all the time, no off-switch included. In theory taking the ABS fuse should return brake system to normal, but ive never tried that on my 650.

In my opinion, you need to go for some very serious offroad to really need it switched off. I rode this bike, with normal tyres, in pure winter conditions in snow and ice earlier this year, even dropped it slightly a few times, but I was quite happy to have ABS then. Even experimented a little and tried to brake hard on partly dry, partly very slippery (icy) road, and it did its job very smoothly, never felt like i had no brakes - in fact I dont think I wouldve had the guts to brake that hard on that surface without it.

The term "ABS" is not one specifically defined subject so that they´d all work exactly the same way. The configuration of the system also means a lot, and fortunately Suzuki´s system is working really well. People are judging ABS because they did a terrible job on some bikes in the past, thats not always the case anymore.

The only thing that comes to mind, when you´d really wish you didnt have it, is when you want to ´dig´ the backwheel into the ground to make the bike stop. But that kind of situation is normally out of DL´s territory anyway, there are better (lighter) bikes for such places. Its mostly a roadbike, and ABS is good to have on long tours, when theres a chance youre not on high alert the moment you´d need to be.

Correct me if im wrong, but havent heard theres a DL1000 with abs available anywhere? Maybe 2008?

"Great news that Suzuki hit a winner first time"
Suzuki are no newcomers in ABS for bikes.. I remember testing a 1997 Bandit 1200S, which had them, and some of their big scooters also have had them. Its true they havent had ABS largely available thru their model range like, say, BMW has, up until now. But everyone knows the Japs can do some very high-class engineering, so why they couldnt get this right. Someone claimed they use exactly the same control module that they use in their cars today (cars have 2 boxes, bikes only 1).


I for one hope they wont quit manufacturing the DL1000, if they do its probably because of the new emission standards. Im hoping they´d come up with something similar to the Africa Twin, with a bit less weight, more ground clearance, offroad tyres/rims, and fuel-injected engine. A DL with just a bit "rougher" image, I think it could really be the "poor man´s GS".

It just happens that I went to the local bike shop yesterday to "see what is on the market" and I picked up the Suzuki catalogue for 07. That refers to an "Advanced Braking System" and, elsewhere, to ABS fitted on the 650 (as pointed out above, not mentioned for the DL1000).
I used to think that ABS meant Automatic Braking System, or somesuch title.

"Advanced" appears to be appropriate from the postings in here; there is scope here for some information about the various claims to ABS by different manufacturers, what it actually does and how it works methinks; another thread or has it all been spelt out somewhere else?

Dave

__________________
Dave

I'm sure that in the context of brake systems ABS means anti-lock (or anti-skid) brake system.
While the system Suzuki uses will be advanced, it will be there to avoid locking brakes - for better or worse.

H

__________________
Howie
V-strom 650, Transalp 650, DR-Z250

An easy way to check if a Suzuki (or most bikes for that matter) has ABS is to look into the center of the wheels. They will have small, about 10cm "discs" or rotors on one side. Theres also a thumb-sized signal pick-up device right next to the rotors, which will register when the wheel is about to lock up, and send the info to the control module to release brake pressure a little. The control module is usually located near the rear shock absorber but thats a bit harder to spot.

Oh, and ABS indeed refers to anti-locking.. I dont think Suzuki has any combination brakes (except for some scooters maybe).

Thanks and yep that's what I meant to say, but I was in a hurry to go out riding for Sunday; now back dripping wet from continous thunderstorms - excellent fun!!

Obvious I suppose, those brochures are just to get the hard sell across anyway; they don't tell us very much and the sales-staff don't know much more (or am I getting too old and cynical!)

__________________
Dave