xcel
10-22-2008, 10:18 AM
Antilock braking systems (ABS), standard on most automobiles for over a decade are making their way into the motorcycle market and possibly none too soon. (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=159317)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Honda_Gold_Wing_with_ABS.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Oct. 22, 2008
2009 Honda Gold Wings can be equipped with both ABS and airbags.
Antilock braking systems are designed to help drivers avoid accidents. When a driver applies his or her brakes hard enough to induce wheel lock, loss of steering control on wet and slippery road surfaces is almost guaranteed. Unfortunately, automobile ABS systems have never proven themselves to reduce accident rates or their severity in the real world.
Motorcycles equipped with ABS are in a different situation given high speed stability has everything to do with the gyroscopic effect of a spinning wheel. When a motorcycles wheel stops rotating, in particular a front wheel lockup while cornering, an immediate instability is induced and a fall is almost a foregone conclusion.
ABS on bikes acts just as it does in cars where independent braking sensors in each wheel is continuously monitoring wheel spin. Upon detection of a locked wheel above a very slow speed, the system will release the brakes momentarily to that wheel attempting to allow that tire to regain both traction and stability and reapplies the brake to that same wheel in order to slow the bike down.
Test track data has revealed that Motorcycles equipped with ABS have substantial benefits on wet road surfaces and exceed the performance of even expert motorcycle test riders with standard non-ABS braking systems. ABS can eliminate wheel lockup and allow motorcyclists to make urgent, yet controlled stops.
Findings in order of highest to lowest collision and loss claim frequency
Rider age: Driver age proved to be by far the most significant factor for motorcycle collision claim frequency. Riders 24 and younger were shown to have a 79 percent higher claim frequency than riders 25-39 years old. Another 13-percent reduction was revealed for riders ages 40-64.
Bike age: An interesting anomaly was revealed showing that claim frequencies decreases 23 percent for each 1-year increase in vehicle age. Ride an older bike and the likelihood of a vehicle accident was reduced a significant amount for some unknown reason?
ABS: The IIHS through the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found a 19 percent reduction in collision and loss claims on bikes equipped with ABS. This reduction was revealed while isolating variables including the age of the bike, age and gender of the rider and population/vehicle density that a bike collision or loss claim occurred.
Gender: Along with ABS equipped motorcycle loss conclusions, it was also found that female riders have a 19 percent lower chance of a claimed accident while riding a similar age bike, similar age of the rider and similar population/vehicle density.
Population/Vehicle density: While isolating population/Vehicle density, motorcycle accident claims were found to be 13 percent higher in a high population/vehicle density area (> 500 vehicles per square mile) vs. a mid-density population/vehicle area consisting of 100 to 499 vehicles per square mile. A further 13 percent reduction was seen for riders in a low population/vehicle density area (< 100 vehicles per square mile) vs. the mid-population/vehicle density area.
In summary, since we can do little about where we currently live, our age and gender (I hope ;)), overall claims losses with regard to the effect of ABS throughout the various categories including severity not discussed above, showed an overall 21 percent reduction in actual collision losses.
While shopping for your next bike, consider an ABS equipped vs a similar sized non-ABS equipped bike as the accident avoided may be your own.
IIHS Reference document can be found at the following: Highway Loss Data Institute Bulletin - Motorcycle Antilock Braking System (ABS) (http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/hldi_motorcycle_antilocks.pdf)
Thanks Bruce!
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Honda_Gold_Wing_with_ABS.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Oct. 22, 2008
2009 Honda Gold Wings can be equipped with both ABS and airbags.
Antilock braking systems are designed to help drivers avoid accidents. When a driver applies his or her brakes hard enough to induce wheel lock, loss of steering control on wet and slippery road surfaces is almost guaranteed. Unfortunately, automobile ABS systems have never proven themselves to reduce accident rates or their severity in the real world.
Motorcycles equipped with ABS are in a different situation given high speed stability has everything to do with the gyroscopic effect of a spinning wheel. When a motorcycles wheel stops rotating, in particular a front wheel lockup while cornering, an immediate instability is induced and a fall is almost a foregone conclusion.
ABS on bikes acts just as it does in cars where independent braking sensors in each wheel is continuously monitoring wheel spin. Upon detection of a locked wheel above a very slow speed, the system will release the brakes momentarily to that wheel attempting to allow that tire to regain both traction and stability and reapplies the brake to that same wheel in order to slow the bike down.
Test track data has revealed that Motorcycles equipped with ABS have substantial benefits on wet road surfaces and exceed the performance of even expert motorcycle test riders with standard non-ABS braking systems. ABS can eliminate wheel lockup and allow motorcyclists to make urgent, yet controlled stops.
Findings in order of highest to lowest collision and loss claim frequency
Rider age: Driver age proved to be by far the most significant factor for motorcycle collision claim frequency. Riders 24 and younger were shown to have a 79 percent higher claim frequency than riders 25-39 years old. Another 13-percent reduction was revealed for riders ages 40-64.
Bike age: An interesting anomaly was revealed showing that claim frequencies decreases 23 percent for each 1-year increase in vehicle age. Ride an older bike and the likelihood of a vehicle accident was reduced a significant amount for some unknown reason?
ABS: The IIHS through the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found a 19 percent reduction in collision and loss claims on bikes equipped with ABS. This reduction was revealed while isolating variables including the age of the bike, age and gender of the rider and population/vehicle density that a bike collision or loss claim occurred.
Gender: Along with ABS equipped motorcycle loss conclusions, it was also found that female riders have a 19 percent lower chance of a claimed accident while riding a similar age bike, similar age of the rider and similar population/vehicle density.
Population/Vehicle density: While isolating population/Vehicle density, motorcycle accident claims were found to be 13 percent higher in a high population/vehicle density area (> 500 vehicles per square mile) vs. a mid-density population/vehicle area consisting of 100 to 499 vehicles per square mile. A further 13 percent reduction was seen for riders in a low population/vehicle density area (< 100 vehicles per square mile) vs. the mid-population/vehicle density area.
In summary, since we can do little about where we currently live, our age and gender (I hope ;)), overall claims losses with regard to the effect of ABS throughout the various categories including severity not discussed above, showed an overall 21 percent reduction in actual collision losses.
While shopping for your next bike, consider an ABS equipped vs a similar sized non-ABS equipped bike as the accident avoided may be your own.
IIHS Reference document can be found at the following: Highway Loss Data Institute Bulletin - Motorcycle Antilock Braking System (ABS) (http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/hldi_motorcycle_antilocks.pdf)
Thanks Bruce!