ABS vs. Non-ABS Brakes

I currently have a 2003 ST1300 with ABS brakes that do their job very well.

However, I am considering purchasing a 2006 ST1300 with Non-ABS brakes.
My preference is for ABS brakes because that's all I know and I can predict their performance .

What I would like to know is real world experience from those riders who do not have ABS Brakes on their STs.

Please share your opinions, experiences, suggestions and warnings with me.

Thx,

Jay51

Non-ABS will be fine, the linked braking goes a long way toward balancing out the stopping nicely. Just in case you've become dependent on the ABS, make sure and practice hard braking. Work up slowly to it through, until you get a feel for the traction threshold.


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Its a personal preference, but I prefer the ABS when I can get it. Question: why go from a an 03 to an 06? No real difference in the bikes except color.

Brakes are just a tool. Braking is a technique that must be practiced and practiced correctly to survive. I took a class a while back on my 2008 ST non-ABS that taught me how to perform and master braking techniques at high and low speeds. I was absolutely amazed at how much brake you can really apply and how good the brakes are on the ST when you learn proper braking skills. So I think there are really two types of braking, controlled, which is braking at any speed based on what you are doing. The second is emergency braking, the deer, the stupid person in the car, an unplanned event.

I have learned to ride with two fingers on the front brake at all times. What does this do for me as a rider. It allows me to control my brake very smoothly and minimal when needed along with the back brake. In emergency my reaction time is reduced dramatically and now my braking is controlled because I am not grabbing a handful of brake and causing a situation. Learning to use the brakes together in all aspects of riding will go a long way.

Would I buy an ABS over a non ABS? For me I don't really care, if it is the bike I want and the price is right then I buy. I have 4 bikes in the garage, 2008 VFR ABS, the 2008 ST non ABS and two 40 year old classics with questionable braking as compared to today's standards. I ride them all the same way for braking techniques. It is a habit.

Can't comment on "fors and againsts" on the 13, but the most likely chance of locking a wheel is snatching at the levers in an emergency.
Most likely to cause a fall would be a front wheel lock up. To prevent this just practice until it becomes second nature to load the front first by a gentler application until the weight moves over the front wheel and then squeeze as hard as you like. You will not lock the front if you transfer the weight first before applying maximum pressure, or if you do you must be trying very hard to do so.
Also remember that ABS doesn't always help you stop more quickly, it works by releasing brake pressure and reapplying it.
I would buy the bike you want and enjoy, there would certainly be less maintenance.
I remember my old CB750f2 SOHC was criticised in the media of the time because the brakes were too sharp. Anybody that rides one today would swear they weren't even working but we didn't seem to mind then did we.
Upt'North.

I have never owned a bike with ABS so I guess I don't know what I'm missing. But I did grow up on dirt bikes and learned how to stop quickly.

My ST1300 stops great for me and I would not hesitate to buy another bike without ABS providing it did have disc brakes front & rear... the linked feature is a bonus.

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Last time I was in the market I made a list for my ST, a checklist of the top 5 things I wanted. ABS was on there but when I came across a bike that had 4 of the 5 things (not ABS) at a price I couldn't pass up, I bought. I wanted ABS, but all the other factors matched up and the price was right.

No regrets, the brakes still work great. Like anything else it takes practice and now you have one less bit of gear that might possibly need maintenance.

Next time I buy, same checklist. ABS will be on there but the price is too good without... I'll buy without again.

I list ABS as a want, but not a need. I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I can count on one hand the number of times I've needed it, but it's nice knowing it's there waiting for me to screw up. The linked brakes on the '13 mean I don't use it much, it's a very nice system, almost like Honda was thinking of me when they designed it. Stoppies are a bit harder now though.....

Edelweiss in Europe provides no bikes without ABS. There is a reason for that.

I will never own another new street bike without ABS.

Went from a '91 ST1100 to a '95 ST1100 for the sole purpose of obtaining ABS brakes.

I nearly high sided on the '91, scared the hell out of me.

I've also never owned a bike with ABS, although I've seriously wanted to. I'm always on a budget when I buy a new (used) bike and ABS always kicks it up. I got a hold of my '03 non-ABS ST1300 for an awesome deal and I couldn't pass it up. At the time, the only ABS models I could find were $2k+ more expensive.

However, my most serious get off was when I locked my rear wheel in a panic stop situation and I high sided when I let off the rear brake (not on my ST). I always worry that in a similar future panic stop situation, I won't be able to stop myself from stamping down on that rear brake again. For me, the biggest advantage of ABS is that you can do that and still stay up.

Good answers so far!

Grabcon, how do you keep two fingers on the front brake lever and have full control of the throttle?

Short answer is practice
For me the 2 finger cover on the brake acts as sort of a pivot point and gives finer throttle control. If you practice it you'll find your fingers are covering the brake without thinking about it.
If I'm grabbing a hand full of throttle I put the 2 fingers back when the throttle rotates to the correct point.

When the deer jumps out in front of you or the Mobile Phone Booth comes over on top of you, your muscles tend to 'tighten' (along with other things) so you tend to press harder than intended on the rear pedal and pull harder on the front lever than intended. Survival 'instincts' when faced with reality are difficult to overcome. All an ABS does is to keep you from locking the brakes (and generally the rear locks easier than the front). I was riding in West VA leaned over in a left hander with two fingers over the front lever. I hit a marble, a rock, or a ball bearing hidden in the shadows which snatched the handlebars away from my right hand, causing me to unintentionally grab a handful of front brakes at 60 MPH leaned over. The ABS kicked in, much to my astonishment, and saved my bacon. Practice braking is good and necessary, but all the practice in the world would not have prepared me for this situation. There is no doubt the front would have locked and I would have been down without the ABS. As I always say, you only need an ABS when need it. I have two ABS ST1100s and one non-ABS ST1100, and I ride all three. The ABS has kicked in maybe 3 times between the two ABS bikes. ABS is just another 'safety' tool in my kit just like good gear, good helmets, extra lighting, etc. You'll be fine without ABS until you need it ...

st1300r said:

Short answer is practice
For me the 2 finger cover on the brake acts as sort of a pivot point and gives finer throttle control. If you practice it you'll find your fingers are covering the brake without thinking about it.
If I'm grabbing a hand full of throttle I put the 2 fingers back when the throttle rotates to the correct point.

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+1 same here and I'm sure it decreases my response time and allows a little slowing down while being able to still give a little gas so I don't go down quickly

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13 posts before bacon was mentioned. I think that is a record on this subject, at least in recent memory

Someone say bacon?

Back on topic... I (ABS) brake for bacon.

dduelin said:

13 posts before bacon was mentioned. I think that is a record on this subject, at least in recent memory

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And my bacon is the extra thick kind ...

Uncle Phil said:

You'll be fine without ABS until you need it ...

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What he said. The ST1300 is not a 200lb dirt bike that one can immediately notice a wheel lock up or be able to use body weight to compensate for a skid. Once the ST1300 brakes lock you probably will not know it especially in wet or dirt/gravel conditions or in emergency braking situations in or around turns/swerve manuevers. All it takes is a fraction of a second to go down. One can fantasize all they want about their skills. Practice will not solve the problem. It is a question of 650lb bike weight.

Uncle Phil said:

And my bacon is the extra thick kind ...

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Any bacon you saved was used up when you rode in your truck through a stand of trees! Notice I said rode and not drove, passive vs active

dduelin said:

Any bacon you saved was used up when you rode in your truck through a stand of trees! Notice I said rode and not drove, passive vs active

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Yeppers, when a truck like that gets in the 'dirt' at 70 mph, you might as well take the steering wheel off, lay it in the seat, and enjoy the ride!