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ABS in comparison

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BMW F 650 GS and 1100 S, Honda VFR: three different anti-lock braking systems ?? and a big surprise

ABS for motorcycles, a beneficial invention that every two-wheeler should have. So far, however, not the rule, but rather the exception. MOTORRAD took a close look at three anti-lock braking systems: All of them represent an effective plus in active safety, but still have room for improvement.
The BMW R 1100 S, for example, boldly lifts the rear wheel from 100 km / h in full braking, despite its 1040 Euro expensive partially integral ABS.
The next time you brake, the rear of the car remains on the ground because the computer has learned the optimal braking force distribution. And it saves as long as the ignition remains on. If the ignition current is interrupted after full braking, the BMW does not reach the high level previously shown at 9.2 m / s². Another problem for the BMW ABS computer: Jumps in the coefficient of friction, i.e. changing road surfaces or edges and steps, as they often occur on motorways. In the event of an emergency braking, the rear wheel also rises into the air here because the computer program cannot take this situation into account.
The ABS of the Honda VFR, surcharge 1000 euros (including a hydraulic adjustment of the spring base), reacts more sensitively to changes in the coefficient of friction, but the sports tourer tends to oscillate noticeably around the vertical axis. In addition, the dual CBS, as Honda calls its composite braking system, has a disadvantage:
the rigid distribution of the braking force. The rear brake circuit in particular causes problems during emergency braking because a little too much braking force is directed to the rear wheel, which then blocks it early. If only the rear brake is applied, the VFR achieves an average deceleration of 7.9 m / s². This value shows that the sports tourer does not even come close to exhausting his potential. Honda should distribute a little more braking power to the front brake calipers. In order to achieve the maximum deceleration performance with the VFR, the hand and foot brake levers must be activated; only then are all nine brake pistons used; this also takes getting used to at the beginning. In addition, just like the BMW R 1100 S, the Honda tends to lift the rear wheel when you grip it hard. For the normal driver a terrifying situation in which he releases the brake and then gives away valuable meters.
5The ABS of the BMW F 650 GS costs 10 euros extra, by far the cheapest of this comparison. But it delivers the best results when all tested driving situations are taken into account. Despite the pronounced dynamic wheel load shift, favored by a lot of spring travel and a high center of gravity, the single-cylinder impresses above all with its very good braking stability. The Funduro neither swings around the vertical axis, nor does it tend to lift the rear wheel. There is therefore no risk of rollover. However, the average deceleration performance of 7.5 m / s² achieved with the individual front brake disc is only an average value. BMW needs improvement here. The ABS regulation should be modified so that the F 650 GS can achieve an average value of 9.8 m / s². It can easily achieve this without ABS.

Conclusion

The BMW F 650 GS has a deceleration curve without major drops, and it reacts to sudden changes in the coefficient of friction (red curve) with a sharp drop. Due to the regulation, the Honda VFR-ABS shows strong fluctuations, but reacts most sensitively to a jump in the coefficient of friction. In comparison, the Honda builds up the brake pressure the fastest. Due to the adaptive brake force distribution, the deceleration of the BMW R 1100 S increases continuously during the first locking braking, but if the friction coefficient changes, its ABS opens abruptly and it takes the longest to build up the brake pressure again. Therefore, the two-cylinder then needs the longest braking distance.

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