what is the proper emergency braking technique with ABS?

Regardless of braking distances, ABS is meant to help control the vehicle while under hard braking. There's nothing in it's specifications that suggest it should stop you in less distance that I am aware of. If on wet or overall slippery pavement, the ABS system is meant for the vehicle to use as much available traction that it can, so that one could try and maneuver away/around the obstacle. Keeping the wheels from locking up is definitely something you want on slippery surfaces.

"ABS generally offers improved vehicle control and decreases stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces; however, on loose gravel or snow-covered surfaces, ABS can significantly increase braking distance, although still improving vehicle steering control."

There is even a newer ABS technology for motorcycles called cornering ABS, which is supposed to allow for even more control while cornering. The Ducati Multistrada uses it. http://www.ducati.com/bikes/multist..._9me_multi_calibration_cornering_abs/index.do

 

I don't understand, you say there's "nothing in it's specifications that suggest it should stop you in less distance", yet the very language you quoted (not sure where it's from?) says it generally improves control "and decreases stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces" before it goes on to mention loose gravel and snow. The closest test of a motorcycle's ABS on loose gravel I've seen was in the very last vid I posted of the KTM on what looked like a loose off-road surface, and even their professional rider had a slightly better (8 feet?) stopping distance with ABS and had much more control as well.

As for snow, when was the last time you rode your VFR in snow? LOL. If anyone is crazy enough to ride a motorcycle in snow I will have almost zero sympathy for them when they crash - kind of like how I have almost zero sympathy for the kid who was crazy enough to visit North Korea and got put in a coma/murdered. I'm not talking a bit of melted snow - to me that's just a wet slippery road that ABS will clearly do great on. I'm talking riding in accumulated snow that crunches under your tires - that would be crazy IMO but maybe some of you guys up north or in the mountains do that? I could see doing it on a dual sport or dirt bike with knobby tires but on a street bike? Actually, I'm in Florida so I don't know anything about riding in snow

 

The info was from an Wikipedia about ABS. If you read the text again, "...ABS can significantly increase braking distance, although still improving vehicle steering control. Essentially it can reduce braking distances but also can increase braking distances, hence nothing in the spec that says it is designed to decrease stopping distance, just help gain control.

As far as riding on snow, I have in the desert but on an off-road bike. I can say that I have hit black ice on a few occasions, in of all places Malibu! Those canyons can get temperatures as low as 25F, and in the right conditions, a slightly wet road becomes an icy road.

 

I think you may have missed the semicolon just before that part? The part about "...ABS can significantly increase braking distance..." was limited in its scope to loose gravel and snow because it was preceded by ";however, on loose gravel or snow-covered surfaces,"

For "dry and slippery surfaces" the wiki quote only mentions increased control and decreased stopping distance which is exactly what we see in the videos I posted above.

 

Those semicolons will put you down every time.

 

Technically, the ABS SHOULD give you slightly longer braking distance since it releases the brake around 60Hz (60 times per second) to allow you to be able to steer. So if you stay below wheel locking, you will get better braking distance.

 

Unless your riding skills rank alongside Rossi and Lorenzo, I vividly recall the clear advice given repeatedly by my instructor - "stuff speed-limits - don't dick about on the wrong side of the road - get past and back onto your side of the road as fast as all the horses in your engine can muster, and secondly always buy a bike with ABS and in any real emergency situation don't delay - apply maximum braking as soon as possible.

Admittedly things are probably easier for me than you, as I have linked ABS on my 6th gen but no ABS on my Triumph Street Triple. OK the Honda linked system has advanced from the mess of pipework solution fitted on 6th Gens to the electronic version on the latest 2014+ bikes which automatically detects panic braking mode (and as Honda knows most riders completely forget about the potential extra braking to be had from the rear tyre their ABS system will apply the rear brake electronically even if you forget to use it. That advice saved me from what would have been a certain head on if I was riding my old Suzuki. When rounding a corner entirely on my side of the road on the VFR, I was confronted with a van accelerating rapidly towards me entirely on my side of a narrow mountain road whilst attempting to overtake a car pulling a caravan up-hill. Fortunately the death grip solution worked - allowing me just enough time to both brake frantically and still steer the bike through the tiny remaining gap at the edge of the road between the van and the hillside. By the time I came to a stop I was shaking like a leaf and it took several minutes before I felt ready to continue towards home. Meantime the van was long gone. I know in my panic I never thought to use the rear brake - yet the bike slowed astonishingly quickly and remained flat and level rather than provoking the sort of stoppie which would have just seen my Suzuki splatted across the front of the van - so thank you Mr Honda lesson learned - my next Triumph will have ABS!

Whilst the ABS system on your Triumph is no match for the Honda one, it still makes sense to apply a death-grip to the brake lever as soon as possible in any emergency and let the ABS figure out what braking your tyres can actually deliver whilst you use the time gained to look for any potential escape route. Obviously ABS cannot defy the laws of physics, but it just might give you a way out or lessen the consequences of any impact.

Take care ATGATT

SkiMad

 

FYI, the 8th gen does NOT have any version of linked brakes whatsoever. The ABS can't apply the rear brakes if you don't apply them yourself. I actually really liked the linked brakes of the 6th gen for the very reason of your near miss....the bike doesn't nose dive when you only apply front brake. If you try that on the 8th gen, it will nose dive with the best of them.