REVIEWS SPECS NEWS CLASSIFIEDS VIDEOS

Adding ABS?

13940 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by jkloppie, Sep 20, 2007

39196

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2007

Would it be possible to take the ABS system from the Bandit 1250, and add it to a non ABS bike?

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

Anything is possible.

Would it be ADVISABLE?

No.

Is this for another, identical-except-for-the-lack-of-ABS moto? Or another model/brand moto?

Most motorcycle ABS systems are crude, at their best. Roughty equivalent to the ABS you'd find installed in a '90s GMC or Ford pickup. Better than nothing, but more of an annoyance than a help.

Save

The_AirHawk

· #3 · Aug 21, 2007

Substitute Roughty for Roughly.

Fimbly Fungers.

Save

39196

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 21, 2007

So, are you saying that the ABS system on a Bandit 1250 is no good?

Save

sarnali2

· #5 · Aug 21, 2007

I've heard the ABS on the Bandit was very good. The trouble is as with most things it's designed to work on that specicfic bike. To get it to work well on another bike you'd have to install every componant that touch's the ABS including wiring, sensors, discs, master cylinder, calipers and anything else involved. To me you'd be better off buying a Bandit or what have you with ABS than trying to patch one together.

Save

seruzawa

· #6 · Aug 21, 2007 (Edited)

Depends on how it's set up. You need to compare parts breakdowns and try to find what exactly the differences are. If the ABS model uses critically different parts then I'd say no. It may require a different computer or wiring harness or fork legs or something else that'll push the cost beyond reason. That's just for trying to put Bandit1250 ABs on a non-ABS Bandit1250. If you are thinking that you can take the ABS from a Bandit1250 and add it to any other bike than another Bandit1250 I'd say the chances are less than life appearing spontaneously in your garbage disposal when the circuit breaker blows.

Knowing the insane costs of replacement parts for Japanese bikes I'd say that it would be cheaper to sell the non-ABS bike and buy a new ABS bike than buy the parts.

Save

The_AirHawk

· #7 · Aug 22, 2007

Chevomann said:
So, are you saying that the ABS system on a Bandit 1250 is no good?

Not necessarily "bad".

Crude, yes.

Glitchy, anachronistic, - probably.

While I've yet to find out for myself, reportedly the best-working, most "transparent" ABS on a moto to date is the new system Harley Davidson has adopted.

Just like with EFI: compared to automobiles, ABS and traction control seem to lag-behind by 5-10 years on motos. And I don't really understand this, either. Moto-engine output and design lead autos by decades; why the ancilliary stuff lags is a complete mystery.

Mostly though, in my mind on this particular thread is what sarnali has pointed-out. That's why I asked about the donor and recipient bikes............

Save

51499

· #8 · Sep 20, 2007

I've been riding a Bandit 1250 with ABS since May and like it a lot. I was worried that the system would have too low a firing level, but I've found that the ABS kicks in at pretty much the same moment I'd be sliding. I tried to lock the wheels on both dry and wet pavement and couldn't lock either whether braking in tandem or individually. I feel a fairly mild pulse through the pedal and brake lever but that's about it. I've found that I can maneuver the bike about as well as I can during other heavy breaking, allowing for the slightly odd feel of the system and the fact that it's a little wooden. This is certainly more than would have been available without ABS. In answer to the question "is it any good?', I'd have to say yes, it works pretty well and is quite non-intrusive (I might be more critical of the firing threshold if I were a high end racer or moto-journalist). There is certainly room for improvement in the feel department, and the pulsing, though not excessive, could always be better. While the system might be kind of rough by some standards, it is dramatically better than no ABS, at least for me. Whether you could transfer the system to another bike is beyond me, but I can see why a bike with ABS is highly desireable in the real world, and why you would want to. Suzuki's pricing on this is weird: $500 more for a Bandit with ABS and $1000 for the system on an SV650. I suspect that ABS is going to become much more widely available in the future, as traction control in all its forms is crutial.

See less See more

Save

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month