Anti-Lock Brake Service

ABS – what is it?

Simply put, ABS on motorcycles prevents wheel locking and increases stability. Motorcycles are, by nature, less stable than four-wheeled vehicles. Braking too hard can destabilise a motorcycle and lead to either the front or rear wheel locking, causing the bike to overturn or slide.

Alternatively, failure to brake hard enough can result in a rider failing to avoid a crash.

How ABS works on motorcycles

ABS works to prevent a motorcycle’s wheel, or wheels, from locking during braking. ABS uses speed sensors on both wheels to accurately determine wheel speed as well as sensors to determine when a wheel is about to lock.

ABS adjusts the braking pressure accordingly to prevent the wheel from locking and assists with maintaining the stability of the motorcycle. In many circumstances, ABS has been shown to reduce braking distance. Motorcycles with ABS technology have been shown to be involved in fewer crashes on the road.

Most major motorcycle manufacturers now offer motorcycles with ABS as either standard or optional equipment. If you are planning to buy a motorcycle to ride on-road, it is recommended that you buy one with ABS. However, ABS may not be appropriate for off-road riding conditions. If you are planning to use an ABS-equipped motorcycle off-road, you can switch ABS on and off as required.

Benefits of Motorcycle ABS

A report into the benefits of Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) on on-road motorcycles was commissioned by the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments and released in 2015. The report found that:

• ABS could reduce the rate of death and severe injury from motorcycle crashes by 31%
• only around 20% of new motorcycles come with ABS as standard 
• at the current rate of ABS motorcycle sales, this technology has the potential to save 22 lives between now and 2025 
• this figure could rise to 35 saved lives if ABS is made standard on all new motorcycles from 2018.