Like 150i already saved me from possibly re-fracturing my ankle or worse.

[Snoopzilla]

Was out on a leisurely ride, probably my 1000th trip to the Home Depot since buying our house.  Nothing out of the ordinary, all of a sudden on a curve I hit a patch of sand and started sliding.  If it weren’t for those anti lock brakes I would’ve went down, and on the same side I crashed a buddy 50 a year and a half ago, my left ankle still bugs me on colder humid days.  Phew.  So glad I upgrade from my Lance.  I would be in a cast or boot right now other wise.  Time to change my pants and knock on some wood.  Safe riding everyone!  I think I will write a strongly worded email to the city about skipping street sweeping on that road.

[CROSSBOLT]

Yow!

[Stig / Major Tom]

"ABS - you don't need it - until you wish you had it!"

Seems like a lot of 'old hands' say they don't want some computer interfering …...and that a "good rider can stop as good as, or better than ABS."

I have had it activate on a scooter - and glad it did.

Thanks for your post.

Stig

[klaviator]

I'm confused.  How did ABS save you while you were sliding in a curve?

[Snoopzilla]

I'm confused.  How did ABS save you while you were sliding in a curve?

So in the middle of sliding in a curb, I panicked.  And without thinking, in my adrenaline fueled panic I just squeezed my brake levers and held on for dear life.  on my old scooter that would’ve caused me to skid, and skid out of control.  On this scooter my tire never locked up from the antilock brakes.  I don’t know how else to explain it.  I think the only reason I can really tell is from my last accident, everything was exactly the same.  I mean I even stupidly put my feet out, even though from my last accident I swore I never would do that again.  It’s some primal instinct that just takes over instead of keeping my feet planted on my floorboard, I put them out in hopes of catching my balance (Probably from back learning how to ride bicycle when I was a kid). So instead of the scooter hitting black top and skidding with my feet on the floor board (hopefully still anyways) with my feet down the scooter lands on my foot and goes sliding ok blacktop, which happened on my last accident.  It still is boggling my mind.  Both of my instincts to just slam on the brakes and put my feet down need to be burned out of my subconscious.  But at least I had Abs to defeat my own stupid instincts

[klaviator]

If you are sliding due to lack of traction in a curve and hit the brakes, ABS or not, it will just make the situation worse.  You did something else to prevent the crash.  Maybe you straightened the bike out or maybe you just got past the sand.  ABS can help you out in some situations but it can't make your bike defy the laws of physics.  I think you were just lucky.  If you ride around thinking ABS will save you all the time you are asking for it. 

The best thing you can do if you see sand or something else slippery in a curve is to tighten up your line and then when you get to the sand straighten up the bike while you are on the sand.  Or if you have time just slow down before you hit the sand.  Most ABS systems won't work if you are leaned over too far.  There are some "cornering ABS" systems on really high end bikes but even they won't save you if there isn't enough traction to get around the curve. 

[Forbes1964]

If you are sliding due to lack of traction in a curve and hit the brakes, ABS or not, it will just make the situation worse.  You did something else to prevent the crash.  Maybe you straightened the bike out or maybe you just got past the sand.  ABS can help you out in some situations but it can't make your bike defy the laws of physics.  I think you were just lucky.  If you ride around thinking ABS will save you all the time you are asking for it. 

The best thing you can do if you see sand or something else slippery in a curve is to tighten up your line and then when you get to the sand straighten up the bike while you are on the sand.  Or if you have time just slow down before you hit the sand.  Most ABS systems won't work if you are leaned over too far.  There are some "cornering ABS" systems on really high end bikes but even they won't save you if there isn't enough traction to get around the curve.

Possibly the ABS allowed him to steer and straiten the bike out. Based on what he described, that would have been impossible without abs. Most likely he doesn’t know exactly what he did. That’s the point. No. Abs doesn’t DEFY the laws of physics. But SOMETIMES it keeps the bike or car under control so it STAYS under control until the driver gets his bearings. Yes, we ALL know what we SHOULD do in dangerous situations. But sometimes we miscalculate or simply our body outruns our mind. Abs SOMETIMES provides that extra second or two of safety that’s often the difference between a near miss and a tragedy.


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[Stig / Major Tom]

Yes, Snoopzilla hammered the brakes and did not go down!
That Kymco can put two channel ABS on a $2600 scooter should be an embarrassment to the other brands.
There might be surfaces which prefer a locked wheel (big gravel or deep beach sand) but at that point you're just along for the ride since you've lost any ability to steer.
Snoop Z, if you live in a sandy area - a second sandy adventure is one too many.
Please, now that you know what could be ahead - Ride slow enough to see the surface and keep safely upright!

Sure, too fast into a corner is dumb (save that stuff for Track Day in your full leathers) but having an emergency slowing or stopping situation is where ABS will help.
Hope that soon all bikes and scoots will have it as standard - as all our cars and trucks now do.

Stig

[Forbes1964]

Yes, Snoopzilla hammered the brakes and did not go down!
That Kymco can put two channel ABS on a $2600 scooter should be an embarrassment to the other brands.
There might be surfaces which prefer a locked wheel (big gravel or deep beach sand) but at that point you're just along for the ride since you've lost any ability to steer.
Snoop Z, if you live in a sandy area - a second sandy adventure is one too many.
Please, now that you know what could be ahead - Ride slow enough to see the surface and keep safely upright!

Sure, too fast into a corner is dumb (save that stuff for Track Day in your full leathers) but having an emergency slowing or stopping situation is where ABS will help.
Hope that soon all bikes and scoots will have it as standard - as all our cars and trucks now do.

Stig

I’m ALWAYS relieved to hear about the calamity that ALMOST happened and COULD have happened vs what DID happen whatever the situation is. And anything that can help change an actual tragedy to an almost tragedy is a good thing. As humans, we sometimes fall short no matter how cautious we intend to be. Sometimes we just get it wrong. Sometimes we react wrong. Sometimes we just get careless But thank God for technology, whether its a high tech ABS system or a low tech helmet and riding jacket. We never appreciate it until we need it.


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[john grinsel]

First pay attention---hopefully you see lack of traction before it is problem.  Braking while bike leaned over ain't good idea....ABS had nothing to do with your not going down...just pure luck.

Worry of ankle?  What kind of footwear do you wear?  Lace up well over the ankle best.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Unfortunately, there's no good way to teach us to stay in a tucked position when going down on side. Arms in, feet on floor....when falling it just is not instinctive.
Boot or not.....a stuck out foot under a sliding bike isn't going to end well. But at least you won't be grinding to a stop on your sock.
Stig

[Forbes1964]

Some are discounting your assessment of YOUR situation. But I take you at your word. After all YOU were there both times. YOU know your reaction and the reaction of your bike this time vs last time. But most of all, I’m glad that you are ok and unharmed. Thanks for sharing. If I ever get another scooter, i will drive cautiously and carefully. But still, it WILL have abs.


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[klaviator]

I wasn't there and don't really know what happened.  It seems that the OP really doesn't know what happened either.  Let me just say this.  If you are in a curve and start sliding due to a lack of traction and you grab a handfull of brakes, ABS or not, you will just go down faster.  Not understanding the dynamics of cornering, traction and braking is not a good thing.  Blindly trusting ABS to save you all the time will get you into trouble.  If the OP ever starts sliding while in a curve and thinks that all he has to do is hammer the brakes and ABS will save him, he will be in trouble.  It seems to me that many riders just use ABS and technology as an excuse to not really learn how to ride.  Yes ABS is a good thing but it is much more effective if the rider understands its limitations and how to properly use it.

[Forbes1964]

I wasn't there and don't really know what happened.  It seems that the OP really doesn't know what happened either.  Let me just say this.  If you are in a curve and start sliding due to a lack of traction and you grab a handfull of brakes, ABS or not, you will just go down faster.  Not understanding the dynamics of cornering, traction and braking is not a good thing.  Blindly trusting ABS to save you all the time will get you into trouble.  If the OP ever starts sliding while in a curve and thinks that all he has to do is hammer the brakes and ABS will save him, he will be in trouble.  It seems to me that many riders just use ABS and technology as an excuse to not really learn how to ride.  Yes ABS is a good thing but it is much more effective if the rider understands its limitations and how to properly use it.

I don’t think he was blindly trusting his abs or claiming it’s a cure all. I’m thinking that the abs was forgiving of his human error. I don’t think he was recommending that ANYONE react as he did. I think he just being thankful he had abs. Based on what he says he did, Possibly without abs, the front or rear would have locked up and guaranteed a fall. As it was, he didn’t go down. There may have been other factors that prevented his fall. Abs may simply have contributed a small part to him not going down. In situations like that every small thing adds up.


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[klaviator]

That Kymco can put two channel ABS on a $2600 scooter should be an embarrassment to the other brands.

It sounds like Kymco really one upped the other brands with this but I'm not sure they got it right with the ABS on this scooter.  A lot of people have had issues with the ABS.  Mine was in the shop for nearly 2 months getting the ABS fixed.  The like150i uses a plug different from previous models to read the codes in the ECU and there were none in the country.  It took nearly two months for the dealer to get kymco to send them the proper cable so they could trouble shoot my scooter.  I know at least 3 other Like 150i riders who have experienced ABS issues.  There could be a lot more but there are only a dozen or so active on the forums I'm on. 

It seems the magnetic ring on the front wheel that the speed sensor reads is very fragile.  If it gets cracked and the speed sensor sends a bad signal to the ECU it could lead to over activation of the ABS and loss of braking power.  In my case the Magnetic ring and speed sensor were both bad.  It really screwed up the braking.  I'd rather have no ABS than a malfunctioning ABS.  To be fair it has worked fine since they fixed it. 

If you have a Like 150i and need a new front tire make sure to tell the shop to be very careful to not over torque the front axle nut when they re-install the front wheel.  If they do it could crack that magnetic ring.  My problem was covered under warranty but if a shop overtorques that axle nut and cracks the Mag ring I'm not sure Kymco would cover it.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a recall on this issue in the future.