ABS is already confusing for many people, and to complicate things even further, there’s also a special kind of ABS for motorcycles called “cornering ABS.“
If you’ve ever looked at either one of these words in disbelief, this is for you.
In this blog post, you’ll learn:
- What “ABS” does and how it works on a motorcycle
- What “cornering ABS” is – and how it differs from “regular” ABS
ABS – What It Is and How It Works
If one of your wheels lock up, two things happen:
- Your motorcycle will be hard to steer
- Your braking distance will increase
In a car, a wheel lock will cause you to skid out of control if one of your wheels locks up.
On a motorcycle, though, a locked-up wheel can cause you to have a nasty fall or slide.
That’s where ABS comes in – it’s designed to prevent your wheels from locking up, causing you to lose control of your bike as a result.
But how is this possible?
How Does ABS Work on a Motorcycle?
If the sensor detects that one of your wheels is rotating much slower than the other one, it sends a signal back to the ABS unit, which reduces the braking power, and prevents wheel lock.
To see how it works in action (and some common situations where it may save your life), watch the video below from the VicRoads YouTube channel:
What Is “Cornering ABS?”
However, ABS isn’t designed to be used when you’re cornering – it’s only effective when your bike is upright.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t lose traction when braking in a corner.
If you lean your bike over too much and apply the brakes hard, you can still lose traction and fall off – even if you have ABS.
Cornering ABS on the other hand can detect if the bike is leaned over, and adjust the braking power to maintain traction and prevent you from falling off.
To see how cornering ABS works in action, watch the video below:
