mt07abs owners: comment the quality of the abs system


PanosGR

New member
I personally think the abs is getting a little better after a while. I ride 15 years but this is my first abs bike. I know how to brake hard without abs and without locking the wheels and i ride quit fast everyday in the center of the biggest city in Greece with major traffic.

At first the front abs was more intrusive, that it is now after 3500Km. I don't think its me getting to know the bike better; but i could be wrong. What people with more experience in abs think?

When i bought the bike, the mechanic told me to try to activate abs now and then - and not forget to replace the brake fluids at 2 years because that could eventually destroy the abs system -
Last week i had to try quite actively to lock the front wheel before the abs activated. At first it was very easy to activate it and for no actual reason in my opinion. I was very worried at first about the activation of abs without the actual danger of locking the front wheel.

The rear abs is still more intrusive but that would be more from me. Mostly because i only use the rear break for hard breaking; but only the front break along with downshifting and a little engine breaking in normal driving - traffic lights for example - and the rear break is quit stronger that i have been used to.
 

Noggie

New member
When i bought the bike, the mechanic told me to try to activate abs now and then - and not forget to replace the brake fluids at 2 years because that could eventually destroy the abs system -
Brake fluid is a hygroscopic fluid, this means it takes water from the air and binds it in the fluid.
This lowers the boiling point of the fluid, leading to brake fading, and it may lead to corrosion of the internal parts of the brake system.
That is why it should be replaced every two years.
And brake fluid is not something you store, if you have an open bottle on the shelf for topping up the system, throw it away after a year or so, even if the cap is on.
 

CVSensei

New member
I have the exact same thing Irksome, happens nearly every ride.

Ralph are you completely sure? It does not feel like engine braking, I know what that feels like. You can feel the clicking/thunking/etc in the pedal.

I'm by no means an expert in how bike ABS works but isn't the system trying to even out deceleration and match the speed of the wheel with the traction needed?

Which would explain why a sharp downshift causing an instant loss of traction would trigger it. Well that's my view on it, however primitive it might be! :rolleyes:
 

Ralph

New member
If you are not using the brakes and down changing is making the wheel decelerate to fast
the only option for the anti lock remember the brakes are off at this point is to put the
brakes on and that would only make matters worse, a slipper clutch would stop it but
that reduces engine braking, maybe you are putting a little brake on and not knowing it
then the abs would activate.
 

CVSensei

New member
I'll test it and see, I'm pretty confident I'm not braking without realising though.

And I know what the ABS feels like, which is the exact same feeling. Very bizzare if what you say is true!
 
D

Deleted member 20

Guest
Downshifting without blipping (rev matching) will lock up the rear wheel for a split second or more, until traction is recovered and engine revs are up to match rear wheel speed.
Dry roads, god tires, straight line, the traction is recovered faster than if you're leaned over or the wet/slippery roads.
ABS does not apply any brake force, ever. You apply the brake force using the brake lever/pedal, ABS removes some of that force if the wheel rotation stops, measured by the wheels rotation sensors.

I have ridden ABS many thousands of miles for many years with many different bikes.
All my Yamaha's have had good rear brakes and very similar ABS performance (XJ6, TDM900, MT07, MT09).
I have also ridden and tested ABS on Yam R3 & FZ1 & Tracer, KTM 390 RC & 690 Duke & 990 Adv, Street Triple R & RX, Ducati Monster 821 & Hypermotard, BMW R1200GS & R1200R, Aprilia Caponord 1200, Honda NC700X & SH300, Kawa Versys 1000. Might have forgot some. Don't think any of them have had any better rear brakes or rear ABS systems, than my Yamahas, for road use that is.
 

CVSensei

New member
When I purposefully trigger the ABS on the MT I can feel like it clunk in the pedal. Its the same feeling when I downshift sharply without blipping so is my bike faulty because its quite clearly triggering it!

Anders how would you describe the sound/feel of when the ABS kicks in? Maybe there is something wrong with my bike and the ABS has never actually triggered so far and I'm just experiencing something else haha!
 

Noggie

New member
My first question here would be, why is your foot of the brake pedal if you don't intend to brake during the downshift?

ABS is And30ers say, just a brake function.
ABS is anti locking brakes, I'm old enough to to have owned cars without ABS brakes.
Lock up the wheels and you have no steering, the ABS prevents locking while braking and allows you to steer the car.
On a motorcycle it prevents you falling.

The only explanation I have is that if you have your foot on the pedal, you might give an input to the brake system that does not produce any braking, and when the rear locks up during the downshift the ABS starts working because of that minuscule input you give by having your foot on the pedal tells the ABS system that the brake system is active and it should intervene.
 

CVSensei

New member
My natural resting position lightly touches the pedal.. So yeah sounds like you're right, probably extremely sensitive and that slight touch activates it.
 
D

Deleted member 20

Guest
Don't think there is anything wrong with your bike.
I can clearly hear and feel when the MT07 ABS working, pulsing and clonking with some ½ sec interval or so.
Same as all other bikes, some have faster pulsation and not as loud clonking.

Rear wheel sensor is not intelligent enough to know why the wheel stops rotating -- caused by brake pedal force, engine brake force or a log stuck in your spokes.
So when your rear wheel stops, your rear ABS will know and start "working".
If there is NO brake preassure forced by your foot, there is nothing to ease off, and how can you feel it if your foot is off the brake pedal?
If there is SOME brake preassure you will hear/feel the ABS releasing it.

I usually lock up my rear wheel 100 times every ride due to downshifts, so I am used to that feeling as well :)
But I have never thought about, heared or felt ABS actions in that process unless I'm on the pedal.
Might be there, might not, I dont know.
 
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da1kini

New member
My natural resting position lightly touches the pedal.. So yeah sounds like you're right, probably extremely sensitive and that slight touch activates it.
Ask some friend to stand or drive behind you when you are riding in your natural resting position. Sounds to me that if you have the foot as you say "My natural resting position lightly touches the pedal" the brake light should be activated.
 
D

Deleted member 20

Guest
Ask some friend to stand or drive behind you when you are riding in your natural resting position. Sounds to me that if you have the foot as you say "My natural resting position lightly touches the pedal" the brake light should be activated.
My wife used to have the nasty habit of hovering above the pedal, resulting in constant flashing brake light and a glowing rear disk. Now she has learned to point her toe our or have the foot back on the peg for a proper "natural position" :)
 
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Noggie

New member
My natural resting position lightly touches the pedal.. So yeah sounds like you're right, probably extremely sensitive and that slight touch activates it.
I work with hydraulic systems, granted somewhat bigger machinery, but it's the same principle.
You are pressing on a pedal that operates a small needle that gives a command pressure to a larger piston that in turn operates the brake or whatever.

If your foot is ever so slightly pressing on the pedal you may be giving a very small command pressure signal, but this signal is so small that the main piston is not operating, but you have a command signal, and when the wheel locks up the ABS tries to cancel your command signal.
This may happen even if your brake light is off, the light is controlled by a switch on the leaver, not hydraulic pressure.

When I took my license my instructor told me to retract my feet, and only put them forward if I was going to use the brake or shift gear.
You could try to remove your foot and see if things change, should be an easy thing to test.
 

CVSensei

New member
Interesting read Noggie!

I regularly ride with other people and they've never called me on it, and we usually do point things out to each other.I'll think more on it next time I go for a ride and ask people to check.

Perhaps I worded it wrong though, I am not actually resting any weight on the pedal, just an ultra light touch, akin to you resting your finger on the mouse button :p

But I might be inadvertently applying pressure when I change position or something.
 

Noggie

New member
Interesting read Noggie!

I regularly ride with other people and they've never called me on it, and we usually do point things out to each other.I'll think more on it next time I go for a ride and ask people to check.

Perhaps I worded it wrong though, I am not actually resting any weight on the pedal, just an ultra light touch, akin to you resting your finger on the mouse button :p

But I might be inadvertently applying pressure when I change position or something.
Could be, should not be too hard to test out though.

In Norway we have a very rigorous training program to get a drivers license.
I paid close to 3000£ for my license.
There is driving in various traffic situation, also a long trip (3 hours), skills on a cone track, a track day, and riding with/without a passenger.
You have to do two final tests with the authorities, one showing 5 skills on various cone tracks (15-20 minutes), and if you pass that you are having a new test in traffic (45 minutes). And if you pass you get your license.

After searching online the first test appears to be similar to the UK DVSA/CBT module 1 test.
the 5 Norwegian test are.
1. Slow/Creep driving (at walking speed) a slalom and turn inside a box and return through the same slalom (no figure 8)
2. Cornering. 30km/h and accelerate through the corner.
3. Emergency braking from 50km/h to a complete stop, downshifted and ready to set off.
4. Hazard avoidance maneuver. 50km/h flick the bike around an obstruction and return to the original path.
5. Braking in corner. 30km/h corner entry, start braking to a complete stop at mid-corner, downshifted to 1st and ready to set off.

here is a video showing the Norwegian tests, sadly its in Norwegian, but you can see how its supposed to be done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45kbTSI15eQ


During this training the instructor will point out a lot of things on your riding, anything from body/seating position to where your feet are.
In the beginning I often rode in the "ready" position, meaning I had my hands on the clutch/brake or my feet on the brake/shifter, and was told not to do that.
the feet should stay back on the pegs and only come forward if you plan to break or shift.
Now there is noting wrong with getting ready before a blind corner, intersection etc, but they should apparently stay back most of the time.
 
D

Deleted member 20

Guest
Same applies for your hands, keep them off the bars unless you're about to approach a corner. And you can safely keep your helmet dangle on the mirror most of the time, just make sure to put it on before you're about to crash.
 

Hammerian

New member
The MT07 ABS is superb and to be honest its a safe guard to get you out of the unexpected.

To be honest if you are riding how your meant to you should never actually feel the abs activate as it shouldn't be needed.

Its hardly ever come into play on mine unless i have deliberately doing something stupid....

Worth having for sure if it stops one slide down the road it will have paid for itself....

Ian
 


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