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Journal Article

Citation

Jackman M. J. Australas. Coll. Road Saf. 2014; 25(2): 36-38.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Australasian College of Road Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A small change in balance or direction when rounding a corner, loose stones or the need to brake suddenly can all lead to loss of control accidents. A motorcycle ABS (Anti- lock Braking System) enables a rider the necessary time to focus on steering and balance while braking as hard as they can to wash off some of the speed. In an emergency a rider has many factors to consider: looking forward and to each side to select an 'exit' path; steering to avoid the immediate hazard; balance of the bike and rider; and braking pressure both on the front and rear wheels. Here the motorcycle ABS systems are most helpful. Sensors on each wheel use tiny magnetic impulses to detect the exact wheel speed and its rate of change. These signals are transmitted to the ABS control unit in a less than 1/100th of a second. The ABS computer is programmed with the bike's specific characteristics, tyre size and even calliper elasticity. Almost instantaneously the ABS unit compares the front and rear wheel speeds, throttle position and other elements of the bike's status and relieves the pressure by tiny increments to allow the wheel to maintain its deceleration but stay on the safe side of the slip threshold. The advanced versions of ABS systems also perform brake proportioning. A rider squeezes the front lever to control the front brake and uses the foot lever to control the rear. A highly skilled rider can control this front and rear pressure and expertly balance both in normal riding conditions. However, in an emergency the advanced versions of ABS can modulate the braking proportionally to allow the rider to rapidly reduce speed without worrying about locking a wheel and losing control. Some of these advanced systems also have the ability to detect if the rear wheel is lifting and modulate the brake force to make sure the wheels stay in touch with the road.


Language: en

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