Getting rid of the ABS

[jclark]

Yep! I *love* ABS! [ well series II, anyhoo... ]

Mebbe I orta look into that... - let's talk offline...

jeff

[Raven]

Originally posted by jclark
Yep! I *love* ABS! [ well series II, anyhoo... ]

Mebbe I orta look into that... - let's talk offline...

jeff

???????

[SandCityFlyer]

ABS Removal-Other Considerations

I see that several of you are thinking of an ABSectomy, no doubt motivated by the frequency of major pump failure, which seems rather common, and ridiculously expensive to replace. I removed the pump on my 99 last summer, after the second control unit failure. I also replaced the lines with Spiegler's, and I am very pleased with the result. The brakes do indeed feel better, and I haven't missed the ABS or the 14 pounds (1 stone) that came off the high side of the CG. The bike goes a little better and stops just fine.

I plan on keeping my bike in the family, and had no concerns about resale, though that should be a consideration. There are some choices that must be made about which front brake line scheme you select to use. Most folks seem to choose the 2 line front "racing" setup, for some reason that still isn't clear to me. I thought that arrangement cluttered up the cockpit more than I wanted, and I opted for the stock-appearing 3 line front which utilizes the steel cross pipe. I haven't spoken to anybody that has used both systems, and I have no idea whether either scheme has particular benefits. My lever feels much better than with the ABS, and the bike stops just fine.

When you remove the ABS, you will be faced with some other choices. The most obvious is what to do with the front ABS sensor ring, and the mounting bracket for the sensor on the left fork leg. They look like warts when you get that far. I chose to grind off the bracket, and I filed and polished the fork to match the other side. It looks clean. The ring presents more of a problem. I replaced the front wheel with a non-ABS model. The whole front end looks cleaner IMO, and I have shed a pound or so of unsprung weight. Several months prior to my mods I had hit a rock in Big Sur, blowing the front tire and slightly damaging the front wheel, so replacing it was necessary anyway. So much for the front.

Removal of the rear ABS sensor and wire isn't so simple, and I'm going to have to fabricate some gizmo to cover the hole when it is finally removed. It could be left in place, but it bugs me. I don't notice any difference in the feel of the rear brake with the SS line, but it looks better.

I presented my ABS problem to the board about 12 months ago, and I was encouraged to go for it by JonyRR (no surprise, eh?). Thanks Jony. Free paragliding lessons in Monterey for your motivation.

Cheers,

Jerry Miller

[Raven]

Just got to ride, very short ride, with the ABS removed and goodies installed.

Steel braided brake lines.

Power Commander.

The bike runs better and feels stronger, it lifted the front wheel in 2nd gear.

Less weight or more power?

Only the Dyno will tell.

Incredible amount of junk setting on my garage floor now!!

[tbsstunta]

An added benefit to removing ABS is that when your final drive fails you will have a wider choice of replacement parts.

[senor ding dong]

I've never liked the abs unit on my '03 S and have been thinking about removing it for a while. Ripping out the pump unit and fluid lines seems easy enough. Are there any other systems (speedometer, brake lights, etc) integrated through the abs unit on an '03 model that would need to be rewired?

[Raven]

Nope.