I thought my bike had ABS!!?!?! sorry long rant

[pcampagna]

So yeah, bought bike and was told it had abs. 2002 R1100s, but no sensor on the fork, no funny groved thing on the rims. - Son-of-a *****! I honestly don't think the guy knew that it "didn't" have ABS and thought it did that sold it to me, but I was so excited wit the condition of the bike (only 2800 miles) and I didn't know what to look for, but today fixed a flat tires and noticed where the sensor should go. Then I noticed no ring! mmm is there something I am missing, or am i right? no ABS. '

So now that I don't have ABS, how do i add it? I prob would've bought the bike anyway, but I paid extra for it thinking it had ABS. If it didn't have ABS, then I would bargained more. -

Can I just add it to thee bikes, or is it a huge hassle? I'm sure i can buy the parts, but do i need special rims as well? That could get expensive. ANd what other parts would i need?

Man, this day has sucked!

This morning found a flat front tire. SO far I determined it is the valve. Go to the bike shop that I paid $120+ dollars to fit two tires (I took tires in) and they said rthey don't change the valve stems unless I tell them too. - The tires were ten years old, SO WHY WOULDN'T YOU CHANGE THE F-IN Valve stems?!?!?

I can't believe I could've died if it would've failed on the 500 miles weekend trip I just took. It could've happened while I was moving on the Turnpike at 75 MPH, or around a turn, etc, etc. I am so lucky it just decided to go, while pushing it out of the garage! - man I'm shook up about it.

- A guy just died last week with a rear tire failure in the neighborhood. He died and his wife got hurt real bad. - I can't believe that a supposedly reputable bike shop would not automatically put a new valve stem on a bike EVER! - I am also wondering how the flat tire happened on the guy's bike that just crashed! Did he use the same shop? It should be illegal to use the same valve stem on a motorcycle IMO. Especially when i tell them it's an old tire! The valve stem feels like puddy when i touch it and doesn't even come close to sealing around the hole now. -

Car blew a radiator today as well. That requires me to tear the entire front end of my car off to replace. About ten hours...

I almost caught my office on fire with a back massager that overheated and started smoking! I ran out of the building with the thing as fast as i could. If the fire sprinklers would've gone off, i'd be so DEAD! I work with hi end electrical equipment and millions of dollars in materials would be destroyed.

So not a good day to begin with then realize I bought a bike wiothout ABS that was on huge reason i got the bike in the first place. ...

[tanneman]

You are better off not to have ABS on the bike. Those servo assisted thingys are known to intermittently fail leaving you only with residual braking pressure. Not that it happens all the time but it could happen to you. Mine doesn't have it and it is really good on the brakes. No problem pulling a stoppie and I have enough feel for the front in the wet when braking.

Well after the praise to non ABS brakes I should add that I lost the front on a recent track day when braking in the wet. My mistake as the line I took was dirty and not recommended in the wet. It was pishing down to be honest. Then yesterday afternoon a woman drove into the back of my car. Luckily nobody was hurt but the A3's bumper got dented and scuffed. Another thing to get fixed but either she pays or the insurance will sort it out.

Enjoy your day and don't worry about it.

[boxa]

I think that a few people have removed the ABS from their bikes. I havnt got it on mine and it brakes fine.
Perhaps you could buy one from a forum member that has remover it from their bike?

Sorry you had a shi7 day, it can only get better.

Thanx
Dave

[markjenn]

If the seller told you it had ABS and it doesn't, they mis-represented the bike to you and you have cause to go after the seller. Of course, it would be a hassle and it would be hard to prove anything.

Retrofitting ABS isn't cost effective. You'd be better off selling the bike and buying another ABS model. Perhaps you could find a bike where it has been removed and install it, but it probably has electronic components that are different between the ABS and non-ABS models. I wouldn't attempt it.

Your rant about mandatory valve stem replacement is ridiculous. Given that motorcycles often wear out tires in a matter of days, the idea that valve stems replacement is mandatory or that a dealer is negligent by not replacing them automatically is way off base. It is typically done for cars, but most cars go years between tire changes - entirely different situation. If you wanted the valve stems to be replaced, you should have requested it. If a dealer did proactively replace them as a matter of course, most owners would be upset that the dealer was doing maintenance they didn't request and charging them for it.

Sorry, but your problems are mostly of your own making.

- Mark

[Sophus]

Your 2002 bike, had it come with ABS, it would probably be the servo assisted integral ABS versjon. To my understanding, those units seem to fail from time to time and are both expensive and complicated.
I believe retrofitting it would be very expensive and quite complicated to do, as it is tightly integrated with electronics etc.

As things stand, you are probably better off without or with buying another bike with ABS, if it is important to you. Of course, you may demand some money back from the seller. At least, I would if I had been in your shoes.

I have the predecessor ABS2 myself. It works great so far and I consider it a plus and I was certainly prepared to pay more for an ABS bike than a non ABS bike.

Also, I believe malfuntion of the ABS will not impact brake force, as some suggest. Certainly it does not on ABS2. Of course you will not have any Anti Blocking function and some lamps will start their annoying blinking, but brake force should be intact (as long as you remember to manually engage the rear brake on IABS systems as it is no longer automatically engaged when the IABS is out).

[Martin Glasser]

Yeah mine breaks fine too without ABS.

However it is the braking that matters!!

[bradzdotcom]

chalk it up to too much enthusiasm or not enough attention to detail. or both.
if you keep it, you might consider a track day to get familiar with its braking performance.

i was on the seller end of one of those deals. sold a 5~6 year old gold wing and advertised the wrong model year (ad had it 1 year newer than reality).
a guy bought it, seemed happy when he left. ever got a free helmet and boots.

a few weeks later, out of the blue, a sheriff serves me lawsuit papers claiming fraud, etc...
later learned that his wife was a still-wet lawyer.

unfortunately for them, i had a good friend that headed up yamaha's legal department and the discovery response/request he created was staggering.
the guy folded instantly.
a few weeks later i sent him the blue book price difference...just to keep my karma balanced. it was my mistake, but he was a dick.

you don't mention any efforts to call the seller and test the waters on a bit of a rebate.
he did make a mistake, you did overpay. by how much...no idea.
that might be worth a shot. (but not from a sheriff).

as far as valve stems: my wheels get balanced at the local Ducati dealer. they always ask if i want the stems replaced. i do it every three or four tire changes, which i figure is overkill.

[Guest24]

So, you bought a boxer cup prep perhaps. If you want ABS, sell the prep and buy one of the many ABS equipped R11S's on the market. ABS has saved many a rider on the street where the surface is not as predictable as it is on the track.

Post a photo of the bike and let's see whatcha got.

[ScottA]

Obviously, there's a lot of bad juju associated with this bike. Vanishing ABS systems, bad stems, bad radiators and unfortunate massages are all related. I'll give you a grand for the bike and I'll be doing you a favor.

I had a hot masseuse once, and she was on fire!!

ScottA in LA

Originally Posted by pcampagna

So yeah, bought bike and was told it had abs. 2002 R1100s, but no sensor on the fork, no funny groved thing on the rims. - Son-of-a *****! I honestly don't think the guy knew that it "didn't" have ABS and thought it did that sold it to me, but I was so excited wit the condition of the bike (only 2800 miles) and I didn't know what to look for, but today fixed a flat tires and noticed where the sensor should go. Then I noticed no ring! mmm is there something I am missing, or am i right? no ABS. '

So now that I don't have ABS, how do i add it? I prob would've bought the bike anyway, but I paid extra for it thinking it had ABS. If it didn't have ABS, then I would bargained more. -

Can I just add it to thee bikes, or is it a huge hassle? I'm sure i can buy the parts, but do i need special rims as well? That could get expensive. ANd what other parts would i need?

Man, this day has sucked!

This morning found a flat front tire. SO far I determined it is the valve. Go to the bike shop that I paid $120+ dollars to fit two tires (I took tires in) and they said rthey don't change the valve stems unless I tell them too. - The tires were ten years old, SO WHY WOULDN'T YOU CHANGE THE F-IN Valve stems?!?!?

I can't believe I could've died if it would've failed on the 500 miles weekend trip I just took. It could've happened while I was moving on the Turnpike at 75 MPH, or around a turn, etc, etc. I am so lucky it just decided to go, while pushing it out of the garage! - man I'm shook up about it.

- A guy just died last week with a rear tire failure in the neighborhood. He died and his wife got hurt real bad. - I can't believe that a supposedly reputable bike shop would not automatically put a new valve stem on a bike EVER! - I am also wondering how the flat tire happened on the guy's bike that just crashed! Did he use the same shop? It should be illegal to use the same valve stem on a motorcycle IMO. Especially when i tell them it's an old tire! The valve stem feels like puddy when i touch it and doesn't even come close to sealing around the hole now. -

Car blew a radiator today as well. That requires me to tear the entire front end of my car off to replace. About ten hours...

I almost caught my office on fire with a back massager that overheated and started smoking! I ran out of the building with the thing as fast as i could. If the fire sprinklers would've gone off, i'd be so DEAD! I work with hi end electrical equipment and millions of dollars in materials would be destroyed.

So not a good day to begin with then realize I bought a bike wiothout ABS that was on huge reason i got the bike in the first place. ...

[signit98]

The guy had a bad day and just needed to rant...

I am sure that eventually he'll come to the conclusion that educating himself a little more and looking a little more intensely, would have "saved" him from not knowing that he bought a bike without ABS... GASP.

That said, I took mine out of the bike after a short while of riding with the ABS... it just plain sucked. I am not a big fan of the bike telling me how to brake but then marginalizing it's control with decisive indecisiveness.... not a very solid feeling when you are braking into a turn and the system decides to release just because you rolled over a bump.

All my bikes are without ABS now...

[BK81]

Originally Posted by markjenn

Your rant about mandatory valve stem replacement is ridiculous. Given that motorcycles often wear out tires in a matter of days, the idea that valve stems replacement is mandatory or that a dealer is negligent by not replacing them automatically is way off base.

My valve stems are replaced every time the tire is changed. And the last tire lasted for four weeks.

It's a $2 part that I don't mind paying for. Just wish that my mechanic wouldn't have thrown the metal valve caps. States that the plastic ones save on weight.

And no, I'm never consulted on getting it swapped...


Sorry to hear about the ABS. I insist that I have them on my bikes because I'm still so new to riding bigger bikes. So far it's never kicked in...

Perhaps you can flip the bike to someone that doesn't want ABS?

[kpolito99]

Sorry to read that you intended to purchase a bike with ABS and did not.

As stated previously trying to add ABS to a non-ABS motorcycle seems a little backwards and will most likely be more trouble in the end.

I for one will never own another motorcycle without ABS. Forgive me for saving this but I don't care who you are or how good you think your braking skills may be, it is impossible to anticipate road conditions and react as precisely as an ABS equipped machine.

Yes, some riders may be faster lapping on a race track without ABS but for my money if I am riding a bike on the street the additional weight penalty is worth it.

I used to live in and ride in New England. For the 3 years that I rode my R1100S in and around Boston at least half a dozen Mass-holes almost took me out. If not for having ABS I would have at a minimum lost the front and gotten a bit bruised and scratched while applying the brakes aggressively and trying to steer myself around the opposing vehicle.

I think every production motorcycle sold for use on the road should have ABS as an option with the capability to disable it if the rider so chooses.

[PFFOG]

Many of the valve stems you get today are imported from a large country where they have a reputation of "adjusting" specs, materials and quality control.

I check my stems, but if good leave them, the last stem I saw fail was less than 1 year old, the brass simply pulled out of the rubber stem with my fingers, luckily it was on a car. There was no bond between the materials at all, simply held in by friction.

BE VERY careful thinking "new" is better, there is a LOT of junk showing up on our shores, and not from the Tsunami.

On the bike I have gone to the Aluminum angled stems.

[DanceswPavement]

I have an '02 with ABS and I agree with everyone here who says you're better off without it.

[Ricochet Rabbit]

So yeah, bought bike and was told it had abs.

Did you buy the bike sight unseen? Did you even see a picture of it? I bought an R1100S and an R1200S long distance and you can believe I was studying photos of the bikes to ensure they had the options the were represented to have.
So now that I don't have ABS, how do i add it?
Can I just add it to thee bikes, or is it a huge hassle? I'm sure i can buy the parts, but do i need special rims as well? That could get expensive. ANd what other parts would i need?

The bike could be retrofiited with ABS, but the parts alone would probably be worth more than the bike. Do you think you have the skills to install such a system? Be honest.


Man, this day has sucked!

Yep.
This morning found a flat front tire. SO far I determined it is the valve. Go to the bike shop that I paid $120+ dollars to fit two tires (I took tires in) and they said rthey don't change the valve stems unless I tell them too. - The tires were ten years old, SO WHY WOULDN'T YOU CHANGE THE F-IN Valve stems?!?!?

They didn't replace the valve stems because you didn't tell them to. Remember, you're the one who brought in his own tires to save a few bucks. Just because you've determined it was a valve stem doesn't make it so.

- A guy just died last week with a rear tire failure in the neighborhood. I am also wondering how the flat tire happened on the guy's bike that just crashed!

A flat and a failure are two different things. A tire can go flat without failing, at least until it's repaired.

I almost caught my office on fire with a back massager that overheated and started smoking! I ran out of the building with the thing as fast as i could. If the fire sprinklers would've gone off, i'd be so DEAD! I work with hi end electrical equipment and millions of dollars in materials would be destroyed.

Huh, you'd be dead if the sprinklers would have gone off? You left the building. How would you be dead if you left a burning building?

[signit98]

A tire failure doesn't necessarily kill you... it's how you respond to it, that makes or breaks you. I have ridden my R11S 20 miles home with a flat tire... you just need to go fast enough.

Rode my R12GS over gravel, fully loaded with a flat tire... the dirt bike with one and or two flat tires. I know some folks who'd just wheelie home, if their front went out. So, no panic...

[bykemike]

I for one will never own another motorcycle without ABS.

Amen to that. I know it saved my butt a few times. I think for the general touring rider having ABS gives you one less thing to think about in a dicey situation.

BTW I see Honda is now offering ABS as an option on a few of its sportbikes..the RR series I think.

Mike

[sgoodwin]

I agree with Ralf on this one. I don't need some under engineered system thinking for me when I really need brakes. Any rough, uneven or dirt section will activate abs just when you really don't want it to. It works like sh it in cars & is an even worse idea for bikes. You are much better off without it in my opinion.

[Droptarotter]

Most of the comments I would make have been covered except............change those rubber valve stems to metal ones!

I once bought a used road race bike that had the rubber valve stem permanently bent at a 30 degree angle!

Get rid of the rubber ones at the first tire change and don't forget to put a metal valve cap on it also. The metal ones don't bend/fatigue and the metal caps can keep the air in when that little insert compresses at high speed.

Cheers

[ckcarr]

Everyone has valid points up above, both for and against ABS.

The question was whether you were intentionally (or even unintentionally) misled by the seller. Do you have a link to the eBay ad? Or the ad where you found the bike?

Really in the end, it looks like a fine machine, so I'd not stress too much. It has nice shocks, all kinds of doodads.. Or you can contact the seller with your discovery and ask for a refund of $300-$500 which may be the NADA difference between the two. He may be responsive, or not.

Again, you can follow Brads lead and advice, or just ride the thing, keep your eyes open for one you really might prefer. Then grab it and sell this...