Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

ABS and the fact that it’s always disconnected on BMW’s puts me off

Do you mean disconnected? Or just the flashing light when you start the bike before the ABS has done a self-test?

The 1150 models have BMW ABS 2, which you could probably write a book about. Lots of people here must have their own experiences of it? IME it does work when you grab the brake too hard. Which can save your life in an emergency stop....so that ought to be the end of the matter.

The problem I have is that when I brake to a halt on an uneven surface at low speeds, the ABS sometimes gets confused and thinks the front tyre is about to skid, so it releases the brake. At a Give Way the surface is often worn and bumpy, so the ABS may send you out in front of oncoming traffic, completely out of control. Not funny. I wonder whether anyone's been killed by it? This is just my experience of ABS2 - I'd love to hear some other opinions.

I always get ABS 2 removed and tell myself to brake skilfully, and fit stainless hoses to give me more feel. Which might sound like a great solution if you're confident. But I doubt that many people can rely on it unless they get lots of practice braking to the limit. Which I definitely do not.

People who are very good on a track switch off ABS and all the other electronic aids even on the S1000, because if they practice the same corners again and again they can beat the computers. But IMO you have to be realistic about how crap your braking technique may be when you're an old git on the road and tired and thinking about something else.

Cos linked brakes sort of kill the feel and when the abs goes wrong it is very expensive to fix.