BMW R 1200 S Rider's Manual page 68

Reserves for safety
5
The potentially shorter braking
distances which BMW Motor-
66
rad ABS permits must not be
used as an excuse for care-
less riding. ABS is primarily
a means of ensuring a safety
margin in genuine emergen-
cies.
Take care when cornering.
z
When you apply the brakes
on a corner, the motorcycle's
weight and momentum take
over and even BMW Motorrad
ABS is unable to counteract
their effects.
Rear wheel lift
Even under severe braking,
a high level of tyre grip can
mean that the front wheel
does not lock up until very
late, if at all. Consequently,
ABS does not intervene until
very late, if at all. Under these
circumstances the rear wheel
can lift off the ground, and the
outcome can be a highsiding
situation in which the motor-
cycle can flip over.
Severe braking can
cause the rear wheel to
lift off the ground.
When you brake, bear in mind
that ABS control cannot be
relied on in all circumstances
to prevent the rear wheel from
lifting clear of the ground.
What is the design
baseline for BMW
Motorrad ABS?
Within the limits imposed by
physics, BMW Motorrad ABS
ensures directional stabil-
ity on any surface. The sys-
tem is not optimised for spe-
cial requirements that apply
under extreme competitive
situations off-road or on the
track.
Special situations
The speeds of the front and
rear wheels are compared
as one means of detecting a
wheel's incipient tendency to
lock. If the system registers
implausible values for a
lengthy period the ABS
function is deactivated
for safety reasons and
an ABS fault message is
issued. Self-diagnosis has
to complete before fault
messages can be issued.
In addition to problems with
the BMW Motorrad ABS, ex-
ceptional riding conditions
can lead to a fault message
being issued.
Exceptional riding
conditions:
Riding for a lengthy period
with the front wheel lifted off
the ground (wheely).
Rear wheel rotating with the
motorcycle held stationary