Table of Contents
Advertisement
Using the brakes correctly under adverse conditions
is the hardest – and yet the most critical - skill to
master for a rider. Braking is one of the most difficult
and dangerous moments when riding a two-wheeled
vehicle: the possibility of falling or having an accident
during braking is statistically higher than at any other
moment. A locked front wheel leads to loss of
traction and stability, resulting in loss of control.
The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) has been
developed to enable riders to use the vehicle's
braking force to the fullest during emergency braking,
adverse weather conditions or when pavement is
compromised. ABS is an electro-hydraulic device that
controls the pressure in the brake circuit when the
control unit, by processing information from wheel
sensors, determines that one or both wheels are
about to lock up. In this case, pressure decrease in
the brake circuit allows the wheel to carry on turning,
thereby preserving grip. After that, the control unit
restores the pressure in the brake circuit, to resume
the braking action. This cycle is repeated many times
until the problem is completely eliminated. Normally,
the rider will perceive ABS operation as a harder feel
or a pulsation of the brake lever and pedal.
The front and rear brakes do not use separate control
systems: the ABS on this bike provides for an
98
electronic combined braking action that also activates
the rear brake system when the rider uses only the
front brake. The contrary is not true: the rear brake
control will not affect the front brake.
The Multistrada 1200 ABS also features a "cornering"
function that widens ABS functionality to the
conditions where the motorcycle is leaning over, thus
controlling the front and rear brake systems
depending on the vehicle lean angle with the purpose
of preventing wheel lockup and slipping as much as
possible, within the physical limits allowed by the
vehicle and by the road conditions.
If desired, the system can be deactivated from the
instrument panel, setting the level to OFF within the
Riding Mode for which you wish to disable it.
Attention
Although combined braking is available (rear
brake activation when rider uses only the front brake),
using the two brake controls separately reduces the
motorcycle braking power.
Never use the brake controls harshly or suddenly as
you may cause rear wheel lift-up and lose control of
the motorcycle.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
