09 CBR600RR w/ABS

[PhiSig1071]

It's funny you ask that because I just got to ride the CBR with ABS in the rain on monday. A buddy of mine works at a shop that was doing a big tent sale and I helped them set-up (got paid to ride bikes to the sale all day thursday/friday) and break-down (ride them back on monday). It was raining monday and I got to ride the CBR ABS in the rain (along with about 25 other bikes, including a VTX1800 and a B-king!).

My take? The bike felt exactly like the regular CBR while riding, you couldn't really notice the extra 20 some odd lbs that she was carrying. Under braking I could NOT make the tires lock, and trust me, I tired. I was going about 35mph in a exit lane for a parking lot and literally slammed the rear brake and all that happened was the bike slowed down very rapidly. I did hard braking from 75mph to a stoplight in the rain and I could feel the very edge where the tires *should* start sliding, added a little extra brake pressure, and the bike just kept right on slowing down like somebody tied it to a tree. I was damned impressed.

I swear I could feel the ABS kick in, but not in a really noticable or obtrusive way. No change in pressure on the lever and absolutely no surging feeling that is common to ABS systems, but I swear I could feel it. Maybe it was because I had a good idea of where the tire should start to slide and it didn't, and I thought that was what I felt, so it could have been all in my head.

Overall? Very impressed, if you want ABS on a supersport then that bike is the way to go. Bazzaz makes an FI set-up for the bike that includes traction control, get that and a slipper and you'll never lose traction again! (But what's the fun in that?! )