FJR saved my butt last night

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R3d Ryd3r

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Yesterday was beautiful. mid 80's and the sun was taking it's time heading for the horizon. I got home in time to get a few outside chores done, and fire up the FJR for a little romp. No big deal, it's like going for run, clearing my head of all the crap I have to deal with on daily basis. I yell "back in 40 min hun!" to my wife around the corner who is watering some new plant. I head off to one of my favorite stretches’ of road, its a little country road not 500 ft from my house that winds its way to Horse and wine country just outside Middleburg VA.

I lead rides for another sport bike oriented site in the area and have been setting max speeds for roads and entire rides. I feel that doing 120mph down the straight, and breaking off the lever so your cornering speed is 45mph is just silly and dangerous for a group ride, trying to maintain your entry speed down the straights and entering the corner with little or no adjustment to speed is what makes a group ride more enjoyable. Exit speeds for this particular road is between 65 and 70mph for me, and I was maintaining 70mph on the straights. Perfectly in control, good sight lines, make this a spirited pace without flogging the brakes, and endangering the on coming traffic, if there was any.

I looked down and saw my corner exit speed, right at 70mph

HOLY SH!T!!!!!!!!

There was a little deer, grazing on the grass on the roadside, I spooked her and she jumped into my lane.

Hard on the lever, brakes clamp down, moderating the effort, the little fawn decides to run TOWARDS ME. stupid deer.

I grab a fistful of brakes, and I feel the anti-lock kick in, small pulses, and very effective.

Did I mention I was leaned over at 70mph? The bike did stand up a little, my line did go a little wide, but never into the other lane of traffic, never did the front end want to slip out, in-fact, the rear end was grabbing and I did get a little crossed up, the back just came out a little.

The little deer just wrinkled her nose at me as a went by, at about 20mph.

Whew! I readjusted and just pulled in the clutch for a moment, and just coasted.....

I thought "on my old VFR without the anti-locks, that would have been more involved" and I realized that had i been on my buddies CBR1000RR that I covet, I might have been in one of two places.

Low sided because the front tire went out from under me under hard breaking in the turn.

Or

the back of the bike would have come over and completed the turn without me, in a stoppie, throw me off the bike thingy.

Thanks to my choice of the stable, touring, AKA "old man" bike. I am coasting down the road clutch in, wondering why that deer decided to eat grass on my road.

R3d

 
I grab a fistful of brakes, and I feel the anti-lock kick in, small pulses, and very effective.
Is that the ABS!? If so, I've felt it and was at no where near maximum braking. In fact, I was stopping pretty normal for me....

 
How far were you leaned over? All I've read here says that you have to straighten up first. Nice to know that the ABS can help cover your ass during a real emergency instead of a theoritical one.

If you gotta stop - just grab the ABS, eh???

This is the first I have read about grabbing a handful of brakes while leaning over.

Bruce

 
I've hit ABS in a big lean going into a corner hot. They worked great and just as you described. In my situation, I had a van cross over the double yellow. I panicked and hit brakes hard. My bad and I know better. He was calm and moved out of my lane. I should have low sided or high sided, but the FJR is an amazing bike.

 
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I can't stand ABS on my truck, but the system on this bike is about as good as it gets. IMHO. Glad you missed the critter..........

Bryan

 
Yep, I had ABS kick in at lean (going slow on a left hand turn) some lady in the inside turn lane (two lanes turning left) decided she really needed to get to the Albertsons Parking lot NOW!!! and I was there in her way. HUGE handful of brake, Front started to slip (I was SURE!! I Was going down but better than under her van thingy) NADA, Slip, pulse grab Slowed down.

I hope her hubby liked the milk she was willing to kill me for <_<

 
Nice to know the ABS on the FJR worked so flawlessly for you. I can imagine you and the deer were both pretty sure you were going to meet. Glad you came out of it OK.

My first bike had cable actuated drum brakes and bias ply tires. I go out and look at the FJR on it's center stand in my garage and I'm flat amazed at the computer technology, hydraulics, digital gages etc. We really do ride wonderful machines. :yahoo:

AZ

 
my FJR is broken.

Whenever I see a forest rat I hit the "kill" switch and the damn things don't.

 
my FJR is broken.
Whenever I see a forest rat I hit the "kill" switch and the damn things don't.
DUDE !! Sorry to hear that. When I do it a lightening bolt comes out and disables the nearest beer truck. You better get that looked into man

 
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