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[grc]

Don't know, Terry.  I only saw an FLHP listed w/ABS and didn't have time to really look it over.  Unfortuantely, I'm still very old school and don't want ABS on anything I've got.  Everything I own that has it takes longer to stop UNLESS conditions are very slippery.  There it's only slightly better.

arcticdude,

ABS really isn't about stopping quicker, it's about maintaining control (especially steering control) under panic braking.  Once you lock the wheels, you have lost all directional control.  I haven't met anyone yet who can manually pump the brakes as fast and with as much precision as an ABS system can, holding the wheels just at the point of lock up without actually locking or backing off too far and increasing stopping distances.  

My reason for not wanting ABS on my Harley has more to do with my lack of confidence in H-D's ability to implement it properly.  I don't need typical Harley electrical/electronic gremlins in my braking system.

Jerry

[Midnight Rider]

John, the cop bikes have had ABS as an option since 2005 or so.  A requirement they had to meet to be included in many state's bid systems that followed a California requirement (as many states often do).  We are all hoping against hope, however, that THAT system isn't the mass production consumer system.  It's freaking huge.  Kills the utility of one saddlebag by occupying half of it or so with pump and other associated hardware.  It's a real kludge of a bike ABS system. 

The ABS system on the Goldwings works well.  Braking tests suggest it's a benefit too.  The BMW system is probably the sweetest of them all in the bike world though.  Small.  Effective.  Harley should steal one and reverse engineer it if they can't do anything better than what they've done on the cop bikes.

I picture somewhere in the dungeons of HD Corporate HQ, a bunch of nerdy type fellows...pale, perhaps with chrome pocket protectors...who have one of every manufacturer's bikes looking at how they do things better than HD.  Unfortunately, all Harley seems to do is push food under the door...

I am personally a firm believer in ABS systems...have only very limited experience with them on a bike, but on cars, I know absolutely it has kept me out of at least three major collisions.  The only thing on the bike I would not want, is one that applies too much brake to the front when the rear pedal is engaged slightly, as I sometimes use a trailing brake in a curve if I've gone in a bit hot.  Just a wee bit of pressure will scrub off just enough speed without getting too far into my traction-used factor, and will not want to stand the bike up like the front brakes do.

[grc]

I picture somewhere in the dungeons of HD Corporate HQ, a bunch of nerdy type fellows...pale, perhaps with chrome pocket protectors...who have one of every manufacturer's bikes looking at how they do things better than HD.  Unfortunately, all Harley seems to do is push food under the door...

I am personally a firm believer in ABS systems...have only very limited experience with them on a bike, but on cars, I know absolutely it has kept me out of at least three major collisions.  The only thing on the bike I would not want, is one that applies too much brake to the front when the rear pedal is engaged slightly, as I sometimes use a trailing brake in a curve if I've gone in a bit hot.  Just a wee bit of pressure will scrub off just enough speed without getting too far into my traction-used factor, and will not want to stand the bike up like the front brakes do.

Terry,

   Excellent!  I've often had a similar thought, except I visualized one guy, and he mostly researched aftermarket ideas that H-D could pilfer (similar to the Microsoft business model) such as automatic primary chain adjusters, center stands, etc.  I don't think H-D really cares how the other folks do the functional things better, since function is not a top priority.  If they do have a group like you described, I'll bet the "styling" department has more people and resources.

Jerry