I am a firm believer that is something is cheap then it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be effective or of a good quality. But in the back of my mind, there’s always a contradictory thought that when it comes to safety then price doesn’t matter. Earlier Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 was the only bike which had a single channel ABS on offer but recently the Suzuki Gixxer SF has also been launched with a single channel version. So a cost effective ABS system which is the choice of 2 of the big motorcycle brands in our country must be doing something right, let’s try and put together what we can do with Single channel ABS.The Need for ABS:
Simply put, we need ABS on our motorcycles because under panic braking when something suddenly comes in front of our motorcycles then we are not fast enough to apply brakes effectively or smoothly such that the bike comes to a stop without any of the wheels of our bike getting locked. This happens when the tires of the bike physically not able to stop that fast. Locking up of wheels causes the motorcycle to skid and cause an accident. ABS is a lifesaving feature there is no doubt about that, the internet is filled with stories of people who were saved by ABS in the nick of time just when they thought they were about to crash. But there is a new cousin of this guy in the house he is half the size and claims the same effectiveness as his heavyweight brother; its name is Single channel ABS. This type of ABS normally acts only on the front wheel of the bike and maintains balance under panic braking conditions.All about the Single Channel ABS:
There are mainly 4 parts of any ABS system. They are-
• ECU
• PUMP
• Solenoid valves
• Wheel speed sensors
You can read in detail about all these parts here. So let me give you a quick recap of their functioning in the real world. This is the Single channel ABS that we are talking about so the ABS is present only on the front Wheel. You’re riding on your motorcycle and suddenly the car in the front brakes aggressively so you too need to brake hard as a result you press the lever under panic, under seconds the sensor on the wheels realize that the front wheel is decelerating too fast and there is a danger of locking so ECU commands the solenoid valves to release the pressure, pressure decreases wheel stabilizes so now, the pump increases the pressure. This happens over many times until the bike comes to a halt. All this takes place within a matter of seconds so that’s how an ABS saves a life. In this case, the rear wheel wasn’t equipped with ABS so there was a chance of it locking and causing the bike to skid. But the rider didn’t apply the rear brakes in the first place so the bike remained stable.• PUMP
• Solenoid valves
• Wheel speed sensors
RELATED ARTICLE: Dual Channel Motorcycle ABS Explained
This is the only difference between a dual channel ABS and a Single channel one. This is also the reason why the effectiveness of both differs because stopping the bike with 2 brakes is always quicker than stopping it with one. Single channel ABS is a cost effective method of improving the safety of the rider, it may be enough for Suzuki Gixxer SF which is a 150 cc bike and weighs just 140 Kilograms but in a heavy and bigger capacity bike, a single channel ABS just isn’t enough. It is heavy so naturally, it’s going to have more momentum so it will require all the stopping power it can get.
Conclusion:So the answer to the question “Is Single Channel ABS worth it and effective” is yes. But on smaller bikes which are less than 200cc. For anything at that range or above, only a dual channel ABS can ensure maximum confidence in the rider.
Is Single Channel ABS as effective as the Dual channel variant? No. Then how can it make up for its short coming? Well, the basic answer would be to get a dual channel ABS but there is always a fix for any difficult situation. The effective braking is not just the result of an ABS system but also of the brake pads, tyres, the pressure in the brake lines and so on. One can alter these too to make up for the lack of ABS, do keep in mind that these things can’t actually replace a fully sophisticated system but can certainly help you in difficult situations.
My advice would be to go for sticky tyres paired up with good quality brake pads. If any of you are thinking that “why do I even need an ABS or quality tyres? As I can handle my bike quite easily without it.” then always remember that the money which you will spend on motorcycle equipment will always and forever be less than any hospital bill.
Ride safe and stay tuned to BikesMedia for more.
By: Yetnesh Dubey