Great Test. We performed a similar ABS test in Sweden together with Sveriges MotorCyklister (Swedish motorcycle association) and the Swedish Transport Administration. We used two Tiger Rally Pro. Two different tires oem and Michelin Annakiee Wild. Two different riders one very experienced and one that was new to dirt roads. We measured speed, stopping distance and also G forces in the side directions thus to measure stability. We used GPS on the bike to measure. Long story short. No one could outbreak the ABS if something suddenly happened. The street ABS was more stable especially for the newbie. The biggest difference was the tires. Mir aggressive tires gave a small advantage on the gravel roads. Most probably the other way around on pavement. We were surprised that it was so little difference between street and Rally ABS on gravel roads.

WOW, I worked at Ford Performance before my retirement. That level of detailed analysis of the braking capabilities of modern ABS was 1st class Engineering level stuff. Bret, I always learn from and enjoy the information you provide in your video's. Watching your video's makes me a better rider.

Anybody watching these videos. Just do as he says! Simple as that. I stopped lowering my tire pressure, and as he said I felt no difference for my amateur riding. And I had no worries when going from pavement to dirt and back. His video about body position on motorcycle is golden. The weightless rider technique saved me a couple of times in some sand parts and I got through them without putting my feet down. I was so proud. Than you Bret!

Thank you for continuing to break the many myths of the old school dirt riders, who don't trust modern technology. For the average ADV rider they are better off with ABS left on, but put into the correct mode (off road or on road). The old school dirt guys forget that most riders are coming to this genre of riding from street bikes and are not used to controlling slides. (and yes, the old ABS systems, like before 2010, they pretty much had to be turned off in the dirt, but times have changed!)

Love your honest content Bret! A downhill descent test would have been nice as well

Thanks for making this video. This is definitely a point which is discussed almost in every off road riding groups.

Thanks Bret. Excellent information. Your courses in-person and videos are much appreciated... and have helped many adventures stay upright. Or making the "dirt naps" less frequent and risky. Thanks again.

Very comprehensive, thanks! You saved a lot of people the time & risk of trying to figure this out by trial and error on tough terrain.

Love this video. It really shows where the companies are going with their R&D.

Great timing Bret! Was out on my Tiger today, had to emergency brake on a short stretch of gravel - immediately became aware that ‘road’ settings are not ideal in that situation, your video confirms this with the numbers 👍

Thanks for all the great work you do.

Great info, nice to see the full numbers from a professional. Keep up the great videos, Bret!

Nice video! You make the point that time and tech marches on. Yesterday’s limitations are today’s non-problem

Great work Bret! Love these kind of tests!

Last ride out I refused to ride down a very steep long pebble hill. My ABS does not shut off and I figured I’d freewheel down the hill and crash. My BMW riding partner convinced me the modern ABS won’t let me down. Suffice to say he was correct and the Vstrom rolled down those pebbles very controlled and with effective ABS braking.

YES! This is THE BEST video I have seen on this subject! With your background/training/experience there can be NO DOUBT as to how incorrect this myth of ABS off road use is. As you covered the upgrades in ABS through the years and then proved its overall use on/off road.. You do not HAVE to turn it off. You prove it out. My bike has great ABS, a couple times I popped the fuse to shut it off and that just got to be a pain to do SO I just explored the ABS's little nuances in different terrain to know it and I just run with it on. Again, another great video of skill, experience and knowledge backed up and with science and technology. That all said, say this STILL in some ADV communities and there will be people out there with pitchforks and torches! Please keep these videos coming. As always, take care and be safe in your travels my friend.

Bret is the greatest teacher out there.

Nice work Bret, that was what I wanted to hear. A Gold Medal to Christine for putting up with it..! 😘

I took the BMW US Rider Academy 1 day off road class a couple weeks ago. One of the evolutions was testing emergency off road braking from speed with and without ABS. It was very impressive how well the BMW advanced ABS was able to stop the bike in a loose dirt/gravel situation. Needless to say, I was not surprised by your findings. Modern ABS on bikes is awesome and just works. Great video as usual.

Thank you for debunking this myth, every time I go off-road with a group of riders we get into this discussion, and now I have the video to finish it right away! Greetings from Colombia and a Patreon supporter!

Awesome and most accurate! Thank you for all you do!

Comment for the YT algorithm vs. Bret. Enjoyed the testing and results, BTW.

thanks a lot for this, gives me a great deal more confidence when I take my GT Pro off road for the 1st time knowing it doesn't really matter that I can't turn off my abs.

Hey Bret! Fabio from Brazil! I always watch your tutorial videos ! They're great !!!

Thank you, Bret! I will try to trust my ABS on my new 2021 BMW F850GSA BumbleBee. I took it to Mt. Madonna this weekend (west of Gilroy, CA) and rode a very short section of dirt. I stopped short at a steeper downhill section due to rider fatigue. Looking forward to an off-road refresher class on this new bike. And more of your videos! Ride on.😃👍🏻🏍

You took a lot of effort to debunk this myth. Thank you & cheers to that. Also a big shoutout to your friends who helped with this stuff.

Thanks for answering the question I’ve had regarding ABS off-road. It’ll stay on from now on when I go off-road.

Thank you so much for bothering and doing the testing, will share with friends to finish the myth👍👍👍

Great info! Thank you for sharing and your time.

Thanks for asking the question, and supplying an answer.

Great video Bret - good to see some numbers to backup the claims

Wow great info thanks!!! My friend and I just had this discussion recently. We ride completely on the street but like many we ride adventure bikes using them for sport touring with sport touring tires. Coming back from Montana recently, a 5 mile stretch of roadway was completely torn up in Idaho for road construction. The road was all dirt with deep 3 inch pockets of gravel. Many bikers got caught out on this section of road. It was rather vertical with turns etc...we all left our ABS on rather than put the bikes in Enduro mode or turn the abs off...our group made it fine, others weren't as lucky. Looks like leaving the street ABS on was the correct choice...thanks for an excellent training video

Great info. I've always left the abs on the rear of my tiger 800 on unless I'm on a trail that's more technical than hard pack/gravel. I'm constantly swapping between pavement and gravel in deer country so I like to keep that abs on as often as possible. Thanks Bret.

Every time, you teach me how to be better - thank you.

Thanks Brett great video. I must say I love Enduro mode on my 2017 GSA when I'm offroad. Feels really planted.

I largely agree with this but on my 2016 Husqvarna 701 a snotty muddy down hill is definitely better with the ABS turned off. Everywhere else the ABS is better on. The ABS on the 701 will just let go on a snotty downhill and bite again when it feels like it. It makes for a lively ride with me pitching my bike up banks to lose speed. Maybe I am a bit of a jessie on the down hills, I sure as hell am not quickon a muddy descent. If I forget to turn the ABS off, keeping the front brake on and releasing it partially to keep the forks compressed will work in all but the muddiest of conditions but here in the Chiltern Hills of southern England, wet chalk is an extremely treacherous surface. When I have ridden on anything more hard pack or stony then the ABS is a positive advantage. Thanks for the analysis Brett. I also have the Tiger Rally Pro 900 on those, ahem, adventure tyres. it certainly is an adventure riding on anything slimey on those tyres. A top tip. If riding in mud on the OE "adventure" tyres, wear brown trousers. As soon as my road tyres are worn, something a lot nobbier is going on.

Thanks Bret. That was a real eye opener, I've always turned mind off when on gravel/mud. I have a have 1200 gs 2007, I run 50/50 tyres. I'll be trying out the ABS and see how a bike of my year copes. I would love to see a video on mud , I look forward to it. Keep up the good work and thanks. Safe riding.

An excellent video, keep up the good educational work. I've a 2021 CRF300Rally equipped with ABS which allows me to turn off the rear ONLY. Several KZfaqrs have taken the expense and trouble to remove the ABS in toto as they believe that it interferes with their ability to brake under control; however, even though a locked rear can be useful, I've yet to find a time in many years of trail riding when a locked front wheel has actually made things better. In my experience a locked front wheel is usually the thing that happens just before the wheel tucks and I drop it! I've had a couple of scenarios on the CRF where I would have laid down my old XR400R but a handful of front brake has stopped me AND left me upright - what's not to like. I've now even taken to leaving the rear ABS on as that is not as intrusive as I first thought and even in the quagmire that is currently Salisbury Plain it does not prevent me from getting the most out of my bike.

Another great video and help rethink old ideas we all just stick with blindly.

Another great video Bret. Lots of old fossils giving bad advice on forums based on how ABS is totally the reason they crashed 30 years ago. Nice to see some real testing and numbers to replace the anecdata

I was riding down steep narrow loose rock trails on my 790 Adventure in off-road mode last Sunday, and was amazed at the braking control that I had with the front brake. The other variable that comes into play though on that kind of surface is suspension - the more your tire can maintain contact, the better. I do turn my damping down a little for that kind of riding - I’m willing to have a little more bounce for more accurate tracking… but I do mean turn it down a little.

Great video Bret! I have been following along for quite a while now and was subscribed to mototrek when you were over there. Really like all the quality info you put into your content. Keep up the great work! I am riding a 2021 KTM 890 adventure R and I never fully turn the ABS off however I do always switch it to off road mode (rally mode is always on). I find it to be much better and it allows me to skid that back tire if I want.

Another great and unbiased presentation. ...where I live in Canada, our local government courses are still telling their students that bikes stop in shorter distances than cars 🤦‍♂. That said, when I drive off road I often want to use my rear tire for sliding into a turn - abs has to be off for that. Will need abs that can read my mind to switch between stopping and sliding on purpose.

I think that the benefits of the ABS are the greater the more speed you have. It's pretty easy to be brave with the front break under 30mph but at 50mph the rider isn't usually as brave as the computer :D Or that's my own experience from riding 1290 superduke on dirt roads with street tires and street abs.

Wow. Not what I expected. I ride a 2016 GS with Enduro Pro dongle. My butt tells me I have more control using manual modulation of brakes versus ABS. I have experienced ABS runaway on BMW 800 GSAs on baby head descents where the ABS simply becomes confused and lets gravity take over. Nice to see such a thorough review. I will definitely take my GS out and focus on some ad lib testing of my own to try this out. I recently started using my electronic downshifting on the GS and have really come to enjoy its precision in throttle matching into corners. It’s works very well. Us old dogs are hard to retrain. Thx for great video.

Solid info. If I ever get a bike modern enough that it has ABS I'll keep it in mind.

Fantastic work. Thanks so much!

Good test.Better info than just "What we Assume".Thanks.

Thank you Sir! I was about to ask you about this, merci from Montreal!

Thank you for this video, as a new rider I recently bought my second bike, a 2021 G310 GS, which no longer has the disable ABS button, this has had me a little concerned when riding it off road. This video has now eased my mind some, and given me the confidence to practice off road stopping a bit harder with it. Love the channel, cheers.

The only time that ABS has made me feel really out of control was on a steep downhill descent. I literally almost couldn't get the bike to stop as the front & back pulsated while gravity kept me going down the steep incline. After that it's been rule of thumb for me to deactivate the ABS. Testing to show this would be nice. Nice vid & thanks for sharing...

it depends on what tires you have, the one on the front matters the most, it also depends on the surface you're driving on. most of the time I go with active abs, even on hard descents with wet and soft ground, but I have an aggressive front tire (tkc 80, battlax ax41, karoo4). on the gravel the ABS does not cope. I prefer to simulate the abs manually. with time you will gain experience and decide according to your needs, not according to the experiments of others. thank you! I love what you do! keep it like this!

Bret, you just made me a much safer rider. I will be more confident in using my dual wheel ABS brakes on my Honda PCX-160 scooter. It has a parking brake locking lever that locks the left brake lever. I now understand how to use my Honda ADV-150 brakes. It has ABS on the front brake which is operated by the right hand, and the rear brake operated by the left hand does not have ABS. It does not have a parking brake locking lever. I live in Thailand and cannot get this kind of information in English. A velcro ribbon applied tightly to either brake lever serves as a parking brake. Very primitive. In my opinion the PCX braking design is a better system for most people, that the ADV. Thanks Bret

Great video thanks for doing it an shared, I really enjoyed

time and again I have heard people say they can stop quicker without abs. Some even demonstrate their skill. To me there are two issues, first riding to a predetermined point and breaking isn't the same as a panic stop and under those circumstances I am sure the abs will have the advantage. Second, abs isn't just about stopping quicker, it's about keeping control of the bike during the stop and abs does that. Great demo 👍

Muito bom, sempre tirando muitas duvidas com você. Obrigado! Abraço.

Good video yet again. I’d be interested in downhill performance. Certainly modern abs for off-road is great for cornering safety as well as traction control.

I used to be able to out brake abs pretty easily. (I actually practice hard braking) Not these days though. The modern stuff out brakes me.

I remember I mentioned in your previous video ( or in Mototrek?) related to braking that most riders will brake much better by just squeezing the brake lever + pedal) as much as they can. Thanks for the tests!

Wow. That was a lot of numbers. I still feel more comfortable with front ABS on and rear off. I like to slide the bike sideways with the rear wheel locked from time to time even if it's just for fun. Good info though.

Hi Brett. A similar video on the use of traction control would be good.

Those of us with older-than-modern ABS may still wish we could be in the shut-it-off category. Haven't done enough comparative testing on my 2021 Tenere 700 to comment. However, my 2012 Super Tenere without ABS defeat has given me more than a few "pucker" moments when the ABS let off the brakes. I attended a Rawhyde Offroad training course a few years ago at Overland Expo West on my S-10. In the braking training portion of the course, they insisted that I disable my ABS, (an option that bike doesn't support) and use my rear brake only. I failed every stop with ABS rear brake only. I made every stop with ABS front/rear brakes, but the instructor saw that I was using my front brake and admonished me to not do that because I would fall over. I didn't fall over

Could not agree more with the conclusion. Thanks for sharing, and yes, if you have a chance to test other kind of terrain it would be great:)

Nice vid. Thanks for the numbers!!

Thanks Bret...always good stuff. As to a look at more technical riding (rocky down hills, mud, single track, etc) if you are taking votes, it would certainly be informative. Always been a fan of front on, rear off on my 10 year old bike so getting a look at modern ABS systems in those conditions would be interesting. Appreciate your efforts.

Great video and proper situations tested. Nice. Wondering where my 2012 1200GSA would be since it doesn't have enduro ABS. I actually turn off ABS when I go off of hardpack to gravel or sandy or loose surfaces. Often I would hit dirt unprepared to stop to turn off ABS and in those cases I've never had issues with the ABS performing poorly in very loose terrain, but the 'myth' always sits in the back of my mind and I find somewhere to slow down to turn off ABS and traction control. The newer bikes I really believe would obviate the need for turning off anything, just switch to enduro mode... so when I get a newer bike I'll change my habits.

Great video! 🙌🙌🙌🙌

As someone previously mentioned, I would be awesome to see more bike comparison. I understand that that's a lot of work to make such a video, so just a spreadsheet would be enough. At least for the new bikes: KTM 790/890, T7, CRF300, Africa twin, and some other new models. This data can later be used in bike reviews and help people to choose a new bike. Like why would I spend more money on a ktm or bmw instead of T7 if I'm a beginner off-road rider, I don't need more power or a more expensive suspension, but when I see that the abs can increase my safety and help me even on off-road - that's a big selling point for me. I understand that ABS isn't a substitute for bad skills and you should always invest in some training, this information just gives the consumer a larger perspective. Also, I recently bought a T7 and now I'm interested to see how big of a difference it is compared to other bikes. A giant thanks to Bret, I always learn from and enjoy the information you provide.

SWEET! AS MUCH AS I wanted the new Tiger 900 I just couldn't afford it. I'm loving my new '21 V-Strom 650XT ADV - although with this bike, turning off the ABS is not an option. So THANK YOU for busting this myth! 🙂

Another GREAT vid. I'm so glad to see this /specifically because I was wondering if I was wacky. Apparently I'm not. My Husaberg FE390 (now street legal) has zero electronics, of course. However, my 2017 Vstrom 650XT and my 2018 Kawasaki Versys x300 have surprisingly good ABS (neither is switchable and both have only one ABS mode). That said, I have been VERY pleased with the ABS off-road. I live 5 miles from pavement in any direction, so every ride has gravel (good county road, but loose gravel over hard mag chloride base, a fair amount of washboard). The ABS on pavement is VERY good on both and it surprisingly good off road. I have NEVER felt like I would skid into anything. (I have NOT checked either on deep river rock like you did.) Your vid confirms my "seat of the pants" conclusions that I don't need to "pull the ABS fuse" off road. Keep up your excellent work / Thanks!!!

Completely agree - when on trips, I always keep the R1250 GS in Enduro Pro, with traction control off (we all want some rear wheel spin). I do however train with the ABS off, to improve my skill - and do elephant turns ...

Good stuff as always👍

Just as an aside : half tennis balls for practice cones? What a great idea! Low profile, grippy and soft, I'm gonna get me some 😄👌🏻

Another great video

great video...thankyou for the confirmation

Just what I needed.

I’ve got a 2014 CB500x. With ABS…. Primitive ABS system. Without an ABS switch (which I’ve added) off road on a slippery surface (down hill for gravel for example) I’m just along for the ride. The system clicks and whirs…but won’t stop the bike. I’ve done the BMW advanced ADV 2 day course and “enduro pro” on 850 GS and 1250 GS which was an entire different animal. The type of ABS matters for sure. They’re not all created equal. Great video.

I think if all you are doing is trail riding then ABS on is a good choice. However, if you are trail bashing and doing more aggressive or more technical riding ABS can definitely get in the way just like some of the anti-spin and wheelie features. Most riders would benefit from leaving it on, some riders in specific settings would want to be able to turn it off. That's how I like to frame it. (I leave mine on about 90% of the time.) Well, I'm also guilty of riding my 2021 GSA in street mode off-road because I forget to change it. lol

good video!

I'm on board with the off road ABS and really would go for it. I would like to see the loose gravel steep down hill stop, where part of the stop method is working the rear brake with a combination slide/release using the build up of a small gravel berm over and over, as a part of the slowing process being the resistance as the wheel has to roll over the build up of gravel. This really is the nightmare situation. Front braking would be sketchy at best, but with ABS could contribute a lot more. If full ABS was used, the rear the brake would possibly be releasing too much, rendering it ineffective. That would be one interesting test and demo to see how the braking techniques and ABS would work together. I believe from what I saw here, you would use the off road ABS and possibly the same slide release with the rear brake as we do, slide/roll/slide/roll reducing speed. It isn't a panic stop, rather just a very tough situation, ever with a fair amount of off road and trials experience. I'd really like to see what it would be to have the ABS off vs off road ABS on. Seems to me the latter would be superior to the former, but I don't have the bike to try it. My experience in the situation has been on both a KLX650 and 250 no ABS. We have several places where this is the method needed. In one of them you will end up out in the road if you screw up. The speed in the decent is like 10 mph or less, yet it is still difficult It is the steep incline and loose large gravel.

Great job!

If you accidently hit your tennis ball into Bret Tkacs yard......it's gone kids

Thnk sou much! Very interesting video. Grettings from chile

I like Christine's Happy vibe. Funny when she Said " How did I get Roped into this". Reminds me of my Crystal. Good Stuff

I have a 2020 CB500X and usually run the TKC 80’s. I am not, or perhaps, do not need to be a fast rider so stopping is not an issue for me. My issue is steeper downhills on loose rock, sand or gravel, where the pulsating rear wheel (ABS on) is very unnerving. My bike does not have an ABS switch, it is just on all the time. Previous models had aftermarket switches to disable the ABS. I believe my ideal bike would have front ABS and no ABS on the rear and I think we will see more bikes in the future with this option. I have seen 3 solutions to my issue that involve switches that disable the fuse for the ABS. In July of 2022, on some steep down hill loose surface switchbacks I removed my seat, pulled the ABS fuse, put the fuse in my riding pants pocket, replaced the seat and rode down. That fuse is still in my pocket and works well for my type of riding. If I were to ride on wet asphalt at relatively high speeds to get somewhere I would put the fuse in.

The situation most difficult for ABS is a deep gravel, certain snow, basically anything you can stop faster by locking up and creating a wedge and plow. The kind of thing where the tire will be buried at the end.

Great video Bret, thanks!., very cool that river bed stone breaking skills!, I would like to see a comparison between the three ABS modes on the KTM's (road, offroad and off) on steep downhill offroad (loose terrain).

Yeah during your ADV Camp, I found my 2009 ABS bike is MUCH faster stopping on dirt/gravel with ABS on. Only on “coasting/riding brakes” steep downhills did I feel more in control with ABS off. I run ABS on 90% of the time. Great comparison video.

I learned this when I demoed the pan America off road… modern abs is incredibly good. My 2010 gs I have to turn the abs off off road

Great video, thanks you! I have a contrary experience that has soured me to ABS off road, but you’ve inspired me to have another go at it. I find that the ABS doesn’t slow me in a way that I find predictable. I had a terrifying incident on a loose, sandy mountain pass in Colorado. My bike is one of the ones that resets to road mode when you turn it off, which is exactly what happened when I stopped at the top of a hill to get my bearings. When I started down it was in street mode, and I was trying to to drag the rear to slow the bike but the ABS wasn’t having it. I found myself picking up way too much speed and had to shut off the bike to drag the rear and stop. This happened twice…what can I say, I’m a slow learner. I’m willing to believe this was human error. Maybe I was modulating the brakes and confusing the ABS…I was too busy soiling myself to take notes. I will to try to recreate the experience and put some blind faith into the ABS. Wish me luck!

Good video and tests! In the tested environments I think the best advice is to practice with and trust the enduro computer settings. I would be curious to see a downhill test, since that is the scariest. Something steep enough to accellerate the bike downhill with a locked rear, so that front braking is critical to success. This is the only time/circumstance where I was genuinely scared for my survival on an ADV bike.

Wow! That took a LONG time to say turning abs off with a modern motorcycle when riding off road was a busted myth! Thanks for letting us know.

I let a country boy use my keep Cherokee sport 97 to make a run up a mountain to bring bag some of Humbolts finest to us in 2004. He had never used a vehicle with abs. As he rounded a curve a little fast he brakes and thought the “brakes where giving out” so used the wall of the mountain to stop the machine. There wasn’t much damage but scratches. I remember the first time and initiated for me on a bike. I was going through a puddle about 4 inch deep 8 feet long. I would have been down if the abs wasn’t there. That was a test ride on what ended up being my first BMW in a stream of many. BMW f650gs 2005. It was an amazing motorcycle. I went to school with it MMI Phoenix. I rode my wife and I through Cali for our honeymoon. I love abs.

My ‘05 GS with servo brakes does fine G/S 16 years later. BMW did a lot of early development on cars and bikes ABS - Anti Blockier System. (Not ALB lol.)

Great info. It interesting to see how technology changes. When I ride off-road I don’t have to think about ABS at all ….. My CB500X has no ABS 😀

It is very different from bike to bike. Really works on tarmac for many riders, who would otherwise slide out. In our neck of the woods, we tested this also with different brands and it seems, that the newer bikes have a lot less difference in the riding modes/capabilities. There is definatelly more grip off-road to be had by different tyres, if surface is soft. But here also good to see, that BMW with the newer abs modules is also capable doing some braking off-pavement. Wonder how the test would look like going downhill...

Thanks Brat! I was wondering about the same question for a while now. Manufacturers put money in development of a system we turn off, just because we doubt its performance? All the while we know that streetperformance of ABS is hard to beat by a normal trained rider. For me personally it boils down to safety in >emergency< situations. Abs works - every time - all the time - even off the pavement. Everything else is personal taste. Thanks again!

Good research. I did a lot of testing of abs equipped vehicles in the early 90's. I tested commercial trucks,cars and motorcycles. Even then it was clear that abs was superior to the skills of the majority of people. Those early systems were far from perfect,especially on loose surfaces.

My old 07 BMW G650x Challenge with the ABS on just would not stop on gravel. It caught me out a few times.

Great video. Been following you for a while now. I just wish you could come down to Australia to do some courses. Would be thrilled to participate. Take care and thank you for your very educational videos.