TVS Apache becomes the first Indian bike to feature ABS. CBR 250R sports combined ABS as an additional equipment in its high end variant. These are news which we have been hearing every now and then. Now to please your ears comes the news that BMW Motorrad would sport ABS as standard equipment in its entire range of bikes. With this strategic move, BMW Motorrad USA becomes the first motorcycle company in the world to offer ABS as a standard fitment.
This move comes into practice in the entire range of 2012 model of motorcycles. “Plain and simple, being able to stop a motorcycle faster and more predictably helps prevent a rider from becoming a statistic,” said Pieter de Waal, Vice President, BMW Motorrad USA. “It’s time for all of us in the motorcycle industry to embrace the benefits of ABS. Extensive testing by safety experts, law enforcement authorities and journalists around the world consistently demonstrates that ABS reduces overall crashes and saves lives.”
An analysis of 2010 motorcycle crashes released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reveals that although motorcyclist fatalities are down for the past two years, they began to slightly increase in the third quarter of 2010. GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harshanoted said, “We are concerned that motorcycle deaths may be on the rise again. ABS and other safety technologies and programs can help continue the progress that has been made in motorcycle safety.”
A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), USA, revealed that motorcycles equipped with antilock brakes are 37 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than models without ABS.
With all these data taken into consideration, BMW Motorrad should have come to this decision. Any new feature that adds up to the safety of the rider and passenger has to be welcomed. Hope to feel the precise braking experience in Indian BMW Motorrads in just a year from now on.
Regards,
Naren
